Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. To travel here from the British Columbia mainland it requires a ferry trip which takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. The ferry terminal is actually located in Tswwassen, which is about an hour drive south of Vancouver.

Victoria is also accessible by ferry from Seattle. The Victoria clipper goes daily and it takes about 3 hours. Another route is from downtown Victoria to Port Angeles Washington. This trip is about 2 hours in length.

Of course there is air travel as well, with connections from Vancouver or Seattle to Victoria.

The city was named after Queen Victoria and its British heritage is apparent with many gift shops selling fine china, Irish lace, and woolens and tartans. There also are several tea rooms.

A visit to the Empress Hotel at the waterfront to enjoy their afternoon tea is an experience many tourists don't want to miss. This hotel overlooks the Inner Harbour, the area where the Washington state ferries arrive, and across the street from the Parliament buildings which are brightly lit at night.

There are ferries that go from Victoria to the British Columbia mainland and Washington state many times a day and all year. The ferry trips are all very scenic as you enjoy passing by many small islands and the mountain views. Be prepared for possible long line ups, particularly on weekends and holidays.

Walking tours downtown are very popular, and you can also see the sights by taking one of the many horse drawn carriage tours. There is much to see and enjoy downtown all within short walking distance.

Thunderbird Park is small but is renowned for its native heritage and totem poles. Close by is Beacon Hill Park, absolutely beautiful in the spring with the rhododendrons, tulips and daffodils, but it can be enjoyed even in the winter months. Victoria has winter pansies, heather, and primrose flowers that time of year.Beacon Hill Park is located downtown a short walk from the Inner Harbour. The Carillon bell tower chimes on the hour and is a gift to the city from the Netherlands marking Canada's centennial back in 1967.

Victoria's Chinatown is small but beacons the visitor with its ornate gate featuring two stone lions. It is the oldest in North America and has fine restaurants and shops.There are many restaurants featuring every cuisine. Especially popular is salmon and shellfish, fresh from the Pacific waters. You may also enjoy Italian, Greek, and British among many others.

Victoria is rated one of the world's favorite places and with good reason. With so much natural beauty, lots of activities to enjoy, pleasant climate and outstanding accommodations and dining it is a city that is not to be missed!

Victoria has a temperate climate that is usually classified as Marine west coast with mild, usually rainy winters and dry and mild summers. The winters are the mildest in Canada.

Daily temperatures seldom rise above 86°F in the summer.and fall below 23°F in the winter an average of only 2 nights per year. During the winter, the average daily high and low temperatures are 47°F and 38°F, respectively.

Summers are usually not hot, with average high temperatures of 67°F and low of 52°F. For this reason it is advisable to have a warm sweater or jacket when travelling here even in the summer. It gets cool once the sun goes down.

Total annual precipitation is about 24 inches, much less than nearby Seattle, with 38 inches of rainl, or Vancouver, with 48. Victoria has very distinct dry and rainy seasons. Nearly two thirds of the annual precipitation falls during the four wettest months, November to February. Precipitation in December, the wettest month is nearly eight times as high as in July, the driest month . In the summer time, Victoria gets less rain than any other Canadian city.

Victoria averages just 10 in of snow a year, many winters much less. About one out of three winters has virtually no snow, with less than 2 inches during the entire season. When snow does fall, it seldom is around for long Victoria averages just 2-3 days per year with at least 2 inches of snow.

The rain shadow effect also means that Victoria gets more sunshine than surrounding areas. With over 2,000 hours of sun annually, Victoria is one of the sunniest places in British Columbia, and gets more sunshine than many other Canadian cities.

The world famous Butchart Gardens are located a short drive from downtown Victoria. The gardens are 55 acres of breathtaking floral displays. This includes the sunken gardens, a rose garden and japanese garden, among others.

In 2004 Butchart Gardens was designated as a National Historic Site for Canada, on its 100th anniversary.

There is a cafteria style restaurant and also The Dining Room, which is in the original Butchart House. Afternoon tea is served here.

In the summertime you can enjoy fabulous fireworks on Saturday night. Be sure and go early if you want to enjoy this as there are long line ups to get in!

Afterwards you can enjoy seeing the gardens lit up at night. This is just as beautiful to see as in the daytime!

For more information on Butchart Gardens go here

The Empress Hotel, also known as The Fairmont, overlooks the beautiful Inner Harbour.

This hotel opened in 1908 and has had some very famous guests.

In true British tradition, the hotel is famous for its elegant afternoon teas, served with fine china and silver. There are three seatings, and reservations must be made.

Just minutes from downtown is Oak Bay.

The British heritage is apparent here with tea rooms and quaint shops. Beach access is available from many parks with pathways to walk the scenic coastline. There are great views of Mount Baker in Washington as this picture shows.

This is a year round gardening mecca and Victoria residents enjoy the annual flower count each February when most of Canada is still experiencing winter and snow.

1. Flowers grow here all year. The roses are especially spectacular.

2. Many great places to go for walks along the ocean front.

3. Rarely snows and if it does usually gone the same day!

4. The Inner Harbour provides wonderful views, free entertainment with great shops and restaurants nearby.

5. World famous Butchart Gardens about half an hours drive from downtown Victoria and open all year. An annual pass means you can visit as often as you like.

6. Very friendly city. We welcome visitors from around the world.

7. Greater Victoria has a population of about 400,000 so its large enough to have many activities but small enough to seem like a quant city. If you like large cities Vancouver and Seattle are just a ferry trip and short ride away.

8. Environmentally conscious and public smoking banned everywhere.

9. We have our own symphony and have regular visits from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Pacific Northwest Ballet at our Royal Theatre.

10. Wonderful first class resaurants and several great places to have afternoon tea (not just at the Empress!)

The countdown is on for the winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC in February of 2010. Since Victoria is on an island it's necessary to take BC ferries or to fly here. However, it's expected that tourism will be up significantly here in Victoria as some Olympic visitors will take an extra day or even more to visit here.

BC ferries offer a great service from the BC mainland to Victoria. Normally in the winter months the ferries run on odd hours between 7 AM and 9 PM with more sailings on weekends and holidays, however, there likely will be extra sailings during the Olympics.

Year round ferry service is also offered from downtown Victoria to downtown Seattle on the Clipper, and from downtown Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington.

BC ferries also has service from Swartz Bay, about 30 minutes from Victoria to Saltspring Island, with transfers to other Gulf Islands, and of course the BC mainland.

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