Did you know that Victoria’s nick name is “The Garden City”? It is located on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island (not to be confused with the city of Vancouver on the mainland) in British Columbia. Victoria is a popular tourist destination, and easily accessible from the mainland. Take a ferry for a scenic cruise from Seattle or Vancouver, hop on a float plane or helicopter, or fly in directly to Victoria airport.

And of course, it is a favorite cruising destination on your Alaska cruise.

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Welcome to Victoria!

Visitors enjoy its cool, dry and sunny Mediterranean summers with mild, rainy winters. Since we spent a week there, we had time to research the top things to do. We enjoyed getting to know the city and its surroundings. But first, let us look back at how it all began. Victoria has an interesting history.

Victoria’s History

Early history: The First Nations

We didn’t know much about Victoria before we visited so it was fun to discover its history. One thing we quickly noticed is many mentions and awareness of the First Nations, the name used to describe the original settlers of Vancouver Island.

Late 1700s: Invasion of the Europeans

When the Europeans (mostly British and Spanish) arrived in the late 1700s, the Victoria area was home to several communities of Coast Salish people, including the Songhees. The whole island was home to more than fifty communities, because of its abundant natural resources.

In 1843, an English man James Douglas set up a trading post on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. This was primarily as a backup for the British, who feared that Vancouver could fall into American hands. Douglas also founded Fort Victoria, named in honor of Queen Victoria. The First Nations originally had named this site Camosun (the native word was “camosack”, meaning “rush of water”). A few years later, in 1849, the crown colony was formally established.

When the Europeans moved in, the Songhees established a village across the harbor. From 1850 to 1854 a series of treaty agreements known as the Douglas Treaties were made with indigenous communities. These treaties were established to buy certain plots of land in exchange for goods. These agreements contributed to Victoria being laid out on the site and made the capital of the colony.

Even today, the Treaties remain highly controversial. It is unclear whether the Aboriginal leaders knew exactly what they were signing over. In addition, the Europeans took advantage of the recent cultural destruction by offering fairly inconsequential goods in exchange for large and highly valuable land purchases. “Here, have some blankets in exchange for this piece of profitable land.”

Gold and Opium: Even more Europeans arrive

In 1858, news of the discovery of gold in British Columbia reached San Francisco. Lots of miners traveled to Victoria and in short order, Victoria mushroomed from 300 to over 5,000 inhabitants. Then, in 1866 when the island was politically united with the mainland, Victoria became the capital of the new united colony. Victoria became the provincial capital when British Columbia joined the Canadian Confederation in 1871.

In the latter half of the 19th century, the Port of Victoria became one of North America’s largest importers of opium. The main source of opium was Hong Kong. At that time, opium trade was legal and unregulated. Ultimately this trade was banned in 1908.

Currently: Favorite place to retire

Since World War II the Victoria area has seen relatively steady growth, becoming home to two major universities. It is a popular spot to retire, so there is a fast growing community of retirees, both in Victoria and up-island.

Top Things To Do in Victoria

There are many fun and interesting things to do in Victoria. For us, it started when we came into the harbor and spotted a harbor seal. On that same day, we saw two bald eagles. Wow! Wildlife clearly enjoys the climate just as much as the humans.

1. The Inner Harbour

After taking the ferry from Seattle, we arrived in the Inner Harbour. This is considered the heart of Victoria because a lot of the attractions are around this scenic harbor. Many boats, a small harbor air port, and tons of food and souvenirs. Later during our stay, we ate the Flying Otter Grill restaurant, looking out over the harbor. We enjoyed a great view, good food AND a river otter swimming in front of us. We can recommend lunching there. In addition, there is a Starbucks overlooking the harbor, if you need some good coffee. Frankly, there were many good-looking restaurants, we simply did not have time (and money :p ) to try them all.

2. The Parliament Buildings

Because we are on a quest to visit all the Canadian parliament buildings, we were looking forward to crossing this one off our list. Quebec was our first Canadian Parliament Building, stay tuned for more!

The buildings are amazing, and free tours are available. We loved looking at the elaborate decorations and the sense of history we felt. We even attended an assembly meeting, which was amazingly LOUD when they all were banging their hands on the table to express agreement with the speaker. This is instead of using their sword hilts, as in the old days… Admittedly, much of the time we were not sure exactly what was going on, but it still was interesting. There are beautiful stained glass windows, it is worth a visit for sure.

3. Beacon Hill Park

Beacon Hill Park is a city park with 200 acres of forests, gardens, children’s play areas, a petting zoo, ponds, sporting facilities and coastline. When we visited we saw peacocks, eagles, and even a deer. It reminded me of Central Park in New York City, a planned green place for all its citizens. It is home to the tallest totem pole in the world. What is not to love about that?

Find out more about Beacon Hill Park.

4. Clover Point Park

Clover Point Park is a great place to watch the sunset, especially since you can drive up to the viewpoint parking area. There also is a kite-flying area and it is a popular starting point for a walk along the shore line. You can see the Olympic Mountains. Not to mention the birds! This is where we saw our first harlequin ducks and black oystercatchers.

Beacon Hill was not always a park. It was once part of the land used and occupied by the Songhees Indians. When we were there, we felt connected to them, imagining that they must have stood here, looking out over the same landscape, seeing the eagles soar, and the seals swim.

5. Butchart Gardens

These gardens are floral display gardens close to Victoria. Due to time and weather constraints we could not visit them this trip. From all that I have seen and heard, the gardens are amazing and you should visit them if you can!
The Butchart gardens are a National Historic Site of Canada.

6. Royal British Columbia Museum

We spent a whole day at this museum and still did not see everything. It gave us many new insights about the history of Victoria and Vancouver Island. Starting with the First Nations, after the arrival of the Europeans and showcasing the economic and cultural highlights of each period.

The museum also features Thunderbird Park, a freely accessible garden with totem poles. Especially interesting to me as a former Dutch citizen, we discovered the Netherlands Carillon (bell tower) right next to the museum. We learned that it rings on the hour during daytime. It did not take long before I started recognizing its sound.

Later research revealed that on Canada’s 100th birthday, the Dutch community of British Columbia offered it in thanks for Canada’s role in the liberation of the Netherlands during World War II. Did you know that one of our Dutch princesses (Princess Margriet) was born in the Netherlands during that war?

7. Whale watching

Because of the proximity of the Pacific Ocean, whale watching is a popular pastime in Victoria. There are numerous tour operators. We took a trip with The Prince of Whales and watched six or seven humpback whales doing shallow feeding dives.

In addition there were seals, sea lions (loud and amusing to watch) and of course the ubiquitous bald eagles. It was a great introduction to the Salish Sea. Lots of other birds, and it was extremely helpful to have a knowledgeable birder to answer my endless “What bird is that?” questions.

8. Craigdarroch Castle

A real castle, right in Victoria? Yes, we were delighted to discover a castle built by one of the coal barons at the end of the 19th century. Every room has fascinating details about its history. Thanks to its restoration over the last decades, a lot of the former grandeur is back. Over time it served as a family home, military hospital, college, school board office, conservatory of music and finally a museum.

The current museum is very well done, highlighting different aspects of its history. On the top floor, there is a great lookout over Victoria. Canada’s castle is known for its stained-glass and intricate woodwork.

9. Fairmont Empress Hotel

After seeing Le Château Frontenac (another Fairmont hotel) in Quebec City, we were curious to visit the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria. The outside exterior less “fairy tale like”, but the interior is just as opulent and over the top luxurious. We continued our tradition from Quebec City and had a martini and the cheapest appetizer in Q at The Empress, their bar. Always a fun experience. Of course, instead of the bar, you could have a high tea at the Empress.

10. Fisherman’s Wharf

I always thought that Fisherman’s Wharf is a San Francisco destination, but it turns out that Victoria has its very own Fisherman’s Wharf. We took the water taxi from the dock in front of the Empress Hotel. Alternatively it is only a 10 minutes walk from the cruise ship terminal.

The wharf offers food kiosks, unique shops and eco-tour adventures in the heart of the working harbour. Enjoy watching the colorful float homes. Wander down the docks with your lunch. Talk to the fishermen coming back into the harbor. And for a short time, imagine being back in history.

Conclusion

We cherry picked the best things to do for this article, there are many others we didn’t mention. You can find more ideas in the links. Go visit Victoria and find out for yourself what an awesome place it is! Have you ever visited it yet? If so, what was your favorite thing to do there? Any words of advice for other travelers?

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