Sightseeing
Art Gallery of Victoria
Featuring west coast artists and an Emily Carr exhibit. Tel: (250) 384-4101
BC Forestry Museum
Get back to nature and enjoy 100 acres of BC forest heritage. Explore numerous exhibits, demonstrations and historical collections. Tel: (250) 715-1113
Butchart Gardens
Butchart Gardens’ sightseeing opportunities in Victoria, British Columbia, include 130 acres of horticulture beauty. Summer at the Gardens bring ravishing floral splendor and the added attractions of nightly summer musical entertainment, magnificent night illuminations and a glorious Saturday night Fireworks display. Christmas brings sparkle and glisten with all the marvelous lights and sounds of the holiday season. A gift shop, visitor services and two restaurants are also on site. Located 45 minutes from the hotel. Tel: (250) 652-4422
Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Garden is a lush, indoor tropical garden where flowers always bloom and butterflies flutter about. Tel: (250) 652-3822
Craigdarroch Castle
Set in the historic Rockland neighborhood, Craigdarroch Castle was built between 1887 and 1890, as a lavish residence for Robert Dunsmuir and his family. The mansion features the best collection of residential stained and leaded glass on the West Coast, magnificent woodwork and period furnishings.
Tel: (250) 592-5323
Fort Rodd Hill
Step inside Canada's oldest West Coast Lighthouse and take a look at the colorful displays that tell the stories of ships wrecked and lives saved. Tel: (250) 387-2080
Horticulture Centre of the Pacific
Come visit the beauty of 110 acres of property, gardens and splendor. Tel: (250) 479-6162
Legislature Building
During the week, the Legislature Building features free sightseeing tours in Victoria, BC, that include guided walk through the buildings, with historical facts and details on Canada's legislature. Tel: (250) 387-3046
Maritime Museum
For the sailor in everyone, this historic building offers an important pictorial and model exhibit of the Canadian west coast's maritime history. Located a short stroll up Government Street. Tel: (250) 385-4222
Mineral World
Explore the world of minerals. Visitors can purchase a scratch patch and fill their bags with gems or pan for fool's gold.
Tel: (250) 655-4367
Miniature World
The Greatest Little Show on Earth! See the Little people's Wonderful World of Smallness. Special effects in lighting, sound and animation are added to create this miniaturized extravaganza that continues to thrill and delight the young and young at heart. Tel: (250) 385-9731
Royal BC Museum
Rated one of the best in North America, this facility offers an incredible learning experience of the natural history of British Columbia. The Ice Age, First Nations and Early Settlement displays provide valuable insight into our past.
Tel: (250) 356-7226
Royal London Wax Museum
Just around Victoria Inner Harbour from The Fairmont Empress, located across the street from the Parliament Buildings, is the home of many of the world's most famous faces. Leave your disbelief at the door and join the ageles, timeless world of wax. Tel: (250) 388-4431
Undersea Garden
See the wonders of the ocean without getting wet. Dive shows every 30 minutes, starting at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m.
Victoria Bug Zoo
The Victoria Bug Zoo is home to a wide variety of bugs and arachnids found throughout the world. With a variety of living creatures to observe and to hold, kids and adults of all ages will marvel at this amusing and instructive experience. The Victoria Bug Zoo is ideally located one block north of The Fairmont Empress at 631 Courtenay Street.
Telephone: (250) 384-2847.