Ah Victoria! Sitting in the sunshine on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is one of those cities that feels like a warm hug from an old friend. BC’s capital city manages to be both properly posh – with its ornate Parliament Buildings and afternoon tea tradition – and completely laid-back with Pacific Northwest vibes. Lots of my Canadian friends told me visiting Victoria is like going to Europe, but although some of the architecture and tree-lined streets feel like Britain, it’s got it’s own distinct personality. Plus, I don’t know any British cities with such easy access to rainforests and whale watching(!)

The capital of BC is a beautiful (if slightly pricy) city to explore. We spent a weekend here with my lovely mother in law. None of us are particularly interested in ticking off famous tourist sights; So we soaked up the atmosphere, but we didn’t visit any of the castles, museums or art galleries. Still, if you are the kind of person that likes wandering around a new city and finding some tasty food – this might still be of interest.

Legislative Assembly

Victoria’s Legislative Assembly has the best spot in the inner harbour area; Government officials have a lovely view! One of my colleagues told me that you can get a really good lunch here. We were never around at lunchtime, but I would like to try that next time.

We saw a LOT of amazing totems in Duncan, but it was good to see a few around the center of Victoria too.

Francis Rattenbury won a competition to design the new legislative buildings in 1892 when he was just 25. He then went on to design the Fairmont Empress Hotel that sits accross the water. If you are a fan of high tea – that’s the place to go. This part of the city is so pretty with red flowers spelling out welcome to Victoria.

If you fancy a stroll, there is a pleasant, easy 5km pathway called David Foster Way. Walk along the water from the inner harbour over towards Fisherman’s Wharf. The pathway is named after David Foster, the famous music producer and composer who was born in Victoria.

We spotted a Japanese “Peace and Friendship Bell” in centennial park. This was a gift from the city of Morioka in Japan – Victoria’s twin city. It symbolizes the connection between the two cities and their shared commitment to peace.

Along the walk, you see views over to Victoria West. I like the way the Portage Inlet wiggles around the city, giving loooads of buildings sea views!

Fisherman’s Wharf

About 20 mins walk from the Parliament buildings you’ll reach the super colourful fisherman’s wharf. This started off as working fishing pier. Today, it’s a mix of working harbor and tourist attraction and floating neighbourhood. You can walk around and see the float homes, but be respectful as people live there.

This is where we started our whale watching tour, and I saw other people head out for kayaking adventures from Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s also famous for seafood restaurants.

Whale watching

The best thing we did in Victoria was take a whale watching tour with Eagle Wing Tours. If you’d like the full details, see my previous post… but we saw both humpbacks as well as a huge T-party of 17(!) orcas. It was perfect!

Food in Victoria

There is sooo much choice for good food in Victoria! My favourite meal was from Fathom, which is located in the Hotel Grand Pacific. I tried the sable fish, which was incredible. We also loved their bread and their spicy tuna bites.

The other meal that I loved was from Uni Modern Japanese restaurant. It wasn’t super authentic, but we really enjoyed it. The photos below are gomaae (with hamchi oshi sushi, agedashi tofu and takoyaki in the background) and unagi oshi sushi. If you don’t know what any of those items are, have a read of my Japanese food guide.

Mount Tolmie

If you are in Victoria at sunset, climb a mountain in the easiest possible way! You can drive right to the top of Mount Tolmie, which is located in one of the beautiful (posh-seeming) residential areas of Victoria. We watched the sunset on a Saturday night, so there were loads of couples and teenagers hanging out up there.

Inner Harbour lights

Once the sun has set, it is worth going back to the center of Victoria as the legislative assembly transforms into a fairytale castle at night. There are over 3,300 lights showing off the neo-baroque architecture. It reminds me of Harrods in London, although this was built first!

The whole inner harbour area is gorgeous in the evening.

Prior Castle Inn

I was very careful when we chose our hotel in Victoria, as I wanted somewhere that Araceli (my mother in law) would feel spoiled. In the end, we booked a suite in the gorgeous Prior Castle Inn. It is in the historic Rockland neighborhood, which is full of grand homes built by wealthy families in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

It feels appropriate to stay in a Victorian building when in Victoria! I loved the sitting room and breakfast room – but it was all really pleasant. The breakfasts were pretty great too!

Government House gardens

Government House is the official residence of British Columbia’s Lieutenant Governor (the person who represents the King in British Columbia.) Although the house is a private residence and working office, visitors are welcome to explore the beautiful gardens. They include everything from formal rose gardens and duck ponds to woodland walks. This was just around the corner from the Prior Castle Inn, so we popped in.

Victoria is a really beautiful city, and perfect for a relaxing weekend! For us, this was the start of a road trip along the Pacific Marine Circle on Vancouver Island, so I’ll be sharing more about Vancouver Island soon. Have you been to Victoria? What would you recommend for next time we visit?