A tryst between the land and sea, Victoria rests on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, right along Canada’s Pacific coast. The British ancestry of the city is embedded in its distinctive architecture, double-decker buses and sophisticated tearooms.
Amid sweeping parklands and manicured gardens, you’ll spot impressive landmarks, carrying a rich historical legacy. On your Victoria trip, visit the Craigdarroch Castle, a mansion with stencilled ceiling decorations and lavish furnishings. A short walk away from the Inner Harbour are the neo-baroque British Columbia Parliament Buildings. Diagonally opposite this striking landmark is The Fairmont Empress, one of British Columbia’s oldest hotels with Châteauesque-styled architecture.
The city is speckled with gardens and parks that colour the path with seasonal blooms. You can stroll around the sprawling Butchart Gardens, admiring the floral displays or enjoy a picnic along the shores of Strait of Juan de Fuca in Downtown Victoria at the Beacon Hill Park. Surrounded by Japanese maples, rhododendrons and carpets of irises, Abkhazi Garden is a romantic heritage home and garden that you can explore on your Victoria holiday.
The capital city of British Columbia is bestowed with a picturesque shoreline, emerald green meadows and the imposing Olympic Mountains. You can set out on a rainforest hike along the Upper and Lower Thetis Lake trail or enjoy a whale-watching expedition through the Salish Sea.