🗻 Things to do in Victoria and Vancouver Island

Here’s our recommendations for things to do outdoors in Victoria and on Vancouver Island.

🚙 0 - 1 hour drive from Victoria

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Fisherman’s Wharf

We have floating houses right in downtown Victoria. And they’re delightful. Take a walk on the wharf here, and experience a different kind of life.

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Dallas Road

We all go here all the time. Before work, after work, on the weekends. Great for runs, explorations on the beach, tinder dates, picnics.

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Willows Beach

Beautiful sandy beach close to downtown Victoria, in the Oak Bay neighborhood. Very popular year round, and accessible by car or by bus.

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Mount Tolmie

The best place to see a view of all of Victoria, and the ocean, and the mountains. You can drive to the top, park at the parking lot (it’s free) and see everything.

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Gyro Beach

One of the most walkable beaches close in to Victoria, in the Cadboro Bay neighborhood, near the University of Victoria. Also dog friendly.

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Mount Douglas (we call it Mount Doug)

Wow, what a view of the whole southern part of the Island. You can see most of Victoria from the top of this mountain - although it’s really just a big hill. Easily hike up here after work or on a weekend.

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Swan Lake

A birdwatcher’s oasis. A huge variety of birds, easy beautiful plank paths, and, it’s right close to downtown Victoria. A favourite spot for a stroll for kids, teens and families, and a great place to picnic.

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Thetis Lake

This is a really popular lake to go swimming. It’s right close in to downtown Victoria, and easily accessible by car and bus. A great loop for walking / running.

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Goldstream Trestle (also called Niagara Trestle)

A historic wooden elevated railway bridge, no longer in use. It’s safe to walk on, and part of the Goldstream Provincial Park in Langford.

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Elk Lake

Home to the Canadian Olympic Rowing Team (Rowing Canada), and a popular after work and weekend hang out spot for teens, families, young people. An enormous lake popular for rowing, swimming, kayaking and floating.

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Witty’s Lagoon

Dogs, dogs galore. This hidden cove and beach is a great place to sun on the sand, throw frisbees and bird watch.

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Esquimalt Lagoon

A magical lagoon for birdwatchers, with a stunning long sandy beach for kids & dogs. You can see all of downtown Victoria from here. Also a great place to go storm watching when the waves and wind are high. Plenty of parking.

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Mount Manuel Quimper Firewatch Tower

An abandoned fire watch tower - where we used to have people stationed to watch the forest, to see if wildfires were starting & then radio in for help. You can hike up here and see most of the island from up top.

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Sooke Potholes

Natural. Pools. This is truly amazing - the river has carved out swimming pools & hot tub like pools to hang out in, complete with big and small waterfalls. Spend an entire day sunning on the rocks and swimming.

🚗 1 - 2 hour drive from Victoria

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Mystic Beach

A sandy beautiful long beach, and reminds us most of California. Probably one of the most popular beaches on the Island, and close to Victoria - only an hour drive away.

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Cowichan River

One of the best spots in BC to go river tubing / inner tubing / float on a river.

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Sombrio Beach

If you’ve ever wanted sun, surfing and that Los Angeles vibe - this is the beach. Beautiful sunsets, great surfing, and plenty of parking.

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Petroglyph Provincial Park

One of the remaining Indigenous ancient sites on the Island, sadly. Because of colonization we’ve forcefully removed much of the heritage of First Nations peoples. This is a treasure to visit and see 1,000 year prehistoric rock carvings.

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Ammonite Falls

Wear hiking boots, gum boots or rain boots - this can be a muddy walk in to the waterfall. In the rainforest near Nanaimo, a beautiful hidden find on the Island.

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“The Abyss” at the Extension Ridge Trail

Essentially right in Nanaimo, this is also a weird thing to see. It looks like an earthquake fault line, and is a deep fissure that goes deep, deep into the ground. Super fun, and a lot of families bring their kids here (just keep an eye on them).

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Botanical Beach

Some of the prettiest tide pools to explore, and hours of fun.

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Cathedral Grove

Vancouver Island has actual rainforests, and about a 3 hour drive out of Victoria you can see some of the tallest old growth trees on the West Coast. A flat, easy walkable visit, part of the MacMillan Provincial Park.

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Little Qualicum Falls

Easy to get to, and a quick trip to one of our best waterfalls. Comparable to Hawaii.

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Horne Lake Caves

Safe and spooky and has guided tours to visit. These natural caves are part of the Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park, and are a hidden gem to visit on Vancouver Island.

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Fairy Lake

Ultimate. Instagram. Shot. Yes, this place is real. You can visit for a day trip or you can camp here. It’s out in Port Renfrew.

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Avatar Grove

Even though Vancouver Island is covered with rainforest, many people are surprised at how tall our trees are. At Avatar Grove you can see some of the biggest trees in Canada in this ancient forest. Look for the “gnarliest tree in Canada”.

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Englishman River Falls Provincial Park

One of the best waterfalls close to Victoria, near Parksville. Easily accessible - no need to do a difficult hike.

🛻 2+ hour drive from Victoria

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“Hole in the Wall”, Port Alberni

One of the top weird things to see on Vancouver Island. Up in Port Alberni and worth the trip.

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Tofino Plane Crash

Also called the “Canso Plane Crash Site”. During WWII, a plane crashed in the swamp land out in Tofino, on Feb. 12, 1945. It’s an aluminum plane, so it hasn’t rusted all these years out in the rainforest. You can hike out there and climb on the plane (it’s safe). Wear waterproof boots or hiking boots as there’s a lot of mud and swamp. Here’s a guide to how to get there: tofinohiking.com/hikes/canso-plane-crash-site.

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Circlet Lake

A more remote but incredibly popular, crystal-clear lake in the northern part of Vancouver Island in Strathcona Park. Great for swimming.

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Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

One of the most popular destinations for tourists in Canada. A remote, wild, beautiful stretch of vast beaches and pools.

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Strathcona Provincial Park

Worth the drive to the north of the Island. An enormous park filled with crystal clear lakes, stunning mountains, trails for days. Plenty of places for an easy day by the lake with families, or moderate strolls - it’s not all mountain climbing.

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Upana Caves

With an underground river, and over 450 metres of caves to explore, this system is amazing to explore. With cathedral like caverns and beautiful archways, this is worth a trip up to Comox.

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Cameron Lake

A crystal clear lake that looks like you’re in the Caribbean. A great place to float on the lake, paddleboard, swim or kayak.

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Looking for more to do?

Follow these local Victoria Instagram accounts, from local farms, to bars, to fishing charters to mountain bikers to get inspired.

BEST INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS IN VICTORIA