Victoria and Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Activities

Butchart Gardens

Address 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada Map, Website

A trip to the Butchart Gardens is classic part of any Victoria trip. In summertime, the garden is a riot of colors, and though your kids might not appreciate the blooms, I'm betting that they'll love the opportunity to stretch their legs. For ideas about what to do here with kids after you've ridden the carousel, check out the gardens' kids guide. more

Pastry Apprentice Program at the Fairmont Empress

Address 721 Government Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, V8W1W5 Map, Tel 250 389 2727 Call, Website

Call ahead for dates and details about the Fairmont Empress Hotel's Pastry Apprentice Program for kids. With any luck, you'll be able to drop your child off for a few hours to make sweets (which they'll bring home to you) while you have free time with your spouse. more

Royal BC Museum

Address 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC Map, Tel 250-387-2101 Call, Website

This excellent museum was one of the highlights of our trip to Victoria. Start on the top floor with the First People's exhibit. Models and artifacts help make this part of the exhibit engaging for kids, and even if you're already familiar with the history of the native people living in BC, you'll find it interesting too. Continue on to the modern history exhibits, where displays show what Victoria life was like during the gold rush, and in the era when you were a kid. The hilight here, for my kids, was a chance to sit in a theatre and watch a Charlie Chaplin movie, and to pan for "gold." When your kids' attention span starts to wane, you'll want to head down to the ground floor and watch one the large selection of IMAX movies (check showtimes and buy tickets when you enter). more

Victoria Butterfly Gardens

Address 1461 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1R3 Map, Tel 250-652-3822 Call, Website

This butterfly garden makes a cozy escape from a wet or windy day. The 12,000 sq ft enclosure is home to approximately 3000 butterflies, meaning that even at kid-height there's lots to see! more

WildPlay West Shore Victoria

Address 1767 Island Highway, Victoria, BC V9B 1J1, Canada Map, Tel 250-590-7529 Call, Website

There's tons of evidence that today's uber safe playgrounds don't provide kids the mental and physical challenge they need. If you have a kid who really loves to move his or her body, WildPlay might be a great adventure. It is located about 15 minutes from downtown Victoria, in the midst of a natural setting. Kids are guided through challenging courses that can include ziplines, rope swings, bungy jumps and more. Picnic grounds and barbecues are available if you want to turn this in to a half day outing. (ages 7+) more

Readers recommend:

Royal British Columbia Museum “Located in the center of downtown, the Museum is an excellent place ...”
Victoria Bug Zoo “This small "zoo" is located in the heart of Victoria, not far ...”
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