Family Friendly Activities in Victoria, BC, Canada
We traveled to Victoria BC in summer with our two kids who were turning 2 and 3 months old. We purposely picked Victoria because it was close to our home in Washington State and we were able to find activities to do that were family friendly. Here is a guide to help you plan a vacation to Victoria.
Tips for traveling with a toddler
While having 2 under 2 has definitely slowed us down a bit, we made a goal when we had kids to attempt to continue to travel and show our kids the world. That being said when you travel with kids- especially toddlers- you really have to lower your expectations and maybe change parts of your itinerary. Our vacations look very different right now than they did when it was just my husband and I traveling.
- One thing I've learned so far from traveling with a toddler is that "if your toddler isn't having fun no one is having fun" this plays a role in the places that we choose to go and the activities that we choose to do. I know that this phase isn't forever- eventually they will be old enough to go to a museum and get some value out of it. I'm just trying to embrace the season of life that we are in.
-For the most part anything outdoors is typically better for toddlers rather than indoors. You generally don't have to worry about how loud they are when you are outside and they can also be more free with movement and where they are going. I try to plan as many activities as I can outside unless the indoor activity is specifically geared for toddlers
- When traveling with a toddler don't over schedule yourself! I only plan 1-2 things per day. I typically plan something for the morning and then something for the afternoon after nap. Also the more fluid you can be with the schedule for the better- this isn't always feasible- like we had to schedule a time for the boat tour- but for the most part we didn't have to be anywhere at any specific time. This takes some of the stress off of you as parents in that it doesn't really matter exactly what time you get there so you can take your time getting out the door in the morning and if you forget something and have to back to get it it's not that big of a deal.
How to get to Victoria, BC
To get to Victoria BC from Washington state we drove to Port Angeles, Washington. We traveled across the Puget sound using Black Ball Ferry. You can bring your car or you can walk on the ferry. We chose to bring our car because we were traveling with kids and they come with a lot of stuff.
Some good to know info about the ferry:
-We reserved our spot on the ferry a couple months in advance. I would highly recommend this especially if you are planning on traveling in summer because the boat was packed and there were many cars in the standby line waiting to get across.
-If you have a reserved spot you need to check in 60 minutes prior to your departure. Once you check in they have you park your car in the waiting area and then you can walk around. We used this time to try to wear out our toddler as well as go to the bathroom and get some food before the boat departed.
-When you get on the boat they do have a restaurant but as expected the food prices are pretty high. We just brought our own food. There is lots of space to sit and walk around on the top of the boat.
-One thing I wasn't prepared for is how cold it was on the boat. We traveled in mid July and it was about 80 degrees on the dock but the wind on the boat was very cold. So if you want to be outside on the boat I would recommend bringing a jacket
-On the way back from Canada to America you have to go through customs before you get on the boat- they require you to be at the dock 90 minutes prior to departure. This was the hardest part for use because we were essentially "locked in" with 90 minutes to kill with a toddler. We were able to walk him around a little bit but there is limited space. We relied on a lot of books and toys and snacks to get through this time.
Things to do in Victoria BC
Fisherman's Wharf
This is a neat little village that is floating on the harbor. There are some shops and resturants with vibrant colors to explore. You can also purchase fresh seafood here. There is also a small park next to the wharf that has a small little play set. It's perfect if you want to get some food or ice cream and then let your kid run around and play for a bit.
Beacon Hill Park
Beacon Hill Park is the Victoria equivalent of Central Park in New York. It is a very large park right next to downtown Victoria. I was very impressed with the landscaping throughout the park- it was gorgeous. There is a lot to explore within the park- in addition to the beautiful fountains and gardens there is a play ground and a petting zoo which is very fun for kids.
Inside the park is the Beacon Hill Children's farm. This is a free farm with animals and you can pet the goats. While it is technically free they ask for a donation so it is good to have some cash on hand to donate. Every morning at 10:10 they have the "running of the goats" where the goats run from the barn to the pen where they spend the day. It's fun to watch them run and everyone claps for the them.
The park also includes the worlds tallest standing totem pole and goes all the way to the shore of the puget sound. It has many walking paths and is very stroller and dog friendly. There are plenty of benches and picnic tables as well if you need to take a break.
Check out Victoria's Harbor
Victoria's Harbor is very pretty- it's also the busiest water runway for planes. You will see many planes land on the water. There are many shops to explore in this area in addition to the Empress Hotel and the Parliament Building. You can take tours of both of these buildings but we did not because of little kids.
There are many harbor tours that you can take- we did one that was kid friendly and it was very enjoyable- we got to learn about the harbor and our toddler loved looking out the window of the boat.
Visit the famous Buchart Gardens
If you do nothing else in Victoria you NEED to go to Buchart gardens. It is absolutely breathtaking. Technically it is about 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria. Even if you don't bring a car with you to Victoria there are many shuttles that will take you from the harbor to the gardens. It is a bit pricey to go but my goodness is it worth it. I've been to a lot of gardens all over the world and this is easily one the best gardens I've ever been to in my life.
You could easily spend all day here if you want to and are a plant nerd like me- we only spent half a day because we needed to get home for nap time. In summer they do fireworks at night on the weekends- I would love to do this if we get the chance to come back.
The Japanese Garden
Italian Garden
The "Sunken" Garden
Visit Historic ChinaTown and Fan Tan Alley
Victoria has the oldest chinatown in Canada and it's worth exploring. It is not very big compared to some of the bigger ones in New York or LA but still neat. Its most famous area is called "Fan Tan Alley" which is a narrow brick alley with shops on either side. There are many resturants in the area if you need a bubble tea fix while you walk around and meander through the the shops.
We stopped at a famous dumpling place called "Dumpling Drop". You can get dumplings there or you can purchase frozen dumplings to take home. We took our dumplings home to eat for dinner after our kids went to bed and they were delicious!
Victoria Butterfly Garden
This is a great place to explore with kids! This is about 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria near Buchchart gardens. They have butterflies flying all around as well as many exotic birds! They also have a resident flamingo and many turtles. We just let our toddler run around and explore and he had a great time.
Relax a Sea Cider and Farm
My best "hack" that I've discovered as a toddler mom is to find a place that has outdoor seating and or activities if you want to attempt to relax a little bit. We found the Sea Cider and Farm Cidery and were able to try their cider and relax outside while our toddler ran around. The cider was delicious and it is nice to allow your toddler to run around and not be confined to a high chair. Plus it had a beautiful view!
Other things to do:
If you are looking for other ideas of things to do and you may want to check out:
Royal BC Museum- Located right next to the Empress Hotel in the harbor this museum is supposed to be really neat. This would be great to do on a rainy day.
Victoria Food Tour- This looked really neat to do and if it was just my husband and I traveling we would've totally done it. It supposed to be really delicious food whilst learning a lot about the city.
Take a tour of the Parliament Building- This building is beautiful from the outside and in the tour you can learn more about Canada's government. Again if we were traveling without kids we would've toured it but touring it with a toddler sounded a bit like torture.
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