By Air

Victoria International Airport (IATA: YYJ, ICAO: CYYJ) serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is 12 NM (22 km; 14 mi) north northwest of the city, in North Saanich, quite close to the town of Sidney on the Saanich Peninsula. The airport is run by the Victoria Airport Authority.
Like most airports that are run by local authorities in Canada, Victoria International Airport charges an Airport Improvement Fee for each outgoing passenger.
The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with no more than 450 passengers, when unloaded from the aircraft in stages, or 150 normally.

By Train

Via Rail Canada (generally shortened to Via Rail or Via; styled corporately as VIA Rail Canada; pronounced /ˈviə/) is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec.

Via Rail operates 480 trains in eight Canadian provinces (exceptions are Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island) over a network of 14,000 kilometres (8,700 mi) of track, almost all of which is owned and operated by CN Rail. Via carries approximately four million passengers annually, the majority on routes along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor.

By Ferries

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries (abbr. BCF) is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Set up in 1960 to provide a similar service to that provided by the Black Ball Line and the Canadian Pacific Railway, which were affected by job action at the time, BC Ferries has become the largest passenger ferry line in North America and the second largest in the world,[citation needed] boasting a fleet of 36 vessels with a total passenger and crew capacity of over 27,000, serving 49 locations on the B.C. coast.

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Butchart Gardens, Inner Harbour, Emily Carr Gallery, Royal British Columbia Museum

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Near Fort Street, stands the celebrated Gallery of Greater Victoria occupying a most beautiful Victorian building. In addition to contemporary western Canadian art, there is an impressive display of Indian artifacts and archaeological finds of art-historical interest. The gallery also possesses what must certainly be one of the best collections of Far-Eastern art anywhere in the world. Among its treasures is the only Shinto shrine outside Japan.

Butchart Gardens

For a visit to one of the area's premier attractions follow Highway 17A north for 22 km / 14 mi to the magical Butchart Gardens at Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula. Here in 1904 Jenny Butchart, wife of a wealthy quarry owner, started to lay out a fragrant garden in abandoned limestone workings. Flourishing, not least because of the mild climate, the gardens have since been developed into a 20 ha (50-acre) horticultural tour de force without rival in Canada. The Italian garden, rose garden, Japanese garden and sunken garden are among the loveliest. Open spaces among the pools, fountains and the many exotic plants are used for artistic and musical performances.

Inner Harbour

Situated on the Inner Harbour, Victoria's city center is easily explored without transport. Maps and leaflets detailing circular walks (e.g. "Victoria on foot"), are available from the Information Center on the harbor's east side. Daily guided tours are arranged in summer.

Emily Carr Gallery

This gallery features the work of Victoria's most famous daughter, the outstanding and internationally renowned artist Emily Carr (1871-1945). Canadian landscapes and the life of the north-west coast Indians provide the dominant themes. An instructive and well put together audio-visual program documents the artist's life and work.

Royal British Columbia Museum

British Columbia's provincial museum is situated in Heritage Court, midway between the Parliament Building and the empress Court Hotel. It is by far the best museum of natural and cultural history in Canada.

Three-dimensional displays offer a feast of sights, smells and sounds of British Columbia. Walk through a rainforest, view animals on West Coast beaches and in tidal wetlands. The Natural History Gallery includes "Ocean Station", where visitors can explore British Columbia's vibrant undersea world. Sit among aboriginal ceremonial poles and masks, walk through a big house, and learn of native people's struggles after European settlement. Sail through the HMS Discovery - the ship that brought Captain Vancouver to these shores,"slosh" through a fish canning factory and explore the worlds of miners and loggers. Window shop in Old Town, visit the Grand Hotel, and see what's playing at the cinema before catching the train home. The 20th Century Hall holds an array of artifacts, reading stations and computer displays on the past 100 years of BC history.

Information not available

December - February -> 7(°C) - Winter
June - August -> 22(°C) - Summer

Advertisement