Victoria is British Columbia’s capital and has become quite the popular destination. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, this picturesque city is a great place to spend a long weekend. There is actually quite a bit to do and see around Victoria and there is a ton of great restaurants to try. One of my favourite things about Victoria was actually how dog friendly it is so if you are looking for a dog friendly city this is definitely it.
Where to Stay in Victoria
I recommend staying in downtown Victoria because you will be close to tons of restaurants and shops that are all walking distance.
Budget: Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza Hotel – The Best Western was actually recently renovated, and they did a great job upgrading the space. It is located between Douglas Street and Government Street, both of which have a ton of great restaurant options! Given the location and the cost you really can’t go wrong with booking the Best Western.
Luxury: Hotel Fairmont Empress – This is the best option for a luxury stay in Victoria and is located in the inner harbour with a great view. It is located right on Government Street, so it is also a short walk to many great restaurants and bars.
Day 1:
If your hotel offers breakfast, then eat there before you head out. If not, I recommend trying Blue Fox Café. The menu looks great, and they have a ton of great review so they should not disappoint.
After breakfast, head to Beacon Hill Park. Beacon Hill Park covers roughly 740,000 square meters of land and is a great start to your day. While strolling through the park you will come across the moss lady, the world’s tallest free-standing totem pole and the mile zero monument, which is the start of the Trans-Canada Highway. There are tons of other things to do in the park such as two playgrounds, golf putting green, baseball diamond, tennis and pickleball courts, a picnic area and so much more.
After exploring Beacon Hill Park, head to Cactus Club Café for a cocktail and some lunch. I actually stumbled across this place because I had walked by it quite a few times and the floor to ceiling windows perfectly showcased their food and beverage options. After the third time walking by, I finally decided that I needed to give it a try and I’m so glad that I did. Since I was by myself, I decided to grab a spot at the bar and order some food and drinks. I ordered the bellini to drink and the chicken fingers with the truffle fries and omg everything was so good. Everything came out fairly quickly and was cooked to perfection, which was impressive because they were getting slammed from the time I walked in the door until the time I left. After eating, you will need to hop in the car to head out to the Malahat Skywalk!
Malahat Skywalk is a 600 m elevated walkway that offers 360° views of Victoria. If you are lucky enough, you may even get to see whales swimming along the inlet. If you are brave enough, once you are done enjoying the view you can take the slide down to the bottom or you can choose to walk back down. You can also enjoy the view laying down on the adventure net if you are feeling extra brave, which I was not! To get to the skywalk it is a short walk through the woods from the main entrance, which also houses the cafe and a gift shop. The skywalk definitely offered my favourite views the entire trip. If possible, make sure you go on a clear day so that you can see all the different mountain ranges. If it is clear, you will be able to see mountains that run through the US.
After a great day exploring Victoria, head over to the Steamship Grill and Bar located in the inner harbour for dinner with a great view. Depending on the time of year, you can make a reservation on the patio or if it is too cold you can enjoy the view from inside. I ordered a margarita to drink, the whiskey crab bisque to start and the lobster ravioli and everything was so freaking delicious! They make some delicious margaritas plus they were on special that night, so we definitely had a few while we were there. I had a hard time choosing between the chowder and the crab bisque because both sounded so good, but crab is my favourite, so it did win over the chowder. It was the perfect start to the meal and wasn’t too heavy. The lobster ravioli was definitely the star of the show and was so freaking good. The ravioli was prepared in a lemon cream sauce topped with shrimp and the whole thing was amazing.
Day 2:
Today is going to be a big day so I recommend starting off with breakfast at John’s Place Restaurant. Get a good hearty breakfast in because next you’ll be heading to hike Mount Douglas.
Victoria is home to several great hiking trails and Mount Douglas is just one of them. Mount Douglas is a relatively easy hike only climbing 225 meters with places to stop for a break along the way. There is a lot of tree coverage so if it’s a really sunny day you will have some protection from the sun. If you are short on time or you don’t think you’ll be able to make it to the top, you can also drive to the top of Mount Douglas. If you choose to drive to the top, you will have to move this activity to the afternoon as the gates are only open between 12:00 p.m. till 11:00 p.m. so make sure to adjust your schedule for the day. Depending how quickly you walk, the hike should only take you about an hour both ways. Make sure you leave yourself time to enjoy the view from the top and to take some photos of the scenery.
Frankie’s Modern Diner is a great place to stop in for lunch before heading out whale watching since it is just a short walk from the inner harbour. They have daily specials and vast menu with options for everyone. Since I had a pretty big breakfast that day, I was looking for something a bit lighter, so I ended up ordering the soup and salad combo, which came with a Caesar salad and some seafood chowder. Caesar salad is pretty standard, so I find it is hard to mess up. The seafood chowder on the other hand was really well done. It had tons of seafood and potato chunks and was perfect for a cooler day. It was probably one of my favourite chowders I had tried during my time on the island. There is a ton of different options on their menu so I’m sure you will be able to find something delicious.
Whale Watching is always something that has been on my bucket list and if you are in Victoria around April-November, whale watching is a must. You can purchase tickets for whale watching here. This tour leaves from the inner harbour so if you are staying at the Fairmont, it is just a short walk across the street for the tour.
After returning from whale watching, head to dinner at Finn’s Seafood Chops Cocktails. This was hands down my favourite restaurant in Victoria. The staff were extremely friendly, the restaurant had a great atmosphere, and the food was phenomenal. I had such a great experience at this restaurant I actually considered returning for a second time before returning home. Finn’s overlooks the harbour, so it also offers a great view with your meal. Book a reservation to ensure you are able to be seated because this is a popular place to eat at.
Day 3:
If decide to get a later start to the day today or any other day I recommend heading to Blue Fox Café for their all-day breakfast. Everything on the menu looks so fresh and tasty I can’t imagine you will be disappointed.
The Butchart Gardens have been operating for over 100 years and are a stunning oasis found on Vancouver Island. The Gardens are such a great place to explore anytime of the year. When I went, it was in the middle of January so there wasn’t much in bloom, but everything was still so beautiful and there is a greenhouse that offers a spring preview, so we were still able to get to see some of the stunning flower they were growing. The gardens have 5 main areas: the Sunken Garden, the Rose Garden, the Italian Garden, the Japanese Garden and the Mediterranean Garden, which can be entered from the parking lot. Along with the 5 main gardens are fountains, ponds, a carousel, concert law and stage and the Butchart Cover where float planes and boats would dock. This is a great place to spend a morning or afternoon and your dog can accompany you.
Victoria Public Market brings me back to the incredible markets in Europe. The market is made up of several local vendors with gourmet foods, handcrafted goods and live entertainment. This is a great spot to hang out and grab some lunch. There are several different options to try and I recommend trying a little bit of everything!
Before heading to the harbour for dinner and a fun evening, head over to the Breakwater Lighthouse. It isn’t too far from the harbour, and you can walk along the breakwater walkway for some great views and can walk around the Ogden Point Pier.
Next, head to the docks at the Fisherman’s Wharf. Along the docks will be vessels that have been turned into food kiosks, shops or eco-tour adventures. You can also watch commercial fishing vessels unload their product. Along with fishing vessels and commercial business you will also find float homes and pleasure boats with live-aboard residents so do be mindful that this wharf is also people’s homes. This is the perfect place to hang out on a warm summer evening with friends eating and drinking. If you love fish and seafood as much as I do then this is a great spot for some really fresh food.
This is a fairly laidback itinerary so feel free to play around with it to best suit your time there. I’ve left room for you to add activities if you prefer to cram in as much sightseeing as possible. I’ve tried to make restaurant suggestions based on the area you are in for each activity, but you can certainly change things up if there is somewhere else you want to try. This itinerary is also subject to your flights or ferry rides so you may have to make some adjustments depending on when you arrive and when you leave.
Some other restaurants that I loved in Victoria that you may want to try are: The Sticky Wicket Bar & Restaurant, La Roux Patisserie, Irish Times Pub, Bard & Banker and any of the 10 Acres restaurants.
I hope you have just as much fun in Victoria as I did and if you have any questions or need help planning out your itinerary, don’t hesitate to reach out!
