what to do in Victoria.....

[scapilot]

My wife and I are heading for Victoria on the Amsterdam in April. We have already planned to rent a car and go to the Buchart Gardens and the Butterfly Gardens and look around the town, So what do you recommend we do in Victoria ? We will be in port all day. :rolleyes:

[geoherb]

You should also tour Parliament. That was a highlight for us on our trip to

Victoria.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We have been there numerous times and you are actually doing one of the things we hav enjoyed and that is go to Buchart Gardens :)

Another thing I recommend is eating downtown at one of several nice restaurants. After a week of eating on the ship sometimes it is nice to have an evening away. In September 2006 we had friends that were sailing on the NCL Star and we were on the Noordam. We met up at the pier in Victoria and grabbed a cab into town for dinner. I believe we ate at a place called Chandlers which was great. But I just tried their web site I had book marked and the site is no longer there:o

[fann1sh]

Victoria has remained more traditionally English than many cities in England. Afternoon tea is a ritual, unchanged since the city's namesake was on the throne.

 

If you're so inclined, there are many places to enjoy tea. The most famous is the Empress hotel. Buchart Gardens also provides a traditional tea.

 

Here's a web article:

 

http://www.gazebo-victoria.com/victoria_afternoon_tea.html

[cruisequeen10]

Oh where do I begin. Victoria is lovely. Places to see are:

Provincial Museum, Wax Museum, Craigdarroch Castle, Horse drawn carraige, Beacon Hill Park, the scenic drive which takes you from the ship all the way around the rich homes and James Bay.

[alaskagirl3]

My Amsterdam cruise will be there from 6:00pm-midnight. Do you think some of the attractions will be open during those hours?

[scapilot]

Oh where do I begin. Victoria is lovely. Places to see are:

Provincial Museum, Wax Museum, Craigdarroch Castle, Horse drawn carraige, Beacon Hill Park, the scenic drive which takes you from the ship all the way around the rich homes and James Bay.

 

 

My wife an I are looking forward to the scenic drive around the island. Thank you for the information.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

We have been in Victoria in the evening also and most all tourist sites are closed. I suspect the restaurants will be open and it is fun to tour the Empress Hotel. There are some old photographs on the lower level on the right side as you face the hotel.

 

Barbara

[scapilot]

My Amsterdam cruise will be there from 6:00pm-midnight. Do you think some of the attractions will be open during those hours?

 

Most of the attractions such as museums, are closed after 7pm There are a lot of shops and dinning around town as well as a beautiful 60+ acre park just a few blocks from the center of town. Tea at the Empress is great and a carriage ride through town is also nice.

[garydm]

We had a very nice walk to the downtown area. Between the pier and the downtown you will walk thru residential neighborhoods with some nice looking restaurants that appeared to cater to locals (which is good). It was very pleasant. Took about 30 minutes each way.

 

Gary

[clogaltocruise]

One of our Victoria visits was in the evening and we took an excursion to Buchart Gardens. It was beautiful at night. (Of course, we thoroughly enjoyed our daytime visit, too.) Victoria is such a lovely area!

[luxurysailer]

I think that Victoria is one of the loveliest towns in the western hemisphere. I can't think of anything better to do than visit Buchart Gardens. There is also a very nice restaurant in the gardens which I highly recommend. High tea or afternoon tea at the Emperess Hotel is also very nice to do. These two activities will take up most of the day but should leave you time to browse downtown before having to re-board the ship.

 

We have been to Victoria twice and would gladly return.

[Himself]

I did a tour which included the Craigdarrough Castle. Loved it!

[Kyana]

One of the best kept secrets about Victoria are the grounds at Government House on Rockland Rd about a block and a half from Craigdaroch Castle. A gorgeous property with wonderful gardens, pathways and outstanding views of the straits of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic mountain range. The grounds are free and are open from dawn to dusk every day. Also the adjacent neighborhood is a wonderful walk.:)

[Wild Thing ~T]

My wife and I are heading for Victoria on the Amsterdam in April. We have already planned to rent a car and go to the Buchart Gardens and the Butterfly Gardens and look around the town, So what do you recommend we do in Victoria ? We will be in port all day. :rolleyes:

 

We will be on this cruise with you! We are going to spend the day at Buchart Gardens, we have been to Victoria many times. Love it, but is has become a bit spendy.

 

Here is a link to our April 24 roll call if you would like to join in!:D

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=885512

[TravelAddiction]

I thought I would echo the thoughts of others on some of these places.

 

If you are planning on doing Butchart Gardens, I would do tea there as well. If you can, make reservations, as it is quite the popluar place. I have done it twice and I have never been able to get through it all. They do box up the treats you can not finish:) Tea at the Empress is nice, but more pricey than Butcharts, and if you are paying to get into Butcharts, you may as well enjoy all the amenties in one spot.

 

Walking around downtown is free, unless you get sucked into the vortex of tourist shops and other stores:D

 

I love the BC Provincial Museum, but it is almost an all day thing, depending on how long you like to linger over the exhibits.

Walking through the Empress is free, and they have neat historical displays throughout.

 

Beacon Hill Park is a short distance away. Very popular with locals and tourists alike. There is a donation suggested petting zoo, and there should be some babies in April. Peacocks roaming around, lots of ducks and ponds.

 

Someone else had mentioned the scenic drive from the cruise terminal all the way along the oceanfront through to Oak Bay. Oak Bay is a very pretty community, and there is a tea room called The Blethering Place there. Been around for ages.

 

Also if you are going to have a car, and are heading to Butcharts, you could keep going up the Pat Bay HWY to Sidney. Their main street is quite a nice area to walk, ends at the pier. Lots of neat shops, restaurants, etc...

 

Walking around the Parliament buildings is neat, right next to the museum. Interesting architecture. I believe there are tours offered for the inside, but am not sure of times. Used to be open to the public at all times, but not any more.

 

Milestone's is a nice restaurant right on the Inner Harbour, below the tourist Info Centre. Reserve if you can, because it is a very popular place. Chandlers on Wharf is well-known for their seafood, as is Nautical Nellies on Wharf.

 

Government House is near Craigdarroch Castle, and has beautiful grounds and gardens.

 

One of the big things for locals is to walk the Breakwater. It is the giant arm that juts out with the lighthouse on the end. You'll be right next to it at the cruise terminal. You can walk along the top, or you can walk along the bottom, closer to the ocean. There is a scuba/dive shop below the little cafe, which serves awesome carrot cake I might add.

 

Oh, and in the Western Communities there is Fort Rodd Hill, a national historic site. It is across the water from downtown, but if you have a car, easy to get to. You can also walk along Esquimalt Lagoon, as it is in the area. Ocean on one side of the roadway, lagoon with ducks, geese, swans, etc... on the other side.

 

Whatever you decide to do, bring a brolly as it could be rainy. Not called the Wet Coast for nothing;) And I hope you have a fabulous time!!

Connie

http://www.butchartgardens.com

http://www.fairmont.com/empress

http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com

http://www.nauticalnelliesrestaurant.com

http://www.chandlersseafood.com

http://www.thebletheringplace.com

http://www.ltgov.bc.ca

http://www.victoriabc.ca/victoria/parliamentbuildings.htm

http://www.fortroddhill.com

http://www.craigdarrochcastle.com

http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

http://www.beaconhillpark.com

http://www.tourismvictoria.com

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

In addition to all the other things that have been mentioned, I love the little boats that zip around the inner harbor--forget what they're called. They function as a water taxi system. It's a hoot to be on one of these when a plane is taxiing for takeoff right next to you.

[Nghthawke]

You can drop by Rogers' Chocolates :)

 

http://www.rogerschocolates.com/

 

It is within easy walking distance of the Empress, just a few minutes down the road. (Click on "Location" down at the bottom of their webpage for a map.)

[gentlemancruiser]

My Amsterdam cruise will be there from 6:00pm-midnight. Do you think some of the attractions will be open during those hours?

 

Sometimes in the evenings Butchart Gardens have firework displays! The gardens are one of Victoria's best attractions. It's a very pretty city, it's just too bad so many cruises only stop for such a short time.....

 

http://www.butchartgardens.com/entertainment/fireworks/fireworks.html

[mikaula]

We did tea at Butchart and it was lovely. I have been to Victoria several times and have gone to Butchart every time. The garden changes with the season and is ablsolutely breath taking. The castle is amazing as well. We loved taking the water taxis around the inner harbor. One thing about Victoria is that once you go you will want to go back again and again.

[Bramcruiser]

I am so jealous of the OP. I am Canadian and Victoria is my favourite city in Canada.

 

There is plenty to do as the posters here have written. Butchart Gardens is a lovely place but a good drive out of the city. However, if you have a day to spend its well worth it. Otherwise, downtown Victoria has tons of lovely sights around the downtown core which hugs the inner harbour. The BC Legislature and the Royal BC Museum are well worth a look but so are the tourist shops in this most definitely English of towns. Tea at the Empress Hotel is expensive but well worth the experience.

 

And Nighthawke.......I always stop by Rogers' Chocolates everytime I am in Victoria.

 

David

Long overdue for another visit to Victoria!

[scapilot]

Well... With all of this information, I think our trip will be fun filled and quite enjoyable. Thank you all :D

[Lurker1]

Last year was our second visit to Victoria, and we had seen the Gardens on the first trip. So we did a "pup crawl". We visited three pubs, sampled the beer, and had some hor d'ouerves. But the bus also did a tour of the city, so it was worth it, and it was fun.

[red knight]

One thing you can not do is tour the Parliament Buildings, as they are in Ottawa! You can however tour the British Columbia Legislature Buildings.;)

[Owl47]

I live in the San Juan Islands and go to Victoria frequently.

There is no way to tour Vancouver Island in one day. It is over 12,000 square miles.

I usually prefer to not take a car into Victoria because there are so many better transportation options: water taxis, pedi cabs, double decker buses, etc. It is much more relaxing for me to take the city tour on a double decker bus that leaves from in front of the Empress Hotel.

Another option for getting to Butchart Gardens is to go with Gray Line of Victoria (4.5 hour tour). It is a ways out of town to the Gardens.

Tea at the Empress is wonderful. I have not had tea at Butchart, but I have had lunch.

I enjoy lunch or dinner at the Bengal Lounge at the Empress.

I know that you will have a great time. If you are only there in the evening, the street entertainment by the docks in front of the Empress is not to be missed.