With the mildest climate in Canada, half the rainfall of neighboring Seattle and Vancouver, and a stunning setting on the edge of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a great year-round destination full of family-friendly events and attractions. It’s small and walkable, too, making it a great multi-generational vacation for families whose family membres have different attention spans.
Getting Oriented to Victoria
In addition to museums, Victoria offers a wide variety of family oriented attractions. If you want to get oriented quickly, and tour the the city from a different perspective, check out Tally Ho Carriage Tours (250/514-9257 or 866/383-5067), a horse-drawn carriage company that has carted both tourists and locals around Victoria since 1903. With a homebase at the corner of Belleville and Menzies Streets, the tour offers a rich history of Victoria with fun and humorous ancedotes, making it a favorite activity for locals, who enjoy celebrating birthdays and anniversaries en route! There are six different route options to choose from, with tours ranging from 15 minutes to almost two hours. The carriages can accommodate up to six people and pass by various attractions depending on which route you select.
Victoria’s Favorite Family Attractions
The highly regarded Royal British Columbia Museum (888/447-7977 or 250/356-7226) is centrally located at 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9W2. This extraordinary museum has a wide array of permanent and temporary exhibits that make for a full day of activities. The Ocean Station Exhibit allows visitors to explore, interact and experience the underwater world of the West Coast. The 360 liter aquarium is visible from a floor to ceiling window with portholes and all. Inside the tank are sea stars, fishes, sea urchins and more. Other permanent displays include the First People’s Gallery, Modern History Gallery and Natural History Gallery. Scheduled hourly tours are offered free with admission and will guide visitors through all three exhibits. The Museum is open daily with later hours in summer, and offers a family entrance package in addition to individual entry fees.
Also housed in the Royal BC Museum is the National Geographic IMAX Theater (250/953-4629). With 406 seats, this 2-D screen is six stories high and 70 feet wide, nearly 10 times larger than a standard movie theater. Although admission is separate from the museum (family package pricing applies here, too), it is worth it to see a film on this really, really big screen. The theater features educational films, especially those pertaining to wildlife and nature, but also shows major motion pictures that have recently been released in theaters.
The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre (250/665-7511) at 9811 Seaport Place, Sidney, BC V8L 4X3 opened in 2009 and boasts 87 tonnes of seawater in 17 different habitats. Kids will love the elevator that descends into the “ocean” and the array of interactive exhibits. Teens and little ones shoudl not miss the enormous Giant Pacific octapus and a touch pool for the curious. Be sure to ask one of the uniformed Oceaneers for their insights; they man each exhibit.
For nature lovers, Victoria boasts an indoor tropical rainforest at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens (877/722-0272 or 250/652-3822) at 1461 Benvenuto Avenue in Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1R3. This paradise experience includes 35 specides of free flying butterflies, including the uniquely exotic Blue Morpho and Giant Owl. Waterfalls, trees, orchids and even carnivorous plants are also included in the display. Beauty is not the only thing the Butterfly Gardens offers to family, it is also an incredibly educational find. Before entry there is video preview which explains the cycle of a butterfly’s life; tours and access to the Learning Center are also available. Family discounts are offered.
Victoria Trip Planning Details
Visit Tourism Victoria or call 800/663-3883 for more information and get started planning your trip today.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thanks , I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
I could not resist commenting. Very well written!
Hi webmaster, commenters and everybody else !!! The blog was absolutely fantastic!
Lots of great information and inspiration, both of which we all need!b Keep em coming you all do such a great job at such Concepts
cant tell you how much I, for one appreciate all you do!
Hello!
I am student of the department of tourism at the University of Piraeus in Greece and i am excited that we are conducting a survey about Family Travel.
I would be really happy if you completed this quick survey:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1s1OjLYV6AtLcEgkaa6UsqtxjVCnLQ1NMjTGANmOqyAw/edit
Thank you very much!
Best Family Summer Vacations. Bookanyboat helps you search for boat rentals, yacht charters and sightseeing cruises in 3 exciting destinations, including: Dubai, Ibiza and Miami. bookanyboat.com
Exceptional post but I was wondering if you could write
a litte more on this topic? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more.
Bless you!
Thanks for finally writing about > How To Chhoose a Dude Ranch When Therre Are
So Manny Chhoices – My Family Travels
Summer is the best time to visit Alaska because the days are longer as well as the temperature were warmer.
As ones luxury cruise ship glides past creaking blue-white glacier and lush woodland, rest on you private veranda.
The Last Frontier is a nature lover’s dream, with places like Production of essential which you can see big cats fishing trout or Queenstown with which you can witness humpback whales breaching on a whale-watching cruise.
In Icy Strait Point, soar over the trees on the a zipline, and learn about the history of the Gold Rush in Skagway.
Thanks for sharing informative post.
San Diego vacation rentals with private pool
Very superb information can be found on web site.
Fantastic site. Lots of useful information here.
I am sending it to some buddies ans additionally sharing.
Lovely just what I was looking for.Thanks to the author for taking his time on this one.
Awsome info and straight to the point. I am not sure if this is really the best place to ask but do you guys have any ideea where to get some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hey very interesting blog!
Ahaa, its fastidious conversation regarding this post at this place at this web
site, I have read all that, so now me also commenting here.
I think that what you published was very logical. However,
what about this? what if you typed a catchier post title?
I ain’t suggesting your content is not good, but suppose you
added something that grabbed people’s attention? I mean How To Choose a
Dude Ranch When There Are So Many Choices – My Family Travels is
kinda plain. You ought to look at Yahoo’s home
page and see how they create news headlines to grab viewers
interested. You might add a video or a related pic or two to get readers interested about what you’ve written. Just my opinion, it could bring your blog a little
bit more interesting.
Everything is very open and very clear explanation of issues. was truly information. Your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing.
It’s actually a cool and useful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, this post is good, my sister is analyzing these things,
so I am going to convey her.
You have brought up a very good points, regards for the post.
I truly appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thanks again!
Howdy! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came
to look it over. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
Wonderful blog and terrific design and style.
After going over a few of the blog posts on your web page, I seriously like your technique of writing a blog. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my web site as well and let me know what you think.
Your site is very good, I liked the information. Grateful. 10070690
I’m no longer sure where you’re getting your info, however good topic.
I must spend a while finding out much more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful info I was looking for this information for my mission.
Have you ever thought about creating an e-book or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog centered on the same subjects you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my readers would value your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
Do you have at least some idea how to cancel Hawaiian airlines flight? Booked tickets can be dropped online by Visiting Hawaiian Airlines’ actual webpage. explorers don’t have even the remotest clue how to drop the trip on the web, they can contact flight chiefs at Hawaiian Airlines drop ticket
Hi there! I just wish to give a huge thumbs up for the great information you will have here on this post. I will be coming back to your weblog for more soon.
Its excellent as your other posts : D, regards for posting.
Great Post ! I have read your other posts which are really informative for any family traveler. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful informative information.
Exactly what I was searching for, thank you for posting.
very nice publish, i certainly love this website, keep on it
Many years ago, I did study Spanish in Barcelona, with a school called CIEE. I loved every minute of my month there, stayed with an older woman who ran a boarding house for students. She made us all speak Spanish at every meal. I remember eating a lot of patates fritas at her house, but I did learn a lot of Spanish (a little Catalan too) and I fell in love with Barcelona.
I was just telling my friend about that.