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Victoria is often known as one of the most England-like place outside of England and is a great long weekend escape from Seattle if you want to feel like you are going a lot farther away than you actually are. Victoria is just a 45 minute flight from Seattle and feels like you are being transported to Europe. From the beautifully manicured gardens to the castles and the high tea. You also get all of the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, including Orca spotting, mild weather, and gorgeous nature. This guide will help you plan your long weekend trip from when to go, how to get there and what to do once you are there. We include spots that will appeal to the whole family.

Victoria, BC’s Parliament Building front lawn

When to visit

There is something magical about every season when visiting Victoria. The best time to visit depends on your family and their priorities.

Spring means peak bloom at the Butchart Gardens. Think beautiful beds of tulips and cherry blossom trees. There are hundreds of thousands of bulbs planted each year that create such gorgeous spring gardens full of color. If you are planning to visit just for the gardens, the best time to go is April through early May. Spring also means fewer crowds than the summer months, along with cheaper prices. Weather is a bit more unpredictable than the summer and you can get some rain. Some seasonal activities might not be open yet.

Summer is peak tourist season, but for good reason. It has the best weather - warm but mild temperatures, mostly dry and long daylight hours. All the activities are open - whale watching, kayaking, tours. The inner harbor and downtown will be active with people and festivals. However, that means it is also the most expensive time to visit and hardest to make a last minute trip during. The ferry and seaplane spots fill up early.

Fall is a great time to visit to have great weather and fewer crowds. The weather is still nice and mild, but rain does increase especially by late October. Tours start reducing hours or close by late October/November. But you get to see the town transform with the beautiful fall colors.

Winter is a great time to visit to escape likely a harsher winter back home and enjoy some holiday magic. Victoria enjoys pretty mild winters as it rarely gets below freezing. There are spectacular light displays downtown and at Butchart Gardens. As long as you are not visiting during the actual holidays, you can enjoy some of the lowest hotel prices. Winter though is the rainy season and many days can be gray. Attractions and tours might not be operating during this time of year as well.

How to get there

There are several options to get from Seattle to Victoria B.C., which one is right for your family depends on your budget, risk level and whether you want to bring your car. I will break down all of the options, including their price and pros and cons. Note that you can take different ways to get there and back.

Seaplane

Cost = $198 per person one way. Prices can change a bit if you are book within a week of flying. There is no difference in price for children. Approx. cost for a family of four round trip = $1,584

Pros:

Less travel to get to and from the “airport”. The seaplanes in Seattle take off from both Lake Union and Lake Washington and if you live in the city, it is likely a shorter drive there than Seatac airport. In Victoria, the seaplane drops you off right in the center of the town. The ground airport closest to Victoria is quite farther away.
Possibly a once in a lifetime experience. You get to experience taking off from the water and landing in the water.
Absolutely beautiful views from above. Seaplanes fly at lower altitudes which will allow you to see so much more of the Puget Sound. The views flying into Victoria are absolutely incredible.
Fastest option. You check into your flight just 45 minutes prior. The flight itself is about 45 minutes. If you add in time savings for getting to and from the airport, this is by far the fastest option.

Cons:

There can be more turbulence on certain days. We lucked out and got a clear sky day and felt very little. But I’ve heard reports of others who have not been as lucky. If you are visiting in the summer, you are more likely to get a good weather day.
There might be delays in the case of bad weather that might push back your flight to later in the day or the next.
There are strict baggage limits. If you are traveling for a long time or with a lot of baggage, it might be hard to limit it down to the weight you need to.
It is expensive.
You don’t get to pick your seat. They assign you seats when you get there based on weight distribution in the plane. Unfortunately this meant that my kids were separated from me (they were placed near their grandma however) and we could not switch.

Victoria Clipper

Cost = $136 per person one way, $199 round trip per person. Can go up to $300 per person if you want a more comfortable seat or a seat near a window. Approx. cost for a family of four round trip = $796 - $1184

Pros:

The harbor where you board the clipper is in the center of downtown for both Seattle and Victoria. Less travel to get to and from the city.
Scenic and comfortable ride. While it is not as scenic as the seaplane, you still get great views from the ship. Even if you don’t get a seat with a window, you can walk around the ship and get a views from the outside decks.
You get to pick your seats in advance.

Cons:

The clipper takes 2 hrs 45 min each way. You will need to arrive at the terminal at least one hour before departure time. So the total time is almost 4 hours.
Fixed and limited schedule. There is usually only 1 or 2 sailings a day. So you will need to arrange your schedule around the clipper’s schedule.
It does not take vehicles.
More expensive than the other ferry option.

Black Ball Ferry

Cost = $25 per adult, $12.50 per kid one way. Vehicle (with driver) is $88 one way. Approx. cost for a family of four round trip with a car = $276.

Pros:

You can bring your car on board. If you wanted your car while in Victoria or on Vancouver Island, this is the only way to get it there.
By far the cheapest option, even if you are bringing your car.
Can save on rental car costs if you were planning on renting a car.
The ferry lets you off in Victoria right in the inner harbor, central to downtown
90 minute ferry ride, shorter than the Victoria clipper.
Multiple ferry times, depending on when in the year you are going. If you are going in the peak of summer there are four ferry times departing each terminal every day.
Scenic drive to Port Angeles. You can make the journey to Victoria a whole day activity. Or you can extend your trip to have some time on the Olympic peninsula either before or after.

Cons:

Longest total time if you are coming from downtown Seattle. The drive from Seattle to Port Angeles is about 2.5 hours and includes taking the bainbridge ferry. Then you will need to arrive at the Port Angeles ferry terminal 90 minutes before departure. Then the ferry will take 90 minutes. In total, the time from Seattle to Victoria is likely 5.5-6 hours.
Possible extra stress with all of the transfers - driving then the Bainbridge island ferry then driving then port Angeles-victoria ferry. You will need to make sure you good on time for each part.

Commerical Ground plane (SEa -> YYJ)

Cost = $250-650 per person roundtrip. Flight prices can vary significantly. Approximate cost for family of 4 round trip is $1000-2000.

Pros:

If you are traveling from outside of Seattle and will already be at the Seatac airport, this might be an easier option.
Runs multiple times per day
More reliable than seaplanes. These planes travel at higher altitudes and are affected less by the weather.

Cons:

Can be expensive, depending on if you can get deals or not.
The airports for both Seattle and Victoria are at least 30 minutes from downtown. You will need to either rent a car or get a shuttle from the Victoria airport to downtown. There is light rail to Seattle’s airport.
You will need to arrive at the airport early as it is an international flight. Even though the flight is only 1 hour. The whole experience will probably take more or the same amount of time as the Victoria clipper.
Less of a unique experience, compared to the seaplane or ferry.

Do you need a car?

The main areas of Victoria are extremely walkable. On top of that, the bus system is quite reliable and inexpensive and there are numerous bike rental shops around the city. If you are spending all of your time in downtown Victoria, there is no need to rent a car if everyone in your group is able to get around well. This itinerary has a couple spots outside of Victoria, but we were able to visit them all with public or free transport. We did not have or rent a car for our entire trip. While a car would have been a bit more convenient for a couple of the outings, it made the most sense for us as a group with extended family and taking into account costs. Not only the expense of renting the car but also nightly parking downtown is quite expensive. One potential compromise is to rent a car for just one day to visit any spots further outside of the city - to give your family some added flexibility. However, you will need to bring or rent car seats or boosters if your kids need them just for that day as well. The below itinerary will detail how we got to each spot.

If you are traveling via the car ferry from Port Angeles, you can take your car from Seattle to Victoria. Note that you will need to pay additional fees on the ferry, will likely pay for parking at your accommodations and for parking at places you visit. However, if you are planning a longer trip or one with more outings outside of the city, this might be a good option for your family.

Where to Stay

View from our hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Victoria

For this itinerary and frankly any itinerary for a first time visitor who is coming for 4 days or less, I’d recommend staying in downtown Victoria. Victoria is such a walkable city with most of the attractions near each other that is quite worth spending extra to stay in the city. Staying fairly close to the inner harbor is especially ideal if you arriving via the seaplane or the ferry so it is easy walk with your luggage to your hotel. We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton and absolutely loved this location and the hotel. Other great options depending on your budget are of course the iconic Fairmont Empress which is right on the harbor. Hotel Grand Pacific or Magnolia Hotel are also great choices if you want to be a very easy walk from the inner harbor.

If you are wanting something that is a bit more residential and quieter, but still walkable - consider James Bay. This area is just southwest of downtown and is still a short walk to everything but not quite as close as the inner harbor hotels to the ferry and seaplane arrival spots. This area is near Beacon Hill Park and Fisherman’s Wharf - two highlights in Victoria. The Oswego Hotel and Inn at Laurel Point are good options near here.

Itinerary overview

Koi Fish in a greenhouse at the Butchart Gardens

We visited Victoria BC over the Fourth of July long weekend. We left on a Thursday afternoon and got back Sunday afternoon. However, this itinerary works no matter which days you are going - with one exception that is noted later. We were traveling with 2 30 years olds, 2 kids aged 4 & 5, and two grandparents in their 60s. This itinerary tried to incorporate everyone’s interests and tried to account for everyone’s energy levels.

Day 1 - Afternoon seaplane flight to Victoria, walked to Chinatown for dinner

Day 2 - Bus to Butchart Gardens, afternoon at Beacon Hill Park, dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf followed by a water taxi back to inner harbor

Day 3 - Walked around the Victoria Parliament building, watched the water taxi ballet, took the free shuttle to the Malahat Skywalk, and free shuttle back, and finished with dinner in downtown Victoria

Day 4 - Bus to Hatley Castle and Gardens, picnic on the grounds, bus to Dallas Road to enjoy the beach and views, and afternoon Victoria Clipper back to Seattle

Day 1:

Seaplane Ride

Honestly what inspired this trip was seeing all of the seaplanes taking off from both Lake Washington near Kenmore and Lake Union. Kenmore Air out of Seattle is the largest seaplane operator in the United States. After moving to Seattle, this felt like a bucket list activity. Where we live, we can see or hear seaplanes almost daily, so this was an idea that was hard to get out of our head. You can take a seaplane just on a short scenic tour around Seattle or they serve multiple destinations around the area. One of the most popular is Victoria BC, which is a place we’ve also wanted to see for a long time. It felt like an easy choice.

Most of the people I talked to about our plans, including people who have lived in Seattle their whole lives, mentioned how nervous they would be flying on a seaplane. A lot of people have anxiety about the seaplane flight because it is small, often loud, and can have more turbulence than larger planes – and maybe also that they take off and land in water. If this is you, but you do want to have the experience, here are some tips:

Bring earplugs. They will have them on board but if you want to be sure, you can bring your own. The engines and propellers can be quite loud and quieting them down can be a great idea.
Focus on the view. It is far more stress inducing to look around inside the plane seeing how small it is, worrying about the mechanics of it all or how claustrophobic you might feel. Looking out at the view can be very calming. The views are spectacular and can easily distract you.
Go in the summer. The weather in the summer is far more predictable and a lot calmer. Visiting in the early spring or late fall might mean a more bumpy ride. When we visited in July, our flight was very smooth.

We are so glad that we choose to do a seaplane for this part of our journey. It was truly spectacular. The views from the plane are some that I still think about a year later. The flight into Victoria was absolutely incredible. If you have the funds and the desire, do it! Even if it is just for one leg of your trip.

We live closer to the seaplane port in Kenmore, so we took off from there rather than Lake Union. When we booked the flight, it was at 2pm. A couple days before our trip, we got a reminder about our flight saying that we need to be there by 1:30pm for a 2:30pm take off. We did not want to be late, so we arrived around 1:00pm as we were not certain if the flight was going to be at our original 2pm time or 2:30pm. Of course, it was 2:30pm so we ended up sitting around for a bit longer. The check in process, which included weighing our suitcases, filling out forms and checking passports since it is an international flight took about 10 minutes. They had us sit outside on picnic tables until our pilot came and got us. We would have been completely fine to arrive at the 1 hour before flight time that they required. We spent that hour or so watching other seaplanes take off, private seaplanes land and fuel up, and eating snacks.

At 2:31pm, our pilot came out and called for everyone going to Victoria. We followed him to the plane where they loaded up our bags in the seaplane floats. He then called people up to go into specific seats. There was just one pilot in the plane, so he let one passenger be up in the other cockpit spot. Once everyone was seated and there was a brief safety talk, we were moving at 2:42pm. From the plane, we got to see downtown Seattle, the Puget Sound, Whidbey Island, the Olympic Peninsula, the San Juan Islands and finally Vancouver Island and Victoria. We were flying low enough to where we could see the ferries sailing through the water. We landed in Victoria’s Inner Harbor at 3:20pm with water taxis sailing beside us. Landing was the coolest part of the trip. After landing, we made our way over to the harbor where the seaplane docked. 2 other planes had landed just shortly before ours - another kenmore air flight and a seaplane from Vancouver. This meant there was a bit of a line to get through security. Once we got to the front we also found out their computers were temporarily down. We were the last in line and even with those delays, it took us less than 10 minutes to get through immigration and passport check.

We then were right in the inner harbor about a 5 minute walk to our hotel. The timing of this flight worked out perfectly since we were able to check in right away. However, if you arrive earlier, most hotels will hold your luggage for you.

Chinatown

After checking into our hotel and settling in a bit, we took a walk to Chinatown. It was about a 1km (0.6 miles) walk from our hotel in the inner harbor to Chinatown. Victoria’s chinatown is the oldest one in Canada and originated in 1858. It is known for its cool maze of alleyways and courtyards. One of the most popular spots is an alleyway called Fan Tan Alley that feels like it is out of a movie. This alleyway is so narrow, you can reach out your hands and touch both walls in places. There are cute shops and stores located along this alley and all of the neighboring streets. Chinatown is enjoyable to just walk around and see what you can discover. There are lots of great places to eat here as well and I would encourage you to have at least one meal while you are in Victoria in Chinatown. The Gate of Harmonious Interest, Dragon Alley and the Chinese Canadian Museum are also other great places to visit here.

After dinner, we walked back to our hotel and inner harbor along the waterfront. We came across a festival happening at Ship’s Point Park. Actually, most of the days we walked past this park, some event was happening from karaoke to slam poetry to a francophile party.

Day 2:

The BUtchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens are one of the most famous gardens in the world. It is often named one of the top five gardens in the world and receives over a million of visitors each year. The gardens are about a 30 minute drive or 45 minute ride on public transit from downtown Victoria. Admission to the gardens changes depending on the season and ranges from $25-$44 CAD (approx. $18-$33 USD).

There are several options on how to get to the Butchart Gardens, here are the details of most of them:

Car - depending on traffic, this will take you between 30 and 45 minutes. Once you get to the gardens, all parking is free. The parking lot is very large and you should not have to worry about spots filling up. The parking lot also has room for RVs.
Private Shuttle Bus - you can take a modern coach bus from downtown Victoria to the Butchart Gardens. Cost is $45 USD for the roundtrip shuttle. Price does vary depending on the season. This is the most expensive way to get to the gardens but is potentially the least stress. There are a few of departures each day, so you will need to be mindful of the time. This might also mean you won’t be able to leave when you want or there might be additional waiting.
Public Transit Bus - the public bus system in Victoria is great. You can purchase a $6 day pass either from the bus driver or from the transit app. This is the cheapest option, but it is a bit longer. It took us a little less than hour to make it to the gardens. We took bus #75 along Douglas St. and the bus dropped us off right inside the gardens, a very short walk to the front gate. There are multiple bus times throughout the day so it is pretty easy to stay at the gardens how long you want. We got the bus at 8:25am in downtown Victoria and arrived at the gardens at 9:15am on a friday. The bus itself was fairly empty and had no trouble getting good seats. Many of the buses are double decker buses which was exciting for kids - and adults alike. If you are able to get the upper level front seats you are in for a treat.
Uber/Taxi - there are taxis and Ubers available in Victoria that you can take to Butchart Garden. Expect to pay $55 CAD per ride. Note that most only accommodate four passengers, so you may need to call a local taxi company if you want one that will accommodate more people.

We opted to take the public transit bus which cost us $6 per person round trip. We used the Umo app to buy our fares each day. There was a bit of confusion initially on the first day - mainly with being able to choose how much money to add to the account. After that it was quite easy to use. We ended up getting a day pass for this day and day 4. Children aged 12 and under ride for free on all BC transit.

The Butchart Gardens are quite large, so expect to spend at least 3 hours at the gardens. Even with that time, you likely won’t be able to catch every single detail of the gardens. The gardens are made up of multiple different areas. These include the Sunken Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Italian Garden, and the Mediterranean Garden. Throughout the gardens there are also unique fountains, statues, and a carousel to find. There are also a couple restaurants, a gift shop and visitor center.

We started by exploring the iconic Sunken Garden. You get here by walking on the main path and taking the first left. After a short walk through a forested area, you will head down the stairs into the garden. Before going down the stairs, there is a little lookout observation house that looks down into the garden. The view above the stairs is one of the most photographed in all of the gardens. After walking through the Sunken Garden, you will find Ross Fountain. This fountain seems to dance with the music. If you visit during the summer, it is a large feature of the Garden Night Illuminations.

After Ross Fountain, you will go past the Bog Garden till you make it to the Rose Carousel. The carousel has beautiful animals to ride on and is a reasonable $2 per ride. Following the carousel, you can see the large 30-foot totem polls in the Children’s Pavilion. We were expecting some more interactive elements or places for kids to play here, but unfortunately there wasn’t any. Thankfully, the next attraction got them excited to walk more - the Dragon Fountain! Around this area there were also animal statues in the trees that were fun to find.

We then went to the Rose Garden, which seemed to be fully in bloom when we went in early July. The last two places we explored were the Japanese garden and the Italian garden. Since we arrived via transit, we did not know about the Mediterranean Garden near the car parking lot until we looked at the map later. If you are also arriving by bus or taxi, you can head over there to see those gardens as well.

The Butchart Gardens allow no outside food in the gardens. Everyone was plenty hungry by the time we finished walking. We ate at the coffee shop that is located back at the entrance’s main square. Along with coffee, they have pastries, sandwiches, hot dogs, soup, salads, chips, and ice cream - both scooped and soft serve. The food was pretty basic but not outrageously priced. The gift shop at the gardens is large and quite extensive.

Beacon Hill Park

After arriving back in downtown Victoria by transit bus, we took a short rest before heading out to explore the city more. We walked to Beacon Hill Park from our hotel. This is the largest and most visited park in Victoria. It is a massive park that has walking trails, a petting zoo, ponds, fountains, a playground, sports fields and courts, totem poles, gardens and more. You can spend as much or little time as you want. The park is a relatively easy walk from the inner harbor area or James Bay.

One of the biggest highlights is the Children’s Farm. They have a great variety of farm animals and a large goat enclosure where you can pet or brush them. When we went, there were quite a few adorable baby goats as well. The Children’s Farm is completely free to enter but they do accept donations. It is open from 10am-4pm. Nearby the farm, we saw several free-roaming peacocks.

If you have your own car, parking here is free, but can get busy on weekends. We spent about 2 hours walking through the park and still did not see everything.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Several of us in the group were finished walking at this point, so we took the bus from the park to Fisherman’s Wharf. Depending on where you are at in the park, it is probably just about a mile (1.6km) walk to the wharf. Since we had already bought a day pass for the buses from using them to go to Butchart Gardens, this was free.

Fisherman’s Wharf is a very charming and active spot. There are several food vendors and rows of house boats that you can walk around to see. Everything is very colorful and clean. It does feel more touristy than authentic but the food was delicious and we had a good time, so it is hard to complain about. Lots of local businesses from restaurants to dessert shops to whale watching tours and gift shops. Along with what is on the dock, Fisherman’s wharf is a good place to see wildlife. We were interested in seeing river otters that are known to be around here. We did not see any but did spot some seals and beautiful coastal birds.

Parking at the lot here is paid, or you can park for an hour or two for free on one of the neighborhood streets near the Wharf.

Watertaxi

One of the most unique and fun modes of transit in Victoria are the water taxis. These small yellow boats can take you from Fisherman’s Wharf up to Chinatown or all around the harbor areas of Victoria. Some of these boats offer a ferry tour service where it takes you on a set route around the harbor. Or you can use it at as a taxi, picking it up in one location and have them take you directly to wherever you want to go. They are a tad bit pricey, but it was a fun a unique experience.

On our way into Victoria, we saw these water taxis as our seaplane landed into the water. It was fun watching this interaction from the other perspective, as we saw a seaplane land right next to us while we were in the water taxi. It was a very quite ride and since there was no one who wanted to go where we were going, we had the boat all to ourselves.

You can also easily walk from here to most places in downtown Victoria. Our hotel was just a mile (1.6km) away.

Day 3:

Victoria Parliament Building

Surprisingly the capital of British Columbia is located in Victoria - a city located on an island away from the rest of the province. At the time of establishing British Columbia, Victoria was the largest city and economic hub due to the gold rush. Nowadays, Vancouver is a much larger city but the capital has remained Victoria. The gorgeous British Columbia Parliament Buildings are centrally located right near the harbor. You will likely see them or pass by them on earlier days of this itinerary, but this morning is dedicated to checking it out.

These buildings were constructed in the 1890s. They are stunning from both the outside and inside. You are allowed to go inside the buildings for either a guided tour or a self-guided tour. You can do a self guided tour anytime between 8:30am and 4:30pm on weekdays. There are guided tours which schedule is released on friday afternoons and changes based on the legislative events for that week. Tours are more frequent in the summer months. Note that when you are entering the legislative building all guests must go through a security screening.

Water Taxi Ballet

From May-September, a group of water taxis perform a ballet in the harbor. The performance begins at 10:30am on many weekend days. Click here to see the schedule for what days they perform. The entire performance is about 15 minutes. This is such a unique experience, it is definitely worth checking out if your trip overlaps with one of their performances. It is completely free to watch. You can watch it from Ship Point for a bit of a closer view. We watched it along the harbor walk section on Belleville St. Right next to the “Welcome to Victoria” garden and close to the Victoria Clipper dock. There are a couple rows of concrete steps and seats. We got a great view of the show from here and got to sit down.

Malahat Skywalk

The Malahat Skywalk is a thrilling experience about 45 minutes outside of Victoria. You can enjoy the stunning views, a nice walk and an exciting long and twisty slide. This attraction is great for all ages and has a bit of fun for everyone. The main building is a spiral viewing platform 10 stories tall. It sits about 250 m above sea level and gives 360 degree views of all of the islands and forests around the area. Admission is $45 CAD for adults, $31 for children 6-17 and free for kids 5 and under if you purchase online in advance.

From May to October, you can take the free shuttle from downtown Victoria to the Malahat Skywalk, operated by the company. In the spring and fall the shuttle operates only on weekends and in the summer it operates daily. The shuttle picks up guests from downtown Victoria at two locations - at the Steamship Terminal and at Capital City Station 3 times a day. No reservations are needed. If you are visiting on what you’d expect to be a busy day, I would highly recommend getting the shuttle at the Steamship Terminal, which is the first stop. When we went, the bus was 95% full after this stop. A lot people were waiting for the shuttle at the Capital City Station but only a couple were able to get on. The shuttle is very comfortable and there is a film about the skywalk that plays on the ride there. We took the 11am shuttle right after the water taxi ballet. The shuttle was about 10 minutes late. If you have your own car, parking is free and plentiful.

When you get to the Malahat Skywalk, the experience starts with a 0.4 mile (600m) walk along an elevated tree walk. Along the path are several interactive elements and games and unique wooden sculptures in the trees. At the end of the tree walk are the main attractions including the Spiral Tower. Once you get there you can take the winding journey up to the top of the tower to see the stunning views. At the top there is an adventure net that you can walk out onto and see the spiral below your feet. There is a new glass lookout that is opening up in May 2026. From the top you can see fjords, the forest, mountains including Mount Baker on mainland Washington and the San Juan Islands.

The slide entrance is on the next level below the top. The ride is about 8 seconds, a lot quicker than walking down. Unless there is a line. We went on a weekend in the summer and there was a pretty significant line for the slide. It was a 30 minute wait for our first slide down. You can ride down the slide as many time as you want. Kids over 42 inches are allowed to slide and must slide solo. My four year old was just tall enough to slide. We originally thought she might not be tall enough but she was exactly at the right height based on their ruler. She was a bit nervous at first to slide, especially since she would have to by herself, but she did great and enjoyed it. My five year old also did great with the slide.

After the first slide, we ate at the restaurant next to the spiral tower called the Canteen. They had burgers (including a veggie and GF option), sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs, chili and bakery items. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced for a tourist attraction. There was also a soft serve ice cream van that we got a bit later that was also great.

We then went down the slide 3 more times and each time the wait was a bit shorter. The free shuttle was on a 2 hour schedule. We arrived at the skywalk at 12pm. They expect you to take 2 hours at the skywalk and take the next shuttle back. Accounting for the long wait of the slide, we were not ready to leave at 2pm so we decided to stay another 2 hours till 4pm. If we did not need to leave, we could have spent even longer here. There are also nature trails through the property as well you can do to extend your stay. If the slide wait is shorter on your visit, you could likely fit in everything in just the 2 hours, especially if you don’t want to go down the slide multiple times like we did.

We got back to the entrance early to get in line for the shuttle back, as it was the last one of the day and we were worried it might be full. This shuttle ended up not being full and we did not need to worry. However, it was not a bad idea so we did not end up having to take an uber back to Victoria.

Day 4:

Our last day in Victoria, we had an afternoon clipper reservations but still had the whole morning and mid-day to explore. We checked out of our hotel and left our luggage with the front desk.

Hatley Castle

There are two notable castles near Victoria, Hatley Castle and the far more visited Craigdarroch Castle. Craigdarroch Castle is closer and easier to access from downtown Victoria, however it looks more like a historic mansion than a castle. Despite the Hatley Castle being a bit more inconvenient to get to, it felt like a more worthwhile visit. Hatley Castle was built a couple decades after Craigdarroch castle, in 1908.

Hatley Castle is located on the grounds of Royal Roads University. It was for a time used as a dormitory for some of the students and staff officers at Royal Roads Military College. It now is an administrative building for the university and hosts tours. Access to the inside of Hatley Castle is available through a guided tour. These tours are available in late spring and summer. While the price is not available yet for 2026, expect to pay about $24 per adult. Since the building is partially in use, the tour is just focused on the main level. Hatley Castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens and walking trails, access to these are free and is open 10am to dusk. We decided to just explore the gardens because we did not think our group would get enough out of the guided tour for the price.

Hatley Castle is a 25 minute drive from downtown Victoria. You can get to the castle via your own car. There is a small parking fee to park in the University near the castle. You can get an uber or taxi to the castle. Or you can take the public transit bus.

We decided to take the public bus. There are two options. You can take bus 95 to Goldstream Ave at Island Hwy and then walk the rest of the way to the castle. Or you can take bus 95 to Colwood Exch and then transfer to bus 38 that will take you inside the University and then you have just a short walk to the castle. The time we left, directions said it would be quickest to just take bus 95 and walk the remaining way because it would be a bit of a wait till the next 38 bus. It was a 1 mile walk and part of the walk were on the side of a road with no sidewalk. While it was not ideal, it was doable. On the way back, we were planning on taking the 38 bus but there was a sign at the bus stop saying that it wasn’t running that day. We instead walked to a place for lunch near the bus stop for 95 and then took that back to downtown Victoria. There was a bit more whining involved with this bus outing than the others - mainly just due to the walk. Otherwise very smooth. Note that the walk to the castle is all downhill once you get into the University property, meaning it is all up hill on the way back. We did see wild peacocks roaming the University on our walk.

Once you are at the castle, you can start by admiring the front of the castle. Hatley Castle has been used several times for filming movies, including X-men (professor Xavier’s house), Descendents, Deadpool, along with many others. Looking at the castle and heading to your right, will take you to the gated entrance to the Italian Garden. As long as it is within the hours of 10am-dusk, you are allowed to freely visit the garden. Note that dogs are not allowed. From here you can visit the Japanese Gardens, Rose gardens, the fish ladder and even go down to the beach. We spent just over an hour exploring the grounds.

Holland Point Park & Dallas Road Swim Staircase

After lunch and our bus back to Victoria, we went transferred buses to get us to Holland Point Park along Dallas Road. There is a really great waterfront trail along Dallas Road that you can do all 5.8 miles of or just part of. We walked a bit and then sat at the beach near Holland Point Park. You get beautiful views of the ocean and the cruise ships docked. Nearby there is a staircase that you can take down into the water to swim. The water is quite chilly even in the summer, but we saw quite a few people swimming.

We had about an hour to kill before we needed to arrive at the Victoria Clipper and spent it just enjoying our time looking out at the water. Once the time was getting closer, we split our group up. A couple of us went back to the hotel to get the luggage. The rest of us spent a little longer at the beach before heading to the clipper to meet up with the others. The timing happened to overlap with a pride parade and the bus to take us from Dallas road to the clipper station was completely full, standing room only. We had to wait a couple of buses till we got one that we could fit onto. But eventually we made it to the clipper terminal with enough time to get some ice cream before checking in.

Victoria Clipper to Seattle

We chose to take the clipper back to Seattle. This let us save a bit of money and see the journey from the sea. Be sure to arrive at the clipper early, but you do not need to get there too early. We waited a bit right outside the terminal in a spot with more space while we enjoyed our ice cream. We had a view of the line and hopped into it when it was looking short. We had a pretty easy wait to drop off our bags, go through security and passport control.

There was an error on the Victoria clipper’s website and we were able to book a ferry time that did not exist. We caught it a few weeks beforehand since the other part of our group tried to book the same time but it did not show up for them. We contacted their customer service and they got us new tickets on this new ferry time. We did not know until we got to check in that day, that they upgraded our tickets. We had originally booked the cheapest tickets in the economy class and were put in seats in the Vista Class. The economy class ticket are on the main level and are a bit closer together. There is an option to get economy tickets either with or without a window. The vista class tickets are in the upper level of the boat and are a bit more comfortable and spacious. We were given seats without a window but there are window options. The most expensive ticket type is called the comfort class and includes multiple perks and extra amenities. These seats are also on the upper deck but towards the front of the ship. You are able to walk around the ship - aside from the comfort class area - so you can go out onto the decks to see the views if you don’t have a window seat.

The ferry ride is about 3 hours. There is no wifi available on board the ship. Cell service is also pretty sparse during the journey. If you wanted to watch a show or movie, be sure to have that downloaded ahead of time. We brought some of the items that we normally bring on ferries to entertain our kids and let them watch a show. On the boat there is some food options for mostly reasonable prices. A lot of the items were sold out within an hour of sailing. If you are planning to get food onboard, get it shortly after getting to your seat. They will start selling items before the ship departs. The sailing was mostly smooth, with a bit of a rocky section.

After getting off the boat in Seattle, there was a bit of a line to get out of the terminal. It moved fairly steadily. Once we got out of the terminal, there was a swarm of people offering rides and a mess of cars on the street. We stuck with requesting an uber back to our house. Alternatively, you can take the light rail, but it is a 20 minute walk uphill. Since we had luggage, we opted to stick with an uber.

Have more time? Check out these other spots

Initially when I first started planning this trip I thought I would struggle on how to fill up 4 whole days. I ended up having the opposite problem. I had to cut quite a few things that we had wanted to see from our itinerary. If you have more time or different interests, here are some other great spots to visit near Victoria.

Royal BC Museum - A great museum in downtown Victoria that has both permanent exhibits and temporary ones on the history of British Columbia. It includes both natural history and human history. Admission is typically $18 for adults and $11 for kids 6-18.
Victoria Hop on Hop off Tour - Similar to Hop on hop off tours in other cities, the tour bus takes you around the city stopping at all of the major landmarks allowing you to get on and off as you please. While on the bus tour, there is a narrated tour giving you information and history about the places you are going to. This tour stops at 15 different stops. While this bus is more expensive than the public transit, there are several advantages to using this tour.
Craigdarroch Castle - Built in the 1890s by a coal baron, this castle is open for tours Wednesday through Sundays. The tour is self guided and costs $22.50 per adult.
Whale Watching Boat Tour - Victoria is an amazing spot to go on a whale watching tour. You can see orcas, humpback, minke, and gray whales for April to November. Along with whales, most boats will point out sea lions, seals, otters, birds, and porpoises. We had recently gone whale watching in the San Juan Islands, otherwise we would have gone on this trip.
Victoria Bug Zoo - This mini zoo in downtown Victoria is home to dozens of species of insects, arachnids or arthropods. The employees will even take out some of the animals for you to hold. Admission costs $18 CAD for adults and $8 for kids.
Miniature World - this cute attraction holds over 85 miniature dioramas. It has been in business for over 50 years and has some incredible and unique miniatures from historical displays to outer space. Admission is $18 CAD for adults and $9 for kids 5 and older.
Victoria Butterfly Garden - this garden just a short drive from Butchart Gardens, has butterflies and a lot more including flamingos, turtles, macaws, and frogs. Admission is $20 for adults and $9.50 for children 5-12.
High Tea - Victoria is known for its afternoon tea. While the Fairmont Empress is famous for its tea service, you can enjoy afternoon tea at Pendray Inn, Butchart Gardens, White Heather Tea room, and Murchie’s Tea.
Food and History Tour - Walking food tours are popular throughout the world and Victoria is a great place for one. With such a walkable city, you get to enjoy a wide variety of tastings while learning about the history and culture of Victoria.
Exploring the rest of Vancouver Island - Victoria is just a very small part of the large Vancouver Island. Throughout the rest of the island, you can enjoy beautiful coastal views, small towns, outdoor adventures, beaches, and amazing hikes.

Book REcommendations

I love reading a book that is either set in the place I am visiting, inspired by or has similar vibes. Here are some recommendations for books across various genres to read while on your trip or beforehand.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel - A novel that both takes place in 1912 Vancouver Island and a colony on the moon 500 years later. The Glass Hotel by the same author also partially takes place on Vancouver Island.
And Nothing But the Truth by Kit Pearson - A middle grade book about a 13 year old girl in a boarding school in Victoria.
White Jade Tiger by Julie Lawson - A middle grade book about a kid who is magically transported through time after stepping through a doorway in Fan Tan Alley in Victoria.
The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet - a memoir about a widowed woman and her 5 children who explore British Columbia every summer in the 1920s and 30s.
Greenwood by Michael Christie - An historical fiction novel that starts in 2034 and slowly goes back in time with a focus on human’s interaction with nature. It is set on an island inspired by Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island.
Blood on the Breakwater by Jean Paetkau - A mystery novel that takes place in Victoria.