We went to Victoria to check out the Doubletree by Hilton this Spring Break and discovered so many beautiful things in and around Victoria. The ferry ride over to Vancouver Island alone is a site for sore eyes. British Columbia is simply stunning. If you live in Canada, you do not need to leave our great Country to see natural beauty and exciting new places to see. I grew up in Manitoba dreaming of living in BC, which I made a reality when I was 20 years old.
When you get over here, stay in the downtown core. I recently reviewed the Doubletree by Hilton Victoria My Stay My Car program which is pretty cool, do check it out.
We had four days to explore the city and surrounding sites. It was my whole family, so we chose things that would surely please us all. I know these will please your family too, when you get the chance to head on over to the beautiful capital of British Columbia, Victoria.
Here are my picks for what to do in Victoria with Kids:
BEACON HILL PARK
The Park has a Children’s Farm with plenty of adorable farm animals you can get up close and personal with. The goats welcome you right into their pen where they allow you to pet and brush them. There are typically always plenty of baby goats, which are simply the cutest! They love to get up close and nibble on your purse, zipper pulls, and even your hair if you sit down on one of their climbing rocks or a bench they happen to be standing on already.
Entrance by donation (suggested is $4/adult and $3/child)
http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/parks/beacon-hill.html
BEACON HILL DRIVE-IN
Once you’re done snuggling baby goats and ogling the beautiful peacocks, head across the road from Beacon Hill Park to the drive-in. Their ice cream is delicious! All of the food menu items look drool-worthy, but we only stopped in for ice cream (all three times we’ve been here!).
BC PARLIMENT BUILDING
On the weekends, they don’t offer tours, but we still walked up the steps, took some photos and viewed the grounds and statues (including a massive old tree). It’s a must stop!
THE HARBOUR BOARDWALK
Along the wooden boardwalk in the harbor, you will find street food and art vendors lining the entire boardwalk. We enjoyed some ‘street waffles’, and my girls agreed they were ‘the best waffles ever’.
CHOCOLATE FAVORIS
More treats please! This unique franchise offers up delectable house-made chocolate creations as well as ‘kooky’ ice cream cones and ‘drinkable deserts’. Delicious! Walking distance from downtown/harbor.
https://www.chocolatsfavoris.com/en
OAK BAY MARINA
Beach drive en route to the Marina
Worth the drive! Not only is it a beautiful little drive to the Marina, once there, you can buy some fish guts and toss them into the marina for the local seals. When we visited there were 8-10 large seals all happy to have some ‘treat’s. It was really special, my girls loved this.
oakbaymarina.com
HIGH TEA AT THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS HOTEL
A very special treat! Take your family to experience high tea to taste delicious warm fresh scones, tea sandwiches and many tiny desserts! The 5-12-year-olds get the Prince or Princess treatment with a special tea of tiers just for them, including peanut butter & jam, ham & cheese, and gorgeous desserts made just for kids! The desserts include chocolate dipped marshmallow pop, baby-sized cupcake, and more! I’ll be writing a post with many many pictures soon, we had such a great time.
https://www.teaattheempress.com/
BUTCHART GARDENS
The world-famous Butchart Gardens are a must-do. See my full post about the Butchart Gardens here. Family-friendly is the key here, with a carousel, a kid-focused scavenger hunt, holiday-themed events, even Summer night concerts and Saturday night fireworks all through July and August!
http://www.butchartgardens.com/
BUTTERFLY GARDENS
Are your kids into bugs? There is a very cool insectarium as you begin your journey through the Butterfly Gardens. Once inside, it’s warm tropical environment including beautiful greenery, pink flamingos, turtles, parrots, and even iguanas. Not to mention, nearly 3000 butterflies! When you go in March, up to 1000 new Blue Morpho butterflies have just joined the gardens!
https://www.butterflygardens.com/
OGDEN POINT BREAKWATER
This pier is 1.6km long round-trip! It’s a fabulous spot to pull the car over and stretch your legs and walk the length with the kids to take in the view. There is a café here too, and a sundial. The girls liked walking along the rocks and logs at the beach too.
https://www.victoriatrails.com/trails/ogden-point-breakwater/
WINERIES & DISTILLERIES
These are not really kid-friendly, sometimes. My girls get bored and whiney when we want to stop at a winery, but that never stops us. There are some beautiful and really great wineries and distilleries on the Island, so do check them out, if your kids will let you.
We stopped at De Vine Wineries, where I took this photo. It was so very beautiful up here!
Enjoy!
PIN ME FOR LATER:
*Disclosure: High Tea at the Empress, Butchart Gardens, and Butterfly Gardens were provided at no cost to us.