Victoria Excursions

Victoria is a great place to get out and explore. Whether you're enjoying the beautiful Butchart Gardens, taking in High Tea at the Empress Hotel or exploring the many attractions of the city's Inner Harbour area, you'll find lots of things to do in Victoria, "the most British city in Canada."

Your ship will dock at the Ogden Point Cruise Terminal in the Outer Harbour area of Victoria, which is located just over 1 mile from the Inner Harbour and downtown areas. All of the tours below will begin at the Cruise Terminal. If your ship offers a shuttle to the Inner Harbour area, take it. Otherwise, you can grab a cab or take a very pleasant walk to get there.

If you have taken any of the tours listed below, we'd like your feedback on your experience. Please click on the link of the tour you took, and then click the "Write a review of this tour" button and tell us what your experience was all about.

City Tours

Victoria Highlights

2 hours

Learn about the history, lore and heritage of Canada's City of Gardens as you drive through the City Center, Chinatown, Bastion Square (the notorious home of the "hanging judge"), along "Antique Alley," Craigdarroch Castle, and the exclusive residential areas of Uplands and Oak Bay.

Victoria Highlights & Craigdarroch Castle/ Victoria Highlights & Mt. Tolmie/ Craigdarroch Castle & Victoria Highlights

2½ to 3 hours

Discover Victoria's rich history and scenic beauty on a tour of the Garden City. You'll drive through the Inner Harbour and the Old Town, Chinatown, Bastion Square (the notorious home of the "hanging judge"), along "Antique Alley," and the Mt. Tolmie lookout. The highlight of the tour is a visit to Craigdarroch Castle, a 39-room Victorian mansion built by the coal baron Robert Dunsmuir.

Grand City Drive & Empress Tour/ Grand City Drive & Empress High Tea

3 hours

Your day starts as you take a 1½ hour guided tour of Victoria and its environs. Then head to the century-old Empress Hotel for High Tea, complete with raisin scones, fresh fruit, Chantilly cream, finger sandwiches, decadent desserts and the hotel's specially blended tea.

Victoria by Horse Drawn Trolley

1 hour

Victoria has often been called "the most British of Canadian cities," and taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage will surely evoke that sentiment. You'll pass by the Legislative buildings, trimmed with thousands of lights, the Empress Hotel, and through Beacon Hill Park.

Victoria's Ghosts & Graveyards

3 hours

Victoria is said to be Canada's most haunted city, and the cemeteries overflow with stories of those who have passed to the hereafter and those who have chosen to hang around a bit longer. Visit Ross Bay Cemetery, where many of Victoria's most famous settlers are buried, and tour areas of the city where ghostly apparitions are said to appear.

Victoria Hop-On/Hop-Off/ Double-Decker Tour

1 hour

Experience Victoria at your own pace as you travel around the city on a vintage double-decker bus. On this narrated tour, you have the option of hopping off at locations you want to explore in more detail, and passing over the locations that don't interest you.

Waterfront Walking Tour

1¾ hours

Enjoy a mile-long walk along the harborside waterfront as you journey from the Cruise Terminal pier to Fisherman's Wharf to the building that rise along the Inner Harbor. Once you've arrived at the Empress Hotel, you can further explore the charming Garden City of Victoria.

Eco Tours

Walk on the Wild Side

3½ hours

Take in a guided hike at Vancouver Island's beautiful Goldstream Provincial Park. The park's 1,200 acres of old-growth trees, streams and trails provide a wonderful opportunity to commune with nature and see a different side of Vancouver Island.

Historic Downtown & Killer Whale Safari by Jetboat

3½ hours

Enjoy a short tour of downtown Victoria and the Inner Harbour, then board a jet boat for a 3-hour tour on the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Like a modern-day Ahab, you'll be in search of the pods of the 80 to 90 orcas that reside in these waters.

Whale Watching/ Whale Watching Cruise/ Orca Whale Watching & Wildlife Tour/ Orca Whale Watching by Day

3½ hours

The waters surrounding Victoria and southern Vancouver Island are abundant with wildlife. Join an adventure that takes in Victoria's Inner Harbour and the open waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca in search of the pods of 80 to 90 killer whales that make these waters their home.

Orca Whale Watching by Evening

3½ hours

Evening is often feeding time for the pods of 80 to 90 resident killer whales living in these waters. Head for open water to observe the whales and the abundant local wildlife.

Food & Drink

City Lights, Wine & Chocolate

2½ hours

See the sights in Victoria's Inner Harbour, Chinatown and the Old Town section of the city, then drive up the coast to take a tour of one of Vancouver Island's best wineries for a wine tasting paired with chocolate truffles.

City Sights & Gourmet Picnic at Butchart Gardens/ City Drive & Butchart Gardens Gourmet Picnic/ Gourmet Picnic & Choreographed Fireworks at Butchart Gardens

4 hours

Enjoy a brief visit of the Garden City of Victoria, then head north to the Butchart Gardens, a lush paradise of flowers, trees, statuary and winding paths that were created by the Butchart family over the past century. Here you'll enjoy a gourmet picnic on the lawns, then take a leisurely tour of the grounds.

Tea at Butchart Gardens/ Afternoon Tea at Butchart Gardens

4 hours

High Tea is an English tradition since 1840, and there's nothing like the Tea served at Butchart Gardens, a lush paradise of flowers, trees, statuary and winding paths that were created by the Butchart family over the past century. Take a stroll through the gardens, then enjoy a delectable selection for an afternoon indulgence, including traditional warm delicacies, savory tea sandwiches and homemade sweets.

Victoria Ale Trail & Pub Tour/ Victoria Pub Tour/ Victoria Ale & Brewery/ Victoria Ale & Brewery Tour

3¾ hours

This excursion was designed for the Homer Simpson in all of us. You'll visit two pubs and a microbrewery (or three pubs) to sample the fine beers and ales crafted in Victoria, and to enjoy the ambience and Canadian hospitality unique to the Great White North.

West Coast Traditional Salmon Bake & Aboriginal Vineyard Tour

5 hours

Enjoy a scenic drive to an acclaimed First Nation-owned winery for a tour of the facility, a wine tasting and a five-course meal that includes a traditional West Coast Salmon barbeque lunch.

Scenic Tours

Butchart Gardens & Short City Drive

3½ hours

Take a short tour around the Garden City of Victoria to see the sights in the Inner Harbour area, then head north for a 2 hour visit to the beautiful Butchart Gardens.

Butchart Gardens & Victoria City Tour

4 hours

Enjoy a short tour around the Garden City of Victoria to see the sights in the Inner Harbour area, then head north for a 2½ hour visit to the beautiful Butchart Gardens.

Blooms & Hops

4 hours

Take a trip north to visit the Butchart Gardens, a lush paradise of flowers, trees, statuary and winding paths that were created by the Butchart family over the past century. Then return to Victoria for a a stop at one of the city's classiest pubs, where you'll be treated to wonderfully crafted beers accompanied with your choice of entree.

Butchart & Butterfly Gardens

4 hours

This tour is a "two-fer." Your first stop is the Butterfly Gardens, a 12,000 square foot indoor tropical garden where the flowers are always blooming and the butterflies are the star attraction. Then you'll take in the Butchart Gardens, a lush paradise of flowers, trees, statuary and winding paths that were created by the Butchart family over the past century. It's the number one tourist attraction in Victoria, and for good reason!

Butchart Gardens, Wine & Chocolate

4 hours

Enjoy a visit to the Butchart Gardens, a lush paradise of flowers, trees, statuary and winding paths that were created by the Butchart family over the past century. Then visit the Church & State Winery, one of the finest vintners in British Columbia for a tour of the facility and a wine tasting session, with the wines paired with chocolate truffles.

Enchanting Butchart Gardens

3½ hours

Enjoy a visit to the Butchart Gardens, a lush paradise of flowers, trees, statuary and winding paths that were created by the Butchart family over the past century. It's the number one tourist attraction in Victoria, and for good reason!

Craigdarroch Castle & the Secrets of Butchart Gardens

4 hours

Begin your tour with a visit to the 39 room Victorian mansion known as Craigdarroch Castle, then head north for a 2 hour visit to the beautiful Butchart Gardens.

Fortress, Castle & Highlights

4 hours

Travel across the harbor for a visit to Fort Rodd Hill, one of the best preserved and most complete examples of forts of its kind. Then take a short drive to Hatley Castle, a 40-room Edwardian mansion set in a 565-acre seaside estate. You'll also have time to explore the grounds of the estate.

Forces of Nature

4 hours

Learn about the geologic processes that have shaped and formed Vancouver Island and the Pacific Northwest as you visit areas of Victoria that most visitors seldom see. Your professional guide on this tour is both an engineer/geologist and a historian, and you'll gain some very interesting insights into the greater forces that shape our world.

Snorkeling

Twilight Snorkeling Adventure

2½ hours

Enjoy a snorkeling experience in a kelp forest off the coast of Victoria. You may encounter seals, otters, octopus, anemones and other marine life in Vancouver Island's beautiful emerald waters.

Important Information

Notes on the above cruise excursions:

• The information on the cruise excursions listed above was developed from publicly available sources.
• The cruise lines may elect to add to, change, delete or otherwise alter the itineraries of the excursions above;
• The cruise lines may restrict the number of passengers allowed to go on any particular excursion.
• The cruise lines may impose other restrictions on any particular excursion, including height, weight, minimum age, etc.; make sure to check with them to determine if there are such restrictions.
• There may be seasonal limitations on certain excursions or tours, such as whale watching. Be sure to check with your cruise line to determine if the tour in which you're interested is available when you're on your cruise.

Why buy a tour through the cruise lines?

• They have selected tour operator partners who are safe, reliable, licensed and insured.
• They offer a wide selection of tours, purchasing convenience and can provide expert advice on the most appropriate tour for you.
• They offer a one price, no surprises policy, with no hidden fees.
• They will be happy to credit your onboard account if you've already booked an excursion and there is a change in itinerary of the ship.
• They will wait for you if your tour is late.

Footnotes