Top Attractions on Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island Essentials

Vancouver Island features the historic capital of Victoria, home to the Royal BC Museum and the Victorian-era Craigdarroch Castle. Natural highlights include the 55-acre Butchart Gardens and the ancient Douglas firs of Cathedral Grove. The island's maritime culture is centered around Victoria's Inner Harbour and the colorful houseboats of Fisherman’s Wharf, while the Old Country Market in Coombs is known for its grass-roofed building where goats graze.

Mwoodbc / CC BY-SA 3.0

Butchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver…

Colin W / CC BY-SA 3.0

Cathedral Grove

Located in MacMillan Provincial Park, this forest contains Douglas fir trees over 800 years old, with some reaching heights of 75 meters and circumferences of nine meters.

Jim Ghoshdastidar / cc-by-sa-4.0

Royal BC Museum

Founded in 1886, this museum houses natural and human history collections, including indigenous totem poles and a life-sized replica of a 19th-century Victoria street.

Robthepiper / CC BY-SA 3.0

Victoria Inner Harbour

A deep-water port serving cruise ships, ferries, and floatplanes, bordered by the British Columbia Parliament Buildings and the Fairmont Empress Hotel.

Wpcpey / CC BY-SA 4.0

Tea at the Empress

Traditional afternoon tea service hosted in the Fairmont Empress Hotel's Lobby Lounge since 1908, featuring signature raisin scones and honey harvested from on-site hives.

Hugh Lee / CC BY-SA 2.0

Craigdarroch Castle

Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish baronial mansion.

Joe Mabel / CC BY-SA 3.0

Fan Tan Alley

Fan Tan Alley is an alley in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada that is known for being the narrowest…

John Newcomb / CC BY 3.0

Hatley Park National Historic Site

Hatley Park National Historic Site is located in Colwood, British Columbia, in Greater Victoria.

Another Believer / CC BY-SA 3.0

Beacon Hill Park

Beacon Hill Park is a 75 ha park located along the shore of Juan de Fuca Strait in Victoria, British Columbia.

Gillian from Toronto, Canada / cc-by-sa-2.0

Old Country Market - Goats on Roof

A market in Coombs featuring an imported goods store and bakery, famous for the live goats that graze on its sod roof during the summer months.

Eminoro / CC BY-SA 3.0

Fisherman's Wharf Park

A marine destination featuring food kiosks, eco-tour operators, and a community of brightly colored float homes moored in the harbor.

Ocean Ecoventures Whale Watching

Marine tours departing from Cowichan Bay and Parksville, focusing on sightings of orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, and bald eagles within the Salish Sea.