Victoria is a cool city to visit, or to live in. There's a lot of interesting history and…read morehistorical buildings. The downtown area offers plenty of shopping options for all budgets. The demographics here tend toward older European/white people so there's a lot of tea/coffee shops, bakeries, jigsaw puzzles, wool shops, and souvenirs. People are friendly and polite in general. Being a harbour town, you'll see ferries and boats, and seaplanes right in town. Lots of tourists and touristy things to do. Many diverse restaurants. Flowers and sculptures abound. Be sure to take in the magnificent Empress Hotel that dominates the waterfront. Explore the region from this central location. It's a beautiful island and Victoria is a real highlight.

Capital City of BC named for Queen Victoria…read more I've learned a lot about this Canadian province during our 3-1/2 days of exploring. Victoria was one of the cities we explored and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. British Columbia is known for its warmer winters and laidback lifestyle. Hence, the California of Canada Eh? LoL! In the span of our short stay we've used Canada's ferry system transporting passengers and freight, strolled along a beautiful botanical garden, stepped inside the narrowest alley in Chinatown, made quick stops at landmarks, strolled on the docks of a unique fisherman's wharf, and explored a cool fort and a lighthouse When it came to dining, we have had memorable (and not so memorable) meals -- Chinese, American, Japanese, and Korean, and we even satisfied our sweet tooth with amazing desserts. We didn't see a lot of Timmies in Victoria as much as there was in Niagara Falls, Toronto. ... and I didn't forget to stop at a Starbucks to grab a CANADA gift card to add to my collection. Conversions were confusing and fun... some places seemed far but really they were just a few clicks away. We either had to hang a Larry or a Roger on the navigation system. It was a nice a nice visit overall. Review #3176

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.

Recommend avoiding this branch in favor of the one in Oak Bay. Two important birthday cards (with…read morenothing but cardboard, paper, and a sticker in them) were mailed from here and took weeks to arrive, getting there after the occasion. We came early, gave no special instructions, and offered to answer any questions or use any service needed. Told both were fine and would arrive early. One card was even returned to us for unclear reasons and we then had to pay a $30 express fee to try and get it there within the time remaining. Leaving two stars out of consideration that it was a unique mistake, but won't be using them again.

This is my first bad experience with canada post, ordered from a website in Canada and it was…read moreexpected to arrive the day I'm writing this review, it says my package is in customs when it should not be, it was three days ago since they sent it to customs at the border. And their customer service wasn't good either, they didn't answer my question at all. Like I said first bad experience but it was en to make me feel enraged.

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.

Trounce Alley is another in the long list of Victoria's quaint, charming little alleyways packed…read morewith local businesses full of flair and flavor. It's short, it's narrow, it's charmingly lit and decorated with festoon lights, neon signs, and the warm glow from the interiors of shops and restaurants spilling out into the street. Whether you're here for some delicious Korean food at Park's Kitchen, a cocktail at The Tapa Bar or Bar Poco, shopping for a purse, clothing, jewelry or accessories at one of the boutiques, wandering around an art gallery, meandering down through the narrow lane doing some people watching, or just taking in the sights, this backstreet is back (alright!), and definitely worth your time. And don't worry, it's very unlikely that Trounce Alley, or anyone you encounter here, will live up to its name and kick your ass. Probably.

Sorry, what a bust. Mostly empty retail store fronts and a couple restaurants. Cobblestone street?…read moreDon't believe the marketing hype. It may have once been a cute alley way but not any more. Don't waste your time.

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.

The Pacific Rim College is a gift to Victorians! You can make an appointment with the students for…read moremany of the alternative health sciences. All are overseen by their instructors with amazing recommendations and treatments. Give them a call today to help yourself and these wonderful students.

Great practitioners! Powerful herbs!…read moreConsultations are Free!!! They have Nutrition, Acupuncture and Plant Medicine