Travel Guide: How To Spend A Weekend In Victoria

British Columbia’s capital city is as charming as they come. From its beautiful harbourfront to its incredible spas and its next-level food options, Victoria is an easy place to spend a few days—though as a recent trip suggests, a few days is never enough. There is no shortage of ways to enjoy this Vancouver Island city, which gives you all the more reason to keep coming back. Here are a few ideas for where to start. —Sara Harowitz

Where to stay

When it comes to Victoria hotels, there is no greater option than the Fairmont Empress: a crown jewel on the city’s harbourfront. Recently awarded a coveted Michelin Key and named the second-best hotel in Canada in Travel + Leisure’s 2024 World’s Best Awards, the Empress is the Fairmont brand at its best: grand, opulent, and extremely comfortable. Consider upgrading your room to the Fairmont Gold level, which comes with access to the newly renovated Gold Lounge. Clocking in at more than 4,000 square-feet, the lounge has its own patio, a giant open-plan kitchen where breakfast, snacks, and canapes are served, and plenty of lounge space complete with coffee table books and even live music on certain nights. Going for gold has never been so easy.

Where to eat

Victoria has more restaurants per capita than any other city in Canada, which makes it one of the country’s truly great food towns. In the morning, hit up Hey Happy for coffee and Union Pacific for an excellent chocolate chip cookie. And for something a little more luxurious, indulge in the afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress—a tradition that goes back to 1908. Pick from a wide selection of beautiful teas (including the one that Queen Elizabeth chose when she visited), and nibble on three tiers of treats, including a ham and cheese sandwich with rosemary honey mustard; a truffled mushroom quiche; an English cucumber sandwich with pink peppercorn; a raisin scone with clotted cream and jam; a bergamot macaron; and a lemon and Earl grey madeleine. The whole experience is one for the books (add a glass of bubbly if you want to up the ante), served on porcelain plates modelled after the original pieces gifted to the hotel by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939.

For a snack, Dumpling Drop is a hip spot for Asian street food (get the deep-fried dumplings with spicy sauce), while Superflux Cabana—the island outpost of the East Vancouver brewery—is a nice place for a beer with a fun, tropical vibe. For a classic British pub feel, head to the Bard & Banker, which is located inside a beautiful former bank.

For dinner, Victoria has no shortage of excellent places. Consider spending an evening at Janevca in Esquimalt. While it’s located inside the soon-to-open Rosemead House hotel, the restaurant is already up and running, and it’s very much worth a visit. The design alone is noteworthy, from the lounge’s sleek bar and open kitchen to the dining room’s indoor trees with pink leaves covering the ceiling. The whole place has a Wonderland vibe, with every shelf and nook covered with some of the owner’s personal collection of antiques. Start with a cocktail (the Rye & Fig Nocturne with whiskey, Amaro, and fig is a decadent sip), and then order the humboldt flying squid with charred jalapeno sauce (vibrant, fresh, satisfying), along with the canestri pasta with lamb ragu, fennel, sumac, pecorino, and red wine (a hearty, comforting bowl that you’ll be dreaming of for days to come).

And then there’s Marilena, which is the Vancouver-based Top Table Group’s first restaurant on Vancouver Island—and it does not disappoint. There was clearly a need for Top Table’s brand of casual fine dining in Victoria, as evidenced by an absolutely bumping room on a recent Saturday night, with some tables arriving as late as 9:30 to eat. There’s no wrong way to order here, though sushi lovers would be remiss not to try a roll or two (the Sockeye Salmon Crunch with spicy salmon tartare, prawn tempura, sesame oil, and avocado is next level) along with the Aburi bluefin tuna tartare with sushi rice, miso, and chives (it’s kind of like the Aburi sushi from Minami, but in a bowl—delicious). For mains, the Crispy Skin Striped Bass is a showstopper thanks to a cured pork XO sauce that they really should bottle and sell. For dessert, good luck saying no to the ooey-gooey chocolate volcano cake.

What to do

Saunas are so hot right now (pun intended) and Victoria does them well. For an exclusive experience, head to Ritual Nordic Spa and book the Cedar Suite: a private sauna and cold-plunge tub perfect for solo relaxation or a cute date with a lover. The suite comes with access to a private outdoor lounge area, as well as the opportunity to use the public space (which includes another sauna, a steam room, a salt lounge, and a cold shower). There are also treatment rooms for those who want a massage, and there’s a cafe for post-spa nibbles. Grab a bar of Ritual’s own brand of dark chocolate on your way out.

Alternatively there’s Havn, which is a Nordic indoor-outdoor circuit located on a converted barge that floats in the inner harbour. Design is at the forefront here, from the vast lounge area complete with giant sofas, to the hot tubs overlooking the water, to the saunas that all boast views of the water and city. There are both silent and social saunas on board, along with various cold showers and plunge pools. Pour a mug of complimentary tea and sink into bliss.

If culture is what you’re after, head to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, which shows a mix of contemporary rotating exhibits and historical permanent collections, or the famed Royal BC Museum, which features everything from a replica of a giant ship to Terry Fox’s support van. And for stunning views along the coast, wander the Dallas Road Waterfront Trail. On stormy days, it’s great for wave-watching; on sunny days, it offers some of the city’s best ocean vistas. Either way, it’ll have you going, “Wow. I get why people live here.”