Victoria BC, Canada

[TSCRUISING]

Is there anything to do here? What would you suggest?

[Keith1010]

I would highly recommend going to Butchart Gardens. It is very special. Also the town of Victoria is just wonderful to walk around for a few hours on your own.

 

Keith

[Cheryl H]

Rogers Chocolates!!! The store is on Government Street I think. Our bus driver told us they ship to the queen and to the White House so we had to stop in. I had a vanilla victorian creme. Husband had maple nut. Delicious.

 

Last time we were there we did the double decker bus tour. It stopped at Craig Darroch Castle (more of a house, but still neat), and we did high tea at the Empress Hotel. This next time we are going to Butchart Gardens though.

[BabySis]

Keith1010, we walked to Fisherman's Wharf.... cute!! We weren't interested in touring a large city. I understand the Gardens are lovely

[mapleleaves]

Is there anything to do here? What would you suggest?

 

It would be helpful to indicate how much time you have and what your interests are.

Victoria is a lovely city. I enjoy walking around the harbor area, looking at the beautiful hanging baskets, the boats, the Empress Hotel, walking to China Town. The Royal BC Museum is excellent. If you have time the Butchart Gardens are incredible, and there are a few vendors in the harbor who do orca tours.

[islandercruiser]

It would be helpful to indicate how much time you have and what your interests are.

Victoria is a lovely city. I enjoy walking around the harbor area, looking at the beautiful hanging baskets, the boats, the Empress Hotel, walking to China Town. The Royal BC Museum is excellent. If you have time the Butchart Gardens are incredible, and there are a few vendors in the harbor who do orca tours.

 

Don't forget the ziplining - Adrena Line, Beacon Hill Park, Undersea Gardens, Minature World, Wax Museam and ...

[lilacbirman]

I agree that Butchard Gardens is gorgeous. A look inside The Empress hotel, a stroll along the water front and Rogers Chocolates is one of my favorites!

 

There's also horse drawn carriage rides that sound fun and interesting, we are considering this option since we've already done the other three things above. :)

[Putterdude]

I agree with all of the above and would add...perhaps a pubcrawl, a horse drawn carriage ride, or if it is nice summer evening then perhaps enjoying some of the buskers on the causeway in front of the Empress Hotel, maybe a whale watching excursion.....the list is almost endless:

 

http://cvscruisevictoria.com/

http://www.princeofwhales.com/

http://www.orcaspirit.com/

www.victoriacarriage.com/

http://www.tallyhotours.com/

http://www.causewayartists.ca/[/url]

www.butchartgardens.com/

http://bigbusvictoria.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=28

http://www.royalbluelinetours.com/

http://www.bastionsquare.ca/

http://www.oldchinatown.com/

http://www.strathconahotel.com/

http://www.irishtimespub.ca/

http://www.victoriaharbourferry.com/

[skierT]

separate question for my friends who are planning their trip next year.

 

They plan to do round trip from Seattle. But instead of coming back to Seattle, can they disembark in Victoria and stay there for a few days before flying back home?

[BIG_Steve]

I would take a tour, any tour. The city is lovely. But we could barely move about in the tourist/shopping area, what with all the cruisers from several ships in port. Most of the shops were too packed to be comfortable in. And as most of the cruisers were fellow Americans, the resounding attitude was "Got to H***" no matter how politely you said "excuse me please" if you wanted to get by.

[Stenya]

I agree with almost everything above... but would say this: don't bother with Chinatown if you've ever been to a "good" one in another city (San Francisco, Chicago) - it's just a little street of marginal restaurants and cheapie trinket stores.

 

We were there a couple weeks ago. Since there were 5 of us, we rented a car and drove out to Butchart Gardens, and stopped off in Chinatown for lunch on the way back to town. If we had it to do over again, we'd have skipped Chinatown and had lunch down on the wharf.

[Cheryl H]

We're thinking of eating at the wharf area too. Any recommendations for food over that way? We'll have a 6 year old with us. I don't like outside seating.

 

We're staying over at the Marriott Inner Harbour. I'm told to take the little green ferry over to the fisherman wharf area. Hope that is correct.

 

Question for putterdude: I can't remember if I already asked you this or not. Can we pay for buses, taxi's, ferries, etc with US dollars?

 

Thanks for the info.

[BIG_Steve]

We're thinking of eating at the wharf area too. Any recommendations for food over that way? We'll have a 6 year old with us. I don't like outside seating.

 

We're staying over at the Marriott Inner Harbour. I'm told to take the little green ferry over to the fisherman wharf area. Hope that is correct.

 

Question for putterdude: I can't remember if I already asked you this or not. Can we pay for buses, taxi's, ferries, etc with US dollars?

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Our tourguide in Victoria told us that any business that takes US $, legally must make change in Canadian currency. Only paid a cabby, and had him "keep the change" so I don't know how strict they are about following that law.

[Cheryl H]

That is a great idea. I don't mind them giving us Canadian change. I just want to be sure they will accept US dollars in payment. Surely they all mostly do.

[scottbee]

We're thinking of eating at the wharf area too. Any recommendations for food over that way? We'll have a 6 year old with us. I don't like outside seating.

 

We're staying over at the Marriott Inner Harbour. I'm told to take the little green ferry over to the fisherman wharf area. Hope that is correct.

 

Question for putterdude: I can't remember if I already asked you this or not. Can we pay for buses, taxi's, ferries, etc with US dollars?

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Taxi's - YES,

Ferries - YES (Harbour Ferry, BC Ferries, Coho)

Buses (as in BC Transit) - NO, however they will take US Coin at par

 

Is there something specific you're looking for? I lived in Victoria for 25+ yrs, and can probably point you in the right direction.

[Cheryl H]

Taxi's - YES,

Ferries - YES (Harbour Ferry, BC Ferries, Coho)

Buses (as in BC Transit) - NO, however they will take US Coin at par

 

Is there something specific you're looking for? I lived in Victoria for 25+ yrs, and can probably point you in the right direction.

 

Thank you for the info. I don't know what the phrase means "take US coin at par".

 

Basically we are doing a pre-cruise trip into Victoria. We are taxi-ing over to our hotel from the Clipper. Good to know they will accept US cash. Then the hotel was talking about a bus around back of the Marriott that we could take to Butchart Gardens for 2.50 (I think). The hotel said there's also a tour bus that we can take from the hotel to the Gardens. Maybe we'd be better off with the tour bus, it may be more direct anyway.

 

Then someone else suggested we take the little green ferry for a ride around to Fisherman's Wharf. Our son would probably get a kick out of that. Just wondered if there was a good fish and chips place there, or maybe a restaurant that is not-to-be missed. Or should we just skip the wharf area altogether? Maybe there's something closer to our hotel that would be just as nice.

[Urban trekker]

For fish and chips - this is the place to try on the Wharf:

 

http://www.barbsplace.ca/

 

Just about every time I am in Victoria I stop there.

 

There are other great fish and chip places in the City but this is the only one that I know of that is on the wharf.

 

There are also a couple of sea lions that hang around the docks there - gonna see if i can find a picture of them begging a meal.

 

Picture now added

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

.

 

Question for putterdude: I can't remember if I already asked you this or not. Can we pay for buses, taxi's, ferries, etc with US dollars?

 

Thanks for the info.

 

The transit system will not accept US currency but it will be accepted virtually any where else in the city. Now that our two dollars are within pennies of one another it is unlikely that you will receive any exchange and there is even some slight possibilty that you could be surcharged a bit on the US dollar.

[Cheryl H]

Thanks!!

[Steelergal]

Does anyone know if you can easily get transportaion to the Gardens after you get off the cruise ship? We do not dock until 6:30, and I am wondering if I should just book the tour through the cruise ship or gofor it after we get off...time is limited however...

[Putterdude]

Given the limited time that you have in Victoria when you arrive at 6:30 and also given the fact that it often takes a bit of time to clear the ship with customs and other authorities, I would not really recommend anything other that a ship's tour out to the Gardens. If there are 4 adults in your party a taxi can make some sense...but what always concerns me is the getting back to the ship as the gardens are 35/45 mins from the terminal and that far out, there could be a problem getting a cab ride back.

[scottbee]

Thank you for the info. I don't know what the phrase means "take US coin at par".

 

Basically we are doing a pre-cruise trip into Victoria. We are taxi-ing over to our hotel from the Clipper. Good to know they will accept US cash. Then the hotel was talking about a bus around back of the Marriott that we could take to Butchart Gardens for 2.50 (I think). The hotel said there's also a tour bus that we can take from the hotel to the Gardens. Maybe we'd be better off with the tour bus, it may be more direct anyway.

 

Then someone else suggested we take the little green ferry for a ride around to Fisherman's Wharf. Our son would probably get a kick out of that. Just wondered if there was a good fish and chips place there, or maybe a restaurant that is not-to-be missed. Or should we just skip the wharf area altogether? Maybe there's something closer to our hotel that would be just as nice.

 

[City] Bus to Butchart; Take a #30 or #31 (which starts down near the cruise terminal, runs through downtown north toward the burbs). Then get off at "Royal Oak Exchange" where you'll board a #75 bus to Butchart. Full transit schedules here: http://bctransit.com/ The 30/31 run all the time, but the 75 is only once and hour or once every 2 hrs (can't rememeber), so check the schedules

 

The harbour ferries http://www.victoriaharbourferry.com/ are great, and run criss-crossing the 'inner harbour'. The Ballet that they do in the evening is fun to watch too.

 

As for FISH & CHIPS, one of the city's best is only 6 blocks from the cruise terminal, down on Fisherman's Wharf, http://www.barbsplace.ca/

 

Finally; here's a map which puts most of that together for you.

map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100934763039761071004.0004665d7f3e28f06866d&ll=48.416897,-123.378482&spn=0.020679,0.039525&z=15

[TexBear]

Thank you for the info. I don't know what the phrase means "take US coin at par".

 

The phrase means US coins are accepted at face value: a dime is 10 Canadian cents, a quarter is 25, etc.

[Giantfan13]

We will be in port on NCL from 6:00PM till 11:59PM.

 

How would be the best way to see Vancouver??

 

Would it pay to do a bus tour, boat tour, or just spend time walking around on our own??

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Putterdude]

We will be in port on NCL from 6:00PM till 11:59PM.

 

How would be the best way to see Vancouver??

 

Would it pay to do a bus tour, boat tour, or just spend time walking around on our own??

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

I am guessing that you ment Victoria not Vancouver and that being the case, yes Victoria has a pretty compact downtown core so a self guided walking tour is a great way to see Victoria. To get downtown you can walk from the pier which takes about 20 mins, take the shuttle which cost $7 pp rtn or take transit which is located just outside of the terminal to the left that cost is $2.50 pp or a $1.65 if over 65 and will take less than 10 mins. Once downtown you will see the Provincial Legislature Buildings, the Historic Empress Hotel and the Inner harbour Causeway where buskers perform each evening. I am going to provide you with a link to some self guided tours that can be combined as you please.

 

http://www.victoria.ca/visitors/wlkngt.shtml