• Emily Carr House, 207 Government Street, +1 250 383-5843, [13]. Fee $5, students $3.50, families $15. Emily Carr is one of Canada's greatest and most loved artists. Her house is within walking distance of the Inner Harbour and Beacon Hill Park.
• Inner Harbour In the summertime the Inner Harbour is full of artists, buskers and other entertainers. The music performers are not permitted to stay in one place for very long, so the entertainment is constantly changing. It still may seem too long with some of the Bagpipers. Many find it fascinating to watch the float planes taking off and landing also. In the springtime, the inner harbour is filled up with many beautiful flowers.
• Undersea Gardens, 490 Belleville St (on the inner harbour, across from the Legislature), +1 250 382-5717, [14].
• Royal London Wax Museum, 470 Belleville St, (on the inner harbor, across from the The Legislature), +1 250 388-4461, [15].
• Chinatown, Fisgard St. between Store St. and Government St. The street is decorated with Chinese ornaments including The Gates of Harmonious Interest. There are some great Chinese restaurants, Chinese fruit and vegetable stores, bubble tea and coffee shops and Canada's smallest 'road', Fan Tan Alley!
• Beacon Hill Park, bounded by Dallas Rd on the south, and Douglas St. on the west. The south end is on the waterfront, with walking path and a view of the Olympic Mountains across the straight.
• Butchart Gardens, 800 Benvenuto Ave. in Brentwood Bay (at the westernmost point of Keating X Rd, 866-652-4422, [16]. A large garden planted in what was formerly a limestone quarry. Quite remarkable. During the summer they have fireworks set to music and during winter evenings, the gardens are lit up and include displays illustrating the twelve days of Christmas. Public bus and shuttle buses can take you there.
• Legislative Buildings, at the Inner Harbour, +1 250 387-3046, [17]. At night it is lit up with 13,000 lights. Free public tours are excellent.
• Miniature World, 649 Humboldt St. (at the back of the Empress Hotel), +1 250 385-9731, [18]. An extensive display of miniature landscapes, cities etc., some rather bizarre or at comically mismatched scales. Includes the world's smallest working saw mill at a scale of 1:12.
• Royal British Columbia Museum, 675 Bellville St. (between the Legislature and the Empress hotel, near the Inner Harbour), ☎ +1 250 356-7226, [19]. Daily 9AM–5PM. This tell's BC story, especially from 1850 to 1920. It has amazing exhibits, and is easily worth half a day. There are three permanent galleries: Modern History, story of the European settlement; First Peoples, pre-contact and post-contact; and Natural History, mainly oceans, large animals, and climate. All are explained with phenomenal immersive exhibits. This is one of two museums in Canada holding the 'Royal' designation. $15 adults, discounts for students and seniors, prices vary for special exhibitions.  edit
• IMAX Theatre, 675 Bellville St. (part of the Royal BC Museum), +1 250 953-4629, [20]. A variety of shows on the IMAX screen. $9.75 adult admission, $7.50 for seniors, students and youth, $5.00 for children. Tickets are not included with regular museum admission but discounted combo tickets are available.
• Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum, 1050 Joan Crescent (in the Rockland area), +1 250 592-5323, [21]. This castle was built in 1890 by a wealthy and powerful Scottish family who at that time owned a quarter of Vancouver Island. Great architecture. About 25 minutes' walk from the downtown core, or else take buses 11 or 14 up Fort St.
• Victoria Bug Zoo, 631 Courtney Street, +1 250 384-2847, [22]. Open daily except Christmas and New Years, 10AM-6PM (extended summer hours). Fee $8 (several discounts). Looking at bugs while on holidays doesn't sound like it'd be appealing, but this is a fantastic little place filled with very knowledgeable and friendly guides, and where else would you get the chance to hold so many crazy creatures?
• Abkhazi Gardens, 1964 Fairfield Road, +1 250 598-8096‎, [23]. Love affairs make great stories, and this one resulted in a great garden. Prince and Princess Abkhazi along with designer John Wade came together and created a garden that took over 40 years to come together on a beautiful property overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains.

By boat

The main way to get to Vancouver Island and Victoria is via BC Ferries, 1-888-223-3779, [2] which operates a ferry from Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) to Swartz Bay, a half hour drive north of Victoria. Travel costs are currently $47.15CAD per passenger vehicle and $14.25CAD per person one way. For example, a family of four would cost $104.15 one way.

Payment can be made by cash or credit card, and debit cards can be used at an automatic ticket terminal for foot passengers, but not on the ferry or at the vehicle toll booths. Service runs on the odd hours between 7am and 9pm during the winter (with extra sailings at busier times) and every hour during the summer. The ferry ride is 1 hour 40 minutes. Reservations are not required, but recommended during peak travel times, including weekends throughout the summer months. There is a $15 charge for reservations made 7 days in advance; $17.50 if less than 7 days. Vehicles sometimes have to show up a few hours before they can actually board (there can be multiple sailing waits during peak travel times), so make sure that you check their website to see what the wait is, and make sure that you allow plenty of time to catch your sailing; as the ferry's capacity is usually limited by the amount of space on the car decks, foot passengers can usually get on if they show up 15-20 minutes before their sailing. To get to the ferry take bus number 424 from Vancouver Airport to Airport Station and then change to bus number 620. Keep $3.50 CAD in change (per person) for this.

Other ways to get here by boat:

• PCL, 1-800-661-1725, [3] offers an express coach service between Vancouver (downtown, Vancouver Int'l Airport, Cruiseship Terminal) and downtown Victoria. This service runs on BC Ferries, and tickets can be purchased onboard for the trip into town. Cost from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria is approx. $35 one way, or approx. $10 for the trip into town.

• BC Transit, +1-250 382-6161, [4] offers bus service from the ferry terminal to downtown Victoria, with many stops in between. This route takes quite some time and is often very full.

• Victoria Clipper, 1-800-888-2535, [5] operates a modern ultra-fast catamaran ferry from downtown Seattle. Fares $US66-80 less for seniors, half price for children. Service is once a day in the winter and up to 3 times a day in the summer. The sailing time is 2.5 hours.

• Victoria Express, +1-250 361-9144, [6] operates a passenger ferry service from Port Angeles, Washington, about 20 miles south of Victoria on the Olympic Peninsula. Fares are $US 13.00 per passenger. Service runs from spring to fall only. Travelling time is approximately one hour.

• MV Coho, +1-250 386-2202, [7] is a passenger and vehicle ferry running from Port Angeles, Washington across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Crossing time is 95 minutes, and fares are $US40.00 for car and driver and $10.50 per passenger ($5.25 for children under 11). Service runs all year except for an annual refit, generally while the Victoria Express is in service. In the winter, this ferry runs 2 sailings a day and in the summer up to 4 sailings a day are scheduled.

• Washington State Ferries, +1-206 464-6400, [8] operates a passenger vehicle ferry between Anacortes and Sidney (about half an hour from Victoria) through the San Juan Islands. Passenger or pedestrian fare is US$16 each way, vehicle fare is $42.95 (increases to $53.70 May-October). This service does not operate during the winter season, generally from the second week of January until the end of March.

• Victoria-San Juan cruises, 355 Harris Ave #104, ☎ +1-(360) 738-8099 (tours@whales.com), [9]. daily May 10th - September 28th, Bellingham-Victoria 9:00AM - 12:00PM, Victoria-Bellingham 5:00PM - 8:00PM. Summer daily sailing between Bellingham, WA and Victoria, BC, timed to be a plausible day trip or mini-cruise through the San Juans. Dinner included in the Victoria-Bellingham leg in the evening. Bellingham Terminal is the Alaska Ferry Terminal / Bellingham Cruise Terminal at 355 Harris Avenue #104, Bellingham, WA 98225. The Victoria Terminal is Belleville Terminal at 254 Belleville Street (Inner Harbour). Toll-free phone +1-800-443-4552. USD $129 r/t.  edit

By recreational boat

Victoria is a popular destination for boaters from the U.S.A. as well as the Vancouver area. The trip is a long one, and can be rough. The leg across the Strait of San Juan de Fuca from Puget Sound is over 30 miles, and has frequent gales and small craft warnings.

Because of the trip, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority has a "no one turned away policy".

• Victoria Harbour Authority [10]

• Victoria Marina [11]

• Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel and Marina [12]

• Oak Bay Marina While technically not part of Victoria, this incorporated municipality is on the sea to the east. It is a delightful location and an easy bus/taxi/bicycle ride to downtown Victoria.

By plane

Victoria International Airport (IATA: YYJ) is located 30 minutes north of Victoria (off the Pat Bay Highway, on the way to the ferry terminal). Multiple flights per hour to and from Vancouver. Also from Seattle by Horizon Air and with lesser frequency direct from San Francisco (United), Calgary (Air Canada and WestJet), Edmonton(Air Canada and WestJet), and Toronto. Public transit from Victoria International to the city isn't that great, but the AKAL Airport Shuttle Bus picks you up from the airport and takes you many downtown hotels (tel 1-877-386-2525, www.VictoriaAirportShuttle.com, 45 minutes one-way, adults $15).

You can also get into Victoria quickly and easily from Vancouver by either helicopter or floatplane. Helicopters into the city operate from Vancouver Harbour or Vancouver International Airport (YVR) by Helijet with prices from $119 each way, this will take you into the center of Victoria. Floatplanes land in Victoria Inner Harbour (YWH), just meters from the Fairmont Empress Hotel and the BC Parliament buildings. Canadian floatplane operators include West Coast Air, Harbour Air and Sea To Sky Air, all of which operate from Vancouver Harbour, with prices at $99-114 each way. There is a new floatplane terminal in operation just outside the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) with a shuttle service operated by Harbour Air. Harbour Air has also introduced seasonal amphibious service from Langley Municipal Airport to Victoria Inner Harbour Daily scheduled floatplane service to the Inner Harbour is also available year round from downtown Seattle's Lake Union on Kenmore Air. Fares, which include complimentary shuttle transfers to/from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) range from $108 to $169 each way. Kenmore Air also provides year-round service to the Pat Bay Seaplane Base, just west of Victoria International Airport (YYJ).

Victoria is full of little shops tucked away in every nook and cranny in the centre. Souvenir shops are all around the Inner Harbour. Although people generally think Victoria is a tourist destination only, there are more than just tourist shops.

• Americans so inclined may want to take the opportunity to pick up a Cuban Cigar or two. Just don't expect to be able to bring any back with you through Customs.
• Government Street, from the Inner Harbour up to Chinatown, is the biggest (and rather touristy) shopping drag. The best way to go is just to wander the streets but make sure you check out some little gems like Market Square, at the bottom of Johnson St. In the summertime there's live music here.
• Fort Street is otherwise known as Antique Row. From Blanshard to Cook Streets, Fort Street is lined with small antique shops and auction houses.
• The Inner Harbour has artisans selling their crafts during the summer (and part of spring and fall as well sometimes), and Bastion Square (off of Government Street) often has a summer craft market as well.
• LoJo or Lower Johnson Street has several higher-end fashion boutiques like Rebel Rebel. (www.rebelrebelfashion.com)It's a good place to find local and international designer clothes.

Victoria has the second-highest number of restaurants per capita of all North American cities! The waterfront tourist area is home to a wide variety of restaurants and eateries, including several English-style pubs. Try the fish and chips or shepherds pie for a taste of England in Canada. For a more eclectic Victoria experience, check out the classy restaurants that surround Chinatown, offering interesting west-coast fusion and asian dishes.

Pubs

• Bent Mast Pub and Restaurant, 512 Simcoe St. in James Bay, +1 250 383-6000. A great place to drink, eat, make friends, and have fun. Talk to Jerry, the owner, for a bit of the history of this old Victorian house and invite your friends!
• Irish Times, 1200 Government St, +1 250 383-7775, [29]. Wonderful pub meals, good beer, and lots of seating.
• Spinnakers Brewpub, 308 Catherine St, +1 250 386-2739, [30] Within walking distance of downtown. A great place to go for a drink or a meal. Pub: 7 days a week, 11AM-11PM. Restaurant: 7AM-10:30PM. There is a restaurant on the main floor, and a brewpub upstairs. Great atmosphere and a nice view of the inner harbour, especially in the evening. A variety of in-house brews, as well as whatever else you want to drink.
• Swan's Restaurant and Hotel, +1 250 361-3310, [31] Swan's brews their own beer and feature live music every night of the week.

North American Cuisine

• Blue Crab Bar & Grill, 146 Kingston St, in The Coast Harbourside Hotel & Marina, 480-1999 [32] Beautiful harbor-view dining with elegant atmosphere.
• Chandlers Seafood House, 1250 Wharf St., +1 250 385-3474. A lovely seafood restaurant located in downtown Victoria. Voted best local seafood restaurant many times. Intimate food at reasonable prices. Great selection for all courses. Reservations recommended.
• Fairfield Fish and Chips, 1277 Fairfield Road, +1 250 380-6880,[33]. They are closed Sunday and Monday and most holidays. Get your chips to go and take them 4 blocks down to the waterfront and enjoy the view of Juan De Fuca Strait. They do an especially light and fluffy batter.
• Ferris' Oyster Bar & Grill, 536 Yates St, +1 250 360-1824.[34]. A large menu and classy atmosphere, perfect for first dates or nights out with friends. Even the burgers are good.
• John's Place, 723 Pandora Ave, 1-250-389-0711, [35]. A local favourite with some of the best staff in town and excellent food at decent prices. Brunch for two is about $27.50 including tax and tip. The Eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce is to die for (10 varieties, $8.95-10.95)! Great place for Saturday or Sunday brunch. Comfortable, casual family & friends atmosphere. Open 364 days/year, M-Th 7AM-9PM, F 7AM-10PM, Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 8AM-9PM.
• Shine Cafe, 1458 Fort St. A very popular brunch spot located at Oak Bay Corners (Fort and Pandora), outside of downtown. A particularly interesting dish they make is Scottish breakfast with black pudding and potato scones. Expect a long wait after 11am on weekends.

European Cuisine

• Brasserie L'ecole, 1715 Government St, +1 250 475-6260. Open Tuesday through Saturday 5:30pm-11PM. A highly-acclaimed fine dining destination with the atmosphere of a classy but comfy Parisian restaurant. Probably the best food in Victoria.
• Cafe Brio Restaurant 944 Fort St, Victoria - Cafe Brio is open seven nights a week for dinner from 5:30PM - Advance reservations are highly recommended; call us at +1 250 383-0009 or Toll-Free at 1-866-270-5461 [36] "Cafe Brio, the hottest restaurant in Victoria, is a destination for serious diners from all over the U.S. and Canada." writes Northwest Palate Magazine.
• Il Terrazzo Ristorante, 555 Johnson St, Off Waddington Alley.[37] Great Italian in a charming patio atmosphere.
• Oh Gelato! Italian Ice Cream, 1013 Government Street. 66 flavours of beautifully-presented gelatos, garnished with bits of fruit or chocolate to illustrate their flavour, at $5.25 for a two-scoop cup. Also snacks and Canadian food souvenirs. Worth a stop to photograph the gelato.
• Pagliaccis, 1011 Broad St, +1 250 386-1662. One of the most popular Italian restaurants in town. Intimate settings and addictively scrumptious endless free bread. Always a good experience.
• Rathskeller Schnitzel House, A taste of Bavaria, best German food and beer in town; authentic interior and atmosphere! Live accordion music most nights. [38]

West Coast Fusion

• Rebar Modern Food, 50 Bastion Square, +1 250 361-9223. M-W 8:30AM-9:00PM, Th-Sa 8:30AM-10:00PM, Su 8:30AM-3:30PM (brunch). A vegetarian restaurant with a diverse modern menu, and a nice location. Lunch for under $10 per person, dinner for under $15.
• The Mint, 1414 Douglas Street, between Pandora and Johnson, 386-6468 & 361-9223. Nepalese and Tibetan cuisine in a swanky atmosphere, DJs included. A popular spot for students.
• The Noodle Box, 626 Fisgard St., +1 250 360-1312, and 818 Douglas St., +1 250 384-1314, [39]. Hours M-Sa 11AM-9PM, Su noon-8PM. Another very popular spot for locals. Serves southeast Asian food fresh and in a takeaway box. Wait times vary depending on the time of day (for example, 20-25 minutes during lunch hour rush), but the meal is worth it. Minimize the wait by phoning in your order in advance. The boxes look deceptively small, but they make a very filling meal.
• Mole, 554 Pandora, between Government and Wharf, +1 250 385-6653. A trendy (yet affordable!) new restaurant serving fusion breakfast, lunches and dinners.

Other cuisine

• Afternoon Tea, at the Empress Hotel (see under "Lodging"). This is quintessentially Victoria or unbearably kitsch, depending on your taste. Afternoon Tea, served from 12 noon on, includes fine teas, fruit with cream, and elegant petite sandwiches. Altogether it is a full meal. Price changes with the season, from $48 per person in summer to $38 in the winter. West Coast Tea, served Thursday-Saturday from 7:00 pm on during the summer only, builds on the concept but is designed for cruise ship visitors. $42 per person. Reservations required, and should be made 1-2 weeks in advance at (250) 389-2727. Dress-code is "smart casual": dresses and ties not required, but avoid tank tops and flip-flops. See also "Afternoon Tea" at Empress Hotel web site.

• Green Cuisine, #5-560 Johnson St., in the Market Square centre, tel +1 250 385-1809, [40]. Vegetarian Restaurant offers a buffet of 100% vegan dishes. $1.75 per 100g, with fruit drinks and soy milk shakes about $4 on top of that. A generous meal for two was under $30. Open 10-20h daily in the summer, Mon-Sat 10-20h and Sun 10-17h in the winter.

Because Victoria’s downtown is fairly small, most of the nightlife is located within walking distance. Cabs aren’t too expensive and there isn’t too far to go to get from point A to B. Victoria's police force has an aggressive crackdown on drinking and driving, so take a cab, all you have to do is stumble to Douglas and eventually you will grab one before someone else. But if it’s a “special” night like Halloween or New Year’s Eve, expect a bit of a wait. Compared to clubs in larger cities, cover in Victoria is cheap, ranging from $3 to $10. Fridays and Saturdays: expect to pay $7 to get in the door and another $2 to check your coat. Compared to larger cities, Victoria's liquor is pretty pricey. There is a law in Victoria that requires all drinks to cost $3 at minimum for a serving of alcohol. Expect to pay at least $3 but most likely more for each drink. Beers and shots are about $5. Most bars have cash machines inside, and accept only cash as payment.

• Lucky Bar 517 Yates. A bit small, but not nearly as costly as others. Wednesday night is Mod Night so dress in your hipster finest. Thursday night's "Hang The DJ" is probably the most tasteful music in the city, and the music-snob crowd reflects that. The crowd is a mix of straight and queer. Monday night is 90210 so dress to impress and get down there early.
• Red Jacket View St. (at Blanchard). This opulent nightclub is frequented by a posh crowd looking to see and be seen. The crowd tends to be a bit more ethnically diverse. The bar itself is large (when both sides are open) and features a bright fish tank that is very cool when you’re drunk. When this club is popular, usually Thursdays, expect to wait in line unless you come early or know the right people. Mondays are the hipster night - complete with DSLR photographers and enough electro and mash ups to choke a portland donkey.
• For a slightly older crowd, head to Upstairs Cabaret (in Bastion square). Above the popular pub Darcy’s, the place gets busy on Saturday after the pub crowd are kicked out at 1am when the (awesome) rock cover band finishes. Upstairs is a good size and plays a wide variety of music. The staff often ignores all patrons but their friends but with a bit of persistence you’ll get a drink.
• The younger crowd tends to head to Plan B. Its a younger crowd so if you are into that head here for an awesome time. They play a good mix of top 40 and house music. Lots of parties are thrown here and there is a large UVIC crowd who goes here on weekends. How can you go wrong with stripper poles and cages?
• One of the most popular spots WAS Legends (on Douglas). As of August 17th 2007 they are undergoing renovations and will likely reopen with a new name (probably Element) and new look.
• For rock and 80s fans, go to Evolution at 502 Discovery. They play classic and modern rock and that’s it. 80’s night on Wednesday’s is especially popular and the drinks tend to be a bit cheaper. The crowd is really mixed and rowdy.
• If you want a club that's open six nights a week and has a different theme every night then stop at The Boom Boom Room. This place is Victoria's only hip hop nightclub but does play to requests. On your way, see if you can score free passes from somebody handing them out usually on the corner of Government and Yates.
• Victoria's gay crowd, although usually more comfortable at Lucky or Hush, will occasionally show their support and hang out at Prism the “official” gay bar on Johnson St. The music is pumping and special drag shows or karaoke contests are often. Straight people are welcome…sort of…if they are willing to have a little fun anyway. This place is also home to the only good Karaoke night in town.
• Another “sort-of” gay bar is Hush. The music is almost purely pounding trance and other dance music genres and anyone is welcome. The bar is fairly small but you can find it on Government St. This is basically where everybody went after the City of Victoria completely destroyed the awesome rave scene that used to happen here.