Victoria, Canada
For many Victoria, Canada is a short stop sometimes at night on an Alaska Cruise from Seattle. It’s unfortunate as it’s a beautiful city with so much to see and do. It’s the capital of British Columbia and sits on the Southern tip on Vancouver Island. It’s well known for the nearby gorgeous Butchart Gardens, but the area has much more to offer such as 1st class museums, Victorian architecture, great parks and a picturesque Harbour center. We made the most of our full day cruise stop and saw all we could in 2026. We absolutely want to come back and spend more time at this great destination!
Getting to Victoria and Transportation
Victoria is located at the Southern tip of Vancouver Island so the only ways to get to Victoria is by air or sea. The Victoria International Airport is not a large airport but has a number of flights to major hubs like nearby Vancouver and Seattle and flights to a variety of other cities like Toronto. There are also multiple ferry options from both Vancouver and the Seattle area. Some are passengers only and others handle vehicles as well.
There are also sea plane flights to Victoria from Vancouver and elsewhere that will take you right into downtown Victoria. Another option is to visit for the day by cruise ship which is how we visited for the first time.
As for transportation, the main public transportation option is to travel by bus in Victoria. You could always rent/hire a car as well. We booked a guided tour for part of our stay and then easily walked around downtown Victoria. Uber is also available in Victoria, and we used it as well.
Country Information
Canada is the second largest country in the world with vast and different land that includes frozen tundra, high mountain peaks, temperate rainforests, vast and fertile plains and rocky coastline with highly tidal waterways. It has relatively mild summers and very cold winters. Canada is also a melting pot of cultures. Driving is on the right side of the road just like in the US. There are many land border crossings and of course many international airports throughout the country. For the languages spoken, English is the language spoken in the majority of the country with French being the predominant language in the Quebec Province (French Canada). There are many indigenous languages also spoken throughout the country. The currency is the Canadian Dollar that at the time of this writing in October of 2026, 1 Canadian Dollar is equal to $.70 US. US Citizens do not need a tourist visa if visiting for less than 180 days. Like the US, Canada is strict when it comes to entry if you have a criminal record so if that is an issue for you do some research and get advice if needed. Also download the Arrive Canada app and fill out your customs form before you arrive for faster service. The weather greatly varies as it was somewhat warm in Toronto when we visited.
Victoria
Victoria is a beautiful city with Victorian and Edwardian architecture throughout the city. As you drive through an tour you can see many historic buildings that make you feel like you have gone back in time to a quieter era. The core of the city has a population of around 100,000 and the metro area less than 500,000. It’s the provincial capital and a city that has had many changes over the years. It started as Fort Victoria in 1843 and became the capital and largest Western city during the gold rush of the late 1850s. When the Trans-Canada railroad made it to Vancouver it became the economic powerhouse of the region and Victoria reinvented itself as a garden and tourist city.
Today there are many elegant buildings, the beautiful Fairmont Empress Hotel that looks like a stately castle and a beautiful harbour area. There are great restaurants and attractions to see. You can see the beginning (or end) of the Trans-Canada highway at mile 0. It has the oldest Chinatown in Canada. There are beautiful parks and many attractions. We only had one day there so we didn’t see it all but we made the best of our time in this wonderful city.
Butchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens are a gorgeous and world-famous Gardens around 12 miles or 20 kilometers outside of Victoria. They are replicated in small scale at the World Showcase at the Canada Pavilion in Walt Disney World. It’s a 55-acre National Historic Site full of different themed gardens such as the Sunken Garden, Japanese Garden, the rose garden and the Italian and Mediterranean gardens. Each area has its own character and beauty. You also have plenty of areas to walk through the lush Pacific rainforest terrain. We visited in May when it was full of gorgeous Tulips and many other varieties of flowers. We spent a couple hours enjoying the peaceful surroundings, fountains, wildlife and of course flowers.
The gardens are over 100 years old and were once a limestone quarry. After the quarry ran out of deposits the Butchart family created the gardens in the Sunken Quarry. The gardens are still family owned to this day. It’s open year-round and changes in themes include a Christmas lights display. The price is also dynamic, with it being higher in the peak summer season and can range from around $28 to $45 CAD. It’s a must see if you are in the Victoria area!
Craigdarroch Castle
Located in a beautiful neighborhood in Victoria is a very interesting mansion on a tall hill in that area. Craigdarroch Castle was built by Robert Dunsmuir who was a coal Barron in the late 1800s. He passed away before the mansion was finished in 1890, but his widow and family were able to move in. They were Scottish immigrants and named it after a Gaelic phrase meaning “Rocky Place with Oaks”. After the family sold the home in 1908 it became a military hospital and later part of Victoria College and a music school.
The castle or mansion is huge at 25,000 square feet with 4 floors and 39 rooms. Inside is full of woodworking, art and antique furniture. There are displays about the family and each room. There are great displays on the time as a World War I hospital and the history of the general Victoria area. The home is elaborate and as you climb the stairs you end in a great observation cupola where you can see the surrounding Victoria area. There are peculiar aspects to the house like “the door to nowhere” that leads outside from the dining room but leads to a 5 foot drop outside making it unusable. It’s a great place to visit while in Victoria and a unique part of their history. It took us around an hour to tour at a quick pace and it does have a cost to visit. It is included on some cruise tours as well.
British Columbia Parliment Building
Located right in the middle of downtown Victoria is the beautiful 1898 completed Parliament building of British Columbia. The parliament has one chamber, so it is unicameral. It’s a large, grand building with a tall dome. In the large plaza area in front of it you can see many statues of British Columbians, and you will find Totem Poles from the first nations peoples. At night the parliament building lights up with many bulbs as it has for over 100 years. We did not get the chance to go inside but did tour from the outside as we enjoyed the downtown and harbour areas of Victoria.
Royal British Columbia Museum
Located in downtown not far from the harbour, the Royal British Columbia Museum is an excellent Museum going over the long and storied history of the province. It was founded in 1886 and today showcases natural history, the history of the First Nations people’s and the more modern history of the province. Outside the museum is Thunderbird Park that has many totem poles and First Nations buildings you can see. There are original preserved totem poles behind glass you can see from outside as well. Inside the museum are many interactive exhibits and exhibits that make you feel like you are there. There is a great natural exhibit that showcases the different landscapes and wildlife in the province. While at the seashore simulated waves crash into rocks and you can hear sounds of the area. The same is done for the forest. There is the Jonathan Hunt House, a full-scale Kwakwaka’wakw ceremonial house. You can walk in the house and see the beautiful art and carvings of the First Nations peoples. They have a full replica of a late 1800s town where you can walk into the saloon, a trading post and much more to see what gold rush Canada was like. There is also a replica of the HMS Discovery that first explored the region for the British. There are plenty of temporary exhibits, an Imax theater and much more. It’s a great museum that we spent a couple hours at in Victoria. There is a charge to visit but is well worth it.
Victoria Offshore
When we visited Victoria, we went by cruise and had the wonderful experience of sailing out of Victoria into the Juan de Fuca Strait that separates Victoria from the beautiful and rugged Olympic Mountains of Washington State in the US. It’s a place where you can see whales and other wildlife. We didn’t see any whales on our sailing, but we did see sea otters, plenty of birds and witnessed a gorgeous sunset. The backdrop of water, Vancouver Island and the rugged and snow-covered mountains and volcanos in Washington makes for breathtaking scenery. If you are there and have the chance to take a whale watching or another cruise definitely give it a try!
Conclusion
There is a lot more to do in Victoria and Vancouver Island than we had the chance to do on our cruise stop. There are many more museums and experiences to visit like the Miniatures museum near the harbour. I’d love to spend more time also in the harbour area exploring the shops and restaurants. Outside of Victoria there are many great places to explore on Vancouver Island like Cathedral Grove for example. Victoria is in the Pacific Northwest but because of the Olympic Mountains it’s drier than Vancouver and Seattle and has a pretty mild climate so you won’t really have to worry about heavy winter clothing. If you do have a cruise stop absolutely spend time in Victoria as it’s worth it even if you are tired from an Alaska cruise.
Victoria is a wonderful and a unique Canadian capital city. It’s a place of beauty, old world charm and modern amenities. You can get out into the wild of the Pacific Northwest or enjoy 1st class museums. We look forward to visiting Victoria again and for a longer duration to explore more of this great destination!