Victoria

Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, sits on the southern tip of Vancouver Island about 100 km from Vancouver across the Strait of Georgia. The trip is a full day rather than a quick outing: the Pacific Coach Lines service from Pacific Central Station (1150 Station St) combines a coach with the BC Ferries crossing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay and takes about four hours each way, at roughly CAD 60-90 one way. Harbour Air floatplanes from Coal Harbour make the same trip in about 35 minutes for a much higher fare, which suits visitors short on time. Walk-on ferry passengers pay about CAD 20-25, and summer sailings benefit from reservations. An early departure, aiming for the 7 or 8 am sailings, leaves roughly six hours on the ground. The morning is best spent around the Inner Harbour, where the Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress and the harbour-front promenade are within a few minutes' walk of each other. The Royal BC Museum on Belleville Street holds natural history and First Peoples galleries and suits a couple of hours indoors. Lunch fits well in Chinatown, one of the oldest in Canada, around Fan Tan Alley, or at the fish-and-chip stands on Fisherman's Wharf, where floating homes and harbour seals add interest. The afternoon offers a choice: Butchart Gardens, about 20 km north in Brentwood Bay, is the best-known excursion and needs roughly three hours including transit, while visitors who prefer to stay downtown can walk Beacon Hill Park and the Dallas Road waterfront or browse Government Street shops. Afternoon tea is a Victoria tradition at several downtown hotels and tea rooms and usually needs a reservation. The best window is May to September, when gardens are in bloom and long daylight allows a late return. Visitors should confirm the last coach and ferry back to Vancouver before settling into the evening, since missing the final sailing means an overnight stay. Many travellers extend this day trip to two days to avoid the rush.