Obviously, the ONLY reason you're coming is to see us get hitched, but a bit of sightseeing and retail therapy never goes amiss!
Here's a few things you might like to do...
The Bay Centre is the main shopping mall in the centre of town. There are also a number of good shops (tourist and others) outside the Government Street entrance to this mall.
Market Square is a ten min. walk from the Bay Centre and has lots of intersting shops as well.
Mayfair Mall and Hillside Mall are a short bus trip away from the downtown centre. You'll need exact change for the bus or overpay - drivers do not give change. You can buy a day pass from many shops around town who will normal display signs in their windows.
Beacon Hill Park - our version of Hyde Park, not quite as big, but very pretty, beautifully landscaped and our trees are way bigger! There's even wild peacocks that roam about! Don't get too close, they look pretty, but are mean.
Whale Watching - there are a number of companies that will take you out to see whales, of course, there's no guarantee you'll see the wee beasties! There's too many to list here, but this link will give you the 'hits on Google'.
Royal London Wax Museum - not as big Madame Tussad's, but there's still lots of wax!
Ross Bay Cemetary - Victoria's version of North London's Highgate Cemetary but with a view of the Pacific Ocean.
Victoria Day Parade (May 22) Location(s): Downtown Victoria along Douglas StreetVictoria largest parade event, with over 150 entries – marching bands, floats, clowns etc. Over 90,000 spectators watch this popular annual event. Fun for the whole family.Contact for more Information: Phone Greater Victoria Festival Society at (250) 382-3111
Swiftsure Yacht Race (May 26-28). If you're in town long enough, you'll see yachts and colourful spinnakers from all over the world taking part in this world famous event.
Victoria Inner Harbour Walkways
The Inner Harbour has two excellent walks for a warm summer evening or morning stroll. One starts at the end of Belleville Street near the Laurel Point Inn and follows the waterway to Fisherman's Wharf. The second begins at the blue Johnson Street bridge and continues along the water to the West Bay Marina. Herons, seals, mink, otters and sea lions can be spotted along the way.
Scenic Drives
A very popular scenic drive is along Dallas Road and Beach Drive with a stop at Cattle Point to stretch your legs and watch the sailboats race or take in the beauty of the sea and distant mountains. When you arrive at Cadboro Bay, keep an eye out for "Caddy", short for Cadborosaurus, our local, friendly prehistoric sea serpent who is spotted from time to time in the bay but never captured on film to date!!
A truly magnificent park just a 10 minute walk from the Empress Hotel - 100 acres, beautifully landscaped. Have your hotel pack a lunch, or stop by one of the many sandwich shops nearby. The Beacon Hill Children's Farm, aka "Petting Zoo", is home to Ethel, a pot-bellied pig; Peanut Butter, a miniature Pinto and a foal named Jelly; Priscilla, a miniature Brahmin cow; three miniature alpacas; baby chicks; guinea pigs; a donkey named Rosie and 50 baby goats. Children can pet them or brush them with brushes provided. The farm is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, weather permitting.
In one afternoon you can see all of British Columbia. Descend into its offshore ocean depths, walk along its beaches, peer into its tide pools, step through forests and view its soaring mountains and vast plains and marvel at the wealth of wildlife around you. You can travel through time along the cobbled streets of a turn-of-the-century town, enter a First Nations Bighouse and step back 12,000 years to when this was the land of the mammoth. Special sound effects, lighting and film transport visitors into the ocean depths beyond the coastal shelf and among the marine life that inhabits it and listen to to their mysterious calls and signals. 675 Belleville Street, Victoria. General Information on the museum is available by calling (250) 387-3701 or toll free 1-800-661-5411
Next to the Royal British Columbia Museum, an IMAX experience. See our Calendar of Events section for current programs or call (250) 953-IMAX (4629)
Walk or take a bus to the neighbourhood of Rockland where you'll find Craigdarrach Castle, 1050 Joan Crescent 592-5323. A 45-minute walk from the Inner Harbour with many interesting shops and sights along the way.
2275 Quadra Street, Victoria. Schedule/Info & Program Registration 361-0732 EVERYONE WELCOME Ride the slide, shoot some hoops, relax in the steam room, swim some lengths, play in the small pools, wrestle the alligator, play some games, win some prizes.
Definitely worth a visit at 1040 Moss Street, Victoria 384-4101. Check the Calendar of Events for updated events at the Gallery.
Another "must see" with its exquisite gardens. The house is private but the gardens are open daily and free. 1401 Rockland Avenue, Victoria 387-2080
Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary (Phil's parents live five mins from here - their lounge overlooks the lake).
Near Highway 17 and the McKenzie Avenue interchange is Swan Lake nature sanctuary, a favorite for afternoon and evening walks. The interpretation centre sell 25 cents bags of wheat seeds at the back door to give you an opportunity to feed the birds.
Hatley Park is Canada's largest and most diverse National Historic Site. At the centre is a magnificent castle built in 1908. Visitors will enjoy tours of Hatley Castle, visiting museum, or strolling through the Japanese, Italian and Rose Gardens.
Located 18 kilometres (11 miles) northwest of Victoria, annual highlights are the thousands of chum salmon that spawn here in the autumn, and Eagle Extravaganza - the bald eagles that arrive in mid-November to indulge in a salmon feast, with their numbers peaking in mid-December, when more than 250 can be seen in a single day. This magnificent park lies amid the splendour of an old-growth temperate rain forest with majestic waterfalls and abundant walking trails.
Parks Canada staff will guide you through underground magazines, gun emplacements and much more. Also visit Fisgard Lighthouse, Canada's oldest West Coast lighthouse.
The Lookout at Mount Tolmieoff Mayfair Road for panoramic views of Victoria, Haro Strait, the ocean and snowcapped Mount Baker in Washington's Cascade range - 360 degree vista.
The Lookout at Mount Tolmieoff Mayfair Road for panoramic views of Victoria, Haro Strait, the ocean and snowcapped Mount Baker in Washington's Cascade range - 360 degree vista.
25 acres of natural surroundings with many hiking trails, picnic spots and a beach and playground area.
The colourful story of British Columbia's marine history is told in the various theme galleries from Early Exploration to Captain Cook, Canadian Pacific Steamships and the Royal Navy. Hunt for treasure. Map supplied. Daily 9:30 am - 4:30pm, 28 Bastion Square. 385-4222
Scuba Diving - explore the waters from the breakwater.
Gorge WaterwayRent a canoe or kayak and paddle along the Gorge Waterway in Victoria, Thetis Lake in the View Royal area of Greater Victoria or Elk and Beaver Lakes.
Clover PointOff Dallas Road, for some of the best kite flying in the country.
Gorge WaterwayRent a canoe or kayak and paddle along the Gorge Waterway in Victoria, Thetis Lake in the View Royal area of Greater Victoria or Elk and Beaver Lakes.
Clover PointOff Dallas Road, for some of the best kite flying in the country.
Day trips to Duncan, Chemainus, Nanaimo, Parksville or Qualicum Beach Monday - Saturday 8:15 am departure. Return 5:45 pm Sunday noon departure, return 9:40 pm 450 Pandora Avenue, Victoria 1-800-561-8630 (250) 383-4324. Discounts of up to 40% by purchasing your ticket seven days in advance. Additional 10% discount for seniors 60+.
Bus tours available from your hotel, through the Infocentre or drive yourself. Fifty-five acres of wonderful floral display are open to the public, offering spectacular views from the many paths that meander through the four main gardens. In 1904, Jennie Butchart began to beautify a worked-out quarry site left behind from her husband's pioneering efforts in the manufacture of portland cement. The family's commitment to horticulture and hospitality spans 100 years, and continues to delight visitors from all over the world. From the exquisite Sunken Garden to the charming Rose Garden, the gracious traditions of the past are still maintained in one of the loveliest corners in the world.
