We live across the country from our extended family, so traveling without our kids has been basically impossible. However, last fall (pre-COVID), my wonderful mother-in-law flew to Washington so we could have a whole FIVE DAYS in Victoria, British Columbia!! I know, I still can’t believe it. And had I known I’d be stuck in my house with my husband and two boys for all of 2020, I would’ve made it a longer trip. 😉

Here is my visitor’s guide to a couple’s romantic vacation in Victoria, BC! 

(Side note, this post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, your price won’t change- but you’ll be helping me feed a toddler who literally eats more than I do!)

GETTING THERE

Many of you might have to fly, but we are grateful to be within driving distance! Victoria is on Vancouver Island (which is actually slightly to the west of Vancouver), so you have to take a ferry unless you fly directly into Victoria International Airport. We took the Black Ball Ferry Line from Port Angeles, Washington, and paid extra to bring our car. A long ferry is such a fun experience, especially since you are going into a different country! It gave us a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean and the snow-capped Olympic Mountain Range. TIP: Wear a long dress or pants, and put your hair up, because it is super windy outside (but much more fun)!

BEST LODGING IN VICTORIA

For romantic getaways, we think lodging is super important! My husband has a stressful job, our kids are loud and crazy, and we need a place that is going to be super relaxing and luxurious. Unfortunately, I love luxury but don’t have a luxury budget. 😉 VRBO has been such an amazing site for finding unique, romantic getaways!!

The home we stayed in was absolutely dreamy. It would make the perfect honeymoon spot!! Click here for the Vacation Rental By Owner listing. There was a private hot tub, luxury bathroom and bedding, breakfast in bed every morning (passed through a serving window – which closes on both sides for privacy), and lots of special touches. This is in North Saanich, which is a 30-45 minute drive from Victoria, but to us it was worth it- and there’s plenty of local spots nearby, away from the tourists. Just a couple months after our trip, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first move outside of the UK was right down the street from our AirBNB!

THINGS TO DO IN VICTORIA

The Parliament Building

This is what I was most excited about! I have always dreamed of visiting London, and this is the closest experience I’ve had. Since Canada is ruled by the Queen of England, gorgeous paintings of her and other important people fill this place. It’s free to enter, is absolutely gorgeous, has a great gift shop, and lets you peek into the actual room where the Assembly meets. Be prepared to go through a security line (I point this out because I’ve had to leave many mace keychains in the garbage at places like this! ;).

Empress Hotel

Ahh, the Empress. You’ve probably heard people talking about the luxurious high tea experience they’ve had here. To be honest, tiny sandwiches and dainty tea cups aren’t our thing, especially at that price tag. We went in and looked around, because it’s the EMPRESS, but we opted not to pay hundreds for this experience. However, it’s very close to Parliament and is so worth exploring for a few minutes!

Ogden Point Breakwater Lighthouse

This was such a unique experience! You get to walk pretty far out into the ocean on a raised cement path. Feeling the sea breeze and being so far away from civilization was such a surreal and relaxing experience! Cruise ships and fishing boats are visible in the distance, and you might see some marine life. And at the end is a lighthouse from 1916!

On the way back, we actually stepped down to walk the lower path, which is just a few inches from the ocean. Down there, we found lots of creative artwork, much of which celebrating local Native Americans tribes. Honestly, the Breakwater was our favorite part of our trip. There was something so fun and freeing about exploring this! It can be very windy, so I definitely recommend tying your hair back and possibly wearing a jacket.

Craigdarrock Castle

Craigdarrock Castle was built in the 1880’s by a very wealthy family. While that means it’s not a true royal castle, that doesn’t mean it’s not absolutely magnificent in person! We opted not to pay to enter, but we still drove there and took some photos in front- because how often do you get to see a legit castle?! Hatley Castle is a bit of a drive, but you can check that out too- it’s where X-Men, MacGyver, and several other movies were filmed.

Fisherman’s Wharf

This is such a fun little area to explore! There are lots of quaint colorful floating houses, as well as food kiosks and shops. If you’re lucky, you’ll see some seals! We ate at the Floating Fish Store, which was so delicious.

Victoria Public Market

This is a modern, super cool indoor market with several restaurants, retail shops, and a coffee shop. Not only is this a fun place to pick up gifts for people back home (like organic tea from Silk Road), but we had so much fun picking out our lunch for a picnic in Beacon Park! I got an amazing meat pie from Victoria Pie Co, and some great Butter Chicken from Sutra. And Ryan was shocked at how amazing the meatless burgers at Very Good Butchers were (he’s a huge meat guy, so I was even more shocked that he ordered one)!

Beacon Park

One of the giant trees at Beacon Park! Links: Red Plaid Dress (Amazon!) // Black Crossbody Vegan Leather Bag

While many people visit the famous Butchart Gardens, it is very expensive! As I researched Victoria, I realized that Beacon Hill Park is an absolutely stunning public park and garden, filled with gorgeous bridges, ponds, flowers, and even wild peacocks! We brought a blanket and set up a picnic with our lunch from the Public Market. Then we spent a couple hours walking around! Honestly, I have no regrets passing on Butchart, because this was the prettiest garden I’ve ever seen. 

Gonzales Hill Observatory

In the middle of the city lies this historic building on the highest point of southern Vancouver Island. It’s a near-360 degree view of Vancouver Island, the ocean, and the Olympic Mountain Range over in Washington. It’s a habitat for California Quail, but we didn’t see any. This was a breathtaking experience!

Chinatown

Victoria’s Chinatown is the second oldest in North America (after San Francisco). The most unique part is Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in North America! There are many shops and restaurants here, as well as Kid Sister Ice Cream (see below). This is a really fun place to explore!

Glass Beach (Sidney)

Looking for glass at Glass Beach. Click here for my plaid Amazon dress!

Since our AirBNB was north of Victoria, we spent some time exploring the darling little sea town of Sidney. The Glass Beach was so fun to search for pretty sea glass, and we walked along the waterfront for a long time, too. 

THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN VICTORIA, BC

WE LOVE FOOD. I am so glad I married a foodie! It’s so exciting to try new restaurants, new cuisines, and new ingredients. And even if you’re not too adventurous (that’s ok!), wouldn’t you rather eat the best local burger or pizza instead of Dominos?! I spend a significant amount of time researching and planning out our meals for vacations. Life’s too short for a bad meal! 😉 I’ll write a blog post soon with my insider tips on finding the best hidden gems whenever you’re traveling. 

So what are the best restaurants in Victoria, British Columbia?

Pagliacci’s – We started our trip with dinner here, and it was the perfect beginning! It’s pretty busy, so you’ll want to arrive with enough time to stand in line (not sure if they take reservations). They had the best live jazz band performing, and absolutely everything we tasted was the best Italian! Victoria has phenomenal seafood, so you’re going to find great seafood dishes everywhere, but they also have a full menu of Italian favorites.

Fishhook at Mermaid Wharf – Amazing Indian-inspired French seafood (among other things). Their Indian seafood chowder is amazing, as well as the ahi appetizer! We sat outside right by the water. So romantic!

Sult Pierogi Bar – If you’ve never eaten pierogies, you are missing out on one of my top 5 foods! And if you have, you’re still going to have your life changed at Sult. They offer a variety of different pierogi stuffings and toppings. So good!

Kid Sister Ice Cream – This was a fun, refreshing stop in the middle of Chinatown, on the narrowest street in North America! All their small batch flavors are locally sourced, and they have several vegan options, too. With flavors like Tiramisu, London Fog (which I got!), and Rhubarb & Ginger, you’re bound to try a brand new flavor that you never realized would be so delicious in ice cream!

Bin 4 Burger Lounge – We are always on the hunt for the best burger in a city! Unique flavors and multiple options are key for us. Bin 4 was so amazing, we talked about going there twice in the same trip! 

Milano – While most coffee shops were great, this one quickly became our go-to! (And we live in the most hipster city in the country, so we’re pretty picky!) BTW, if you’ve never tried hemp milk in your coffee, I highly recommend it.

Links: Gold Lace Dress // Gold Heels // Men’s Plaid Button Down

Deep Cove Chalet – Memory of a lifetime!!! This is a local spot near our AirBNB, about 45 minutes north of Victoria – but I recommend it so much! It’s a darling, romantic little restaurant that’s quite the fine dining experience. We tried our best to keep our elbows off the table. 😉 There’s a bottle of wine on the menu for $1,000!

The outdoor garden dining experience looked amazing, as it’s right on the water. Our waiter was so kind to take some photos out there before seating us inside! The bugs looked a little intense as the night went on (we had a late dinner), so we were really glad we chose to sit inside. We were able to choose reasonably priced courses that were absolutely delightful! My husband would rather eat in a burger dive any day, but I ate this stuff up… literally! 😉 I highly recommend budgeting this dinner in. Oh! And bonus – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle really wanted to dine here, but they were actually turned away due to lack of space. You better believe I stuck my pinky up next time I had my coffee once I read that. Sorry Megs!

I have some more restaurants named in the THINGS TO DO section of this post.

Honorable mentions (because there are SO many great choices!):

Bao (Chinatown)
Canoe (Waterfront Patio)
Charelli’s (Cheese Shop)
Cook & Pan (Polish)
Menbow Ramen
Red Fish Blue Fish
Saltchuck (Australian Meat Pies)
Sally Bun

Man!! I really want to go back now (…especially thanks to 2020). Spending Christmas in Victoria is also on my bucket list for one of these years.

I hope this was a good guide for you to plan the best trip to Victoria, British Columbia! If you have anything to add, or a great restaurant I missed, leave a comment below- I’d love to hear what you love most about Victoria!