Victoria works well as a short trip because everything is close together — a walkable downtown, gardens and beaches within a short drive, and rainforest an hour west. You do not strictly need a car for the city itself, but you will want one for the third day.
3 nights across 1 stop.
The route
Victoria
One base, three very different days.
Places to stay in Victoria
Finding stays in Victoria…
Day by day
Day 1 — Downtown and the harbour
The Inner Harbour, the Parliament Buildings, the Royal BC Museum and Fisherman's Wharf. Fan Tan Alley and Chinatown are a few blocks north, and the Ogden Point breakwater is a good end to the day.
Day 2 — Gardens and neighbourhoods
Butchart Gardens on the Saanich Peninsula, or Beacon Hill Park and the Dallas Road waterfront if you would rather stay in town. Cook Street Village and Oak Bay are both worth an afternoon.
Day 3 — West to Sooke
Under an hour out of town: East Sooke Park, Whiffin Spit, the Sooke Potholes and, if you keep going, Botanical Beach at Port Renfrew with its tide pools at low water.
Good to know
- Check the tide table before driving out to Botanical Beach — low tide is the point.
- Victoria is the mildest place in Canada in winter, which makes this a genuine off-season trip.
Make it yours
Open this itinerary in the planner to change the nights, swap towns or add stops.
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