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Nice Video. But a few comments from a born and raised here person. 1. Go to the Empress for tea if you want the experience only. No locals go there. It's purely a tourist thing and extremely expensive. 2. Fisherman's wharf is great but same thing as the Empress, the food is expensive. Go across the park to Finest at Sea for much better seafood. They have their own fleet of fishing boats so everything they sell they caught. Best fish and chips in Victoria. 3. Skywalk is OK but on the way up, if you stop about 1/2 km before the skywalk there is an observation lookout which has similar views. Also a second lookout about 1km past the skywalk. Difference is that it doesn't cost you $110 for a family of four. 3. Go to Sidney for the day. 4. If you have a car, drive the scenic view around Dallas road. 5. Go to Dallas road and walk along the water and out on the breakwater. 6. Visit Beacon Hill park. 7. Walk down Government street to Chinatown, but walk back along Wharf street. Both end up back at the inner harbour. 8. Walk around Oak Bay village. 9. Walk around Cook Street village. 10. Goldstream Park. 11. Go to the top of Mt. Tolmie for the view. 12. Butchard Gardens has fireworks at night during the summer. Very good. 13. Much better and less expensive hotels right down town than the Empress. Again just a tourist place.
Some great additional information. SO glad I saw your post. Any advice on the best way to get to and from Butchart Gardens if you are visiting without a car?
As a Victorian, I feel obligated to say that Tea at the Empress, while a very nice experience, is very much an overpriced tourist trap, and few locals go more than once, if at all.
Quite agree. And a lot of the old charm of the Empress left with the Bengal Room and the Library bar.Still a great hotel but destroying the charm of yesteryear is often not a good thing.
Most restaurants per capita and he picks high tea and Frankies.. next time you come to Victoria look me up and I’ll set you up with a nice food tour. 🤙
So many good restaurants in Victoria. I’m from here and I love Il terrazzo, pizzeria prima strata, Il covo, Vista 18 and Fish hook (which has some of the best seafood in Victoria). Also can’t forget about brunch because Victoria is the brunch capital of the world.
I live just outside of Victoria (in Sooke, by the Potholes). It was interesting to see Vic through the eyes of tourists. Tea at the Empress? People are paying for the experience, not for really good, authentic high tea. Try the Gatsby Mansion in James Bay instead. There are some awesome (kid-friendly too) things to do in Victoria that weren't mentioned...like Craigdarroch Castle, Miniature World, the Bug Zoo, Abkhazi Gardens (excellent high tea here too), Emily Carr's house/museum, Thunderbird Park and Ghost Walk tours.
I was just in Victoria and really wish I had discovered Finest At Sea Seafood Market and Food Truck my first day there instead of my last. What an amazing place and the seafood is so fresh!
Ive spent my whole life in Victoria and the surrounding gulf islands, born and breed. I agree with comments bellow! locals stay clear of government street businesses and restaurants. The best part about Victoria is walking along Dallas road, the seafood, Gold stream park.
@Christine Whitman wish I could, the only hotel I recall, was an old, beautiful one downtown which had an excursion from our ship but we chose to go to the amazing gardens there.
Love Victoria and go often! The Fish Store is by far the BEST fish and chips place in Victoria. Don’t wait in line at Barb’s next door..they also have great gluten free fish and chips!
That appears to be Active Pass where you passed the other ferry. It's a pretty narrow channel there between the Gulf Islands. Afternoon tea at the Empress is pretty iconic however the White Heather tea room a little further from the harbour is really good too...
As a Victorian, I’d like to make a small correction. While we do get significant rainfall here, that does not mean that it rains all the time, nor does it mean that the sun doesn’t shine. It definitely does. But this spring hasn’t been a great indicator of that. 😎☀️
We get less than half as much rain as Vancouver, and the further south you get in Victoria, the less rain. e.g. the rainfall I get in south Oak Bay is ~2/3 what Westshore gets - particularly obvious when Victoria experiences the occasional snowfall. Most of the time, Oak Bay might get just a dusting of snow, when Langford would get 6-10 cm. The southern parts of Victoria fall in the rain shadow of the U.S. Olympic mountain range to the south, whereas the northern areas of the city receive more moisture from the open Pacific,over the Sooke hills.
Great video, but as a Victorian, I would recommend skipping the Empress for tea. It is insanely expensive. If you are interested in tea, Jaga Silk offers some of the best matcha you get get outside of Japan, Silk Road is a world class loose leaf tea vendor, Murchie's has excellent tea and pastries/desserts, Flourish BeauTea is offering incredible modern Japanese style tea and Boba Dog and The Bubble Tea Place both offer very tasty bubble tea. I would also mention that Victoria isn't simply known for having lots of restaurants, it has an incredibly strong brunch and west-coast dining scene, both of which epitomize the dining experiences unique to Victoria. Blue Fox, the Ruby, Shine Cafe and Jam are all local, incredible brunch spots. The Hallway, 10 Acres and Saveaur are all higher-end restaurants that are definitively West Coast. The other other comment I would add is that Red Fish Blue Fish, operating out of 2 sea cans in the inner harbour, is hands down the best fish and chips in the city. Wait times can get up to an hour on weekends though, so plan ahead.
Getting a Beavertail is one of the things I always like to do every time I go to Canada! Victoria looks really nice! The Butchart Gardens would be really cool to visit!
Victoria has the 3rd most sun days in all of Canada. It is mostly cloudy and rainy in the winter as opposed to snowing, so I wouldn't say it rains all the time.
Thank you, we spent a week there last May and it was not long enough. We are booked for the whole month of May this year. No car needed, walked everywhere except for bus to Butchard. Looking forward to all the yummies.
I would love to be able to spend a month in Victoria. I got to visit this past weekend on the last day of our cruise to Alaska and I really liked the city!
@@eleanormassaro5195 We booked through Airbnb. The place we stay only rents by the month and will only accommodate 2 people. The rent is approx $4,000 for the month.
My greats from Orkney Is. lived in Fort Victoria (Fort Camosun) after they came on the Barque Tory, May 1851. Took 3 days to dock because of the Wind. There is a poem written by a passenger about their Journey. I must look it up.
Interesting indeed! So British & loved the high tea . Enjoyed watching little travelling princess enjoy herself on skywalk . Thanks Chris for sharing this wonderful video. Appreciate you. A big hug to little princess 👸 💖 💕 🤗
Another great video. While I lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of my adult life I never made it to Victoria but want to change that in the next couple of years and your video was a great primer to the area.
We enjoy Victoria, especially in summer. We did find it interesting just how early the shops close around the area. The Royal BC Museum is top notch!!! We love Murchies for tea. And Rogers Chocolates. The BC Ferries are REALLY nice! We took a Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to Sidney (Noth of Victoria) and the back on the BC Ferry to Tsawwassen, and the BC Ferry was like a cruise ship in comparison. We've also taken the Clipper from Seattle - 👍👍 - super fun way to go. And as a plug for my son's employer, Kenmore Air flies from Seattle or Kenmore WA up to Victoria, as well. Stunning flights in good weather!! Back in my childhood days, we took the Princess Marguerite ferry to Victoria. There's an iconic jingle for the commercials that every 1970's Seattle kid knows. 😉
Yes it sure is an early city! But it wasn't always like that. Back when I was a teenager there was a very active night life. Seemed to have changed over the past 10 years
You really have no idea how grand those ferries once were. Linen and silver on the dining room tables with waiters in crisp whites serving roast beef as you like it--now you get trash fast food.Progress is often not progress at all but several steps backward.
The Hallway, Clive's, Little Jumbo, Citrus and Cane, Clarke & Co and the Palms are all great places for a bit and top notch cocktails (Citrus and Cane only offers cocktails).
Visiting Victoria was never really on our radar but what a beautiful city! I think a long weekend trip up there would be a great idea! Thx for all the ideas
Super informative, not slow and boring like other reviews. I watched the full video from beginning to end. Sending thanks from Melbourne, Australia! :)
Lived in Vic my whole life.. this is a decent video and I appreciate your time and nice reviews. High tea and the Malahat Skywalk are totally wastes of money though. You get the same view of the Saanich inlet from the totally free pit stop on the side of the hwy.
Thanks Rebekah. We still had fun at the Malahat Skywalk. And the high tea was mostly free for us as we had a food credit for staying at the Fairmont Empress hotel
Victoria reminded me a lot of Oregon…the city of Victoria is a Little less cosmopolitan than Portland, but it’s quite similar to Oregon…quite beautiful…by the way, you can also get there via Cruise ship! The Disney Wonder, for one, stops for a port visit on sailings both up and down the Pacific Coast from San Diego
Thank you for this video, super helpful! We're planning on going to Victoria from 16th to 18th from Washington. I am little sad that they're doing annual maintenance at Malahat Skywalk. Will have to come back for that!
I'm an afternoon tea kind of girl, the tea @ the Empress Hotel would be something I'd definitely put money aside, probably a bit more depending on exchange rates, it may be a bit more than a tea in LA at a t of the luxury hotels here. My mom and I did a mother's day afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills circa 2008, the tea we had was one of the inexpensive choices @ $50/pp . I used birthday and Christmas money I got as presents to plan the tea and we had a wonderful time.
As someone who works at butchart, it is actually 38$ for an adult if you go from April-November if you go off season there arnt much flowers but it is much cheeper
great video !! tons and tons of information !! ..Victoria does have alot to offer ...and you covered alot in the video . The malahat sky walk is on Saanich inlet that is the ocean below .. not a lake ..it is salt water ..you could see whales below but it would be very rare .
- As a lifelong Victorian I had to release a little chuckle when you mentioned a … LAKE of all things! As pointed out that is very much the mighty ocean 🌊 If you ever get a chance to re-visit definitely rent or hire a car to tour Dallas Road and Beach drive all the way to “More British than British” - Oak Bay. You won’t be disappointed at the breathtaking drive and quaint historic municipality.
I also noticed that Finlayson Arm was called a lake. It’s an off shoot of Brentwood Bay. Perhaps, the Skywalk needs a map at the top so visitors know what they’re looking at.
I was surprised to see you at The Fish Store and not Barb's? I haven't been since 2018, is Barb's still there? We love Abigail's Hotel a few blocks from Inner Harbour! Red Fish Blue Fish inner harbour awesome, longgggg lines...
Great video. You missed a couple of major things to go and visit. Craigdarroch castle and mostly Hately Castle. Hately castle has beautiful gardens and a beautiful building. Movies like X Men and Smallville have been filmed there. It's my favorite place to go visit in Victoria. As a person who was born and lived here.
Such a detail tour of the city, I am planning to visit on Dec and this helps me a lot on planning my trip. Thanks for the video. By the way, very cute baby girl....!!
As Victoria can be a bit quiet in the evening, take a ghost walking tour with Discover The Past. Craigdarroch Castle on Fort street is also a great rainy day activity.
We're headed to an airbnb outside of Victoria this summer; your video was a great intro to the city and I appreciate your straightforward delivery. And your diplomacy when responding to the many comments!
Yah that and the entire walk along the shoreline from the breakwater all the way to clover point. My favourite place for sure. Also, I used to always go to the goldstream trestle before they closed it to the public and wildplay, sooke potholes (although better in the summer), and the ziplining out in sooke as well is fun. They're definitely more for locals though and not necessarily a tourist destination like all of downtown.
Great video, Chris! Definitely saving this one! We stayed at the hotel next to the Parliament building years ago and visited the Parliament building the next morning. We were the only ones there. Amazing inside! My son was given a Parliament building badge holder that he still has to this day. I actually use it for my work badge periodically. These tips are great! I will use them the next time we are up there!
It's actually called the Legislature, as it is home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. It's where the Provincial government is. The "Parliament" is in Ottawa and the seat of the Canadian government. However, lots of people in Victoria call the legislature( or The Ledge) the parliament building, so you're not really incorrect either.
@@CookiesAndSarcasm I think I might have looked it up on Google Maps, just to make sure I was calling it the correct thing, but I could definitely be wrong. It DOES say "Legislative Assembly of British Columbia" on the badge holder though. Anyway, it was a wonderfully fun, and unique experience, which I am, glad our family had. :-)
Good video! Thanks :) although I’d have to correct what you said about the rain while on the ferry. It doesn’t rain that much here, especially compared to Seattle and Vancouver. The weather is supreme in Victoria!
That Aircraft Carrier is American and is now a museum in New York. We do occasionally see active US Carriers here on furlough, where the kids on board like that the drinking age in BC, is 19 rather than 21. The Canadian Pacific Fleet is composed of a dozen very modest vessels (by American standards), including three, Victoria Class diesel electric submarines.
Hi Chris ..Thanks for this video. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Have to say that I appreciate the info on High Tea because I have to say that if I went to the Empress for high tea and they served me tea bags I would not be happy. $85 and a tea bag? Glad to know about transportation (taxis). Munro’s Book store? Heaven. Thanks again.
@@ianmclendon7754 Yes, you still need a passport and customs agents with dogs will patrol and check your documents while you’re sitting in your car (if you drive aboard).
if you dont mind a bit of a drive, sidney is definitely worth a visit! its right near the airport and not too far from the ferry terminal (about 30 mins from vic). its a nice little coastal town with tons of great cafes and views. its super walkable and i find it much friendlier than most parts of victoria.
it's kind of picked over at this point, but one of their main attractions is the seaglass beach, which is exactly what it sounds like - a beach covered in washed up seaglass. it's pretty neat to walk around
Another great video! Interesting as Vancouver, WA, is also the home of Fort Vancouver which was built by the Hudson Bay Co. as a trading post back in the early 1800’s. Coincidence? Haha
Thank you for this video! I am hoping to take the kiddos on our very first out of country trip to Victoria. We're coming from Las Vegas, NV so thank you fpr the tip about Southern California. 😊
We will be going to Victoria in August when we do an Alaskan Cruise from Seattle. Great ideas & things to do. Have not chosen our port tours yet so this will help. Thanks Chris & OC Girl 😊
Hey Cathy, as someone who lives in Victoria, I would highly recommend NOT eating at a chain restaurant in downtown Victoria, like the ones around the Inner Harbour. Not that they're bad, it just there are so many fabulous places to eat here. I would highly recommend the Tapas Bar in Trounce Alley (my fave), Frankie's Diner, Cafe Mexico &, Rebar.
One of my favorite places in Victoria is the Butterfly Gardens. It is down the road from Buchart Gardens. It is about $16 to get in and it is a very relaxing place. I have a video of it on my TH-cam page.
This seems to be a very interesting place, I hope I can visit sometime in the future. Seeing and sharing places like this is why I love traveling and make videos so much! And please keep up the great job! Subscribed!!
I would really like to try the real Key West key lime pie someday! Your video makes me really miss Victoria and Vancouver Island! It's a nice day trip for us in Vancouver but I've not gone in quite some time due to the pandemic and family responsibilities.
Where did you get the naval picture? Canada doesn't have any aircraft carriers. So true a key lime pie makes you pucker. Also the Malahat Sky walk doesn't over look a lake its the Ocean, Finlayson Arm.
I don't know where you got your admission price for Buchart Gardens, but it hasn't been $25 for over 20yrs, it is currently $38, sadly making it unaffordable for me to take my family of 6 now.
Just for your information the malahat viewpoint does not Overlook a lake. That is part of the "The Georgia Straight". Part of the Pacific Ocean. Or what Carolyn Keith said. 😁
I will be traveling to Victoria next month, it looks super beautiful, I just wanted to ask if taxis are considered safe or if it's better to just take the bus from the airport. Can't wait for my trip but I must admit I'm a bit nervous haha. Great video!
1:38 Not true. VICTORIA is closer to the U.S. than the Canadian mainland, but if you go up island, north and east of Sayward, the Johnstone Strait which separates Vancouver Island from the mainland, is less than 5 km (3 mi.) wide.
Hell, thank you for your video. I heard there were at night light at Butchart Gardens and the Empress Hotel or at The Museum every night or it was in seasonal only. Can you please provide the info on this? Thank you!
Brought back some good memories of our Pre-parental trip to Victoria. How did you found Frankies? We had an enjoyable dining experience there but we just randomly picked it from Google Map. One serious regret is we did not eat at the fisherman wharf. Maybe next time !
This year, The Empress Tea is $89, before tax and gratuity. Tea at the Butchart Gardens is $45 and at the Pendray House (formerly the Gatsby Mansion), it is $62. For $20 you can come to my place to guzzle tea and and stuff your face with as many sandwiches as you can stomach, in a single sitting. Looks like you came in the fall, when it does start getting rainy. In the summer there is almost no rain from June to September.
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Nice Video. But a few comments from a born and raised here person. 1. Go to the Empress for tea if you want the experience only. No locals go there. It's purely a tourist thing and extremely expensive. 2. Fisherman's wharf is great but same thing as the Empress, the food is expensive. Go across the park to Finest at Sea for much better seafood. They have their own fleet of fishing boats so everything they sell they caught. Best fish and chips in Victoria. 3. Skywalk is OK but on the way up, if you stop about 1/2 km before the skywalk there is an observation lookout which has similar views. Also a second lookout about 1km past the skywalk. Difference is that it doesn't cost you $110 for a family of four. 3. Go to Sidney for the day. 4. If you have a car, drive the scenic view around Dallas road. 5. Go to Dallas road and walk along the water and out on the breakwater. 6. Visit Beacon Hill park. 7. Walk down Government street to Chinatown, but walk back along Wharf street. Both end up back at the inner harbour. 8. Walk around Oak Bay village. 9. Walk around Cook Street village. 10. Goldstream Park. 11. Go to the top of Mt. Tolmie for the view. 12. Butchard Gardens has fireworks at night during the summer. Very good. 13. Much better and less expensive hotels right down town than the Empress. Again just a tourist place.
Thanks for sharing your local perspective John!
Thanks
Delta Ocean Pointe just across the Johnson St Bridge has direct waterfront access and much cheaper in comparison to Fairmont
Finest At Sea is probably the best seafood I've ever had!
Some great additional information. SO glad I saw your post. Any advice on the best way to get to and from Butchart Gardens if you are visiting without a car?
As a Victorian, I feel obligated to say that Tea at the Empress, while a very nice experience, is very much an overpriced tourist trap, and few locals go more than once, if at all.
Quite agree.
And a lot of the old charm of the Empress left with the Bengal Room and the Library bar.Still a great hotel but destroying the charm of yesteryear is often not a good thing.
Most restaurants per capita and he picks high tea and Frankies.. next time you come to Victoria look me up and I’ll set you up with a nice food tour. 🤙
@@michaelbodie8949 hey man I’ll be visiting in the next week. What’s some of your food places to try?
@@michaelbodie8949 what are some of your recommendations?
So many good restaurants in Victoria. I’m from here and I love Il terrazzo, pizzeria prima strata, Il covo, Vista 18 and Fish hook (which has some of the best seafood in Victoria). Also can’t forget about brunch because Victoria is the brunch capital of the world.
I live just outside of Victoria (in Sooke, by the Potholes). It was interesting to see Vic through the eyes of tourists. Tea at the Empress? People are paying for the experience, not for really good, authentic high tea. Try the Gatsby Mansion in James Bay instead. There are some awesome (kid-friendly too) things to do in Victoria that weren't mentioned...like Craigdarroch Castle, Miniature World, the Bug Zoo, Abkhazi Gardens (excellent high tea here too), Emily Carr's house/museum, Thunderbird Park and Ghost Walk tours.
A local here too…I’d rather grab a tea from Murchies and take it and sit in one of the cool area of the hotel instead of spending $ on high tea
I was just in Victoria and really wish I had discovered Finest At Sea Seafood Market and Food Truck my first day there instead of my last. What an amazing place and the seafood is so fresh!
Ive spent my whole life in Victoria and the surrounding gulf islands, born and breed. I agree with comments bellow! locals stay clear of government street businesses and restaurants. The best part about Victoria is walking along Dallas road, the seafood, Gold stream park.
I'm visiting soon... Why do locals stay clear of that area?
took a 7 day Alaskan cruise, our last stop was Victoria and I talk as much or more about that as anything I saw in Alaska, wonderful city.
Any hotel recommendations? My cruise finishes in Vancouver and thinking of visiting Victoria for two days.
@Christine Whitman wish I could, the only hotel I recall, was an old, beautiful one downtown which had an excursion from our ship but we chose to go to the amazing gardens there.
What a beautiful area. I can't wait to visit friends there.
This video took a lot of work to produce. Thanks for posting this.
Love Victoria and go often! The Fish Store is by far the BEST fish and chips place in Victoria. Don’t wait in line at Barb’s next door..they also have great gluten free fish and chips!
Your coverage is crazy good. Your depth of coverage is so good. I commend your tiny human’s patience
Thanks Brenda!
That appears to be Active Pass where you passed the other ferry. It's a pretty narrow channel there between the Gulf Islands. Afternoon tea at the Empress is pretty iconic however the White Heather tea room a little further from the harbour is really good too...
that wasn't a lake at the Malahat skywalk....it was the finlayson arm an inlet of the salish sea
Saanich inlet.
As a Victorian, I’d like to make a small correction. While we do get significant rainfall here, that does not mean that it rains all the time, nor does it mean that the sun doesn’t shine. It definitely does. But this spring hasn’t been a great indicator of that. 😎☀️
It definitely doesn’t rain as much as Vancouver haha the rain blows over Vic and sticks in our Vancouver mountains 😅
Yes, those 60 straight days without rain in the summer are never mentioned anywhere
We get less than half as much rain as Vancouver, and the further south you get in Victoria, the less rain. e.g. the rainfall I get in south Oak Bay is ~2/3 what Westshore gets - particularly obvious when Victoria experiences the occasional snowfall. Most of the time, Oak Bay might get just a dusting of snow, when Langford would get 6-10 cm. The southern parts of Victoria fall in the rain shadow of the U.S. Olympic mountain range to the south, whereas the northern areas of the city receive more moisture from the open Pacific,over the Sooke hills.
Great video, but as a Victorian, I would recommend skipping the Empress for tea. It is insanely expensive.
If you are interested in tea, Jaga Silk offers some of the best matcha you get get outside of Japan, Silk Road is a world class loose leaf tea vendor, Murchie's has excellent tea and pastries/desserts, Flourish BeauTea is offering incredible modern Japanese style tea and Boba Dog and The Bubble Tea Place both offer very tasty bubble tea.
I would also mention that Victoria isn't simply known for having lots of restaurants, it has an incredibly strong brunch and west-coast dining scene, both of which epitomize the dining experiences unique to Victoria. Blue Fox, the Ruby, Shine Cafe and Jam are all local, incredible brunch spots. The Hallway, 10 Acres and Saveaur are all higher-end restaurants that are definitively West Coast.
The other other comment I would add is that Red Fish Blue Fish, operating out of 2 sea cans in the inner harbour, is hands down the best fish and chips in the city. Wait times can get up to an hour on weekends though, so plan ahead.
Thanks for the tea tips!
Getting a Beavertail is one of the things I always like to do every time I go to Canada! Victoria looks really nice! The Butchart Gardens would be really cool to visit!
Mmm.. BeaverTails!
Victoria has the 3rd most sun days in all of Canada. It is mostly cloudy and rainy in the winter as opposed to snowing, so I wouldn't say it rains all the time.
hi! I would love to know with are the 1st and 2nd position please :)
Thank you, we spent a week there last May and it was not long enough. We are booked for the whole month of May this year. No car needed, walked everywhere except for bus to Butchard. Looking forward to all the yummies.
I would love to be able to spend a month in Victoria. I got to visit this past weekend on the last day of our cruise to Alaska and I really liked the city!
@@eleanormassaro5195 Our month was fantastic and we booked again for next year.... another month :)
I would love to do that after I retire! Would you be able to give me a ballpark estimate of what your cost was to rent for the month?
@@eleanormassaro5195 We booked through Airbnb. The place we stay only rents by the month and will only accommodate 2 people. The rent is approx $4,000 for the month.
stayed at the empress for our honeymoon it was great A LOT of history there
Best afternoon tea in Victoria is the White Heather Tearoom
- I’m a fan of the historic Abkhazi Garden Tea Room, as well as White Heather.
Another good place for high tea,on Oak Bay Ave.
My greats from Orkney Is. lived in Fort Victoria (Fort Camosun) after they came on the Barque Tory, May 1851. Took 3 days to dock because of the Wind. There is a poem written by a passenger about their Journey. I must look it up.
Amazing! I met you here in victoria. The Brazilian guy that watched all your vídeos about vegas. Nice video.
Hi Genaro! It was great to meet you!
Interesting indeed! So British & loved the high tea . Enjoyed watching little travelling princess enjoy herself on skywalk . Thanks Chris for sharing this wonderful video. Appreciate you. A big hug to little princess 👸 💖 💕 🤗
Thanks Kiran!
Beautiful place thank you for great sharing have a good day take care 💖👌
Thanks for the kind words!
You should do a full fledge videos on the Gulf Islands sandwiched between Vancouver Island and Mainland. That's where the beauty lies.
Loved your video, my son right now is in Victoria and I wanted to see where was he . Victoria is so beautiful hope he enjoys and have fun
Great presentation. I’m a proud Victoria resident and feel super lucky to live here. Best city in the best country.🙂👍🏾👍🏾
Thanks Dan!
Another great video. While I lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of my adult life I never made it to Victoria but want to change that in the next couple of years and your video was a great primer to the area.
Thanks John!
My hubby and I are going to Victoria as extension of our Canadian Rockies holiday. Looking forward to visit the downtown area and Butchart Garden 😍.
Enjoy it M!
We enjoy Victoria, especially in summer. We did find it interesting just how early the shops close around the area. The Royal BC Museum is top notch!!! We love Murchies for tea. And Rogers Chocolates. The BC Ferries are REALLY nice! We took a Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to Sidney (Noth of Victoria) and the back on the BC Ferry to Tsawwassen, and the BC Ferry was like a cruise ship in comparison. We've also taken the Clipper from Seattle - 👍👍 - super fun way to go. And as a plug for my son's employer, Kenmore Air flies from Seattle or Kenmore WA up to Victoria, as well. Stunning flights in good weather!! Back in my childhood days, we took the Princess Marguerite ferry to Victoria. There's an iconic jingle for the commercials that every 1970's Seattle kid knows. 😉
Yes it sure is an early city! But it wasn't always like that. Back when I was a teenager there was a very active night life. Seemed to have changed over the past 10 years
You really have no idea how grand those ferries once were.
Linen and silver on the dining room tables with waiters in crisp whites serving roast beef as you like it--now you get trash fast food.Progress is often not progress at all but several steps backward.
The Hallway, Clive's, Little Jumbo, Citrus and Cane, Clarke & Co and the Palms are all great places for a bit and top notch cocktails (Citrus and Cane only offers cocktails).
not sure what you want for late night but there are many clubs, pubs that are up to the wee small hours. Summertime, there are a lot of festivals etc.
Visiting Victoria was never really on our radar but what a beautiful city! I think a long weekend trip up there would be a great idea! Thx for all the ideas
I hope you enjoy it!
Super informative, not slow and boring like other reviews. I watched the full video from beginning to end. Sending thanks from Melbourne, Australia! :)
Thanks X X!
Thanks for this amazing insight in Victoria-I can’t wait to have an adventure here ❤️❤️
Thanks Magnilay!
Lived in Vic my whole life.. this is a decent video and I appreciate your time and nice reviews. High tea and the Malahat Skywalk are totally wastes of money though. You get the same view of the Saanich inlet from the totally free pit stop on the side of the hwy.
Thanks Rebekah. We still had fun at the Malahat Skywalk. And the high tea was mostly free for us as we had a food credit for staying at the Fairmont Empress hotel
Victoria reminded me a lot of Oregon…the city of Victoria is a Little less cosmopolitan than Portland, but it’s quite similar to Oregon…quite beautiful…by the way, you can also get there via Cruise ship! The Disney Wonder, for one, stops for a port visit on sailings both up and down the Pacific Coast from San Diego
The ferries are also good for spotting wildlife. Doplhins, Killer Whales, Sea lions etc...
Thanks for a superb presentation, Chris. 👏🏻
Thanks Alex
Must be a time-of-year thing, but Butchart Gardens in season is incredibly beautiful!! I took roughly 150-200 photos, and I don't like taking photos!
I thought it was still beautiful out of season too :)
Thank you for this video, super helpful! We're planning on going to Victoria from 16th to 18th from Washington. I am little sad that they're doing annual maintenance at Malahat Skywalk. Will have to come back for that!
Thanks K. Bummer to hear the sky walk is closed when you visit
I'm an afternoon tea kind of girl, the tea @ the Empress Hotel would be something I'd definitely put money aside, probably a bit more depending on exchange rates, it may be a bit more than a tea in LA at a t of the luxury hotels here. My mom and I did a mother's day afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills circa 2008, the tea we had was one of the inexpensive choices @ $50/pp . I used birthday and Christmas money I got as presents to plan the tea and we had a wonderful time.
Loved the video, thanks for the great perspectives!
As someone who works at butchart, it is actually 38$ for an adult if you go from April-November if you go off season there arnt much flowers but it is much cheeper
Thanks for that clarification
I am going in April. Thank you for this information!
great video !! tons and tons of information !! ..Victoria does have alot to offer ...and you covered alot in the video . The malahat sky walk is on Saanich inlet that is the ocean below .. not a lake ..it is salt water ..you could see whales below but it would be very rare .
Thanks uniplex for your tips on this trip. And the correction about the view being the ocean and not a lake. Neat.
- As a lifelong Victorian I had to release a little chuckle when you mentioned a … LAKE of all things! As pointed out that is very much the mighty ocean 🌊
If you ever get a chance to re-visit definitely rent or hire a car to tour Dallas Road and Beach drive all the way to “More British than British” - Oak Bay. You won’t be disappointed at the breathtaking drive and quaint historic municipality.
I also noticed that Finlayson Arm was called a lake. It’s an off shoot of Brentwood Bay. Perhaps, the Skywalk needs a map at the top so visitors know what they’re looking at.
@@55VickyV great idea !
I was surprised to see you at The Fish Store and not Barb's? I haven't been since 2018, is Barb's still there? We love Abigail's Hotel a few blocks from Inner Harbour! Red Fish Blue Fish inner harbour awesome, longgggg lines...
Barbs is still there, the lines are crazy long though!
The city has so much more to offer.
Another great video !! As a Canadian I’ve never considered going to Victoria.. but these videos sure make me wanna plan a trip!
Awesome Janelle!
I would not recommend, it’s pretty trashy but knows how to advertise itself for new comers
@@Holly-io2vo that’s a bummer !
Tea at the empress looks great. I will have to give that a try.
Enjoy Cece!
Great video. You missed a couple of major things to go and visit. Craigdarroch castle and mostly Hately Castle. Hately castle has beautiful gardens and a beautiful building. Movies like X Men and Smallville have been filmed there. It's my favorite place to go visit in Victoria. As a person who was born and lived here.
Thanks for the additions Robert!
Such a detail tour of the city, I am planning to visit on Dec and this helps me a lot on planning my trip. Thanks for the video. By the way, very cute baby girl....!!
Glad it was helpful!
As Victoria can be a bit quiet in the evening, take a ghost walking tour with Discover The Past. Craigdarroch Castle on Fort street is also a great rainy day activity.
Oooh.. ghost tour!
movies,theater, pubs, clubs... what else do you need in the evening?
We're headed to an airbnb outside of Victoria this summer; your video was a great intro to the city and I appreciate your straightforward delivery. And your diplomacy when responding to the many comments!
Thanks Emily!
You missed Beacon Hill Park. And the tea at Abkhazi garden. As someone born and raised in Vic, I’d avoid the Empress tea, but I get it.
Yah that and the entire walk along the shoreline from the breakwater all the way to clover point. My favourite place for sure. Also, I used to always go to the goldstream trestle before they closed it to the public and wildplay, sooke potholes (although better in the summer), and the ziplining out in sooke as well is fun. They're definitely more for locals though and not necessarily a tourist destination like all of downtown.
I'd also avoid Beacon Hill, unless you fancy getting stabbed.
Great video, Chris! Definitely saving this one! We stayed at the hotel next to the Parliament building years ago and visited the Parliament building the next morning. We were the only ones there. Amazing inside! My son was given a Parliament building badge holder that he still has to this day. I actually use it for my work badge periodically. These tips are great! I will use them the next time we are up there!
That's neat they gave him a badge holder
It's actually called the Legislature, as it is home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. It's where the Provincial government is. The "Parliament" is in Ottawa and the seat of the Canadian government.
However, lots of people in Victoria call the legislature( or The Ledge) the parliament building, so you're not really incorrect either.
@@CookiesAndSarcasm I think I might have looked it up on Google Maps, just to make sure I was calling it the correct thing, but I could definitely be wrong. It DOES say "Legislative Assembly of British Columbia" on the badge holder though. Anyway, it was a wonderfully fun, and unique experience, which I am, glad our family had. :-)
@@Jeannified It really is a beautiful building. At Christmas time, the whole building is outlined with red and green lights.
Found you searching up Napa and San Francisco and had to watching one cause I am born and raised Victoria!
Tourist trap extraordinaire! That’s Victoria.
Love your video and the narration as well, that’s wonderful place my friend, greetings from Indonesia enjoy your teatime
Thanks Grandma!
Good video! Thanks :) although I’d have to correct what you said about the rain while on the ferry. It doesn’t rain that much here, especially compared to Seattle and Vancouver. The weather is supreme in Victoria!
Thanks for the weather correction 😀
That Aircraft Carrier is American and is now a museum in New York. We do occasionally see active US Carriers here on furlough, where the kids on board like that the drinking age in BC, is 19 rather than 21.
The Canadian Pacific Fleet is composed of a dozen very modest vessels (by American standards), including three, Victoria Class diesel electric submarines.
Hi Chris ..Thanks for this video. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Have to say that I appreciate the info on High Tea because I have to say that if I went to the Empress for high tea and they served me tea bags I would not be happy. $85 and a tea bag?
Glad to know about transportation (taxis). Munro’s Book store? Heaven. Thanks again.
Thanks Jacki!
Just a reminder; they have ferry service from Port Angeles, WA (Olympic Peninsula) on the Black Ball Ferry to Victoria as well. 👍
Thanks for the reminder!
Do you need a passport when you take that ferry?
Ian-you might unless you have the “enhanced WA driver’s license”. perhaps you might want to check with TSA. gov -to determine if passport is required?
@@ianmclendon7754 Yes, you still need a passport and customs agents with dogs will patrol and check your documents while you’re sitting in your car (if you drive aboard).
Thanks for the detailed information. Love to your travelling Princess.
Thanks Adeola!
Fun to watch a local video thankyou, however the Malahat Skywalk looks down over the ocean not a lake :)
Thanks Kirsten for the correction!
if you dont mind a bit of a drive, sidney is definitely worth a visit! its right near the airport and not too far from the ferry terminal (about 30 mins from vic). its a nice little coastal town with tons of great cafes and views. its super walkable and i find it much friendlier than most parts of victoria.
it's kind of picked over at this point, but one of their main attractions is the seaglass beach, which is exactly what it sounds like - a beach covered in washed up seaglass. it's pretty neat to walk around
Thanks for the tip on Sidney!
Thank you. We'll done. What month were you there, missed it? Your little Princess is a doll😉
We were there at the end of October
Another great video! Interesting as Vancouver, WA, is also the home of Fort Vancouver which was built by the Hudson Bay Co. as a trading post back in the early 1800’s. Coincidence? Haha
Interesting factoid!
Victoria was the replacement for Vancouver WA when the border was established north of it.
Thank you for this video! I am hoping to take the kiddos on our very first out of country trip to Victoria. We're coming from Las Vegas, NV so thank you fpr the tip about Southern California. 😊
Thanks and I hope you enjoy Victoria!
Interesting vid👍👍👍 ciao from italy 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
Great video! Lots of good information!
Thanks Cindy!
Awesome job Chris
Thanks Adam!
No problem chris
Thanks this video.someday i will visit victoria.
Thanks priscilla!
I'm here to watch and hear you
We will be going to Victoria in August when we do an Alaskan Cruise from Seattle. Great ideas & things to do. Have not chosen our port tours yet so this will help. Thanks Chris & OC Girl 😊
Awesome Cathy!
I just received the Eat Sleep Travel Repeat today. Thank you. Love it
@@CathyKoalaCat Sweeeeet!
Hey Cathy, as someone who lives in Victoria, I would highly recommend NOT eating at a chain restaurant in downtown Victoria, like the ones around the Inner Harbour. Not that they're bad, it just there are so many fabulous places to eat here.
I would highly recommend the Tapas Bar in Trounce Alley (my fave), Frankie's Diner, Cafe Mexico &, Rebar.
Another great video!
Butchart garden is really worth to visit. Sadly found out I missed Beaver Tails
Thanks yoyoz
I wished I lived there it's a amazing city with good food and lot's of shops and nature
You missed the Hot Tub boat. Great fun way to explore a bit of the waterway. It’s at the bottom of Swift, right next to one of the water taxi stops
Thanks Terry!
Nice video, I hope to go to Victoria one day.
Thanks panjo!
Hi, thanks for the video. Could you do a video on the perks etc of the Amex card? Thanks so much.
My favourite city in Canada.
Chris, all in all, great video. However, it does NOT rain here the way you described it does.
Thanks for the clarification on the weather
One of my favorite places in Victoria is the Butterfly Gardens. It is down the road from Buchart Gardens. It is about $16 to get in and it is a very relaxing place. I have a video of it on my TH-cam page.
Thanks for the tip Erin. We ran out of time to check it out on this trip
This seems to be a very interesting place, I hope I can visit sometime in the future. Seeing and sharing places like this is why I love traveling and make videos so much! And please keep up the great job! Subscribed!!
Thanks Traveling is Freedom and welcome to Yellow Productions!
Love your little princess. So cute!
Thank you! 😊
I would really like to try the real Key West key lime pie someday! Your video makes me really miss Victoria and Vancouver Island! It's a nice day trip for us in Vancouver but I've not gone in quite some time due to the pandemic and family responsibilities.
The real key west key lime pie is really good.. and sour! :)
The White Heather Tea room in nearby Oak Bay is the best tea room in Victoria. (You should do a summer video.)
Thanks for the tip!
Where did you get the naval picture? Canada doesn't have any aircraft carriers. So true a key lime pie makes you pucker. Also the Malahat Sky walk doesn't over look a lake its the Ocean, Finlayson Arm.
Stock footage. Must have been labeled incorrectly
At the end of WW2 Canada had the third largest navy in the world, after Britain and the USA. Canada
used to have aircraft carriers until the Bonaventure was decommissioned in the 1960s
@@scallywag6768 Decommissioned 3 July 1970
So adorable!! 👧🏻
I don't know where you got your admission price for Buchart Gardens, but it hasn't been $25 for over 20yrs, it is currently $38, sadly making it unaffordable for me to take my family of 6 now.
Just for your information the malahat viewpoint does not Overlook a lake. That is part of the "The Georgia Straight". Part of the Pacific Ocean. Or what Carolyn Keith said. 😁
Thanks Budman
I will be traveling to Victoria next month, it looks super beautiful, I just wanted to ask if taxis are considered safe or if it's better to just take the bus from the airport. Can't wait for my trip but I must admit I'm a bit nervous haha. Great video!
I think taxis are safe
1:38 Not true. VICTORIA is closer to the U.S. than the Canadian mainland, but if you go up island, north and east of Sayward, the Johnstone Strait which separates Vancouver Island from the mainland, is less than 5 km (3 mi.) wide.
Hell, thank you for your video. I heard there were at night light at Butchart Gardens and the Empress Hotel or at The Museum every night or it was in seasonal only. Can you please provide the info on this? Thank you!
Nice video
You can now get an Uber in Victoria
Thanks for the update!
Butchart Gardens admission varies between 21.80 and 39.50 dependent on the season.
Thanks for the tip
The Empress actually serves an "afternoon" tea. High tea includes a hot dish.
Brought back some good memories of our Pre-parental trip to Victoria. How did you found Frankies? We had an enjoyable dining experience there but we just randomly picked it from Google Map. One serious regret is we did not eat at the fisherman wharf. Maybe next time !
We just walked by Frankies.. it was the liveliest place
My opinion but I think you should include the metric system when doing these travel videos.
This year, The Empress Tea is $89, before tax and gratuity. Tea at the Butchart Gardens is $45 and at the Pendray House (formerly the Gatsby Mansion), it is $62.
For $20 you can come to my place to guzzle tea and and stuff your face with as many sandwiches as you can stomach, in a single sitting.
Looks like you came in the fall, when it does start getting rainy. In the summer there is almost no rain from June to September.
Yeah. We were there beginning of November
@@YellowProductions The rainy season is my favorite time of the year. Glad you enjoyed it as much as many of us do.
Great tips!! how many days am I looking at for a trip like this. If I don't have my own car what places should I skip?
Thanks Deepika. Probably 3 days in Victoria. You can do everything in this video without a car except the Malahat Skywalk
@@YellowProductionsThanks a ton! happy travelling 🤗
3-5 days
Glad you went to BC. Try my hometown Toronto soon.
Thanks mreppen! I think Whistler next. But Toronto is on the list
Hi Chris. Thank you for the great info. Thanks for sharing and take care.
Thanks James!