About Victoria
As a major international tourist destination, Victoria offers a very wide variety of activities for all ages, all within easy reach of the campus. If you're bringing your family, there are lots of things for them to do while you're at the conference, and getting around on the bus is easy.
Tourism Victoria has a range of excellent suggestions for longer tours, ranging from short one-day trips in the Victoria area to week-long Gulf Island or Native Heritage tours. Read the details on their site.
These are some of the many activities and attractions available in the Victoria area, listed alphabetically. There are many more on the Tourism Victoria site.
Air Tours
A scenic air tour is a great way to see more of Victoria. Float planes fly regularly in and out of the downtown harbour, offering scenic tours of the city, the Gulf Islands, and nearby features such as the Mount Olympus Glacier. Other air services operate out of the Victoria airport in Sidney.
Aviation Museum
The British Columbia Aviation Museum, which is right next to the Victoria International Airport, features many historical aircraft and aviation artifacts relating to the history of aviation in British Columbia. The museum carries out aircraft restorations and has a wide range of aircraft on display, including biplanes, monoplanes and helicopters, many of them airworthy and regularly flown.
Beacon Hill Park
Beacon Hill Park's open grassland slopes down to cliffs lookout out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, giving an excellent view of boat and ship traffic as well as marine mammals of all descriptions. You can walk along the clifftops, go down to the stony beaches, or wander through the landscaped gardens on the inland side of the park.
Boating
Why not charter a boat for a closer look at the coastal inlets of Vancouver Island, or to tour the Gulf Islands? All sizes of cruisers and yachts are available.
Butterfly Gardens
The Butterfly Gardens exhibit consists of an indoor tropical rainforest, and as well as a huge range of beautiful butterfly species, there are exotic birds, plants and fish too. Photography is encouraged.
Canada's Oldest Chinatown
Canada's oldest Chinatown was established in the late 1850's, and the Chinese population of the city provided an essential component of the labour force during the city's early years, at one point constituting more than half of the population. Chinatown is located on the eastern side of the downtown core, centred of Fisgard Street, with its entrance framed by the Gate of Harmonious Interest. Its most famous feature is Fan Tan Alley, a tiny narrow backstreet teeming with fascinating little shops and businesses.
Chocolate Factory Tour
Rogers' Chocolates has been making chocolates in Victoria since 1885, and still makes them using traditional recipes in a heritage store on Government Street. You can take a tour of the store online or in person.
Cycling
You can travel throughout Victoria on the Galloping Goose Trail, a paved trail ideal for cycling, which also intersects with the Lochside Trail. You can follow the trail from downtown Victoria out into lovely wilderness areas and parks, reaching as far as Sidney to the north and Sooke to the west.
Diving
Vancouver Island is well-known as one of the world's best diving experiences. The waters may be a little chilly if you're used to the tropics, but it's worth it; they're rich in marine mammals, fish and invertebrates of all kinds, and the island is well-served for dive shops, boat charters and instruction. Check out the photos and dive information on this Victoria dive site.
Fishing
Ocean fishing is popular in Victoria, and there are many boat rental and charter companies. There are also many good places for fishing from shore. Freshwater fishing is also popular, and there are guides available to help you find the best spots.
Gardens Tour
Victoria is famous for its gardens, and is even known as the City of Gardens. The climate is very mild (many winters go by without any snow falling at all), so there are blooms all year round. The jewel in Victoria's floral crown is The Butchart Gardens, a 55-acre wonderland which celebrated its centenary in 2004.
Ghostly Walks
The oldest parts of Victoria, the Chinatown, Bastion Square and harbour waterfront area, have seen many dramatic and dreadful events, and ghost stories abound in the history of the city. John Adams, a local historian ghost story raconteur and TV presenter, will guide you on a "Ghostly Walk", a gentle walking tour of Victoria's creepiest places.
Golf
Vancouver Island and Victoria are home to dozens of world-class golf courses, with a range of difficulty levels from beginner to pro. One thing they all have in common is their spectacular natural setting. Pricing is reasonable, and with Victoria's year-round good weather, Victoria is a great place for the avid golfer.
Government House
Victoria's Government House is home to the Lieutenant Governor, of B.C., the Queen's representative, and is "the ceremonial home of all British Columbians". The gardens are open daily to the public, and garden tours are also available.
Harbour Ferries
Victoria's fleet of 12 tiny Harbour Ferries are a familiar sight along the waterfront and the Gorge Waterway. Tours depart every few minutes until evening, and they are a great way to take in sights such as Fisherman's Wharf (great fish and chips), the shipyards, and waterfront homes and hotels.
Hiking
Vancouver Island is a paradise for hikers, with a plethora of trails and paths through parkland, rainforest, and mountainous areas and along the coastline. Everything from a 20-minute amble through the woods to a serious day-long hike is available, and many trails have interpretive centres and trailside information boards to introduce you to the local wildlife.
Horse-drawn Carriage Tours
If you want to find an easy, relaxing way to tour the downtown area, why not take a ride in one of Victoria's many horse-drawn carriages? Travel in traditional style through Beacon Hill Park, or around James Bay.
Kayaking
Canoe or kayak some of Victoria's wonderful natural waterways -- you can choose from lakes, rivers, protected ocean inlets or open ocean. Equipment, guides and instruction are all available from a wide range of stores in Victoria and up-island.
Maritime Museum of British Columbia
The Maritime Museum of British Columbia is housed right downtown in Bastion Square, in a heritage building that used to be the courthouse. It has exhibits on explorers, pirates, shipbuilding, whaling and many other topics, spread over three floors, and also offers interactive programs for younger visitors.
Pub and Winery Tours
Victoria is home to many fine micro-breweries and brew pubs, including Spinnakers, Swans and the Vancouver Island Brewery. Most of them offer free tours to interested consumers, and the range and quality of beers available is amazing. If wine is your tipple, there are many award-winning wineries, as well as a ciderworks, that you can visit around Victoria and the Cowichan Valley.
Royal British Columbia Museum
The Royal BC Museum in downtown Victoria is one of the best modern museums in North America, with exhibits on natural history, aboriginal art and culture, and the history of the province. It also has an IMAX theatre attached to it. Check out the webcam view of Victoria's Inner Harbour from the top of the museum.
Sidney
Sidney By The Sea is 25 kilometers north of Victoria, and as well as being home to the airport, it has a thriving community famous for second-hand bookstores and a lively port. Why not visit the Sidney Museum, take a cruise round the harbour, or take a boat over to Sidney Spit Provincial Park?
Relaxation / Spas
There are many Spas and Wellness Centres in and around the city, offering relaxation, therapy, and pampering of all kinds to bring you down after a long day at the conference.
Shopping Downtown
Pedestrian-friendly Government Street is Victoria's main shopping street, full of galleries and souvenirs, and home to Munro's Books. Fort Street offers Antique Row, and heading north you'll find more great shopping in Chinatown and Fan Tan Alley.
Theatre and Art Galleries
Victoria has at least five theatres offering regular performances, including the acclaimed Belfry Theatre, the McPherson and the Royal.
Our most celebrated local artist, Emily Carr, is well represented at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and you can also visit her house in James Bay, just walking distance from downtown. There are dozens of other art galleries, large and small, in and around the city.
Tea
Victoria's traditional British heritage is well reflected in its fondness for tea and crumpets. There are several splendid tearooms such as The Blethering Place where you can get delicacies such as scones or Cornish Pasties. The famous afternoon tea at The Fairmont Empress is a ritual nearly a century old, and not to be missed.
Whale Watching
No-one should visit the area without taking the opportunity to see the magnificent orcas of the B.C. coast, and there are many companies offering whale-watching trips out of the Victoria harbour and other ports in the area. Migrating grey whales usually pass through in March and April, but the resident orca pods are close by from May through November. You'll also see other marine mammals such as sea-lions, seals and porpoises.
