What Have You Done "Fun" In Victoria?

[Lovincruisin1321]

We will be in Victoria from 11am to 8pm. I'm not interested in visiting gardens.

 

Is there something more active and fun to do?

 

What have you done?

[Budget Queen]

Butchard Gardens, are indeed excellent, and with your port time, could be done easily via cheap city bus. :)

 

The BC Museum is excellent, some love the high priced "Tea" at the Empress, with your extended port time, Orca Whale watching is great. It's a great area to see. Request their visitor guide. http://www.tourismvictoria.com/

[vegasnine]

Victoria is a beautiful city - downtown has some great old buildings and great restaurants. I know the gardens are the biggest draw, but there are other great things to see and do. You can take a carriage ride through downtown and get some history, see the Empress hotel and just generally explore.

[kitegirl]

I would suggest the Royal BC Museum, the Wax Museum, walk around downtown along the harbour, take a carriage ride, double decker bus tour, just a few suggestions from one was was born in the lovely city of Victoria.... enjoy!!!

[Yukon]

Interesting ideas of what "active and fun" means :D - you're in port long enough to try kayaking ( http://www.victoriakayak.com/ ) and/or the ATV/zipline ( http://www.adrenalinezip.com/ )

[Urban trekker]

If you like walking and the weather is nice here is what I did my last time in Victoria on a cruise stop - when you leave the port area turn right and walk along Dalles road and the seacoast - always interesting and if clear you will be able to see across to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State - after a mile or so you should see the Mile ``0`sign for the Trans-Canada Highway which is Douglas Street - turn left here and walk through the walk to its other entrance near the downtown core - a short right brings you to the historic St Anne`s Academy and it`s grounds - here you could head further uptown or head for the BC Musuem, Empress Hotel and BC Legislative buildings - once at the inner harbour seawall you can follow the seaside walk back to the ship but be sure to stop in a the house boat marina and have some fish and chips at Barb`s - some of the best that I have had. Then proceed back to the ship.

 

I am sure that Scott Bee will refine my directions and include a few more of the street names as he lived in Victoria for a number of years.

 

You could also rent a bicycle and due the route that I suggested on a bike.

 

Hope this helps and hope you enjoy your visit to our provincial capital city.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[scottbee]

We will be in Victoria from 11am to 8pm. I'm not interested in visiting gardens.

 

Is there something more active and fun to do?

 

What have you done?

 

Whale watching jumps to mind, but there's plenty of other things to do. Victoria is also Canada's beer capital; and has an outrageous number of geocaches and an active geocaching community.

[MercedMike]

You know, I am not much of a fan of gardens, either. But I have to say that Butchart Gardens are something special! There is something for everybody from formal rose gardens to Japanese gardens to practically wild areas ( and incidentally some fun shopping too!)

 

The tour we did combined Butchart with a visit to a nearby winery for "Wine and chocolates!" Each wine was paired with a specially selected chocolate truffle.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/paccoast.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[jkcruzer]

We ate lunch at the Flying Otter Restaurant at the seaplane dock near the heart of the tourist district. As we watched the seaplanes come and go, a seal swam out from under the dock right where we sat. The lunch was good, but I almost choked anyway.

[karatemom2]

We had one of the best whale watching tours we have been on out of Victoria. If you want to see Orcas, it is a great opportunity. We were on a catamaran, but the tours on the zodiacs look like a lot of fun!

[oceanfun77]

Butchart Gardens if you're into flowers. It's gigantic and beautiful, but also a $50 admission price. Or high tea at Embassy, which is very elegant.

 

Our Victoria stop was only from 7pm - 12am, so we just took the shuttle into town to walk around a bit. Shuttle was only $15, but didn't think it was worth it at all. Nothing much to see; most shops were closed. I would have rathered stayed in.

[Putterdude]

A self conducted pub-crawl can be fun, a walk on Government St. visiting all of the little shops, a harbour ferry cruise, on a nice summer's evening the buskers on the causeway in front of the Empress Hotel.

[cruiseryyc]

Butchart Gardens if you're into flowers. It's gigantic and beautiful, but also a $50 admission price. Or high tea at Embassy, which is very elegant.

 

Our Victoria stop was only from 7pm - 12am, so we just took the shuttle into town to walk around a bit. Shuttle was only $15, but didn't think it was worth it at all. Nothing much to see; most shops were closed. I would have rathered stayed in.

 

I believe you meant high tea at the Empress Hotel; entrance to Butchart Gardens is $28.10 per person not $50 (unless you are on a bus tour).