If you look up, not too high, and peer across Victoria’s horizon, and if you have a keen eye you will notice something interesting and peculiar. Up high on a hill you will notice a grand building, nay, a castle with a sandstone facade and towering spires.

This is one of Victoria BC’s best historical landmarks and attractions. From a coal barons dream to military hospital, Victoria College to now a national historic site, these doors are now open for you to explore a Victorian era castle restored to its original glory.

A brief history – Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant turned coal baron with many large business interests under his wings gave orders to build this castle for the family, especially his 3 unwed daughters (the castle would serve as a grand showcase to potential husbands) and also to serve as a monument to his success. The castle was built over a period from 1887 – 1890, unfortunately Robert did not get to see his dream fulfilled due to his death in 1889. His wife Joan, after an extended trip to Europe, lived in the Castle till her death in 1908.

The Original 28 acre estate with its entrance just off of Fort St. (the driveway now known as Joan Crescent), was sold by the daughters to a real estate developer and then subsequently subdivided. The new owner of the castle did not stay for long. Due to financial difficulties he had to give up the castle and thus started the landmark on its first non family use as a military hospital.

In 1919 the federal Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment opened a military hospital. Craigdarroch castle underwent extensive renovations to accommodate her new hosts. The military hospital was only there for a few years till it became Victoria College.

In 1921 Victoria College did more renovations to accommodate the students. Eventually the school became so overcrowded that they had to vacate the castle for a more suitable building. One of the school attendees was the famed Pierre Burton, amongst others.

By the 1970′s the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society had taken over the building and began the arduous task of restoring the castle to its original glory. Over the years this Victoria castle has been painstakingly restored to much of its original glory. Period art, furniture and decor have been collected and reassembled to take you back in time to see the castle in its original state.

The attraction – Upon entrance to Craigdarroch Castle you will enter the greeting area take a moment to stop and look up. Marvel at the oak staircase that seems to stretch into infinity. The entrance is also panelled in oak imported from Arkansas that gives this area a very warm glow. This is where you will start you self guided tour.

Following the pamphlet that was given to you, take a stroll through the many different rooms decorated and restored to its original state. You will get a very unique glimpse of a Victorian era barons family domestic life. You will see their tastes reflected in the fine art, furniture, instruments and accoutrements.

As you are walking through the castle you will see one of the worlds finest collections of Victorian stained glass, 33 original works. The walls are adorned with countless paintings and portraits that make this castle not only a museum, but an art gallery as well.

One of the bonuses of this attraction is the view you get of Victoria. From the top floor you get a stunning view of the Rockland and Fairfield areas of Victoria as well as the Olympic Mountain Range in Washington State. For a really interesting view, at the top of the oak staircase you can access the highest point of the castle in one of its spires. From here you can see downtown Victoria and also some interesting stained glass work that adorns the windows as well.

The self guided tour will take you through many different rooms of the castle and you will get a genuine feel of what it was like to live as they lived.

You will see the various sitting rooms, studies, bedrooms dinning rooms, smoking room, servants quarters and a stellar game room on the top floor with a very large snooker table.

Here is a You Tube video of the inside of Craigdarroch Castle.

The whole tour can take you an hour or more depending how long you stop to appreciate the artwork. There is a fantastic little gift shop at the exit that is well worth exploring. They have many unique and eclectic items to browse and purchase.

For hours of operation and admission prices please refer to their website http://www.thecastle.ca/

Are you looking to stretch your legs, get some good exercise and spend some time in nature? Would you like to watch the salmon spawn, walk through a lush ancient rain forest and treat your eyes with a magnificent panoramic view of Victoria and lower Vancouver Island? Mount Finlayson in Victoria BC’s Goldstream Park is the premier mountain to climb in the region. Locals consider this climb to be a personal challenge to anyone who lives in the area, if you are physically able, at some point you need to summit this mountain in order to prove to yourself that you can rightfully call Victoria BC your home.

Okay, Mt. Finlayson is not the jagged and menacing peak of the Matterhorn, but the mountain does appear prominently in the Victoria area and also comes with its fair share of climbing challenges. Mount Finlayson is not for the faint of heart, you need to be in moderate to good physical shape to tackle this climb. You also need to be prepared. Make sure you wear polyester clothing because you will work up a big sweat and wet cotton will give you bad chills even on warm days. Bring a litre or more water for you personally. Pack a healthy snack for when you reach the summit like a sandwich or fruit and cheese, you’ll need the energy for the descent, all in a back pack of course. Wear your watch and/or bring a cell phone for emergencies. Climbing in a group is recommended, but the mountain sees many daily visitors so if you are going solo and find yourself in trouble someone surely will be along shortly, as long as you are on the main trail. Children under 10 should not come with you.

On a side note, if you find yourself heading up for a hike from October to December, stop in at Goldstream Provincial Park and watch the salmon swim up stream to spawn. There are several great nature trails all along the river with many unique salmon viewing opportunities. There is also a nature house where you can browse their book store,  learn about the salmons life cycle and about other animals that inhabit the park.

Okay, enough time spent watching the salmon, you have a mountain to climb. About 200 meters from the small bridge that crosses the Goldstream River you will come to the trail head for the Mount Finlayson hike. Take note of the map and recommendations, you will also see other information about cougars and bears in the area and what to do if you encounter one. The Mount Finlayson trail is frequented regularly by people and their dogs, this alone will ensure a cougar or bear sightings should be very remote.

Your hike begins in the lush green rain forest canopied by towering Douglas Fur and Cedar trees, the forest floor is covered in soft green moss and giant ferns, kind of fantasy like. Your first steps up the trail is not forgiving, it looks like a well maintained trail but it is steep. You’ll notice a set of stairs off to your right hand side, you can take them if you want, they just take you around a slightly longer way and it meets up with the main trail after a few hundred meters.

The small scribble by the 2nd note warns of vampires in the area.

Mt. Finlayson, Finlayson Arm, Finlayson Rd. and others were named after one of Victoria’s founding fathers, Roderick Finlayson. Originally employed in Lower Canada by the Hudson Bay Company he eventually got a posting to what was called then Fort Victoria. He saw Victoria emerge from a barren landscape, to a small HBC outpost to a bustling town when the Cariboo gold rush came. He received praise from Sir James Douglas siting his “energy, perseverance, method and sound judgement in all his arrangements. . .”. What better quote to remember when climbing Mt. Finlayson!

The steady slope continues for about 15 or so minutes when you come to a steep gully. At the bottom there is a small stream running through it with a small wooden bridge for your crossing convenience. Scaling this gully is a very unique experience, on either side the only way to get into and out of the it is to climb the exposed root systems of trees. Its natures ladder. On the other side, however, after scaling up the root system the trail turns very steep with loose rock,  this is were you need to start being careful and watch your footing.

From this point on you’ll start to see orange trail markers, some with directional arrows, some are faded and harder to see and some are signed by future “artisans”. Its important to pay attention to these, in some rocky places it can be hard to see which way the trail is going. On the way back pay very close attention to the markers, people commonly go off trail on the decent.

As you hike higher up you’ll notice you are leaving the dark, green and lush rain forest and entering a semi arid environment. You’ll see Garry Oak, Arbutus trees and you will now start to get more spectacular views of the Bear Mountain community and some surrounding areas.

After traversing the semi arid forest area for another 15 minutes, things start getting rocky, now is the time for firm grips, firm footing, centering your gravity, concentration and don’t look down. This is the most unnerving leg of the hike and the longest too. You will be scrambling (scrambling is climbing using all four of your limbs), there will be climbing up rocky crevasses, some rocks are smooth, flat and steep, be very careful, they can be slippery when wet. Some parts of the trail you will be between a rock wall and a few feet away is a steep cliff.

All this being said, it is safe, there is some margin for error and people aren’t dieing in droves from climbing mishaps. What to expect; you will get some sort of scrape in some way, you will be sore the next day and the usual bad injury is a bleeding scrape,  a sprain or possibly a fracture. Search and rescue are rarely ever called to Mount Finlayson, when they are it is usually for someone who stayed too long or went up too late in the day and can’t find their way down. Once it is dark, you CAN NOT see the trail and it is far too dangerous to descend. You should not attempt a summit later than noon, depending on the time of year. Also, if it is raining hard, windy or snowing, stay off the mountain.

Near the top, the scrambling will end and it is just a semi steep hike to the summit. At the top you will see a surveyors bench mark, a detailed map of Goldstream Park and one of the most amazing views money can’t buy. You can see downtown Victoria, the Highlands, the Trans Canada Highway with toy like cars driving on it, a trestle across the valley (that you can hike to as well, via Little Niagara Falls), Mt. Baker, Strait of Juan De Fuca and the majestic Olympic Mountain Range. Did I forget to tell you about all the nature too? Bird watching, the flora and fauna, dainty little flowers dotting the hillside and Sitka deer prancing off in the distance. With your physical sacrifice comes a great reward, there are so many special things on Mt. Finlayson and there is only one way to get those precious experiences, you have to climb it.

The way down. No where near the exertion as the way up, but you need to be careful in different ways, your chance of falling and slipping are greater, you need to go slow and pay attention. IMPORTANT! When you are back into the scrambling phase there comes a part where it is easy to go off trail, pay close attention to the markers. You will know you have gone off trail when you get to a 3 meter high brownish cliff with some thin trees in front of it. Those trees are your friends, use them to repel down the cliff and carry on down a slight path that will eventually take you to the main trail by the big boulder (you’ll know what I mean when you see it). This off trail “trap” is more difficult than the main trail, keep an eye out those orange markers.

All in all, Mt. Finlayson makes for a great 2-3 hour hike. Come experience for yourself the challenge, great views and fresh air that await you. Mount Finlayson is about a 20 minute drive north of Victoria BC on the #1 Trans Canada Highway at the Goldstream Park turnoff.

By,
Darshan Montgomery.

Downtown Victoria BC is known the world over for its picturesque and unique beauty and staying around or near the inner harbour is the most desirable location to to procure your accommodation needs. The inner harbour in Victoria BC is so desirable because of the close proximity of many attractions. It’s also a good starting point for getting transportation to points of interest further out of town, the Victoria Tourism information centre is located near by, the close proximity to some of the best restaurants Victoria BC has to offer, world class and eclectic shopping opportunities and, most importantly, the shear beauty of the inner harbour and causeway is like no where else.

So lets talk about some of the Victoria BC hotels around the inner harbour and what unique services they have to offer.

The Inn at Laurel Point

Conde Nast Traveler rated the Inn at Laurel Point one of the top 25 hotels in Canada in 2007, and I’m not surprised. The view from your room will encompass a large part of the inner harbour and you will have close ups of the Coho Ferry sailing into port, seaplanes taking off and landing and all manor of small water craft sailing by the point. Some of the features of the Inn at Larel Point are its fine dining experience at the Aura and its famous Sunday brunch, in room spa, pool, gardens and walking paths around the scenic point itself. More details and reservation information can be found here.

Harbour Towers Hotel and Suites

One block away from the inner harbour this hotel is one of the taller buildings in Victoria. A suite on one of the higher floors provides a spectacular view of downtown Victoria BC and beyond. Close to the inner harbour and the associated attractions, this hotel also has a fitness centre, business centre, a pool and is pet friendly. Vic’s Steakhouse and Bar is their in house restaurant that has breakfast, lunch and dinner services. For more information about the Harbour Towers Hotel and Suites click here.

The Hotel Grand Pacific

Right in front of the Royal London Wax Museum and footsteps from the Port Angeles to Victoria BC ferry terminal this hotel is Grand indeed! Full views are available of the inner harbour and causeway, easy access to downtown attractions and the Tourism Victoria information centre. This hotel on the inner harbour has a gym, pool, spa, salon, coffee shop, lounge, great seafood at the Pacific Restaurant and a picturesque fountain and garden with resident ducks. For more information on the Hotel Grand Pacific click here.

Delta Ocean Point Resort

Located on the quieter side of the inner harbour and is uniquely situated for scenic and outside activities. Arguably the closest hotel to the downtown Victoria shopping district and the eclectic Market Square. From your room you have the best view of the inner harbour, highlights being the lights on the Parlaiment Buildings at night, marine traffic comming in and out of the harbour and on Canada Day (July 1st) the fireworks display is launched from the Delta’s waterfront, simply spectacular. Amenities like a spa, pool, exercise room, tennis courts and the fabulous Alure Restaurant with a piano bar are available here. Perhaps one of the biggest bonuses of staying at the Delta OPR is that the Songhees Walkway starts at their doorstep and winds its way along Victoria West’s scenic harbour. For more info on the Delta click here.

The Fairmont Empress

Simply the centerpiece inner harbour hotel with the causeway at its doorstep. This historic and world famous hotel has attracted celebrities, socialites and royalty for almost 100 years. Experience fine dining at its best in the Empress Room, have a drink in the regal Bengal Lounge or have genuine English High Tea. There is also a spa, pool, business centre, rose garden, gift shops, galleries and The Fairmont Empress is attached to the Victoria Conference Centre for those people who want to mix their business with pleasure. If you are seeking a true first class experience The Fairmont Empress hotel is a must. For more information or to make a reservation click here.

All the Victoria BC inner harbour hotels we have talked about so far are at the high end of the accommodation spectrum and a single night alone at one of these hotels could cost you in excess of $300.00. The next hotels mentioned mentioned are still considered to be in the inner harbour but could potentially save you a lot of money while still being in one of the most desirable spots in Victoria BC.

Admiral Inn & Suites

A smaller hotel very close to the inner harbour and the Port Angeles Coho ferry and Victoria Clipper terminals. Close to the downtown Victoria attractions and amenities include free continental breakfast, free parking,  free wifi, pet friendly and much more. For more information on the Admiral Inn click here.

Best Western Inner Harbour

They actually have two locations in downtown Victoria, but since we are talking about the inner harbour we’ll limit the conversation to just the one location. This is probably one of the better economical options considering location and amenities offered. There is a pool, whirl pool, sauna, exercise room, free continental breakfast, internet access, free parking, laundry facilities, kid and pet friendly. It’s location to all the inner harbour attractions makes for an easy walk to the Causeway, Royal BC Museum, Parliament Buildings, restaurants and transportation hubs. For more info and bookings click here.

Map of Victoria BC Hotels Inner Harbour

Where is the best place to stay in Victoria BC’s inner harbour?

That is a hard question to answer because everyones needs and price threshold are different. What I can suggest is that you head on over to TripAdvisor and take advantage the one of the worlds largest and up to date travel and hotel review web sites and search for the Victoria BC inner harbour hotels we have mentioned here.

Do you need more information about Victoria BC? Including information on the best attractions, points of interest, getting to Victoria BC, restaurants, other accommodations all wrapped up in one of the most comprehensive travel guide for Victoria BC? Then come on over to our main web site for Victoria BC Tourism and get the rest of the information you need to get the most out of your trip.

Are you bored? “Things to do in Victoria BC at night” and “what to do in Victoria BC at night” are loaded questions and depends on what you consider enjoyable, entertaining and just plain fun. Lets explore every night of the week and see if we can provide some good ideas for things to do at night in Victoria BC. Now keep in mind, you don’t necessarily need to do these things on the particular night in mention, most can be interchanged with other nights of the week.

Things to do in Victoria on a Monday night. Monday night football is always a staple for sports fans. The Sharks Club at 2852 Douglas St. (right beside the Sandman Hotel) has many large screen TV’s, non stop suds, gourmet and pub fare to eat. Contests and prizes are common during Sunday and Monday football events.

Things to do in Victoria on a Tuesday night. Tuesday is movie night in Victoria BC. Some of the local cinema’s have special discount rates for admission only on Tuesday nights. But, for a real deal you need to check out the Roxy Theatre at 2657 Quadra St. For a very low price you can see not only 1 but 2 feature films that have just left the mainstream theatres and are not yet out on DVD. Check out the first link in this Google search for all of Victoria BC movie show times.

Things to do in Victoria on a Wednesday night. Oh gosh…. Wednesday is a tough one. I save Wednesday for doing laundry, housecleaning, helping a friend with a minor chore, treating my self to some fast food or some Noodle Box (this is some of Victoria’s best Thai food, my favorite is the Thai green curry). If I’m still bored I’ll take a drive or hike up to Victoria’s premier viewpoint Mt. Tolmie, listen to some music, gaze out over the city and maybe spend some quality time with my significant other.

Things to do in Victoria on a Thursday night. Beat the crowds! Thursday night is the best night to go out, hit the malls and go shopping. Many of Victoria BC Shopping Centres are open later hours on Thursday and Friday Night. The Bay Centre, Mayfair Mall, Hillside Centre and Tillicum Centre are just some of the places you can shop,  browse and/or spend some carefree time with friends and family.

Things to do in Victoria on a Friday night. You have had a tough week of school and/or work and need to blow off some steam! Victoria has your night time  options covered. Dance the night away at the Social Club, Hush, Touch or Bar Code. Sing a Celtic shanty or mingle with friends at Darcy’s Pub, Irish Times Pub or the Sticky Wicket. Watch a live event at the Save On Foods Centre, Logan’s Pub or the McPherson Playhouse. Here are more complete lists of Victoria BC Night Clubs and Victoria BC Pubs.

Things to do in Victoria on a Saturday night. Well, you could just recycle what you did on Friday night, or you could witness one of Victoria’s premier events at the Butchart Gardens. Every Saturday night during the summer the Butchart Gardens have an extensive fireworks display set to a storyline and music. Besides the fireworks display the Butchart Gardens features live performances and under the cover of night the gardens themselves take on a new and magical form all set to the soothing music of the Aeolian Pipe Organ.

Things to do in Victoria on a Sunday night. A lot of establishments close early on Sunday night or don’t open at all. Perhaps dinner out at one of Victoria BC’s fine dining establishments. Afterward, taking a walk along Victoria’s scenic causeway, maybe driving up to the top of Beacon Hill and enjoying the majestic view of the Juan de Fuca Strait or just renting a DVD and making a sleepy night of it.

So there you have it. I hope some of these ideas will help you find things to do in Victoria BC at night or at the very least give you some brainstorming fodder to come up with your own ideas. Do you want some more information about Victoria BC? Then come on over to our main site for Victoria BC Tourism where we have Victoria’s most comprehensive travel guide to help you make the best out of your Victoria visit.

Victoria BC being one of the worlds premier destination cities that appeals to mostly adults does have places that the kids can enjoy too. Often trying to placate bored children can be a little difficult in Victoria. That is why this lists names the top kids activities in Victoria BC all in one spot so you’ll need not to look any further.

1. Downtown has many options, and the first is the Royal BC Museum. This is one of the best museums in all of Canada and appeals to to the young and the young at heart. Explore BC’s natural, human and contemporary history brought to life in some of the most detailed immersive displays that make this museum famous. There is an interactive area for young children where they can touch and explore using microscope-like devices and other visual aided apparatus. Not only is this area fun for kids but is educational as well. The museum also plays host to other touring displays of the likes of whales and Leonardo Da Vinci.

2. Beacon Hill Park. A five minute walk from downtown Victoria, this beautiful urban park has many acres of gardens, ponds, trails, miles of coast line and most important of all, lots of stuff for kids to do!

Beacon Hill Park is a great place for the kids and family to have a picnic lunch and spend a few hours of semi or unstructured leisure time. There is a large playground with many different kind of activities that will help burn of that extra energy kids always seem to have. Not one, but two water parks where kids can frolic around and cool off on a hot summers day. Last but not least, a petting zoo! Admission is by donation and there a lots of animals that are kid friendly, especially the goats.

There is plenty of free parking every where in Beacon Hill Park, a great view from the top of Beacon Hill where you can walk or drive up and there is a great little fast food restaurant called the Beacon Drive In (at the corner of Douglas St. and Beacon St.) where they have some of the best soft serve ice cream in Victoria BC.

3. The Victoria Bug Zoo. This attraction was designed just for kids in mind. Come explore the world bugs and creepy crawly insects guaranteed to amaze children of all ages.

4. Crystal Pool and Fitness. In fact any of the city run recreation centres like the Oak Bay Recreation Centre, Saanich Commonwealth Place, Esquimalt Recreation Centre, Panorama Recreation Centre and the West Shore Parks and Recreation are great places to take children to have a good time. All the recreation centres have activities and facilities that appeal to kids like wave pools, water slides, diving boards and some even have dedicated children activity directors organizing games and prizes.

5. WildPlay Element Parks. Adventure high up in the forest canopy where your kids can zip-line from tree to tree over a set course. Safety is of utmost concern and you can be rest assured this supervised kids attraction will provide thrilling memories for the rest of their lives.

7. All Fun Recreation Park. Water slides used to be the prime attraction here, but they have been permanently closed. However, there are more great kids attractions besides water slides. There are batting cages, mini golf and go karts that will be guaranteed to amuse for many hours. The park is open year round and there is also an ice cream stand on premises.

8. Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre. A hands on marine educational centre, explore up close our marine ecosystem with the aid of microscopes and other educational devices. The aquariums are stocked with local plant and animal life from our local environment and some you can even touch.

9. Fort Rod Hill National Historic Site. Extensive WWI and WWII artillery batteries completely restored to its period form. Explore the many gun batteries, barracks, war room, support structures, beaches and even a working lighthouse that is open to your exploration.

10. Witty’s Lagoon. This park located just outside Victoria BC has a nature house, waterfalls and a 25 minute walk through the forest to the beach. The best part about Witty’s Lagoon sandy beach is at low tide the sand bar becomes exposed and stretches out half a kilometer. The tidal pools warm up on sunny summer days and can become warm, the shallow sandy beach is great for building sandcastles and skim boarding adventures.

The only amenities at Witty’s Lagoon are pit toilets so make sure you bring your own water and snacks.

Well, there you have it, all the 10 top things to do for kids in Victoria BC. If you need more general information about visiting this fabulous city come on over to our main site for Victoria BC Tourism to get all the information you need on local services, accommodations and a feature length in depth travel guide so you can get the most out of your vacation.

By Darshan Montgomery