Visiting Victoria
Visiting Victoria
Destination: Victoria, BC
Length of Stay: 1 Day (July 2018)
Transportation: Blackball Ferry from Port Angeles, WA ($37/Adult Roundtrip)
Taking a day trip to Victoria, BC in Canada is quick and affordable by taking a ferry out of Port Angeles, WA. It is cheapest to walk on (make sure you bring your passport) and the ride is roughly an hour and a half each way. Victoria is a very tourist driven area. Lots of little trinket and Canadian gift shops around every corner but you can still have an original experience if you simply just walk around, take your time and don't rush. Grab a bite to eat or a coffee outside and just people watch. We saw lots of people just sitting in the grass or on a park bench by the water, simply just enjoying the sun. If we had more time, we might have gotten to see the The Royal British Columbia Museum which we were told was worth it and if you’re into history.
Taking a day trip to Victoria, BC in Canada is quick and affordable by taking a ferry out of Port Angeles, WA. It is cheapest to walk on (make sure you bring your passport) and the ride is roughly an hour and a half each way. Victoria is a very tourist driven area. Lots of little trinket and Canadian gift shops around every corner but you can still have an original experience if you simply just walk around, take your time and don't rush. Grab a bite to eat or a coffee outside and just people watch. We saw lots of people just sitting in the grass or on a park bench by the water, simply just enjoying the sun. If we had more time, we might have gotten to see the The Royal British Columbia Museum which we were told was worth it and if you’re into history.
How to Get There
We took a ferry out of Port Angeles, Washington through Black Ball Ferry Line. It was $18.5 one way or $37 round trip. The ferry ride was gorgeous, the fog was rolling off of the tips of the mountains as we left the West Coast of the states. The ferry ride was short, only an hour and a half long, but it had a cafe equipped with coffee, tea, breakfast sandwiches and snacks available for purchase on it which made the ride seem even shorter. I rode for the first twenty minutes or so on the top of the boat, enjoying watching the land get even smaller and smaller until eventually the US disappeared into the fog.
When we got off the ferry in Victoria, British Columbia, we went through a quick customs checkpoint. The ferry terminal conveniently spits you out in the heart of downtown which makes walking to the main attractions on foot easy.
Where to go | Where to eat
Legislative Building
When we arrived at the ferry terminal, the legislative building was virtually right across the street. After we walked over, we noticed an acting troupe that was putting on a small performance and talking to tourists about the history of British Columbia's capital. We met one of the young Victorian actors who said that this building is similar to the state legislative building of Annapolis, the capital of our home state of Maryland.
Canadian Icecream!
Bonus Victorian House
Fisherman's Wharf
This unique community consists of separate residential and retail/restaurant sections. The colorful houseboats that line the docks are full time homes for some of the residents. This small slice of Vancouver Island is known for having a relatively mild year round climate, which came as a surprise to us since we had already experienced a pretty chilly Canadian spring.
China Town
As we walked through Victoria's China Town, we found a narrow alleyway that had the best ice cream and homemade waffle cones. It is called Kid Sister Ice Cream. It was so good that we might have gone back for seconds... We also found a brilliant little café just after leaving the alley called Mo:Lé which had some delicious sandwiches that really hit the spot.
Beacon Hill Park
By the time we hit Beacon Hill Park, we were beat and needed a quick nap. The park had a beautiful walking path, and plenty of shaded grass to doze off for a few minutes while we digested all the delicious food Victoria has to offer.
See how this fits into the North American Road Trip:
