10 Very Best Things To Do In Victoria, Canada – Hand Luggage Only

Victoria is one incredible city to visit when exploring Vancouver Island in British Columbia. There are heaps of the best things to do in Victoria, filled with exciting places all across the city.

We totally loved our trip to Victoria and Vancouver Island. It’s such a beautiful part of British Columbia and one of our favourite places in Canada.

Best of all, Victoria can be visited as part of a day trip (when visiting on a cruise) or as a standalone city, easily reached by flight or ferry.

So, to help you get the most out of your time visiting, take a look at our top places in Victoria to visit. You’re going to have a great time!

1.) Butchart Gardens

Perched in Brentwood Bay, Butchart Gardens is one of the most popular gardens in all of Canada to visit. Dating back to the early 1900s, visiting Butchart Gardens is one of the best things to do in Victoria during any season.

Once here, make sure to visit the Ross Fountain, the Bog Gardens and the Rose Garden. Finally, if you’re hankering for a bite to eat, reserve a table at The Dining Room that’s so incredible. Their High Tea is so good.

If you want to visit from Vancouver, make sure to book this tour and transfer that will take you from Vancouver City via ferry for a Gulf Islands cruise and Butchart Gardens. It makes things so easy.

Read more: Best things to do in Vancouver

2.) Whale Watching In Victoria

The area around Vancouver Island is one of the best regions on the West Coast to spot whales. We saw so many humpbacks whilst on this whale-watching tour from Victoria. It was incredible.

Now, this tour takes around three hours and is so much fun. Now, we always book these zodiac boat tours. The reason is, that they are more agile and fast to react to sightings when you’re out on the open ocean. Larger boats, take time to turn and are much slower – which can mean you miss the sightings if they’re not close by.

Read more: Best things to do in Vancouver

3.) Craigdarroch Castle

We have something of a soft spot for castles, even if Craigdarroch Castle is something of a folly.

Known for its gorgeous Victorian architecture, the castle has artefacts and architecture dating back to the 19th Century. Best of all, Craigdarroch Castle is easy to visit.

Once here, you’ll be able to explore four floors of the castle that was built by Robert Dunsmuir. Visits take around 30-45 minutes and it’s well worth popping in.

Afterwards, you can visit the nearby Art…