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. Streets not-to-miss from off the Inner Harbour: Wharf, Government, and Fort Streets.

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

The one thing that'll 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

Here's what we highly recommend...

The Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria was opened in 1908 and she has become not only a City of Victoria BC landmark, but a world renowned landmark.

If you are on a BIG budget and don't mind splurging on your room, then stay in a piece of history!

Located on Government Street between Humboldt and Belleville Streets, the Empress, a restored heritage hotel, has the "best seat in the house," where the grand ol' dame overlooks the inner harbour.

Brace yourself. The rooms are expensive, but you'll be in awe. The decor is luxurious and the building is a classic of its era. There's probably no other hotel in Victoria to stay at if you want to splurge on something that truly represents Victoria, BC.

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


THE BEDFORD REGENCY HOTEL The City of Victoria BC boasts some historic, elegant hotels and Inns. And the Bedford Regency Hotel is just that! This is a boutique-style hotel right downtown, on the harbour's edge. Walk just a few short blocks and you're at Victoria's famous Inner Harbour. B.B. King even stayed here!

The hotel's surrounded by great shops, trendy restaurants, and museums... all within extremely easy walking distance. Lots of outdoor adventure tours (whale watching, kayaking, etc) are offered nearby.

Our Tip: Not-to-miss: the very good Garrick's Head pub inside the hotel. Popular with local Victorians - a great place for a nightcap!


THE DALTON HOTEL A great hotel with excellent specials! We give this one two "thumbs up!" One of the most affordable downtown City of Victoria BC hotels, the Dalton Hotel is one of our favourite places to stay - and located smack dab in the heart of the city! Walk everywhere.

These guys did a massive renovation to restore the old charming rooms of the era. If you don't mind smaller, "squishy-er" rooms, you'll do great here. Choose from a more standard room or overnight it in a boutique, heritage-style room.

We love their rates and their superb location to everything downtown. OUR TIP: you'll get traffic noise in a room facing Yates Street. Try to get a room at the back of the building if you want quiet.

Want to Get Out of Victoria? Head 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 challenges - including "rush-hour" traffic, both coming in and going out of the city. To avoid getting stuck in rush hour, 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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