Victoria is among Canada’s top popular tourist homes and provides many attractions, activities, and other exciting exhibits to tourists.
This makes the city one of the most exciting prospects to consider on any of your vacation or holiday trips to British Columbia, Canada.
It will offer you a perfect picture of a gorgeous laid-back city surrounded by outdoor adventure and nature.
In Victoria, BC, you can smell the Roses at the Butchart Gardens, Explore the Royal BC Museum, visit the Fisherman’s Wharf, go Whale Watching, etc.
In this article, we will share some of the best things with you to do in Victoria, BC, for adults, kids, families, couples, and for the weekend!
Where is Victoria, BC?
Talking about the top beautiful cities in Canada, Victoria is right among the very first on the queue.
Victoria is situated on the southern edge of Vancouver Island and is arguably one of the most ancient cities within the Pacific Northwest. It is the capital of British Columbia.
Founded as a British residence in 1843, Victoria City is named after Queen Victoria and is a place where you can find all kinds of historic buildings, which includes the lovely parliament buildings and the world-renowned Empress Hotel.
It is also a city where you will find the oldest Chinatown in Canada, lively First Nations localities that have resided in this area a long time before European settlement; as is popularly known as “The Garden City” courtesy of its calm weather and gardens.
See Also: Fun Things to Do in LA California
Fun Things to Do In Victoria, BC
1. Visit the Victoria Bug Zoo
The Victoria Bug Zoo was initially a tiny planet and has become a miniature zoo. Few people love insects and spiders, but the zoo is a great place to be.
It offers you a chance to witness and encounter creatures with many legs from all over the world.
It also offers you a safe, enjoyable, and welcoming environment. There are precisely over 50 species, which include vast ant habitats, giant walking stick bugs, alien-eyes praying mantis, and scorpions that shine in the dark.
You are free to come with your camera, as you will experience a memorable adventure in this zoo.
Address: 631 Courtney St, Victoria, BC V8W 1B8, Canada
2. Visit Fisherman’s Wharf
If you are a fishing fan, you will pick interested in Fisherman’s Wharf. It is situated very close to Victoria’s Inner Harbor.
It is a perfect place where you can have the best meals, go shopping at great stores, and participate in eco-adventures.
You will meet people from far and near who are served edible seafood. You can take part in the enjoyable tour through the floating homes and imagine how great it would be living in an apartment that floats with water.
Looking for an excellent experience in Victoria, the Wharf offers unique guesthouses to ensure you have what you seek.
Address: 100 Jefferson Street or the coordinates 37.808491, Victoria, BC, Canada
3. The Butchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens is a facility in an incredible 55-acre space within Victoria, BC, frequented annually by many visitors from every part of the world. It is famous as a Victorian icon and Canada’s National Historic Site.
The Butchart Gardens features several eye-catching things like over 900 bedding plant types, 26 greenhouses, and 50 full-time gardeners. It is a great place to visit alone, with your family, or on a romantic date with your spouse.
Don’t miss out on the experience of smelling the roses of this beautiful facility that offers an incredible center to walk around.
The place also hosts several shows, including firework shows every Saturday, boat adventures, evening entertainment, as well as houses a fantastic gift store.
Have you seen some of the best flowers in the world? You will undoubtedly have to fill your eyes with several of them, including Roses, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and Japanese maples.
If you love flowers, you shouldn’t plan to miss out on this fantastic tour of the Butchart Gardens.
Address: 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J8, Canada
4. The Empress Hotel
As far as Victoria City is concerned, there are many sites to visit for a fun-filled adventure.
After a beautiful and exhilarating tour around the city, you would want to stop by a quiet and welcoming resort, relax your nerves and enjoy some of its best meals and drinks. This is where The Empress Hotel comes in.
Apart from being among the best tourist centers in Victoria, The Empress Hotel is arguably one of the city’s most historic buildings. Once you enter it, you will imagine walking back in time to the era of the British Empire.
It is a lovely edifice endowed with beautiful flowers crawling up the building from the outside, which is a spectacular sight.
Also known as the legendary Canadian Pacific Railway hotel, The Empress Hotel was established between 1904 and 1908 and is arguably among the most popular hotels in the world.
Even if you are not financially buoyant enough to afford a night at the hotel, you are free to join others who visit the hotel to admire its beauty or shell out a few bucks to enjoy its afternoon tea, served in the lobby to over 800 visitors each day.
Address: 721 Government St, Victoria, BC V8W 1W5, Canada
5. The Royal British Columbia Museum
Established in 1886, the Royal British Columbia Museum is a perfect center to discover British Columbia’s natural and human history.
The building is home to three permanent galleries: Natural History, Becoming BC, and the First Peoples Gallery.
As far as the natural history collection is concerned, it features over 750,000 records of specimens, which are gathered from other parts of the world. The Royal British Museum hosts exhibitions like Titanic, Egyptian artifacts, and the Vikings.
Apart from the incredible hotel’s exciting exhibitions, it is also a center called IMAX Victoria Theater, where you can watch educational movies and commercial films. This theater is situated far from the Empress Hotel and the inner harbor.
Address: 675 Belleville St, Victoria, BC V8W 9W2, Canada
6. Beacon Hill Park
There are lots of people out there who need a place where they can ease out their stressful days at work and worries about life.
You can rest assured that by taking a stroll at Beacon Hill Park, you will experience thrilling moments and beautiful sights that will make you forget those worries for some time.
Situated in downtown Victoria, you won’t find a better place than Beacon Hill Park, as it provides you an avenue to easily walk up Belleville Street over the Museum of Natural History and the IMAX Theater.
Then stroll towards Douglas Street, turn right, and climb a dwarf hill until you reach the top.
In this park, you will be shocked at the incredible inner-city nature you will witness. However, you must remember that the park has 200 acres of land space; hence, you must plan your visit accordingly.
Address: 100 Cook St, Victoria, BC, Canada
7. The Inner Harbor & Victoria Pier
Are you looking for the perfect place in Victoria where you can spend your vacation?
You will encounter an unforgettable adventure by touring through the Inner Harbor & Victoria Pier, arguably among the most attractive harbors, not just in Canada but on the entire planet.
It is a place where you will discover several historic streets and structures. The harbor is one of Victoria’s places that host different kinds of festivals and shows all summer.
Here, you will also find an international ferry terminal, float planes, and several other ecotourism businesses.
Address: Near Pier #2 12 Erie Street, Victoria, B.C. Canada.
8. Vancouver Island
In as much as Victoria is one of the cities in Canada that is visited because of its beautiful, attractive centers, you can also opt for a few days or week out to explore the beauties of Vancouver Island.
This center is renowned for its uniquely eye-catching areas.
For instance, Vancouver Island features rainforest tours, magical coastal beaches, incredible waterfalls, unique small island communities, and the top surfing in Canada out by Tofino.
Don’t forget to join others in whale watching and vast life adventures throughout the island.
You can also go snorkeling with salmon around Campbell River and some of the top multi-day hikes in North America. Vancouver Island offers quite an exciting adventure you shouldn’t miss.
Address: North Pacific Ocean, on the coast of southern British Columbia, Canada
9. Walking Food Tour
Are you looking for something to do with your vacation period? You can take a walking food tour and discover the different areas of Victoria, BC.
It is an opportunity to find the street you are walking on or the surroundings you are walking through, making you feel the city’s heart.
You can take a 3-hour food adventure with a taste of Victoria Food Tours, hence adding the experience of tasting different delicious meals from local eateries and bakeries.
After this encounter, you will somehow add this food tour to your favorite list of things to do, Victoria.
You will also be educated on some history. Various items are on display, including Italian baked goods, perogies, homemade ice cream, balsamic vinegar, olive oils, and some tasty meatballs.
Address: 1701 Douglas St. inside the Douglas St. Entrance next to the vendor directory, Victoria, BC, Canada
10. ABKHAZI Garden
Many people today don’t still know that Victoria City is nicknamed “The Garden City” because of one of its incredible features, one of which is the ABKHAZI Garden.
Established in 1946 by Prince and Princess ABKHAZI, the gorgeous garden is a fantastic heritage home occupying just about one acre of land.
However, its small size does not stop it from featuring exhilarating glaciated rocky slopes, stunning native Garry oaks & beautiful vistas, Japanese maples & rhododendrons, carpets of naturalized bulbs, and so on.
Even though the facility is smallish, you’ll be forced to wonder at its total design.
Address: 1964 Fairfield Rd, Victoria, BC V8S 1H2, Canada
11. Go Whale Watching
Whatever you want to do for your vacation, you will discover in Victoria. Why not stop by to participate in the whale watching, as it offers a fun-filled adventure.
Whale Watching is undoubtedly one of Victoria’s best things to do during the warmer months.
Victoria and Vancouver Island are perfect places on the planet to find many kinds of orcas (killer whales). You can try going whale watching directly northwards in Port Renfew and experience the best watching tour you will ever have.
The mainland is another perfect whale-watching area.
Address: Southern Coast of Vancouver Island, in downtown Victoria, British Columbia
12. Victoria Parliament Buildings
You can make visiting the British Columbia Parliament Buildings of Victoria one of the top places on your list of things to do in the city.
This building overlooks the beautiful harbor and has a great indoor and outdoor look in equal measure.
Here, you are allowed to partake in guided tours of the structures or participate in a frequently scheduled 35-minute guided tour, occurring seven days a week in the summer seasons.
The Parliamentary Dining Room and Gift Shop are also accessible to visitors throughout the year.
Address: 501 Belleville St, Victoria, BC V8V 2L8, Canada
13. Craigdarroch Castle
Suppose you want an unforgettable experience in Victoria or encounter a real-life example of a bonanza castle. In that case, you can trust Craigdarroch Castle to provide you with real-life adventures.
It is a massive accommodation established for wealthy entrepreneurs in the industrial age.
Meanwhile, this castle was constructed in 1887 and 1890 on a hill, offering incredible scenery. The building features four floors of stunning stained-glass windows, excellent woodwork, and fantastic Victorian-period furnishings.
Address: 1050 Joan Crescent, Victoria, BC V8S 3L5, Canada
14. Miniature World
In the Miniature World, you will experience what you see in movies, making it one of the best attractions in Victoria, BC. It is a small world with over 85 miniature dioramas and displays, including the planet’s smallest operational sawmill.
It also features the Great Canadian Railway, among the world’s largest model railways.
It houses two of the largest Doll Houses circa 1880, with more than 50 furnished rooms. You can’t look past the miniature world among the best things to do in Victoria, BC.
Address: 649 Humboldt St, Victoria, BC V8W 1A7, Canada
15. Victoria Butterfly Gardens
If you are a fan of butterflies, you will undoubtedly jump at this opportunity.
With Victoria Butterfly Gardens, you have the chance to enjoy your vacation period by venturing into a unique indoor tropical rainforest, where you will find many butterflies hovering around the area.
You will witness more than 70 species of butterfly and several other creature types including koi fish, turtles, poison dart frogs, parrots, flamingos, and many attractive tropical flowers, which fill the place with their elegance.
Address: 1461 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J5, Canada
16. Explore Chinatown
You will rarely find any city all over the world that is home to Chinatown. However, not only does Victoria accommodate Chinatown, but it is also home to the second oldest Chinatown in North America, just behind that of San Francisco.
Established by Chinese immigrants over 150 years ago, Chinatown has become a living example of the culture and traditions brought overseas long ago.
You can easily explore Chinatown from the Gate of Harmonious Interest to the bright colors of red and gold around the area.
Chinatown is a center where you cannot afford to miss any of your visits to Victoria. As you are in the city, you can also meander down Fan Tan Alley, invariably among the narrowest streets in Canada.
Address: 500 Fisgard St, Victoria, BC V8W 1R4, Canada
17. Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site
Suppose you are searching for a Parks Canada National Historic Site. In that case, you can be sure of having the best experience with the 19th-century coastal artillery fort, otherwise known as Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site.
You can walk through secret bunkers, military command posts, and real 19th-century structures.
You will also be allowed to camp overnight in group-friendly oTENTik’s. You will also admire the adjacent Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site, which accommodated Canada’s west coast’s first lighthouse.
Address: 603 Fort Rodd Hill Rd, Victoria, BC V9C 2W8, Canada
18. Gabriola & Saltspring Islands
We do not doubt the magnificent nature of Vancouver Island. Still, we must also inform you that you will find numerous smaller gulf Islands and inlets in the Georgia Strait around Victoria, BC.
It will offer you perfect day trips. It offers boat rentals and plans tour schedules to rent a boat.
You can even hire a ferry (not more than $7) to famous islands, which is where Gabriola and the Saltspring Islands come in on these small islands.
You have the opportunity to relax in nature, go biking or hiking, visit local artisans and eateries, or spend an enjoyable day around a lovely beach.
Address: 470 South Road, V0R 1X0, British Columbia
19. The Lookout of Harbor Center
Have you ever captured the most incredible views of Victoria City? Fewer places around town will give you a clear and best scenery of the place than the downtown Harbor Center’s observation deck.
This lookout offers a panoramic view over Victoria and its nearby mountains and ocean. You will only be admitted when you pay a fee as low as $18. It is one of the top things to do, Victoria.
Address: Victoria, BC V8W 3Z5, Canada.
20. Go on a Kayaking Adventure
Whether a beginner or a professional kayaker, Victoria City offers you the opportunity to participate in a fun-filled kayaking adventure. This lovely city offers you the easiest path to premium paddling destinations around Vancouver Island.
If you want some rest and a little fun time away from your office stress, there are few better ways to enjoy your free time than kayaking to get some exercise.
While exercising, you can catch some spectacular views of the harbor and the city’s attractions and explore local marine wildlife.
Given that Victoria is surrounded by water, it provides lots of different paddling sports exhibitions, from the serenity of a calm lake or the joy of an urban paddle on the internal harbor. You can kayak up to the excitement of a rapid-moving current.
Aside from kayaking, you can also paddle-board because of the availability of various canoes and other water vessels. The perfect time to kayak in Victoria City is from April to October.
However, due to the city’s mild climate, you can paddle throughout the year. The area features rental companies and tour exhibitions.
Address: Victoria, British Columbia, on beautiful Vancouver Island.
21. Victoria Sailing Activities
Indeed, you won’t lack any fun activities to partake in within Victoria City, as the city also offers opportunities for sailing enthusiasts to have fun while sailing through the waters that surround the town.
Victoria is surrounded by water; hence, you will have no complaints about a perfect area to sail.
It might interest you to note that sailing is a renowned activity in the city, especially since there is enough water to sail on.
You can choose to learn how to sail or opt for a scenic tour through the harbor, with this area offering you a perfect background for fun-filled adventures.
Address: 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, Victoria BC V8M 1J8