Victoria Vacation Rentals

Explore the local cuisine on a variety of food tours, like A Taste of Victoria. This tasty two-hour tour of the city includes scenic stops and samples of fine foods and beverages. Ferris Oyster Bar offers juicy seafood in walking distance of downtown Victoria vacation rentals, or visitors can enjoy an elegant country meal at Venus Sophia Tearoom & Eatery.

Visitors staying near South Jubilee can savour delicious cold-pressed juices from Jusu Bar, or take the Victoria Wine Tour to get a taste of history. Head to Clarke&Co for great beer or stroll down to Bard and Banker to grab a pint. Those in search of flavorful coffee near their James Bay or Downtown Victoria vacation home can take a morning stroll to Habit Coffee or Shatterbox Coffee Bar.

Victoria cabin rentals near James Bay are in walking distance of the British Columbia Museum where visitors can see histories of all kinds. Nearby, the McPherson Playhouse with its stunning red-seated interior features a range of performing arts. Visitors near the Harris Green neighbourhood can see the Maritime Museum of British Columbia and Miniature World, a host of tiny scenes with amazing detail.

Lovers of grand architecture will enjoy British Columbia's Parliament Buildings and early pioneer homes, like Craigflower Farmhouse or Point Ellice House. Craigdarroch Castle, a gorgeous Gothic stone mansion near Rockland neighbourhood, is open for visitors daily, while Hatley Castle, around the western bay, offers elaborate turrets and gardens with peacocks roaming the exterior.

1. The Royal British Columbia Museum

A great place to start, or spend a rainy day. Its child-focused Natural History Gallery displays and details the wildlife of local coastal forests, seashores, and the Fraser River Delta.

2. Whale Watching Adventures

For the real thing, families with kids aged 7 and up can go out to spot orcas, humpback, minke, and gray whales in their natural habitat on a whale-watching tour, which departs from Wharf Street in downtown Victoria.

3. Victoria Harbour Ferry

For another aquatic-based experience, riding the Victoria Harbour Ferry is a fun trip for all ages to over a dozen locations around the harbour, including the port area, the BC Parliament Buildings, and seaplane landing sites.

4. Fisherman's Wharf

If you're feeling hungry, fuel up on authentic fish and chips at Fisherman's Wharf, a quirky community of floating homes. If you're lucky, you might see the famous Harbour Ferry Ballet, when these small hardworking vessels perform a choreographed routine on the water set to music!

5. Beacon Hill Children's Farm

For natural animal encounters, the Beacon Hill Children's Farm is only a short walk from Victoria Harbour, and the cute little Victoria Bug Zoo is a unique attraction dedicated to the weird and wonderful world of insects.

6. Beacon Hill Children's Farm & Butchart Gardens

The Victoria Butterfly Gardens is another kid-friendly attraction for nature lovers, with colourful butterflies, birds, and frogs. It's just down the road from the world-famous Butchart Gardens, which is perfect for picnics and walks through its green expanses during the day, or enjoying public outdoor family-focused performances held here on summer evenings.

Stop at Cathedral Grove to see a rainforest of massive Douglas fir trees, listed as one of the “Seven Wonders of Canada.” Enjoy the peaceful serenity of Willow Park or spend a day on the water at Dallas Road Beach. The Butchart Gardens, up north near Brentwood Bay, is a visitor favourite, with brilliant plants so vivid they seem to be right out of Lewis Carroll's “Alice in Wonderland.”

Ghost Walks through old Victoria bring you chilling stories from the city's history, while the Zodiac Whale Watching Excursions take off from Orca Spirit Adventures near Downtown Victoria. Visit the western bay to see Fort Rodd Hill and the west's oldest lighthouse, Fisgard. Meanwhile, horse-drawn carriages (leaving from Belleville/Menzies streets) will take you on a charming By the Sea Tour along Victoria's coast.