ELLYHIKES

Victoria, BC. is the city that seems to have it all. A charming downtown, beaches, and mountains all within reach. 

Victoria is a small, coastal town nestled on the most southern point of Vancouver Island. It truly has something for everyone, with great shopping, tasty eats, and the beautiful lakes and beaches of Vancouver Island just up island.

Getting to Victoria

Located on Vancouver Island, you will have to take a ferry if you are coming from the mainland. The most popular route from Vancouver is the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route, which is about a 1.5 hour sailing. You can also reach Victoria from Port Angeles, WA on the Black Ball ferry. If you don’t need your car in Victoria, there is also the option to fly in via a Harbour Air seaplane! However, if you want to explore up-island, you will want to have a vehicle on the island. 

An important note to anyone traveling with BC Ferries is that they fill up very quickly, especially if you’re traveling on a long weekend, be sure to book well in advance. We booked the 9am sailing from Tsawwassen, and arrived in Victoria just after 11:30 am. The sun was shining and we wanted to spend the day exploring the city. 

Where to Stay in Victoria

We decided to stay in Langford for the weekend, a small town about 20 minutes outside of Victoria. This positioned us nicely between Victoria and Juan de Fuca park, where we were planning to spend our second day exploring. We booked the City Caravan, a small trailer in the owner’s backyard that was perfect for two. The amenities were plenty, with a jacuzzi, propane fire pit, an outdoor shower, and BBQ to use outside. 

Inside, there was a fully operational kitchen, full bathroom and sitting area, complete with games and snacks. We stayed in the City Caravan for 2 nights and loved being able to relax in the tub after a long day of hiking, while cooking our burgers on the BBQ. 

Day One

ChinaTown

We started off in ChinaTown. Victoria’s ChinaTown is the oldest in Canada and one of the oldest in North America. We had delicious dim sum at Ocean Garden restaurant on Fisgard St. and explored FanTan alley. Be sure to check out all of the little shops as well as the Chinese Canadian Museum. 

Shopping

The surrounding areas between ChinaTown and towards the Harbour are full of cute little shops with all sorts of unique art and trinkets. Be sure to spend some time window shopping. Our favourite coffee shop in Victoria is Hey Happy (make sure you try coconut oatmeal cookies!) 

The Empress Hotel

This incredible hotel is a must see on any trip to Victoria. The building and the grounds are a marvel to look at, with the old hotel surrounded by lush gardens and freshly bloomed tulips. Built in 1904, the chic inside has been expertly preserved, and there is no better way to spend a sunny afternoon than getting tea in their formal dining room.

The BC Legislative Assembly

‘The Leg’, as it is called by locals, is an exquisite building that sits just across from the Empress. The renaissance revival style building is a must-stop for photos or to enjoy lunch in the grass in front. The Legislative Assembly is open for tours on weekdays from 8:30 – 4:30pm. 

Fisherman’s Wharf

After the Legislative building, head south towards Fisherman’s Wharf. There is a beautiful seawall walk that wraps around the bay. The Wharf is full of life, with food stands, houseboats, and whale-watching tours going our daily. This is where you will find the best fish and chips in the city and can wander through the rows of funky house boats. Fisherman’s Wharf is also a great place if you are hoping to see some seals!

Day 2

On the second day, set your alarm early and pack some snacks, you’ve got a long drive up island this morning – the first stop being Botanical Beach. On your way, stop at Shirley Delicious for the best cup of coffee!

Botanical Beach

About 1 hour and 45 minutes from Victoria, Botanical Beach sits just past Port Renfrew. Unlike a typical sandy beach, this remote shoreline is full of tidepools and sea creatures. There is a short, 1 km hike from the parking lot, before the shoreline opens up before you. If you head to the right, and you’ve timed this with low tide, you can walk out and peer in the many tidepools around you. With endless sea creatures and areas to explore, we spent about an hour here. Be careful if you get close to the ocean, as the tide comes in fast and the rocks become slippery. The emerald pools and sea life make this beach a must-see!

Sombrio Beach

From my experience, this is the most popular beach on the island, and a popular spot on the Juan de Fuca trail. If you’re a surfer, this is the place to be. We decided to set-up our chairs and eat lunch here, watching them catch waves. If you head to East Sombrio and travel to the far end of the beach, I’ve heard there is a slot waterfall that you can explore. Across the water, you will see a towering mountain range, known as the Olympics. The tip of this land mass is the western most point in the contiguous US. 

French Beach

This lowkey beach is situated on a popular campsite. Where there should be sand, there are large, rounded stones that cover the entirety of the beach. The shore is littered with colorful driftwood the entire way down. If you head to the far left end of the beach, there is a stream and bridge that make for a great picture. This is an incredible stop at any time of day, from misty mornings to a fantastic sunset. This is also a less popular beach, meaning you will likely have it to yourself.

Sunset in Otter Point at Gordon’s Beach

As we made our way back towards Victoria, we were looking for somewhere to stop for the sunset. Gordon’s Beach in Otter Point was perfect for that. A lowkey rock beach lined with small cabins and more driftwood. The locals were enjoying the waves in their kayaks and roasting marshmallows on the beach. After this stop, we continued back to our airbnb. 

Day 3

Dallas Road

After a slow morning, we packed up our things and checked out of the City Caravan. We headed towards Cook St. village for some coffees and a sweet treat. We ended up at The Hot and Cold Cafe, and enjoyed a chocolate chunk cookie and vanilla latte. From there, we walked the rest of Cook St village and made our way to Dallas Road. Dallas Road wraps the southern coast of Victoria, lined with beautiful houses and parks, this seawall is the place to be on a Sunday morning. At many points, you can drop down from the main road to the beach path and explore the beaches below. 

Beacon Hill Park

Located in the heart of Victoria, Beacon Hill Park was one of our favorite spots. The gardens are stunning, with an assortment of flowers and palm trees in perfect formation. There is a lake to walk around and most amazingly, peacocks! Wild peacocks roam the gardens, displaying their bright and beautiful feathers to tourists. Give yourself a few hours at least to explore all that this park has to offer. 

From there, we slowly made our way back to our car and headed towards the ferry. Victoria is one of my all-time favourite weekend trips from Vancouver, and we were certain that we will be back soon!