Victoria BC Tours - Explore Land, Sea and the Sky
There are exiting Victoria BC tours with plenty of options... When you are in Victoria BC make sure to explore its - Land, Sea, and the Sky.
There are many ways to move around and explore Victoria BC. We have tried them all... Each mode has its own uniqueness.
Victoria BC is an all year round tourist destination. Winter is mild, Spring comes early with blossoms and flowers, and Summer has an excellent climate. What's more to ask for?
Getting here is likewise easy. There are two ferry routes to the downtown harbor from USA then a seaplane terminal with flights to Vancouver and flights to Seattle. The downtown bus terminal connects you to Vancouver via a ferry route. All located walking distance to each other.
US-Victoria-ferry, Zodiac whale watching boat and a SeaplaneSee the Land ...
Explore Victoria BC on foot
Victoria, BC is a town small enough that you can explore easily on foot, so it is easy on the wallet too....
There are museums, shops, gardens and restaurants… During the summer you see colorful flowers and beautiful
hanging baskets (June to September) all over the city. Walkers can hop into a city tour bus to travel around the city or take a public transport bus to go for a short
distance.
If you love nature, go hiking on trails! Or you can also easily walk to town's waterfront.
When the weather is right, go for a nice walk on the beach or sit and relax on a nice spot on the beach.
1 km from Royal BC Museum there is Beacon Hill park. This is a free entrance park in Victoria. Visit the park during Summer and spring time. You will see colourful flower beds packed with Roses, Rhododendrons and Dahlias. There are many trails in the park with lots of wild flowers. Visit the petting zoo located in the park with the kids to see some animal friends.
Guided walking tours of the city are available. You will get a narrated guided tour. Guided Night walk (Victoria ghostly walks) is another interesting walking tour if you like walking at night and wish to hear some ghost stories.
Walking is nice, but you can only walk for so long- see the sign below. You find its time to switch to another method - a boat! :)
Rent a Bicycle, Scooter or Motorcycle
This is a another unique way to see the city. You get to explore the city at your own pace plus cover more area than on foot. There are several companies that does bicycle and scooter renting in Victoria. There are even guided bicycle tours of the city available too!
Victoria BC Tours - Rent a Bike to Travel around the CityThere are several trails that are perfect for cyclists. The Galloping
Goose trail, which is 55km long has an easy access right from downtown Victoria and is popular
among cyclists visiting Victoria.
Public Transport
Victoria Downtown is blessed with a very good Public Transport system ( BC Transit ).
My daughter Lapaly, loves to travel upper deck on BC Transit Double Decker buses. It's a different view of the beautiful city, and not crowded like you see in other towns.
Front row upper deck on a double Decker bus - Different View of the CitySightseeing Tour Buses
During the summer time we have taken a Hop on Hop off Double Decker bus tour. It is an exciting way to explore the city. Buy a ticket and go for a sightseeing tour. The bus stops at many interesting locations.
Pedicab
The muscle powered pedicab is an economical way to tour Victoria. This is a unique, and environmentally friendly way to see the city. We see many visitors who come to Victoria on cruise ships taking pedicab tours. A pedicab is licensed to pick up passengers at the cruise ship terminal Ogden Point. Passengers often seem to book their scenic tours ahead of time.
Rent a Car
Are you here for a longer stay? Renting a car will give you easy exit out of Victoria downtown to explore Vancouver Island. Many major car rental companies like National, Avis, Budget and Hertz have their businesses here in Downtown Victoria. If you are arriving at Victoria International Airport (YYJ) rental car facilities are available right inside the Airport.
Victoria Taxi Service
There are several taxi companies operating in Victoria BC. Yellow Cab, Bluebird Cabs, Victoria Taxi, Westshore Taxi, Westwind Taxi are some examples.
If you are traveling to Victoria Airport Yellow Cab of Victoria provide airport taxi service to downtown.
Victoria BC - Taxi CabsWe live west of Victoria BC (Victoria Westshore) so we always call Westshore taxi upon arrival to the Airport. Just a short wait for them to come and pick us up. We find Westshore taxi is a little cheaper to travel if the destination is west of the town. However, if you are looking for an economical way from Victoria airport to downtown Victoria Check Akal Airporter shuttle.
Do You Want to Get Around Victoria in Luxury?
Several limousine companies operate in Victoria. Cruise ship travelers often love to take a city tour in a limousine. If you like to get around Victoria in style limousine is your car. These have the best reviews - Alpine Limousines, Ascot Limousine, 5 Star Limousines, LA Limousines, Regent Limousine, Arbutus Limousine
Horse Drawn Carriage Tours – Classic Luxury in Victoria BC
Another way memorable to see Victoria, BC are horse carriage tours. There are several companies that offer these. Some of the best are Tally-Ho Carriage Tours, Victoria Carriage Tours, Black Beauty Line Ltd
Victoria BC tours - Horse Carriage seen from a Double Decker BusExplore The Ocean - Victoria BC
Harbour Ferry + H2O Taxi (Operating March 1st to Oct 31st)
Victoria BC tours are not complete unless if you don't get an opportunity to explore its sea and the waterfront.
This is a fantastic way to see Victoria from the sea. If you are in Victoria make a point to take the Harbour Ferry tour or Hop on Hop off H2O Taxi.
From May to mid September (Sundays at 10.45am) you can see the famous Harbour ferry ballet – free of charge right at the harbour in front of the Empress Hotel.
Guided Victoria BC tours are offered by Harbour Ferry. Both Harbour Ferry and H2O
taxi provide water transportation to different points in town for a low
fee.
On our short trips we have seen a lot of sea life including harbor seals, otters, blue herons and sea birds.
Seals
near the harbor are quite common. Although feeding is no longer allowed (2024 update), you can still see them pop their heads up!
Rent a Kayak Victoria + Kayak Lessons
Experienced kayakers or someone totally new to kayaking adventures will find Victoria has some of the best waterfronts and sea life to explore.
These companies provide Kayak rentals, tours and training -
1) Victoria Kayak - near Harbour Air (float plane) dock
2) Ocean, River Adventures, Kelp Reef Adventures
3) Victoria Waterfront Tours
Easy to rent a kayak from Inner Harbour - Victoria BC tourAdd whale watching to your trip, it is a must do activity in Victoria. You will be going much further into the ocean, and traveling on a high speed zodiac boats or on more comfortable bigger vessels to find resident whales that spend much of their time in Victoria waters.
There are companies that offer whale watching and nature tours.
Getting ready for a whale - watching (Zodiac Boat)Add a Ferry route to come here or leave from Victoria, BC is a another way to see the sea around Victoria. You can combine Ferry and a Seaplane to get in and get out Victoria easily.
See Victoria from the Sky ...
There is a unique way to enjoy Victoria from the sky. It is by taking a seaplane tour. This is not a journey that you have taken on a Jetliner. Victoria has a seaplane base right in downtown or with Pat Bay air that offers competitive pricing.
Enjoy a scenic flight at a low altitude over the Victoria BC city and the sea.
Click here to read more about Flightseeing adventures and my money and time saving idea for a Victoria BC tours from the sky ...
