Discover History, Culture and the Great Outdoors in the City of
Victoria BC

Welcome to the beautiful City of Victoria BC! Your driving vacation won't be complete without a visit to British Columbia's capital city!

Victoria is truly one of Canada's most charming cities - we lived here for over nine years - so we know it very well.

It has the most mild year-round climate in Canada which makes it a really popular winter destination for Canadians escaping snow! The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria is located on the most southern point of Vancouver Island. You can get here by ferry or air (airport is about 22 km north of the city).

Greater Victoria has a population of about 350,000. Although it's fairly easy to get around the city, traffic is heavy downtown. Victorians tend to be aggressive drivers in our opinion, so we strongly suggest you consult a city map before you venture downtown (watch out for the one-way street signs - there are lots in Victoria and some catch you off guard).

If you're not keen on driving yourself, that's okay, because there's really good bus transportation going in every direction.

The City of Victoria BC is a great walking city, especially if you plan on staying in and around the downtown area. You can see most of the interesting attractions all on foot... just be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

The core downtown area is located right next to the very busy Inner Harbour. The streets you'll NOT want to miss from the Inner Harbour are: Wharf Street, Government Street, Fort and View Street.

Fabulous shops, amazing local chocolate (Roger's Chocolates) and delightful cafes and tapas bars.

The one thing that will strike you, is how European it feels in this core downtown area. The lingering smells of food, sounds of street musicians, unhurried shoppers - Victoria's got a great culture!

Not To Miss In Downtown Victoria

• Stroll through the Empress Hotel (overlooking the Inner Harbour)
• Walk down Trounce Alley off Government Street
• Walk to Chinatown and see Fan Tan Alley (go straight up Government Street to the Chinatown Main Gates)
• Visit the Royal British Columbia Museum (beside the Empress Hotel)

If you can venture out of the downtown area, we suggest that you make a visit to Oak Bay Village, located on Oak Bay Avenue.

To get there, follow Fort Street up from downtown, until you reach the intersection of Fort and Oak Bay Avenue. Turn right onto Oak Bay Avenue and follow all the way to the Village (you can't miss it).

Here you'll find a lively business area with real British flair! Definitely have tea and crumpets at the Blethering Place Tea Room, or a pint of beer at The Penny Farthing Pub - both favourites of ours!

Where to Stay in The City of Victoria BC

EMPRESS HOTEL

If you are on a BIG budget and don't mind splurging on your room, then our first recommendation is to stay here!

Located on Government Street between Humboldt and Belleville Streets, the Empress is a restored heritage hotel overlooking the inner harbour of Victoria.

We mentioned the rooms are expensive, but you'll be in awe. The decor is luxurious and the building is historic. There's no other hotel in Victoria to stay at if you want to splurge.

One of our very personal favourites, is the India themed Bengal Lounge in the hotel. Elegant decor, twelve foot windows, and a huge wall mounted tiger skin donated to the hotel by the king of Siam. Go in and try their Spanish Coffee and just sit back and take it all in!

THE BEDFORD REGENCY HOTEL The City of Victoria BC boasts some historic, charming hotels and Inns. And the Bedford Regency Hotel is no exception!

An elegant boutique-style hotel in a great downtown area, the Bedford Regency puts you just a few blocks from Victoria's famously busy Inner Harbour.

This hotel is surrounded by great shops, trendy restaurants, and three museums... all within extremely easy walking distance. Lots of tours (whale watching, horse-drawn carriage, etc) are offered close by.

This is a place to stay that's historical and elegant - even B.B. King stayed here! The hotel's got a very good (and popular) pub attached to it, called Garrick's Head. So don't forget to stop in for a convenient nightcap!

If you have a more modest budget, we recommend this hotel. One of the more affordable downtown City of Victoria BC hotels, the Dominion is one of our favourite places to stay.

Located right at the corner of Blanshard and Yates Street, the rooms are newly updated and cozy. You can choose to stay in a more standard room or overnight in a boutique, heritage-style room.

We like that they've kept their rates quite reasonable considering they're a downtown hotel.

Getting Out of Victoria - Heading Up Island

Highway 19 is known as the Inland Island Highway, a well-designed, easy to drive four-lane express route from Victoria to Campbell River. After Campbell River, the highway turns into two lanes.

The City of Victoria BC experiences it's fair share of typical "rush-hour" traffic, both coming in and going out of the city. To avoid getting stuck in heavy traffic, we've always found the best times to go in or out is anywhere between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

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