Came here to see the narrow street to see if my kid could do the American Ninja Warrior Spider Wall…read morething. Yes he can! We came later in the evening so everything was closed. The shops were mostly knick knack shops and probably not something I'd go into anyway even if it were open. It kind of gave me Diagon Alley from Harry Potter vibes. It only took us a couple minutes to walk through and reached the main strip of "Chinatown" - more like "China Block". It was really small and only a few shops and restaurants were open. Maybe my experience of Fan Tan Alley would've been more positive if I came earlier in the day?

Nice and narrow historic alley in Victoria's Chinatown which is the second Chinatown in North…read moreAmerica (after San Francisco) and the first in Canada. It has a couple art shops along it but they were closed for the evening on a Saturday.

just a leisurely (maybe 36 minute) walk from downtown, or a quick, breezy ride across the harbour…read moreon one of the cute little water taxis, this spot feels like stepping straight into a postcard. the moment you arrive, the air shifts, sea salt mixes with the faint scent of fried fish, seagulls hover lazily above, and sunlight scatters across the rippling water like handfuls of coins tossed for luck. floating homes line the docks in a cheerful row of colour, each one reflecting softly in the water, like brushstrokes that never quite stand still. water taxis glide past, picking up and dropping off passengers, their propellers leaving slow, curling ripples behind. a whale watching group gathers near the pier, their chatter carried by the breeze, while the smell of seafood and freshly fried mini donuts drift from the stall nearby. barb's fish and chips, a local favourite, has its usual line, with diners perched at picnic tables, seagulls keeping hopeful watch. there's a small mexican food stand, a souvenir shop filled with nautical trinkets, and locals walking their dogs, exchanging smiles as they pass. everything here moves at its own rhythm, calm, relaxed, and quietly cinematic. it's the kind of place that doesn't just ask you to visit, it makes you slow down, breathe deeper, and really take in the view, the raw beauty, the smell of the ocean, and the lull of the water. this is victoria at its most picture perfect.

A cute little spot to see boats and colorful floating homes. Tons of food options. I wasn't here…read morevery long. We walked the pier, took some pictures, had some ice cream. I wouldn't say this is a place you must see, but it's nice pitstop if you're trying to kill some time.

Review #1 for 2026 I…read morewas determined to go to the Parliament buildings when we did a day trip to Victoria from Vancouver. The building itself is huge from the outside and does feel a bit smaller on the inside, but it is beautiful! They do free tours and I was afraid we would not be able to catch a tour, but during the summer, they do tours everyday of the week! The tour tickets are first come first serve. We managed to get tickets for the 12pm tour the day we were there. You just go towards the entrance and there will be volunteers passing out tour tickets for the next available tour. The tours are all done by volunteers. The parliament buildings are part of British history and now used for government business. We had roughly 30 minutes before our tour. So we went and took pictures around the outside of the building. To get the entire building, you have to take a picture from the sidewalk since the building is so big. There is a water fountain in front of the building as well as across the street. There is also a massive totem pole near the building. The tour was filled with information. Make sure you go to the bathroom before they start the tour. I think the tour is about an hour long, but it flew by as all of it was so interesting and there was so much so see. I enjoyed the tour. There is a gift shop at the end of the tour. The gift shop is TINY! I ended up getting some pins as I collect them and I also bought some Parlia-Mints! Get it? HAHA. My husband loved it and had a good laugh. I think I should had gotten some more to hand out to people when I got home. It came in a cute metal container. Apparently there is also a cafe here which I would had liked to try but it was not open when we were there. Also at night, the buildings are lit up. We had to leave before the lights came on as we had a ferry to catch back to Vancouver, but the pictures I have seen look absolutely stunning. Would I come back? Yes I would! I would love to see the buildings all lit up at night... and of course I have to buy some more of those ParliaMints!!

Take a stroll through history. Just walking the grounds is great with a lot to see…read more Monuments, grass, architecture, and a lot of people. This is a great place to stretch your legs before going next door to the museum.

Really cool capital building right off the dock area. Lots of great artwork and other items that…read moredraw the attention to a very important looking building fair governmental looking, but also has been around for a long time. It shows the importance of this building and their connection to the government. There is a great totem pole in the front as well assome statues to recognize important leaders. Built for Queen Victoria, however, she never made it there.

Amazing Legislative Assembly with so much history. Been to Ontario's in Toronto and Quebec's in…read moreQuebec City as well as Ottawa's temporary locations so was nice to see this. My mom and I did the self guided tour and actually got to see the assembly in session so they took our phones but was even better than just going in and taking pictures.

Amazing place to walk around and take boats. We took both a whale watching cruise and the in-depth…read moregorge tour. Red Fish Blue Fish is also an amazing fish stand you with some of the best food I have ever had for the price that you can take on a boat or sit there or nearby. They also have one of the world's only seaplane airports and you can see the seaplanes come and go from the Flying Otter restaurant. Looking forward to returning!

The Inner Harbour in Victoria is THE place to hang out and create beautiful memories…read more Here are the top three things to do: (1) Spend time soaking in the beautiful scenery - from seaplanes and sailing boats to beautiful gardens and magnificent buildings (The Empress Hotel, The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, etc.), there is something for everyone. PRO TIP: Visit in the late evening, and watch the lights come on at dusk. It's magical! (2) Take in a bit of culture and history - start at Thunderbird Park, but don't neglect spending time at the other totem poles scattered around the area. There is also Confederation Garden Court with its psychedelic fountain and shields for all 13 Canadian provinces and territories, and some impressive statues, such as Queen Victoria, Memorial to soldiers who fought in Wars, etc. (3) Interact with the locals - we enjoyed the mimes and hawkers, and spent a fun hour watching a very entertaining busker juggle knives atop a unicycle! If you can, enjoy a horse buggy ride (they cost about $80 per family and close at 10 pm). We heart you Inner Harbour! Can't wait to return!!

During our Alaskan cruise we had a short stop in Victoria , BC…read more We got off the ship & immediately explored as much as we could. We ported early evening , nice downtown area , clean , seems lively with some shopping , bars & restaurants. We did a little bit of shopping then walked around & after that we hit up a few bars. The waterfront area is nice at night w the Parliament building all light up everything looks very pretty. We enjoyed & made the best of our short time here.

Victoria BC was one of our last ports we stopped at during a recent cruise to Alaska…read more We actually docked here at night and so glad we did, as everything in the area was lit up and sparkly. I think this made for a more spectacular viewing of the area as during daylight it would not be the same. The Parliament building looks magical all lit up like something out of a Disney movie. In fact, the whole waterside area across from it had the same cool look. Definitely worth walking around and taking pictures during evening hours.

It's such a beautiful city! So welcoming and charming! It's almost "whimsical" meets "great place…read moreto live"! Only had 4 hours to spend as this was a cruise stop. I'm so glad I had at least the 4 hours. 4 months might have been better! This place is really cool vibes in the cruise port, downtown, and the 'burbs. We arrived as the sun was setting and had a simple bus tour as we drove to our tour destination at the observatory. (I had once planned to be an astrophysicist, yes really!) The streets were tidy and neat which matched the buildings and people walking the streets and parks. The architecture was pleasant, interesting and complimentary to terrain, trees, and other buildings. (I gave up on astrophysics in high school to pursue architecture in college.) This city is famous for a lot of beautiful things such as it's civic gardens and nighttime lighting. The 4 large, well lit cruise liners added to that nighttime appeal. I want to come back and stay awhile!

The city of Victoria is absolutely charming. It is the capital of the Canadian Province of British…read moreColumbia and is a very popular city with tourists because of its history and old style Victorian architecture. It is popular with the Canadians for the same reason and because it has such a mild temperate climate compared with other parts of Canada. There is more sunny days in Victoria than in Seattle. I love walking around the Harbour and up to Laurel Point. So much fun watching the Seaplanes taxiing and taking off. Great opportunities abound for action photos of the planes landing, the Harbour and the surrounding eye catching buildings. Do your research to get the best British Style afternoon tea service with all those little bite sized snacks. The Empress hotel is the most renowned, but other hotels and restaurants have it as well. It pays off to read the reviews so you get what you want according to your tastes. This is a great city to explore and a fantastic jump off spot for adventuring to other parts of Vancouver Island and the smaller islands by ferry north I'd the airport.

We had a very unique experience when visiting Bastion Square at the start of Summer Solstice. We…read morejust happened to stumble upon a fire dance being performed that evening by The Wandering Artist. I didn't know who they were at the time, but they are very popular in Victoria. It was such a mesmerizing performance. I wanted to keep watching it, but we were in the middle of a tour. I just remember our guide wasn't very happy because she wanted to show us something at the top of the steps. Most likely the beautiful view of the Inner Harbour from that elevated square. Ah, but we did get a very cool local experience in the form of an artistic performance. Everyone was cheering them on. The area is quite historic. There is a line of bricks with names of pioneers and business owners that mark what was once the northeast bastion of Fort Victoria. It would later become a courthouse and a jail complete with gallows. Yes, the prisoners were executed by hanging. That may be why people say that it's haunted. I don't know. The square was full of locals and tourists on a very busy Friday night. There are 2 very well known pubs at the entrance of the alley. Let's just say that everyone was having a great time. We learned a lot that night while walking through the alley & square. It was a very interesting experience. Maybe one day I'll actually see that view of the Harbour that everyone talks about.

Bastion Square is not really a square; it's more like an open-air alley that descends (or ascends,…read moredepending on which way you enter it) for several city blocks and through multiple intersections of lightly-trafficked side roads. On a late Sunday morning, we passed by a handful of pop-up tents from local artists and craftsmen that weren't there the day (and night) before, so depending on when you visit, what you encounter here might be different than another. The "square" itself is clean, well-maintained and attractive, passing by several storied, stately structures built well over a century ago, repurposed and repopulated with nascent businesses, many of them pubs, clubs and restaurants, but also a smattering of others, such as a rare book store, and some satellite offices for regional colleges. At sunset, visitors are afforded a gorgeous view of Victoria Harbor painted in a pageant of dusky and fiery hues that encompass the entire color spectrum: a radiant sky with shades of red, orange, yellow, indigo, violet, framed by green foliage and blue water. Worth a visit for the ambiance and atmosphere alone, particularly when it is buzzing with visitors, tourists and patrons, but Bastion Square is made complete by the quantity and variety of quality dining establishments along its concourse. One of my favorite places to idle away the time in Victoria, and after your visit, I am sure you will agree.

Helmcken House is the oldest house in BC still standing at its original site. It's located within…read moreThunderbird Park and is part of the overall Royal BC Museum complex. I'm big on historical structures, so naturally I dragged Gayle over here during one of our Victoria walks. The House was built by Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, the first doctor in Victoria, and a surgeon with the Hudson's Bay Company. He set up house here in 1852 when he married the daughter of Governor Sir James Douglas. Originally a 3-room log cabin, the House was expanded as both the prosperity and size of the family grew. Helmcken went on to become a statesman and helped negotiate the entry of BC as a Province into Canada. It still contains its original furnishings (imported from England of course) and some displays including his medical kit. It's open daily and your Royal BC Museum ticket gets you in.