Attractions in Victoria British Columbia

Visitor Attractions in Greater Victoria

This page contains links to many of the attractions in the Greater Victoria Area.The Majority of these are in the downtown core (central part of Victoria). Many are in walking distance of the Inner Harbour and some operate right out of the Inner Harbour (Undersea Gardens, Whale Watching, Float Plane Tours, the Coho Ferry, Inner Harbour Ferries, and more).

If you go north of Victoria to Sidney, you will find another cluster of attractions including Mineral World, shown to the left, one of the finest attractions for young children. Sidney is on the Saanich Peninsula, a narrow stretch of land that extends from Victoria to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. The Saanich Peninsula is host to Victoria's foremost tourist attraction, the World Famous and "world class" Butchart Gardens. On the way to Butchart Gardens, you will pass Butterfly Gardens an excellent attraction for all ages.

One travel agent described Victoria as a mini-Disneyland. Enjoy yourself with the many choices of attractions in Greater Victoria. There is so much to see and do while in Victoria, you will want to plan out your itinery to make sure you take in all you can. Use this guide to help you locate and understand what everything has to offer.

VICTORIA AREA ATTRACTIONS

Mineral World & Scratch Patch-9891 Seaport Place, Sidney-- Tel: 250 655 4367, Fax: 250 656 2350, or E-mail
Explore magical minerals, gems and crystals on Sidney's waterfront. The most popular family attraction on Vancouver Island - pan for gold, visit the free Interpretive Centre, shop the West Coast's widest gemstone jewelry collection. Open daily.

The Victoria Bug Zoo-631 Courtney Street-- Tel: 384-BUGS, Fax: 389 2847, or E-mail:bugs@bugzoo.bc.ca
Located in Downtown Victoria. Come Discover the Amazing world of Insects and Arachnids!The Victoria Bug Zoo is a wondrous place filled with animals that look like they just might be from another planet. All of the animals have at least six legs, none of them have a nose, and some have eight eyes. A visit to the Bug Zoo is Eye-popping, Ants-in-your-pants FUN! Over 30 species of LIVE exotic insects and spiders live at the zoo and an Entomologist (bug scientist) is on-hand to answer questions and provide a safe animal handling experience.

Butterfly Gardens - 1461 Benvenuto- Tel: 250-652-3822 Toll Free: 1-877-722-0272
Email: victoria@butterflygardens.com

A vacation in Victoria is more complete with your visit to Victoria Butterfly Gardens. You will enter a 12,000 square foot indoor tropical garden that is host to hundreds of free-flying tropical butterflies. Waterfalls feed the stream that flows throughout the garden, a stream where flamingos, tropical ducks and koi complement the tropical plants and orchids. Truly a photographer's paradise and a treat for the family. Plenty of free parking for cars, RV's, and coaches.

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, 9811 Seaport Place, Sidney BC, Tel: 250-665-7511, E-mail
Visiting the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is not going to be a passive experience. Plan to become inspired because we hope you will learn to cherish the ocean. The ocean needs you and there are many things you can do.

Kinsol Trestle
The Kinsol Trestle is one of the tallest free-standing and most spectacular timber rail trestles in the world. It is one of the few accessible and visible reminders of the early mining and logging industries on Vancouver Island, as well as offering spectacular views of the Koksilah River and trails for hiking, running, cycling and riding. 30 years after the last train crossed the Kinsol Trestle, a $2 million dollar fundraising campaign has been launched to rehabilitate the trestle to its former glory and close the last link in the Cowichan Valley portion of the Trans Canada Trail. Visit www.kinsol.ca for more information.

Bingo Centres & Casinos - If you like Bingo, here is where you can find the locations. Under the B...

BC Parliament Tours - Our BC Legislature, often wrongly called the Parliament Buildings is a very popular tour with BC residents and tourists. Right in the inner harbour.

The Abkhazi Garden
Open March 1, 2002, from 1PM to 5 PM, Wednesday to Sunday until the end of September. This wonderful garden should not be missed on a visit to Victoria.

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
A historic mansion is the home of one of Canada's leading art galleries. The gallery boasts a permanent collection of 10,000 works including Canada's finest collection of Japanese art and an impressive range of contemporary art. This is a must see for the Art lovers.

B.C. Forest Museum
An excellent historical perspective of the logging and forestry industry in BC with lots to see and do. Located in Duncan, just north of Victoria.

Beacon Hill Petting Zoo - Children's Farm
The farm consists of a petting zoo, unique animal displays such as horses, pigs, peacocks, llamas, sheep, goats and more. This is a must see for all children

Belfry Theatre
Great local theatre productions throughout the year.

Butchart Gardens
The world famous Butchart Gardens offer phenomenal garden displays, from the picturesque sunken gardens to the exotic Japanese gardens. Beautiful flowers, night illumination, fireworks, seeds and gifts, wonderful restaurants and the best visitor services in the region. Don't miss it!

Butterfly Gardens
A vacation in Victoria isn't complete without a stop at Victoria Butterfly Gardens. Stroll amid hundreds of free-flying butterflies and visit with the friendliest birds anywhere; all in an enchanting indoor tropical garden of 12,000 square feet, designed specifically for housing and breeding tropical species of butterflies and moths. See over 30 species of butterflies; truly a photographer's paradise and a wonderful place to learn. Bus & RV parking. Visit our web site and get a l0% discount coupon.

Christ Church Cathedral
This magnificent gothic structure was built in 1929 with towers rising 122 feet above the street level. Visitors are welcome to take Self-Guided Tours of the Cathedral between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays and 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 PM on Sundays. Visitors are welcome to all of the services held in the Cathedral.

Craigdarroch Castle
Visit Victoria's Legendary Landmark. This castle was built in 1889 built by one of the wealthiest and most influential men in British Columbia. The castle is lavish and restored to it's original charm. A must see for site seers.

Chinatown's Hidden Dragon
Hidden Dragon delights and inspires on journeys of discovery with wonderful Soft Adventures in Victoria's Chinatown. Hidden Dragon Walking Adventures of Old Chinatown explores our East meets West portal. One experiences the sights, culture, smells, sounds and history of our living museum. As the only tour operator based in Old Chinatown, Hidden Dragon has insight into local secrets and mysteries like no other. The Hidden Dragon Dinner Showcase is a celebration of Chinese culture through the arts, fine dining and magic. Our world class talent add flavors of the orient to Victoria.

Discover the Past Tours
Guided tours of historic sites around Victoria. Famous for graveyard tours that tell the history of Victoria.

Emily Carr House
With an architecture described as both "San Francisco" and "English Gingerbread", all agree that Emily Carr House is on the must see list of Victoria's attractions. Centrally located only four blocks from the Inner Harbour and the Provincial Legislature, the house offers its visitors a chance to gain an insight into Canada's first - and best known - independent artist and writer.

Finnerty Gardens University of Victoria
Finnerty Gardens contain a major collection of rhododendrons, as well as many other varieties of plants. The months of April and May are the peak blooming season and the best time to visit. The gardens are open to the public every day during daylight hours. Allow at least one hour to tour the gardens. No admission!

Fort Rodd Hill-Fisgard Lighthouse
National Historic Site - is a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s to defend Victoria and the Esquimalt Naval Base. The Fort includes three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. There are numerous interpretive signs and audiovisual stations, as well as period furnished rooms and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Visitors can explore gun batteries and underground magazines built a century ago, as well as searchlight emplacements, command posts, and much more.

Galloping Goose Regional Trail
A favorite among the locals of southern Vancouver Island. The trail winds through Victoria, Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, and Sooke. It passes through all types of beautiful and famous BC landscapes: pristine coniferous forests, streams, rivers, lakes, meadows and highlands. You can walk, jog, bike or even ride a horse along as you explore some of the most gorgeous terrain Vancouver Island has to offer..

Government House
The Governor Generals residence on Rockland has great gardens to stroll through.

Great Canadian Casino
Our newest, state of the art casino features hundreds of slot machines and all of your favourite table games! Plus, play the Race to Win and you could win a hot new car! The decor and first rate service combine to create the perfect ambiance for both the seasoned players and beginners. For great dining, enjoy the popular Weinlager and Amici Caffe, our fabulous onsite, full service, licensed restaurant. And be sure to check our Casino News section to see what's around the corner! This beautiful facility is only a quick 25 minutes from downtown Victoria or, if you need a ride, we have a FREE Shuttle Service.

Harbour Ferry
Welcome Aboard the Victoria Harbour Ferries!
We operate a fleet of eleven, 12 passenger ferries which travel around beautiful Victoria, B.C. Harbour.

Hatley Gardens
The Italian Gardens, the Japanese Gardens and the Rose Gardens at Hatley Park, located on the grounds of Royal Roads University are open to the general public. Weddings are celebrated continuously here in the summer months. There are also approximately 600+ acres of old-growth forest with hiking and biking trails. Hatley Park is also home to Hatley Castle. Admission is by donation.

Glendale Gardens and Woodlands
Browse and enjoy the perennial displays (all labelled), asiatic and oriental lily collection, the rose garden, walk lovely forest paths and rest on shaded benches open all year, dawn to dusk. Plant lovers should not miss this one.

Imax Theatre & the Royal British Columbia Museum
Excellent films on a massive IMAX Screen, ten times the size of most theatre screens. Fantastic camera work in all films.

Maritime Museum of British Columbia
The History of British Columbia on the water. Superb displays.

Market Square
With over 35 independently owned and operated shops, restaurants, and a nightclub to serve you, Market Square is sure to be on your "must see" list when visiting The Garden City. Whether you're looking for Canadian arts and crafts or treasures from around the world, chances are, you'll find it at Market Square. Located in the heart of Old Town, Market Square's courtyard is home to concerts, festivals, and events throughout the year.

Mineral World & Scratch Patch
Mineral World & Scratch Patch is a family attraction on the waterfront at Port Sidney - a 20 minutes drive north of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula. We are five minutes from the Swartz Bay Ferry to Vancouver and the Washington State Ferry to Anacortes (USA). The Scratch Patch is an outdoor adventure land of gemstones and gold panning, guaranteed to appeal to the child in everyone. Mineral World is a large educational gift store featuring gems, jewelry, stone art, fossils, crystals, science & nature toys and gifts and museum displays. Our attraction is near restaurants, whale watching tours, passenger ferries to sandy beaches and other museums, put us on your list - you will be thrilled you did.

Pacific Undersea Gardens
Descend into a world where you’ll come face to face with the excitement, the wonder, the magic and mystery of the underwater world. Beneath the surface of the Inner Harbour and see the largest collection of local marine life to be found anywhere! The Sea gives up it’s secrets our unique underwater theatre, watch the Live Dive Show, meet the diver and visit the touch & feel tank.

Playfair Park
Home of one of the best Rhodo display gardens in Greater Victoria.

Point Ellice House
Gold Rush Magnate and Commissioner Peter O'Reilly acquired Point Ellice House in 1867, and many among Victoria's social elite gathered there. The flowers in the luxuriant heritage gardens surrounding this rambling Italian home accurately reflect the family's own notes about their Victorian favourites. This property is like a verdant jewel amid the industries and businesses along the Victoria waterfront.

Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre
The Centre offers all guests an authentic First Nations Experience - Interpretive Tours, Traditional Art Work and Native Food. The Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre is located in the Cowichan Valley, 45 minutes from both Nanaimo and Victoria in the southeast corner of Vancouver Island.

Royal British Columbia Museum & IMAX Theatre
This fine museum display local heritage from prehistoric times to the present. It boast a proud history of BC past a present. One of the finest Museums around and it includes an IMAX Theatre which should not be missed.

Royal London Wax Museum
World History in wax. Great displays.

Sidney Museum
Overlooking the sea at the foot of Beacon Avenue, the museum exhibit models, skeleton and murals exhibit the remarkable story of whales. Historical photographs and artifact portray the early lives of Sidney residents, the Coast Salish nation, and European and Oriental peoples.

Sooke Region Museum
For thousands of years, nature has shaped the people who have lived in the temperate rainforests of Vancouver Island. The Sooke Region Museum is dedicated to explain how this fascinating process has evolved and to share it with all who visit our unique facility.

Tally Ho Siteseeing Tours
Victoria's original and oldest sightseeing company offering a unique experience, without which no visit to Victoria is complete.

Vancouver Island Brewing Co.
Vancouver Island Brewery began in Victoria in 1984, when a group of "Islanders" responded to the fleeing of all national and independent breweries on the island. Vancouver Island Brewery began brewing handcrafted lagers and ales with fresh, distinctive flavors for the West Coast palate.
Public Tours, Guided Tours and Private Tours are available. Call the company.