First of all, can we talk about the CUTEST CITY EVER!!? This is definitely an underrated city that stole my heart. Victoria Canada definitely needs to be on your radar, especially if you’re living in Seattle. I planned this trip kind of last minute which makes it even better because that means you can too! One weekend in Victoria was so much fun and I can’t wait to go back again.

I went to Victoria from Seattle as part of the clipper getaway deals and it made life so easy. Sure, there were a lot of pros and cons (e.g., not taking the dog, not having a car), however, I would say for your FIRST time in Victoria, not having a car is totally doable and acceptable! When I go back a second time, I will take the Clipper again but also bring my bike. Another way to explore any new city is the hop-on hop-off bus. Tickets can be found at the Fairmont Empress ticket booth.

Here is how I spent one weekend in Victoria during the winter season:

Friday Night:

I always try to maximize my time in new cities so I would try to get the earlier clipper time if you can! This way you can arrive at a decent time, compile a general list of things you want to do, and enjoy more sunsets in new cities! The sunset on day one of my trip was fabulous. When you arrive at the clipper terminal, you have this amazing view of the house boats so I would take your time strolling the pier when you get in!

Once arriving in Victoria, you will be mesmerized by the Victorian buildings, quaint town, waterfront views, and boutique vibes all along. I spent rest of the first night walking around downtown and settling into my hotel at the Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza Hotel. This place was a great location, comfortable, affordable, and had super friendly staff!

After settling into the hotel, I got some amazing tapas at the Tapas Bar Restaurant. I then walked and took the famous ‘Canada’ picture along the pier with the Fairmont Empress Hotel in the background.

To end the night, I got a few good drinks and enjoyed some live music at Hermann’s Jazz Club.

Saturday:

I began the morning with an amazing breakfast at Shanzees Biscuit. After that I walked to all the adorable shops nearby including Little Gold Boutique and Market Square.

Next, I spent the day exploring the inner harbor and downtown. During this time, I also went to the Fairmont Empress to purchase tickets for the Butchart Gardens for a nighttime pick up/drop off. Boy oh boy, was I mesmerized by the cute lights, Christmas decorations, holiday spirit and friendly town! I quickly realized how full I was from breakfast I needed some perverted ice cream to reboost my metabolism.

The Inner Harbor had so much to offer I could have spent days there! I absolutely fell in love the most fabulously decorated bar in town, Canoe Brewpub. After oohing and awing at the interior decor, I continued to walk and explore other restaurants, eating a little at each one along the way! The Flying Otter Grill was also another good choice!

Towards the end of the night, it was our pickup time for the Butchart Gardens winter lights! You can see the winter lights if you visit from December 1-January 6. To be quite honest, I can’t remember what time we went but it was one of the mid evening time slots because I wanted enough time to come back and experience the night life. We loaded on to the bus around 5 PM and took the 30-minute bus to Butchart Garden. Burchart Garden light show and decoration for wintertime is out of this world and worth every penny, highly recommend!

Finally, we took the bus back to downtown and ended the night with some SUPER cool bars! My personal favorite of the night was Irish Pub Times.

Sunday:

I woke up feeling so sad that the trip had to come to an end, however I was so grateful for my last minute trip. One weekend in Victoria just flew by and yet, I had so much more to fit in! I started the morning “running” along the water (okay, I DON’T run, but it just sounds cooler when I say I did it). I tried to go as far as I could, setting aside 1-2 hours to “run” along the water and back.
After my “run” I HAD to have the famous afternoon tea at the Fairmont Express. Yes, this was a neat experience, however I wouldn’t put it high on your list if your limited on time.

Unfortunately, after our afternoon tea, the dream weekend vacation had to come to an end. After high tea, we started walking towards the ferry, where we bid this beautiful city a farewell.

Thank you so much for reading about my one weekend in Victoria! I hope you learned a little bit about my weekend so you can make your own itinerary!

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