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Victoria

Canada travel guide

What to see in Victoria

The capital of British Columbia, on Vancouver Island, with gardens and whales.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from March to November
  • Typical food: Nanaimo bars
Photo: Michal Klajban · CC BY-SA 4.0

Victoria highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Butchart Gardens

    Spectacular gardens.

  2. Inner Harbour

    The harbour with the parliament.

  3. Whales

    Orcas in the strait.

  4. Chinatown

    The oldest in Canada.

  5. Fisherman’s Wharf

    Floating homes.

Day trips from Victoria

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to Victoria

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Victoria are from March to November.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec with warnings
  • from December to February

    Bitterly cold winter

    Across most of the country, winter is long, with snow and temperatures well below zero.

    What to do: Ski season in Whistler and Banff; for lakes and hiking, June to September.

Typical food of Victoria

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Victoria from your kitchen).

Nanaimo bars
Photo: Stephanie Spencer · CC BY 2.5

Nanaimo bars

No-bake three-layer bars from Vancouver Island (where Victoria is): a base of biscuit, coconut and chocolate, a custard filling and chocolate on top.

  • Serves 16
  • 45 min

Ingredients

  • Base: 120 g butter, 50 g sugar, 30 g cocoa, 1 egg, 200 g crushed biscuits, 80 g desiccated coconut, 50 g chopped almonds
  • Filling: 60 g butter, 3 tablespoons of cream, 2 tablespoons of custard powder (or cornflour with vanilla), 250 g icing sugar
  • Topping: 150 g chocolate and 30 g butter

How to make it at home

  1. Melt the butter with the sugar and cocoa, add the beaten egg and cook for a minute, stirring. Mix with the biscuits, coconut and almonds.
  2. Press the base into a 20 cm square tin and chill.
  3. Beat the filling ingredients together and spread over the base. Chill for 30 minutes.
  4. Melt the chocolate with the butter and spread it over the filling.
  5. Chill until the chocolate sets and cut into bars with a hot knife.

The trick: Dip the knife in hot water before cutting so the chocolate doesn’t crack.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: the food hall. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Canada guide.

Frequently asked questions about Victoria

What to see in Victoria?

Butchart Gardens, Inner Harbour, Whales, Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf.

What to see in Victoria in one day?

Don’t miss Butchart Gardens, Inner Harbour, Whales, Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Victoria?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Victoria are from March to November.

What day trips can you take from Victoria?

Orcas.

What is the typical food of Victoria?

Nanaimo bars. No-bake three-layer bars from Vancouver Island (where Victoria is): a base of biscuit, coconut and chocolate, a custard filling and chocolate on top.

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More in Canada

Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.