Visiting Victoria, British Columbia....anyone familiar with it?

17 years ago

My husband and I have airfare credits from our Canada trip that was cancelled last month. We thought we'd take a long weekend (Thur-Sun) and go to Canada and have heard that Victoria is nice. My SIL recommended the Fairmont Empress hotel so we'd probably stay there. It looks really beautiful, but I'm not familiar with anything at all about Victoria. I know I can get tons of information online but it's always nice to get suggestions from people who've actually been there, or even live there or nearby.

Is anyone familiar enough with the area to recommend fun things to do? How's the weather there in late October, early/mid November? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!!

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Comments (9)

casey_nfld
17 years ago
I've visited Victoria twice, it's a beautiful, touristy city. The Empress is a majestic hotel, I did not stay there, it is expensive. As for things to do, you can walk all around the downtown area, it's not that big. The inner harbour is pretty with the Empress a central landmark. Lots of little shops to browse in. I did not get to the Butchart Gardens but from the photos I've seen it is beautiful. One day I will go there. You can drive there or take a bus, it's not that far outside the city.
There's the Royal British Columbia Museum which I found a little outdated in it's displays. THere's the undersea gardens, a boat in the harbour (I did not go on that). There are a few parks, one with a lot of totem poles, right next to the museum. There is also Beacon Hill Park, lovely to walk through and close to downtown. Chinatown is nice to walk through. Here are some of my photos.

Here is a link that might be useful: Victoria BC
justlinda
17 years ago
At that time of the year, the chances of rain are high, so bring a raincoat/umbrella for sure. All of the things mentioned already and great places to visit. If you get a chance there's also bus tours which are a great way to see the major places. Victoria is a quaint place.

Oh, and don't forget your camera.
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mtnwomanbc
17 years ago
Buchart (sp?) Gardens is well worth visiting. In the fall, it may not have the flowers of spring and summer, but it should have autumn leaves turning colors, etc. It's been years since I've been there, but I remember extensive Japanese gardens, within which Japanese maples are usually prevalent, so I'm sure there will be many colorful leaves.
whidbeykathy
17 years ago
We've been to the gardens several times, they are always beautiful and always crowded. High tea at the Empress will require a reservation in advance. Don't miss it though!

That time of year you definitely can expect rain and possibly winds.The bright spot is, fewer toursits.

Take a day trip to Nanimo and eat your weight in Nanimo Bars! There's a ferry from Vancouver to Nanimo so you'll be going that way. Have fun,,Kathy
abr4xii
17 years ago
The Fairmont is nice although I always stay at the
Swans Suites Hotel.

The temperature will be from 50 to 60 F and rain isn't unusual.

Things to see:
Butchart Gardens
Provincial Museum
Whale watching
Harbour Ferry tour
Miniature World
Maritime Museum
Craigdarrough Castle..a must see
Double Decker bus tours
Horse drawn carriage tours
Downtown shopping
Beacon Hill Park
Royal Roads University
China town
and much more...
If it's still available in October there is a ghost tour of the city..check with the Visitor's Bureau which is across the street from the Fairmont.
vannie
17 years ago
We've been twice--April and the end of Oct. Believe me, April was MUCH better. It rained constantly in Oct. and there were only 2 tour buses running b/c there were no tourists there. We went to the Gardens and it was a total waste of time. I couldn't believe they would charge admission; there was nothing to see, compared to April when it was incredible. We sat in the gift shop w/ everybody else until time for the bus to depart. We had breakfast at the Empress Hotel and did the museum and tour of the city and immediate countryside. If we'd never been we would have enjoyed it more. If you can change your time, change it. The prices were sure down b/c there was just nobody there. The best thing about it was the ferry ride from Vancouver. The difference in going in Oct. and May was like black and white.
abr4xii
17 years ago
There's the Royal British Columbia Museum which I found a little outdated in it's displays.

Can you elaborate on that casey?
linda_in_iowa
17 years ago
Butchart Gardens is a must-see.
sable_ca
17 years ago
You can check online to see what's blooming at the Butchart Gardens at any time. Although this is probably the slowest time of year, something should be worth seeing there. The Gardens are also simply a great place to have a good walk, even without flowers in full-bloom.

We also liked the Royal B.C. Museum a lot. Not as big or impressive as others like it, but it presents British Columbia quite well.

Our favorite place (we visited a few years ago in mid-June) was a restaurant/tea shop called The Blethering Place. It's not as famous as the Empress Hotel, but its Afternoon Tea is wonderful and the atmosphere is authentically British. It's toward the eastern side of Victoria in a lovely residential neighborhood. I had the feeling that I was among locals, rather than a crowd of tourists.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Blethering Place

Visiting Victoria, British Columbia....anyone familiar with it?

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