Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to get yourself oriented while also learning some city history, take the 90-minute Grand City
Drive Tour. It departs from the harborfront every half-hour 9:30am-4pm (adult $34, child
$17). The most popular of Gray Line's other tours is the one to Butchart Gardens ($56, in-
cluding admission price).
On the Water
Victoria Harbour Ferry (250/708-0201) offers boat tours of the harbor and Gorge Water-
way. The company's funny-looking boats each seat around 20 passengers and depart reg-
ularly 9am-8:15pm from below the Empress Hotel. The 45-minute loop tour allows pas-
sengers the chance to get on and off at will; adult $26, senior $22, child $10, or travel just
pieces of the entire loop for adult $5-10 per sector.
SPORTS AND RECREATION
All of Vancouver Island is a recreational paradise, but Victorians find plenty to do around
their own city. Walking and biking are especially popular, and from the Inner Harbour, it's
possible to travel on foot or by pedal power all the way along the waterfront to Oak Bay.
Commercial activities are detailed here, but the best place to get information on a wide
variety of operators is the Inner Harbour Centre (950 Wharf St., 250/995-2211 or 800/
575-6700, www.innerharbourcentre.com ), based on a floating dock just around the corner
from the information center.
Hiking and Biking
If you're feeling energetic—or even if you're not—plan on walking or biking at least a
small section of the Scenic Marine Drive, which follows the shoreline of Juan de Fuca
Strait from Ogden Point all the way to Oak Bay. The section immediately south of down-
town, between Holland Point Park and Ross Bay Cemetery, is extremely popular with early-
rising locals, who start streaming onto the pedestrian pathway before the sun rises. Out of
town, Goldstream Provincial Park, beside Highway 1, and East Sooke Regional Park,
off Highway 14 west of downtown, offer the best hiking opportunities.
You can rent bikes at Sports Rent (1950 Government St., 250/385-7368, 9am-5pm
Mon.-Sat., 10am-5pm Sun.), just north of downtown, starting at $16-24 for two hours,
$29-39 per day.
Whale Watching
Heading out from Victoria in search of whales is something that can be enjoyed by every-
one. Both resident and transient whales are sighted during the local whale-watching season
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