Search
Brazil
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
TurkeyCanada
the United States
Mexico
the Dominican RepublicTurkey
South Africa
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
British Columbia · Canada
The capital of British Columbia, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island: the Inner Harbour, the illuminated Parliament, the Royal BC Museum and the Butchart Gardens.
In the photo: Inner Harbour, Victoria
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and is located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Georgia. It is not the city of Vancouver, which is on the mainland: you reach Victoria by ferry, plane or seaplane.
The city began in 1843 as a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post, on the territory of the Lekwungen people. The Inner Harbour is the focal point for visitors: around it are the Parliament Building, with its green dome, lit at night by thousands of lights, the Royal BC Museum and the waterfront promenade where boats, seaplanes and water taxis dock.
The downtown has streets of Victorian buildings, Canada’s oldest Chinatown, with the narrow Fan Tan Alley, and Craigdarroch Castle, a 19th-century mansion. Beacon Hill Park slopes down to the sea, with views of the Olympic Mountains in the United States.
About 21 km away, the Butchart Gardens occupy a former quarry transformed into gardens. Whale-watching boats depart from the harbour, and the climate is among the mildest in Canada, with winters that bring little snow.
This destination brings together 1 city: Victoria.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Victoria International Airport (YYJ), in North Saanich · 25 km to Victoria
BC Ferries ferries link Tsawwassen, near Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, about 32 km from the city centre, in about a 1 hour 35 minute crossing. Victoria Airport is about 25 km away. Seaplanes connect the port of Vancouver to the Inner Harbour in about 35 minutes.
The local experience
Victoria’s Inner Harbour, surrounded by the Parliament, the Royal BC Museum and historic buildings, with a promenade, seaplanes, water taxis and street performers.
1898 stone building with a green dome on the edge of the Inner Harbour, seat of the provincial Legislative Assembly, outlined at night by thousands of lights and open for guided visits.
Museum of British Columbia’s natural and human history next to the Parliament, with coastal and forest dioramas and totem poles outdoors in Thunderbird Park.
About 22 hectares of gardens in an old limestone quarry on the Saanich Peninsula, featuring the Sunken Garden, a rose garden, Japanese and Italian gardens, and winter lights.
Victorian mansion built in a castle style at the end of the 19th century by a coal magnate, with four floors of decorated rooms, stained glass and a tower with city views.
About 75 hectares of parkland between downtown and the sea, with lakes, gardens, flower fields, one of the tallest totem poles in the world and the kilometre zero marker of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
From May to September, with dry days, blooming gardens and the whale-watching boat season. Winter is mild for Canada, with rain and little snow. In spring, cherry trees and gardens bloom early, usually beginning in March.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two days for the harbour, downtown, the museums and the Butchart Gardens. A day trip from Vancouver is possible but tight.
Downtown, around the Inner Harbour, concentrates accommodations within walking distance of the harbour, the Parliament and the museums. James Bay, south of the harbour, is residential and close to Beacon Hill Park. On the Saanich Peninsula, near the Butchart Gardens and the ferry terminal, there are options for those arriving late.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
No. Victoria is on Vancouver Island, on the other side of the Strait of Georgia. The city of Vancouver is on the mainland.
By BC Ferries ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, by seaplane between the two harbours, or by airplane.
Two days for the harbour, the museums and the Butchart Gardens.
Yes. Boats depart from the Inner Harbour, and orcas and other whales tend to appear more often between May and October.
Not in the downtown area, which is walkable. There are buses and tours to the Butchart Gardens; a car helps to explore the rest of the island.
The Pacific Time of British Columbia: UTC−7 all year round.
