Castles, haunted hotels, and goth mini putt?
Pretty Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is famous for whale watching tours and Victorian gardens. But if you’re looking for more unusual things to do in Victoria, you can find that, too. The city’s art and culture is a mix of Pacific Coast Indigenous, British colonial, Chinese immigrants and modern bohemians, with quirky fun and fascinating history, all with gorgeous coastal views.
I spent about 24 hours in Victoria in the spring, as an overnight trip from Vancouver. I found it charming in ways I didn’t expect—not the sleepy city for retirees I had long heard about. Short on time, we kept our activities to the downtown area, with a drive east to the Oak Bay coastline to stay at a gorgeous hotel and spa. In just one day, I found much to see, do, eat, and enjoy. My only regret is that we didn’t spend more time here, but I’ll be back.
Here’s my list of unique and unusual things to do in Victoria, BC. These things could all fit into 24 hours if you plan it right or make a leisurely weekend.
Disclosure: My blog contains links from Affiliate programmes. At no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase from these links, I earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting my work and the site!
How to get to Victoria from Vancouver
First thing: to get to Victoria you can take the ferry, or a plane. It’s located on Vancouver Island, which I still find confusing! My friend had a car, so we chose the BC Ferry.
I learned is the ferry terminal is 36km south of Vancouver at Tsawwassen, then it’s one and a half hours on the boat, and then on the other side it’s another 30km drive from Swartz Bay ferry into the centre of Victoria. In high season, popular sailing times do sell out in advance, and either way you should get there an hour before the ferry leaves. All told, it was a longer travel day than I original expected and I’m glad I didn’t try to just go and come back on a day trip.
The ferry trip itself was quite beautiful, passing by small islands with cute lighthouses. Inside the boat they have basic food and drink and a gift shop. There’s a VIP lounge you can pay for that’s quiet—I did that on the return trip just to check it out. But preferred being outside enjoying the views of rocks and forests and a calm wake.
If you don’t have a car, you can take a bus coach transfer from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria.
Unique Things to do in Victoria in One Day
Visit Totem Poles at Thunderbird Park
Totem poles are awesome. Literally, whenever I visit British Columbia, I am in awe of these monuments carved from the trees of the Pacific Northwest. They can stand up to 18 metres tall, with masterful carvings of human, animal and supernatural creatures that tell stories of local families and history.
In downtown Victoria, right near the harbour and Legislative buildings is small but mighty Thunderbird Park (named for the mythological bird-spirit) has several impressive totem poles from different Nations. These are mostly replicas of originals held inside the nearby Royal BC Museum for preservation, with some originals—all in beautiful colours. I feel this is a perfect spot to start your day exploring Victoria. And it’s free!
Hear Endangered Languages at Royal BC Museum
One of Canada’s oldest museums, this is a place in transition, from colonial collections and mindset to working with the local Indigenous communities to more respectfully reflect the area’s history.
The exhibit that struck me the most is called Our Living Languages, a room where you can learn about the many different Indigenous languages of BC, with interactive displays to hear them spoken aloud. In some cases, these languages were or are still endangered, and the work here to document and revitalize them is fascinating.
The museum’s showstopper is a recreation of a Kwakwaka’wakw chief’s ceremonial house, with master carvings of two towering house posts (a type of totem pole). This is part of the First People’s Gallery, filled with magnificent regalia, masks, and many more poles representing the diverse and vibrant nations of the Pacific Coast. Open daily 10am to 5pm.
Confession: I do hesitate to call these exhibits “unusual” things to do in Victoria, because for so long Indigenous art was exoticized, and I don’t want to do that. But the city is still best known for its Britishness, and I want travellers with curious minds to find these and not miss out!
Try Bannock at an Indigenous Food Truck
Right beside the Royal BC Museum is an outdoor food court. I head straight for the Bannock Room truck to try their version of the local fry bread. This dish was brought to Canada by Scottish settlers but has become a staple of Indigenous cuisine. This truck also had bannock tacos but I kept it simple, with cinnamon and sugar. Delicious!
Visit Craigdarroch Castle
Victoriana at its finest. This manor was built in the 1880s on a hill overlooking the city for coal baron Robert Dunmuir. Sadly, it was closed on the day we visited, so I have no personal recommendation. But I know it’s famous for its stained-glass windows so if you’re into that definitely come to Victoria on Wednesday to Sunday so you can take one of the guided tours.
Check out the Victoria Bug Zoo
Want to hold a Chinese Green praying mantis? Get up close with a tarantula? This small insect and arachnid attraction doesn’t just put the bugs behind glass but has staff take them out for visitors to examine. Pretty cool! They also offer “accessibility hour” where masks are mandatory (11am to noon on weekdays and 10am to 11am on weekends).
Stroll Fan Tan Alley
This is apparently the narrowest commercial street in North America at just 3-feet wide. It’s named for a card game that was popular here in the 1940s when illegal gambling and opium dens were the main reason to visit. Today, it’s a quirky place for a photo and an excuse to check out Victoria’s historic Chinatown area – the second oldest in North America.
Visit Christ Church Gothic Cathedral
Built in in the early 1900s but in a 13th century Gothic style, Christ Church cathedral in Victoria is one of Canada’s largest churches. An Anglican congregation that welcomes visitors during church opening hours; guided tours in the summer.
Walk the Ogden Point Murals
A breakwater wall near the Victoria cruise terminal has the largest mural in Canada. Take a walk along the 1km “Unity Wall” and see artwork honoring traditions of the local Salish nations.
Take afternoon tea at haunted hotel
The Fairmont Empress is a National History Site built in 1908, the looks like a castle, a crown (pun!) jewel of the Victoria harbour. Many also say it’s haunted. Does the ghost of chambermaid Lizzie McGrath, who plunged to death from a shoddy fire escape on the 6th floor in 1909, still walk the halls? I can’t say. But I can tell you that it’s a most wonderful place to stop for afternoon tea.
The British-style afternoon tea tradition is a hallmark of the Fairmont hotels in Canada, and if you enjoy delectable small bites of joy, you should book yourself a sitting. Here, they are served on “exquisite china gifted to the hotel by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1939” and may feature lavender grown right on the roof and honey from their in-house bees. Décor is elegant and there is a dress code. Served 11am to 2pm Monday to Friday, or til 4pm on weekends. $109 per person —gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan available by advance request.
Alternately, a more affordable yet still quaint afternoon tea option is available at Pendray Tea House.
Wander a seaside cemetery
Two historic cemeteries in Victoria offer peaceful walks with ocean views.
Ross Bay Cemetery is a 10-minute drive from the harbour It dates to 1872 and is home to graves of many prominent British Columbians, including artist Emily Carr. But again, it’s the views over Ross Bay that make this special. Guided tours of Ross Bay Cemetery on Sunday afternoons are operated by the Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria.
A bit further east at Harling Point is the Chinese Cemetery of Victoria. More than 400 simple headstones and 13 mass graves mark the final resting place of Chinese immigrants who came here to build the railways, work in mines, and face plenty of cruel discrimination—they have their own cemetery because governments in the late 1800s would not allow these immigrants to be buried in municipal cemeteries. Beautiful setting, sobering story.
Play Mini-Putt in a Haunted House
When I researched unusual things to do in Victoria this one jumped out at me straight away: mini-putt golf in a gothic haunted theme? Sign me up!
Thankfully I wasn’t travelling solo on this day and my friend was into it. We had the place to ourselves in the afternoon, but I can imagine it gets quite crowded with dates and groups at night. Because it’s super fun to putt your way through spooky hallways with scary music and sound effects, and a few puzzles to solve along the way. Admission here is $24.95 per person which is a bit steep imo, but scoring a hole-in-one in a Plinko-board style coffin game was a highlight of my trip!
Where To Stay in Victoria
As I said in my full review of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and Spa, I actually came to Victoria to stay in a specific hotel. Because hot pools with ocean views is worth travelling for! What I also really enjoyed was the scenic drive out there. So while we didn’t get a chance to check out Victoria’s nightlife, we did get a very relaxing overnight stay in a luxury hotel by the sea. If it’s your budget, I highly recommend.
Travel Inspiration in your Inbox
Get my 60 Safety Tips or Solo Travel when you sign up for occasional emails
