Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest and is located on the southern end of Vancouver Island. It is the capital of British Columbia, Canada and named after Queen Victoria. The city started as a British settlement in 1843 and is home to two famous landmarks: the Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel. Victoria is the perfect destination to visit while on a cruise or pair with a trip to Vancouver.
How to get there
If traveling from Vancouver, there are two main modes of transportation: seaplane or ferry. The seaplane provides a unique prospective of the area and only takes 30 minutes. The ferry takes about 3.5 hours, during which you can relax and enjoy the scenery. You can enjoy both modes of transport in one trip as you could take the ferry to Victoria and the seaplane back to Vancouver.
What to do in Victoria
There are multiple options for things to see and do in Victoria, such as whale watching, visiting the Royal British Columbia Museum, exploring Carigdarrich Castle, strolling around the Inner Harbor, and visiting Beacon Hill Park. However, we recommend exploring the Butchart Gardens and seeing the stunning colorful blooms. Butchart has 55 acres of gardens with 900 bedding plant varieties and 26 greenhouses. In the summer, there are night illuminations and firework displays. In the fall, there are greenhouse tours and at Christmas there are light displays and ice skating.
Where to stay
We recommend staying at the Fairmont Empress located in the Inner Harbour. It is one of the Top 21 Iconic Hotels in the World by National Geographic Traveler magazine. While staying here you need to enjoy the world famous Tea at the Empress.
The Fairmont Empress is a Virtuoso property which means if you book through LBL Travel you will get the following amenities:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests
- $100 USD equivalent resort/hotel credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Contact us today to arrange your getaway to Victoria! Or, book on-line right now to lock-in your Virtuoso amenities.