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There are so many things to see and do on Vancouver Island that we have only summarized a few of the most poplar things. The links will open up even more possibilities.
VANCOUVER ISLAND'S GREATEST GOLF COURSES
- Tourism Victoria
- 5 Star Whale Watching and Fishing
- Olympic View Golf Club
- Island Breeze Sailing Ltd.
- Explore BC
- Butchart Gardens
- Royal B.C. Museum
- Victoria & Vancouver Island Travel Guide
- Tourism Association of B.C. Meta Site
- Night Owl Productions Tourism Resource Page
- A-1 Charters
Year-Round!
Olympic View Golf Club - (250) 474-3673
One of North America's finest. Located in a natural park-like setting including 12 lakes and 2 picturesque waterfalls. Challenging fairways with full service, all weather driving range and practice putting green. The multi-million dollar clubhouse facilities are open 7 days-a-week, year-round. Lounge, dining room and coffee shop all have spectacular panoramic views. This public golf course with the flavour of an exclusive private country club is located just 20 minutes from downtown Victoria. Olympic View also offers VIP Service! VIP Service will transport you to and from the golf course in style.
Prospect Lake Golf Course - (250) 479-2688
Set on the shores of beautiful Prospect Lake, this challenging 9-hole golf course has won an enthusiastic and loyal following among local golfers. Fully licensed dining room & lounge, rental clubs and carts, and practice facility. Tournament bookings welcome! Located 20 minutes from downtown.
Glen Meadows Golf and Country Club - (250) 256-3136
One of Canada's most beautiful and top-rated 18 hole championship golf courses. Only 20 minutes from downtown Victoria, visitors are also welcome to enjoy Tennis and curling. Rental carts & clubs are available.
Arbutus Ridge Golf & Country Club - (250) 743-3000
Arbutus Ridge Golf & Country Club offers you one of Vancouver Island's finest golf courses! A full championship course with two signature holes, it has been specially designed to provide year-round public play that will challenge you in some of the most spectacular views of any course on the Island. Located in Cobble Hill, a scenic 35-minute drive north of Victoria.
Blenkinsop Valley Golf Centre Driving Range - (250) 721-2001
The perfect way to relax while you are practising! This year-round facility offers all you need to improve your game. Thirty seven stalls, practice greens, night lights, high quality range balls, lessons and club rentals. Just minutes from downtown, open year-round.
ADVENTURES AT SEA
Year-Round!
Fishing, Fishing, Fishing!
Enjoy some of the most spectacular fishing Vancouver Island has to offer. Few other places in North America can boast such great fishing so close to an urban area.
Marine Wildlife
Don't forget your camera as your photographic safari leads you to Grey Whales, Killer Whales, Bald Eagles, Seals, Sea Lions, Porpoises and Otters in the waters surrounding the Southern end of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the U.S. San Juan Islands.
Scenic Cruises
Treat yourself to a short scenic harbour and waterfront cruise, 1/2 day and day trips. The superb winds and backdrop of the Victoria skyline and Olympic Mountains make for a great sailing and sightseeing adventure.
Sea Kayaking
Discover the beauty of Canada's west coast from a sea kayak. Explore intricate shorelines while gliding past sandy beaches. Join in any one of our sea kayaking courses ranging from 3-hour evening clinics to full weekend adventures. Indulge yourself in the joys of sea kayaking on a guided tour. Scheduled tours available June - September, however clinics and group tour bookings available year round!
Dive Victoria
To the west is the Pacific Ocean, and to the east there is a myriad of Gulf Islands ideal for diving and exploring. The variety of marine life, diving conditions and underwater terrain are endless. Visit with the giant pacific octopus, wolf eels, tons of invertebrates, whales, seals, sea lions, and wrecks! In addition to the hundreds of historical wrecks existing around Vancouver Island, two ships have recently been sunk to create artificial reefs.ADVENTURES ON LAND
Year-Round!
Mount Park Stables
Horseback riding, trail rides and pony rides for all ages & abilities! Located in the scenic Blenkinsop Valley, just minutes from the heart of Victoria.
Guided Hikes
Discover the spirit of west coast nature. Half-day and full-day guided hikes to the most spectacular natural settings on Southern Vancouver Island. These high quality interpretive nature hikes will heighten your environmental awareness and nature appreciation.
Bungy Zone
Offers the only legal Bridge Jump Site in North America. Fun to watch, a thrill to do. Now you can experience the ultimate bungy jumping experience : NIGHT JUMPING! Free shuttle service, located approximately 1-hour north of Victoria.
Cycling/Mountain Biking
Peddle your way to Island Adventure. The Seaside vistas and rolling hills of Victoria make biking a favourite activity in the area.
SIGHTSEEING
Butchart Gardens One of Victoria's most famous sites, Butchart Gardens is rated among the most beautiful in the world. 50 acres of fragrance and beauty including the Sunken Garden, English Rose Garden, Japanese & Italian Gardens, and the magnificent Ross Fountain. Visit by day or visit in twilight under night illumination.
Craigdarroch Castle
Craigdarroch Castle and the Dunsmuir family play a prominent role in the history of Victoria. Built in the late 1800's by Robert Dunsmuir, the mansion features the best collection of residential stained and leaded glass on the west coast, magnificent woodwork, and period furnishings.
Royal British Columbia Museum
Experience the history of British Columbia in an afternoon. Considered one of the top 10 museums in North America, the fascinating and unfamiliar world of the first peoples lures with mysterious masks and totem poles telling the story of human successes, tragedies and survival. Stroll down a cobbled street and peer into turn-of-the-century store fronts. The Royal British Columbia Museum is an experience that must not be missed! (meeting & function space available)
Crystal Garden
Tropical Paradise under glass! Your indoor strolling safari includes close-ups of the world's smallest monkeys and Indian fruit bats. You'll discover over 65 species of endangered exotic birds and animals. Stand in awe of the hundreds of tropical plants and vibrant blossoms, and admire the brilliant plumage of our flamingoes and macaws.
The Maritime Museum of British Columbia
Relive the glamour and glory, tragedies and triumphs of the men and women who worked and journeyed the water ways of Canada's Pacific province. The majesty and grandeur of the nautical world sparkles and comes to life in the museum's galleries, featuring Captain Cook and early explorers.
Vancouver Island Wineries
Venturi-Schulze Vineyards is located in scenic Cobble Hill south of Cowichan Bay. This 100 year old farmhouse contains a wine shop and tasting room. Blue Grouse Vineyards also located in the Cowichan Valley, often treats visitors to an informative winery tour with owner Hans Kiltz. An exclusive selection of quality wines are available when you visit. A little further North brings us to Vigneti Zanatta. The wine shop, an addition to the historic family home which was built in 1903, offers guests a range of exceptional wines exclusive to the winery.
KIDDING AROUND VICTORIA
Miniature World
The kids become the giants at Miniature World. Welcome to the Little People's Wonderful World of Smallness, walk down its road - step into story books of fact, fiction and fantasy.
Royal London Wax Museum
Fairy tales and fiendish freaks! After hanging out with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dorothy and her Oz-bound friends, and Wonderland's Alice, the kids can scream to their hearts content in the Chamber of Horrors.
Mineral World
Calling all treasure seekers! At Mineral World the kids can search for gems and stones until their bags are brimming. After finding all their riches, the little prospectors can head over to the craft tables where they can create their own trinkets and jewellery.
Victoria Butterfly Gardens
The sky inside this huge atrium is a flurry of flutters with hundreds of brightly coloured butterflies. Watch out if you're wearing white, you just might become a landing pad for more than a few.
Undersea Gardens
Submerge in an aquatic adventure! To get to the Undersea Gardens, you take a gently sloping stairway to a glass-enclosed area at the bottom of the Inner Harbour. Visitors get an eye-level view of the 5,000 sea creatures feeding, playing and hunting and the star of the show, a giant octopus named Armstrong!
Beacon Hill Park
This park has 184 acres of fun for the whole family. Besides all the playgrounds, duck ponds and endless space to run around, there's a petting zoo where the kids can make friends with a whole slew of barnyard animals.
Bicycling
The seaside vistas and rolling hills of Victoria make biking a favourite activity in the area. A leisurely ride from Beacon Hill Park along Marine Drive is perfect for families looking for a little outdoor action.ENTERTAINMENT
Victoria Symphony
Month to month performances at the Royal Theatre & University of Victoria Centre Auditorium. The variety of musical entertainment offered is vast; something for every taste.
Belfry Theatre
Brilliant, bittersweet, hilarious, shocking, touching - the Belfry offers an outstanding mixture of the very finest in contemporary theatre. You will be thrilled by the plays and the artists coming to the stage. Numerous award winners for direction & staging - also available for private functions.
Pacific Opera Victoria
Love and passion are at the Heart of the 1995-96 season. Two well-loved operatic masterworks frame a year which includes a bold adventurous premiere for Pacific Opera.
International Shopping
From the exotic to the extravagant, Victoria offers shopping that's entertainment in itself. Wander through the Victoria Eaton Centre, an indoor galleria-style marketplace or stroll through Bastion and Market Squares with their fascinating shops and restaurants. Explore China town for exotic imports from China, go antique shopping on Fort Street.
Dining
Something for everyone: Victoria offers a cosmopolitan selection of local and international cuisines. You can find the finest Fish & Chips or a hearty Steak & Kidney Pie in Victoria, but the city's restaurant scene is definitely international. Italian, French, East Indian, German, Chinese, Japanese, West Coast, Thai and other exotic cuisines have put Victoria on the culinary map.