The Ultimate Travel Guide to Victoria, British Columbia
Updated: Oct 1
Hi friends! My partner Luke and I recently did a big overseas trip to Canada! We went to Victoria, BC (located on Vancouver Island) and Vancouver! I have a pen pal who I've known for 15+ years, and we finally met IRL; it was pretty cool. We were very lucky to have our own tour guide! This is my ultimate travel guide to Victoria, British Columbia. I hope one day we get to go back here. It was an amazing place, and I really want to see more of Vancouver Island.
We flew over to Vancouver, spent a couple of nights in Richmond in a village called Steveston Village (which I'll talk about in my Vancouver travel post), then headed off on the ferry to Victoria, BC. The BC Ferry terminals are located at Tsawwassen, Vancouver and Swartz Bay, Victoria. They can also take you to places like Nanaimo and Campbell River. The ferry costs $22 CAD per adult, and you can check your luggage with no sweat! You can hop-on, hop-off sorta thing, but if you have a car, I think you've gotta book online. The worst part about getting to the ferry terminal is taking a suitcase on a bus (but we did it)!!
We spent 7 nights in Victoria, BC.
Here's the first vlog!
Vlog 2 is finally up now too!
Quick note: if I didn't say AUD, the price is in CAD.
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The Ultimate Travel Guide to Victoria, British Columbia
General Information / Getting Around / Culture Shocks
To get around, we mainly used public transport (PT), but my friend's partner helped us out by driving us to a few places - I think technically you can get to all of them via PT, but it was much easier to go in a car. My experience of bus drivers in Victoria was a lot nicer than bus drivers in Vancouver (but I'm guessing that's to do with small-town vibes vs big city vibes).
We used the Wise Mastercard and cash to pay for stuff (not sponsored, but wish it was haha). The Mastercard worked everywhere except places that you could only use cash. I really recommend a travel card because then you don't get all those nasty international fees. We found it easier to use cash on the buses where we would get a day pass. Day passes are $6 per day for an adult, and you can use them as much as you want that day, but you have to have exact change, as the drivers cannot give you change at all. And for just one ride, it's $3.00. But yes, you can also use your debit/credit card to tap on.
For an eSIM, we used Saily and got 10GB each; Luke used up all of ours, but I still had 4GB by the time we got back to Melbourne. Let me know if you'd like my referral link for a discount! I haven't worked out how to sign up for their creator programme.
I don't like talking about money, but we were budgeting around $200-300 CA per day depending on what we were doing. We didn't spend that every day, but if you're going out for a lot of meals, you will need to budget for that + tipping (not incl. accommodation). If you want the most luxurious experiences, then I would say budget up to $500 per day (but that's really only if you're going out for fine dining every single day).
Tipping Culture in Canada was interesting to me because I believe they still get paid a decent amount; it's not like the States where people rely on tips - obviously Australia pays people way better than both countries. Anyway, if we paid after we got our food, we would tip, but if we paid before we got our food, we didn't necessarily tip. I also think it's so cool how the restaurants can split bills - in Aus/NZ, if you split bills, it's either 50/50, one person pays, and you pay them back, or you pay for the meal you had. In Canada, they could split stuff 1/4, especially if you were sharing.
On our first night in Victoria, we used one of the Pickle Boats (like a mini ferry) to get across the harbour; that cost $16 each - which I thought was quite hefty for a 5 min ride, but we did it as the touristy thing AND the Pickle Boats do ballet on the weekends - unfortunately we missed out on this, but watching videos of it is fun.
The hotel we stayed at only had 1-ply toilet paper - as an IBS girly and someone who can get UTIs easily, this was horrible. I kinda expected at least 2-ply; come on now. We stayed in the DoubleTree Hilton, so I thought the standard would be higher? Anyway, it's not the end of the world; it's not something I cheap out on at home LOL. I am sounding more and more pretentious as I write this.
The drivers in Victoria were really lovely; people stop to let you cross the road literally anywhere; it's crazy.
I think there was more whimsy in Vancouver than Victoria, but Victoria still had a bit of whimsy, like a little free library built like the Queen Mary ship.
GST not being included on things is very odd, like you don't find out the total cost until you go up and pay. I think it's like 10-12%, so I basically just started adding an extra $10 to stuff lol.
I also felt a bit awkward when we went into a bar, and we had to give 2 forms of ID - passport and CC- but the bouncer at one bar obviously didn't realise passports count as 2 because it's a passport, but when we went to another bar, the bouncer there told us passports count as 2 anyway. Victoria, BC has this weird law that everyone's IDs get checked and scanned to make sure no one is getting hurt (I am not sure if it was just Victoria or all of BC). I understand it, but it just felt invasive as it's not something that happens that much in Aus/NZ. Mainly, clubs are the only places that check and scan your ID.
Why are the toilet bowl water levels so high????? OCD was rife on this one for me haha.
I don't really know if this counts as culture shock per se, but I just find it interesting how Starbucks culture (and Tim Hortons) has a VERY big following. Like, we had it a few times, and it was pretty good. The times I've had Starbucks in Aus/NZ just haven't been great & the Starbucks food here looks like cardboard. I can safely say that I get the hype in other countries now, and obviously, it came as a "third space" before independent cafes, whereas in Melbourne, we are coffee snobs.
One last culture shock (I think): we met up with some friends, and one of the guys dressed in a suit every day. Living in Melbourne, fashion can go from one extreme to the other, but fashion is big here anyway; he got so many comments just walking down the street and to me, they seemed condescending, but I think they were genuine. Anyway, if he ever comes to Melbourne, he'll fit in great! I know all the best shopping spots (thrifting and new).
Accommodation + Recs
DoubleTree Hilton Hotel - This is where we stayed; the location was great, but there was some construction going on outside, which was very annoying. I also had a random day where I assumed housekeeping wasn't coming, as it was after 4:30 PM and I wasn't paying attention, but then I missed a knock on the door and a lady had walked in and scared me. I was literally just on my phone hahaha, but anyway, she changed our towels and made our bed, woo! I always feel a bit awkward being in there while they're in there too. I believe we stayed in the King Deluxe Bedroom Suite. It was $540.86 CAD per night (not incl. taxes), so that's $543.42 AUD. We also joined the Hilton Honors club, which gave us a little discount too. Also, when we got there, the credit card didn't work on the machine, and the lady at the desk was like, "Are you sure you can afford this?" which made me feel a bit weird. I think eventually she just charged the card manually and then it worked. Very odd. The hotel was lovely; it was much bigger than I expected. We had so much room - a whole lounge, a fridge we could use, a microwave, and one of those old-style bath-shower combos with the pin haha. But the only thing I struggled with was the toilet paper.
The Fairmont Empress Hotel - Honestly, I would have loved to have stayed at this hotel, BUT it was just so expensive - I think it starts at like $1K AUD per night. It was built in 1908 and is one of Canada's railway hotels where all the famous rich elites used to come. It's also haunted, allegedly. Anyway, you don't have to stay here to be able to go in and have a looksie - there's lots of shopping, high tea options, and a restaurant. We just went into the shops, and I felt very poor and very out of place. Oh, and they also have a resident Marmot called Roger who lives in their gardens! We didn't see Roger, but we did see a marmot in Vancouver.
Inn at Laurel Point - I saw a few vlogs of people who stayed here and really enjoyed it, but I think our location was way better for everything we ended up doing, and I also thought this side would be better for sunsets/sunrises. Prices start around the $450 mark per night.
Strathcona Hotel - If you're looking for a way cheaper option that's still in a great location, I recommend the Strathcona Hotel (it even has some cool dive bars attached to it!). Prices start around $170 per night.
Another place I'd love to stay one day is the Oak Bay Beach Hotel (let's win the lotto pls and thank you). The location isn't perfect, but I think it would be one of those sorts of hotels you wouldn't wanna leave. Looks so cool, and I'm sure one day we will be able to!
If you'd like to check out some other options, I recommend the Tourism Victoria site "here."
Nature Spots
West Shawnigan Lake - I am putting this first because this is where we saw a black bear!! We went to this lake for a swim (it was a bit cold for me), and on the walk back to the car, some people yelled at us, and we were very confused, but they were yelling, "a bear is coming towards you", which I think you're supposed to be quiet around bears? Anyway, she walked past us, and it was very chill. It's their home. I was more scared of the people yelling than the bear. But yes, if you'd like a good swimming spot in Victoria, this is the one! But I think you can only get to it by car.
Beacon Hill Park - An epic park that you could spend endless hours walking through; it's very cool, and there's so much wildlife here! And I love how close it is to the city. Nature is literally in your backyard here. Make sure you check out the moss lady! Oh, and there's a children's petting zoo where you can go and pet goats! Entry is by donation, but it's expected that you do pay. My favourite bird we saw here was the barred owl. I think owls are my spirit guides.
Cadboro Bay - You can get a bus here, but honestly, I was kinda disappointed in the views. I don't know if we just went on a really bright day or what, but it was a bit boring - maybe I am just very lucky to have SO many beaches in both NZ and Aus where the views are epic. However, I did really enjoy the playground, and if I were a kid, I would have thought that was the coolest thing ever; heck, I am an adult, and I still think it's the coolest thing ever, and I am lowkey jealous of their playground. They have a giant octopus and a literal Nessie to play on. Well, it's not Nessie like the Loch Ness Monster from Scotland (and we now know the photographer created a hoax for that). Anyway, back to Cadboro Bay in Victoria. Their sea serpent legend is one that began in the 1930s, when there were reports of a sea monster spotted in Cadboro Bay. It was described as a 10-metre-long serpent, but it had the head of a horse. The Times Newspaper named it "Caddy", which was short for Cadborosaurus, and that's what their version of Nessie is (although Caddy does seem to have more evidence backing them up).
Finnerty Gardens at UVIC - While we were at Cadboro Bay, we realised we could walk up a hill and through UVIC to get to their public gardens, Finnerty Gardens. It was very peaceful and lovely, and there were lots of hummingbirds in here. I do have to say, though, the architecture at UVIC was a bit boring for me.
Ogden Point / Dallas Road - A lovely place to watch the sunset and great for getting your steps in. We also unfortunately saw an injured seal and didn't have any way to call for help, but we saw 2 other people try to call authorities, so hopefully the seal was okay and got helped. Made me very sad. At least we got some lovely sunset pics and so many steps in!
SAVE TO PINTEREST
Cool Things To Do
Malahat SkyWalk - Another place I'd recommend having a car for as it feels a bit far away, but it's definitely worth it! I think there's a free shuttle in the summer months, but I can't find much information on that (sorry). It's a great view when you get to the top, and then when you want to come down, you can either walk back down or go on a slide as Luke did and sing "weeeeeeeee" all the way down LOL. It cost $49.95 CA per adult to get in, and there are a couple of food truck/cafes as well. As someone afraid of heights, this one wasn't too bad for me. They also had a frozen lemonade drink with a shark gummy on it (not like fizzy lemonade, but more like lemon squash)
Bug Zoo - This is a great option if you're looking for something a bit different and great for neurodivergence! You get to hold bugs and learn about them. We gave a handshake to a tarantula called Dr Jane Goodall hehe. It was $18 CA per adult for entry, and you really do learn a lot. You can take photos (just no flash, obvs) and no photos of staff.
Miniature World - Another cool spot! They have so many dioramas, it's just so cool! It costs $22.50 per adult, and it's worth it! Just be aware that there can be some flashing lights in here, and it goes from light to dark a few times.
The Butchart Gardens - A really lovely garden that is MASSIVE; there's so much to look at here! It costs $44.25 per adult for the entry fee. The gardens are 122 years old and were created by Jennie Butchart, and the family turned a quarry into a beloved garden for people to go and visit. Very cool! I had the most delicious danish from one of the cafes here, and we also had lunch at one of the restaurants - I just had soup, I think. I also enjoyed that there were heaps of places for me to sit down when I struggled in the heat.
Butterfly Gardens - These are quite close to The Butchart Gardens, so a good thing to do on the same day! It costs $20 per adult. All the animals are free-roaming; it's very cool, and they have a rescue flamingo called Mango.
Fisherman's Wharf - This is such a cool place, but be aware, it will be VERY crowded. It's about a 15-20 min walk from the inner harbour, and it has floating homes - people actually live in them, so be respectful! It's very cool and has lots of great food options.
High Tea - There are a bunch of options if you want to do a high tea (we didn't; we just ran out of time), but I think it would be cool to do one day. I know you can get high tea at The Empress, Murchie's, and Pendray Tea House.
Parliament Building - You can check out Victoria's Parliament building. I think they do free tours, but it's pretty cool just to look at it from the outside, especially because it lights up at night and makes it feel like Christmas!!!
Chinatown - Chinatown in Victoria is the oldest Chinatown in Canada and the second oldest in North America! It's also home to Fan Tan Alley, which is a VERY narrow street with some tourist shops. I believe Fan Tan Alley is the narrowest street in North America.
Ghostly Walking Tours (via Discover The Past) - This was probably my favourite thing that we did in Victoria. It was VERY funny, and I learned a lot. I HIGHLY recommend it if you like creepy stuff like me. It cost $25.44 per adult, and I think we did the old town tour; it went for about an hour. It was so cool. I don't know whether I had a "paranormal" experience or if it was psychological, but when we walked through a certain place, I felt my body trying to pull itself down, and I had that in a cemetery in South Australia once. I do like to use Occam's Razor, so it probably was just psychological, but interesting to note nonetheless.
There are a few arcade/bar places you can go to, and we went to one called Glitch which in the bathroom you can press a red button, and music starts playing. I enjoyed that, but there weren't that many games there. I saw a few other arcades. We just didn't have time.
Royal BC Museum (we didn't get a chance to get here) - It looks very cool though! It's $32 per adult to get in, and hopefully we can go back there one day. I believe indigenous peoples get in for free; how cool.
Craigdarroch Castle - Another spot we missed unfortunately! Entry fee is $24.50 per adult, and it's a castle that was built by the Dunsmuir family that announced they were rich AF. I also wrote about this being haunted in my "Haunted Locations in BC" post.
Some other places that we didn't get to but still deserve a mention are Hatley Castle (where X-Men was filmed), Ross Bay Cemetery, Fisgard Lighthouse, and Esquimalt Lagoon.
Foodie/Drinks Vibes (stay tuned on Eats with Ash for more)
I am just going to list the places we went to eat/drink, and I will do more of a food diary post over on my food blog, Eats with Ash. Also, some fun facts - did you know that Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada? AND so was the California Sushi Roll (although there is a debate about the sushi being either Vancouver OR LA, and I relate that to the pav in AUS/NZ hehe).
The only food that hurt my tummy in Canada was some cheap spirits, but everything else was really good!
Rudi - This was my favourite spot!
The Ruby on Johnson - One of the servers here was from STEWART ISLAND IN NZ; who the f*ck lives on Stewart Island??? Like 5 people? I thought that was so funny.
Big Bad John's - A fun dive bar where you are encouraged to crush peanuts on the floor, write on the walls, and throw your bras on the ceiling! Don't go here if you have a nut allergy.
Don't forget to try a Nanaimo Bar! It tastes like a caramel slice meets a coconut slice meets a vanilla slice.
Thank you for reading! I'm sure there's WAY more to do in Victoria, but this was my ultimate travel guide with my experiences.
Some photos! If you want to buy some of my prints, you can do so via my shop "here".
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