What to See on a Cruise in Victoria, Canada
Cruising Journal, the international portal for cruise ship reviews, takes you to Victoria, Canada! Explore Victoria during a cruise stopover in the Cruising Journal tips.
Let yourself be guided through the city of Victoria to view the beautiful sights, taste the delicious food and explore the nature and history that this wonderful city has to offer.
Victoria has a rich history that is expertly represented in its Royal Museum, which acknowledges and honours the history, traditions and customs of the First People, the Natives of the land upon which Victoria was built. Victoria is a picturesque Canadian city with deep cultural roots that is just waiting to be explored.
Victoria
How to Get to Victoria
Victoria is a stopover port for many cruise itineraries, including Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruises and Oceania Cruises.
For a more luxurious travel experience, Celebrity Cruises offers luscious suites, gourmet meals and quality, on-board entertainment. You could also sail aboard one of the Disney Cruise Line vessels to experience a real-life fairy tale for a short while.
Royal BC Museum
Built on native land, the Royal BC Museum offers visitors the chance to learn about and honour the First Peoples’ culture and traditions in a dedicated exposition.
There are many exhibits, both permanent and temporary, that are available to explore in the Museum’s Natural History and Human History collections. There’s even a genealogy research section in the Human History collection that can help guests search for traces of their ancestors in historical documents. This exhibit even helps visitors identify and discover living relatives that they might not have known about.
Victoria
Chinatown
One area that is certainly worth visiting is Victoria’s Chinatown, where you’ll experience the sights, sounds and history of the oldest Chinatown in Canada. During the gold rush, Victoria’s Chinatown was the home base for thousands of Chinese immigrants. For many years, Victoria had the largest Chinese population in Canada. Today, its Chinese population is small in comparison to other cities, but Victoria will always have the honour of being home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown.
During your visit, follow in the footsteps of the gold miners, merchants, labourers and revolutionaries of the past as you weave your way along the main streets to take in the colourful sights of this historical community of Victoria.
Fisherman’s Wharf
The Fisherman’s Wharf, a marine destination on the shore of Victoria, is a great place to relax and enjoy some excellent seafood. On this working dock, you can watch fishermen unload their catch of the day and even taste it in one of the many food kiosks in the area. This picturesque block is also filled with colourful buildings and show-boats that you can visit.
Victoria
Butchart Gardens
Born from the vision of Jennie Butchart, the Butchart Gardens are a former quarry that was transformed into a family-run botanical masterpiece.
This horticultural treasure is filled with plants and flowers from all over the world and features a variety of garden designs, from logical Italian symmetry to harmonious Japanese balance.
A century of care, attention and research went into the creation and maintenance of this magnificent garden, making it a stop that you can’t miss if you visit Victoria.
Zip Through the Trees
In search of a thrill? You should try the Canopy Zipline Tour, a fully-guided experience by WildPlay that takes you over 60 feet up into the trees to enjoy the scenic view of Victoria’s Westshore. This tour is safe for everyone, including beginners, and the guides will handle everything; all you have to do is enjoy the experience of the rainforest in all of its sublime beauty.
Victoria
If time allows, you should take a stroll down the streets near the shoreline to view the beautiful buildings. In Downtown Victoria, you could also check out the Bug Zoo, a unique experience for those in search of something a little different than your traditional animal show.
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