Victoria Tourist Information

Downtown Victoria offers a number of excellent shopping opportunities. Antique Row on Fort Street, and 11 other shopping centres in Greater Victoria deliver a wealth of treasures for the seasoned bargain-hunter. Venture into the eclectic boutiques of Market Square, as sparrows dart from the rafters in the open-air courtyard, or wander in and out of the many gift shops along Government Street as local street performers welcome you with a song.

At the end of Government Street, a number of attractions await you. Surrounded in the majesty of the Legislative Buildings and the ivy-covered Empress Hotel, the Inner Harbour is your gateway to entertainment. Enjoy a vanilla-and-fresh-strawberry "Canada Cone" as you walk along the causeway, stopping to have your portrait sketched and to delight in the many offerings of local musicians, jugglers, and artists. Then zip out on a high-speed whale-watching zodiac, or enjoy a luxurious dinner cruise on a 12.5-m (41-ft.) yacht. Discover a rainbow of sea stars, anemones, and fish of all shapes and sizes at the Undersea Gardens, or say hello to the likes of Marilyn Monroe or Queen Victoria herself, in the Royal London Wax Museum. Visits to the nearby Crystal Gardens and Miniature World are other exciting family stops before topping off the afternoon with the time-honoured British tradition of high tea. Steeped in history, Victoria also boasts more than five museums, including the internationally acclaimed Royal British Columbia Museum, and many other historic sites including Fort Rodd Hill in Esquimalt, the site of Canada's oldest West Coast lighthouse. From Craigdarroch castle to Emily Carr's cozy childhood home, Victoria's vibrant past lends itself to colourful stories of the city's most elite (and not-so-elite) characters.

Feeling overwhelmed with choices? Why not take a tour. With horse-drawn carriages, double-decker buses, inner harbour ferries, and even bike-pedaled Kabuki Kabs eager to show you all Victoria has to offer, getting around in Victoria is as simple as the wave of a hand. Most guides will even let you in on the local secrets...Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, 111 km (69 mi.) south of Nanaimo. BC Ferries travels from Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Vancouver to Swartz Bay ferry terminal in Victoria, while the Seattle Clipper, a passenger ferry from Seattle, and the Coho, a vehicle ferry from Port Angeles both sail into downtown Victoria. Commercial bus and national airline service are also available. Population: 75,283Elevation: 32m (105 ft.)Average July Temperature: 14ºC (57ºF)Average January Temperature: 4ºC (39ºF)Annual Rainfall: 120 cm (47 in.)Annual Snowfall: 29 cm (11.4 in.)

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