1. Victoria’s Chinatown
Victoria’s Chinatown should be on your list of top 5 things to do in Victoria. There you can stop and explore stores, as well as, visit Canada’s narrowest street. The narrow alley, located in Victoria’s Chinatown, is known as Fan Tan Alley. The alley ranges 4 to 6 ft wide at its widest. The alley is located at Fisgard and Johnson. Shopping and exploring the area is great for an hour or two, as well as, great for instagram photos. Victoria’s Chinatown is roughly about a 5min car drive to British Columbia’s Parliament.
2. British Columbia’s Parliament
The second thing to do on my top 5 places to do in Victoria, is to see British Columbia’s Parliament. It is located in Victoria’s inner harbour, downtown waterfront. What makes British Columbia’s Parliament is its architectural splendor and its close proximity to Victoria’s inner harbour. There are free tours of the legislature. Make sure to arrive 15 mins before for screening. There is a possibility that there are line ups.
You have the option of exploring the building on your own self-guided tour or participate in a guided tour that begins from the waiting area of the Main Entrance. The guided tours are offered throughout the day. Tours are 30-45 minutes in length. Groups of 15 or more, are asked to book in advance.
As your date nears, you can call the Parliamentary Tour Program at 250-387-3046 or email tours@leg.bc.ca for up-to-date schedule information.
3. Victoria’s Harbourfront
Thirdly, Victoria harbourfront is on the list of top 5 things to see in Victoria. There you can take in the dragon boat races in the harbour or walk and explore the horseshoe-shaped waterfront. Victoria harbourfront is home to musicians, street food vendors, live entertainment acts and local restaurants. There are benches along Victoria’s waterfront to sit and enjoy the atmosphere around you. Victoria has a great small town west coast feel.
While exploring Victoria’s inner harbour, I would suggest looking for these following buildings which are all located downtown: Empress Hotel National Historical Society of Canada, Bateman Foundation Gallery of Nature, located across from British Columbia’s Parliament, St. Andrews Catholic Cathedral, and lastly, a Hudson Bay building converted into condos downtown. They are located downtown and easy walking distance to reach and see them. These beautiful architectural buildings in Victoria are great for taking great photos and instagram posts.
4. Fisherman’s Wharf
Fourthly, the Fisherman’s Wharf makes it on my top 5 places to visit in Victoria. It is roughly a 5 min car ride or 15 min walk from Victoria’s inner-harbour. There you can book whale or orca sightseeing tours. Fisherman’s Wharf is a colourful harbour that consists of funky boutiques, fresh seafood, and kayak rentals. There you can also explore colourful waterfront floating homes tied to the docks. Truly a must while exploring Victoria, British Columbia.
5. Butchart Gardens
Lastly, rounding my top 5 places to explore in Victoria, would be Butchart Gardens. This garden is situated on 55 acres with many walkways and displays throughout the park, giving visitors access to the beautiful floral gardens. Butchart Gardens offers electric boat tours from the garden wharf to explore the historical sites surrounding the gardens and also the wildlife. Butchart Gardens has night illuminations of the garden, great for photographers. The garden has grown into one of the world’s premier floral show gardens. This concludes my top 5 places to do in Victoria.
Hope this helps you.