24 Hours in Victoria BC

Vancouver Island deserves much more than a 24 hour visit, but sometimes that isn’t always possible. On our recent visit to Victoria, we only had 2 nights and 1 full day, so here is my guide to making the most out of 24 hours in Victoria BC.

Where to stay in Victoria

The centre of Victoria is all very walkable, and there are lots of accommodation options for a variety of budgets. We chose the Strathcona Hotel on Douglas Street. Near to lots of major attractions: The Royal BC Museum, the harbour, and with bars and restaurants on site, the Strathcona suited our budget and had great amenities. We also loved the beautiful suite they gave us – such a lovely haven to return to after a busy day out.

The Fairmont Empress is also a popular choice as a piece of victorian heritage. As a general rule, the waterfront hotels are a bit pricier, so head back a couple of streets if you’re on a budget. For an amazing view out over Victoria, the Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites offers downtown accommodation and a restaurant with splendid views.

24 hours in Victoria BC

12 Midday – Lunch at the Strathcona rooftop bar

Grab yourself a lite bite and a beautiful cocktail at the rooftop bar at the Strathcona Hotel. There’s nothing better than being able to see out over the city while you enjoy some cocktails, and eat BBQ. For me, it was a good way to orientate myself too!

Butchart Gardens is the most famous attraction on Vancouver Island. Therefore, I have not included it in this itinerary, because it deserves at least half a day. Instead, I am highlighting some of the other options for this fabulous city.

2pm – Whale Watching

Vancouver Island is a place of incredible natural beauty, so I recommend getting out on the water. However you choose to do it – by water taxi, whale-watching tour, yacht or dinghy, seeing the coastline from the water is a must. We chose a whale-watching tour, but knew that we weren’t guaranteed whales. That’s ok, don’t get hung up on that!

We had a fantastic time seeing all the other wildlife and beautiful coastline, and by the end of the tour totally didn’t mind that the whales were elusive that day. We saw hundreds of seals (or ‘rock sausages’ as the guide called them), puffins, sea lions, gannets, and other sea birds. Tours generally take 3-4 hours, so leave a good chunk of time for this and don’t schedule your tour for just before you leave, as tours can be delayed for various reasons – i.e. like seeing whales!

6pm – Victoria Docks

You’ll be flushed with adrenalin and joy after your wildlife-watching tour (we were), so it’s definitely time for a happy hour drink along the Victoria Docks. But first, take a stroll along the waterfront to view the beautiful statue ‘The Homecoming’ – a memorial for this naval city, and to all those sailors that did not return. Enjoy watching the sea planes take off and land too! Then head along to one of the many convenient bars for happy hour and a bit of reflection time after an exciting afternoon – I recommend Darcy’s or Lido. Don’t miss Fan Tan Alley in Victoria’s Chinatown too – it’s not far from these bars and restaurants.

7:30pm – Dinner in Victoria

Dinner time! Now, if you haven’t already filled yourself with happy hour food and drink, head on over to dinner. I’m going to give you two options for dinner, depending on your budget.

Option 1 is the Brasserie L’Ecole on Government Street – this unpretentious French brasserie serves up delicious classics to a high standard. OR, if you’re on a budget and want hearty food at a great price, try Ali Baba pizza on Fort Street. We were surprised to get layers of meat UNDER our sauce and cheese, as well as on top!

10pm – A nightcap in Victoria

If you’re up for one last stop before bed, I recommend getting yourself over to Market Square, to a bar called The Drake. Ok, so it’s a hipster haven, but it is great for a late night tipple. They specialise in West Coast craft beers, and it’s a great way to finish a night out.

*** Fall into bed at an undisclosed hour ***

8:30am – Breakfast with a view

If you’ve only got 24 hours in Victoria, you’ll want to have breakfast with the best views, right? Head up to the 18th floor of the Chateau Victoria hotel, to the Vista 18 restaurant. They serve a delicious selection of the usual breakfast favourites, and you can see for miles out the panorama windows of the restaurant.

10am – Fisherman’s Wharf Houseboats

No visit to Victoria is complete without a trip to Fisherman’s Wharf and the house-boats! These floating homes are some of the cutest I’ve seen – sitting colourful and upright despite being on water. Positioned on the south side of the harbour, Fisherman’s Wharf has a lovely selection of eateries and activities such as kayaking. Fancy some seafood for lunch? You have your pick here of down to earth eateries and vendors.

After hiring a kayak to tootle around the harbour, or taking the harbour ferry for a jaunt across the bay, grab yourself some fish and chips or an ice-cream and appreciate this gem of a city.

24 Hours in Victoria BC

If you have more time, then I highly recommend hiring a car and visiting Butchart Gardens, and driving around the rest of Vancouver Island. The enclaves of artists and artisans, the friendly people, and the delicious food are waiting for you! There is so much more to enjoy on Vancouver Island, but I hope this gives you a taste of what 24 hours in Victoria BC can offer.

Read more about our boating adventures in Gananoque or Biking Stanley Park in Vancouver!

All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 STM Lens; and an iPhoneX.