Things to Do in Victoria

To its owners, the name Church and State Wines represents a balance between the varied elements required to produce the highest quality wines. The name suggests a balance between change – each year’s distinct vintage – and tradition – aging wines in French oak barrels.

Church and State Wines puts plenty of focus on its grapes. Its owner’s belief is the best grapes are only produced on the best land, but also requires unwavering attention to detail throughout the planting, growing, and harvesting processes. The best land is also subject to the right grape varietal, so Church and State Wines has two British Columbia locations: Oliver-Osoyoos and Victoria. The former includes 70 acres of Vineyards BC’s dominant wine region, while the latter houses 11 acres of vineyards on the Saanich Peninsula, just minutes from downtown Victoria.

Their mindfulness is paying dividends, too, as they’ve now been awarded Canada’s best red wine on three occasions.

From totem poles to ancient fossils, British Columbia’s history is on display at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. Explore vast collections covering the natural world and human heritage, with dioramas that place historic artifacts in context. A soaring IMAX screen and special exhibitions add to the museum experience.

With heritage architecture and cobbled streets, Old Town Victoria exudes historic character. The area sprang to life in the 19th-century gold rushes, and today it encompasses the city’s commercial core, Canada’s oldest Chinatown, and the waterfront. Visit to see its brightly painted Victorian buildings, which house shops and restaurants.

The Emily Carr House was the childhood home of Canadian painter and author Emily Carr and had a long-lasting impression on much of her work. Today, it is an Interpretive Centre for Carr’s artwork, writing, and life.

Emily Carr’s work reads like an adventure. It carried her from remote native settlements throughout British Columbia to major cities like San Francisco, London, and Paris. But her childhood home continually appeared throughout all of her work, especially her writing.

The house itself was built in 1863 and Carr called it home from her birth, in 1871, until she left to pursue artist training overseas. Her father’s death triggered ownership changes and, after years of passing through the Carr Family, the house was sold off. Although it was once scheduled for demolition, the house made its way back to the Emily Carr Foundation before being purchased by the provincial government and restored. It is now considered a prime heritage example of Italianate villa style popular in that era. It’s also the second National Historic Site of Canada designed by the local architects Wright and Saunders, who also built the Fisgard Lighthouse.

From historic architecture to contemporary museums, Victoria if filled with plenty for travelers to do, see and experience. But for visitors looking to comb through halls of rare antiques, explore finds at tiny auction houses and finger through Canadian oddities, there’s no place better than the famous Fort Street.

This picturesque street is lined with quiet cafes, Asian restaurants, used bookstores and a well-known chocolate shop. A colorful mural of Emily Carr, located on the side of Island Blue Print and Art Supplies pays homage to the city’s most famous female. And Craigdarroch Castle and the Greater Victoria Art Gallery are both within walking distance from Fort Street.

There’s a rainbow of fluttering wings at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. The destination is also home to carnivorous plants, pink flamingos, insects, and poison frogs. The gardens are entirely indoors, too, making this a great activity on rainy days.

The Pacific Marine Circle Route connects some of Vancouver Island’s best coastal scenery with some often overlooked inland natural wonders within a day’s drive of Victoria, British Columbia.

Beginning along the north shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, this coastal route soon starts revealing glimpses of rugged coastlines and occasional beaches. The Juan de Fuca Marine trail runs parallel to the highway; however, it’s mostly hidden from view by thick forest. These beaches are common surf breaks, too, but the waves are best in winter and the water is cold no matter the season. Once the route turns inland, it passes two iconic trees. Short hikes lead to both the San Juan Spruce and Red Creek Fur.

Finally, the last major landmarks before rejoining the TransCanada highway are Cowichan Lake and River. Both are popular swimming locations in the summer, but the river is definitely busier because locals use its current to drift downriver in inner tubes.

Devoted to the life and works of its namesake, Victoria’s Robert Bateman Centre is home to the largest collection of Bateman paintings in the world. The gallery invites visitors to discover the natural world through the eyes of the legendary Canadian painter and naturalist.

The Victoria Bug Zoo is mini-zoo in the city of Victoria in British Columbia. The two rooms, despite its small size, is the largest tropical insect collection in North America; it houses 40 species of arachnids, insects, and arthropods, as well as Canada’s largest ant colony. Popular species include millipedes, glow-in-the-dark scorpions, cockroaches, praying mantis, and hairy tarantulas. The museum’s goal is to showcase the variety of invertebrates around the world, encourage visitors to disregard the icky reputation of bugs and even to overcome phobias, and to promote the conservation of living organisms. This is an interactive and hands-on museum. Visitors are encouraged to hold and handle the many-legged creatures with the help of a tour guide.

The stunning, 95-mile long Strait of Juan de Fuca is divided distinctly in half; the international border between Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, and the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, USA, is drawn down its center.

In 2008, Chemainus First Nation in Canada proposed the name be changed to Salish Sea. Initially met with a positive public response, the request went through a lengthy bureaucratic process that involved different government departments in both the USA and Canada. Eventually, it was decided the Strait of Juan de Fuca would keep its name; however, the Salish Sea would be used to describe the entire area, which stretches from Desolation Sound south through the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound to Hammersley Inlet.

Encompassing 15 islands, scattered around the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands National Park is one of Canada’s most recently established National Parks and among the top attractions of British Columbia’s Gulf Islands.

Reachable only by boat, the larger islands of Mayne, Saturna and Pender serve as the main basecamps for holidaymakers, but it’s easy to hop between the islands by boat or kayak, and there are ample opportunities for hiking and cycling. Highlights include the sandy beaches of Sidney Island, the historic Mahoi House on Russel Island and the abundance of Orca whales, sea lions and waterfowl that can be spotted around the coast, while adventurous types can enjoy climbing the summit of Mount Norman on Pender Island or exploring the hidden coves of Portland Island.

Colorful rhododendrons spill over rocky slopes in Abkhazi Garden, a trove of plants and trees hidden behind a hedge in a quiet Victoria neighborhood. From springtime blooms to fall foliage, Abkhazi Garden puts on a show throughout the year; an on-site teahouse invites lingering over lavish spreads of scones, tea sandwiches, and sweets.

Miniature World contains more than 85 dioramas that depict historical, factual, and fantasy scenes in miniature scale. Watch tiny trains chugging along tracks; see a small working sawmill in action; observe a scaled-down circus in full swing; and inspect Lilliputian versions of Camelot and Dickensian London.

Perched on a rocky promontory off the southeast coast of Vancouver Island, the red and white tower of the Fisgard Lighthouse is immediately noticeable from the water and makes a popular photo opportunity for visitors cruising the coast from nearby Victoria. The Lighthouse is more than just a navigational landmark, though – Fisgard has been guiding ships into Victoria harbor since 1860, making it Canada's oldest West Coast lighthouse and now an important national historic site.

Looming behind the lighthouse, Fort Rodd Hill is another significant site, dotted with the remains of the 19th and 20th century coastal defenses that once protected Victoria and the neighboring Esquimalt Naval Base. Visitors can explore three artillery batteries, plus the command posts, guardhouses, underground magazines and barracks, where multi-media displays and interactive exhibitions bring the historic site to life.