One of the most southerly cities in Canada, Victoria makes for a great day trip from Vancouver. I treated myself to a seaplane out which was a very scenic, and surprisingly smooth way to fly.
The Parliament Building and Empress Hotel are icons of the city, beautiful Victorian architecture.
Slightly less Victorian sights on the streets nearby…
The Royal British Columbia Museum is one of the top museums in North America, home to a fascinating and extensive permanent exhibition on the history of British Columbia.
There was also a travelling exhibition from the British Museum. Despite having to pay to see things I’d seen for free in London I actually enjoyed this exhibition more. Selecting a subset of items allowed much greater focus on each one, I could appreciate them properly rather than the often overwhelming and exhausting experience in the British Museum itself.
The Butchart Gardens are world famous, which I did enjoy but they’re very much show gardens rather than typical botanic gardens, with extravagant colours, well maintained bedding, and hoards of people.
I got the bus and ferry back, which was a treat in itself when killer whales / orca were spotted, which combined with a beautiful sunset was the perfect way to end the day.
