Category: events

Valentine’s Day Ideas

Posted on January 31, 2019 by - activities, attractions, events, food

By: Maria Taylor

Valentine’s Day is approaching quickly. Feel stuck on what to do for your special someone for valentine’s day? Here are some ideas we hope inspire you!

Dinner Date:

Romantic Dinner for Two at Butchart Gardens:

The Butchart Gardens is offering a special valentine’s day dinner for season pass holders. For $99 per person, you can enjoy a set menu prepared by the outstanding chefs at the gardens. You’ll be seated in their beautiful Spring Prelude garden with a romantic table set for two. This is a unique experience that Butchart Gardens rarely offers.

Vista 18:

Vista 18 is an amazing west coast grill and wine bar overlooking the beautiful city of Victoria. It is Victoria’s only rooftop restaurant. It is located on the 18th floor of the Chateau Victoria Hotel. Enjoy an exquisite west coast inspired menu that uses fresh local ingredients. On Friday’s and Saturday’s Vista 18 has live music for guests to enjoy while they have dinner or drinks. This is an amazing spot to take your special someone on valentine’s day or any other special occasion.

Milestones Downtown:

Milestones in downtown Victoria has an amazing view of the inner harbor all the way across to the Parliament Buildings. Enjoy a romantic evening and great food. They have a variety of options to choose from depending on taste or dietary restrictions. Pair your meal with a glass of wine or signature drink.

Any of these dinner options will give you an amazing meal paired with amazing views of some of Victoria’s most beautiful places.

Romantic Walks:

The Breakwater:

The Breakwater is a beautiful walk that you can take your date on (and your dog too!) On the upper level it’s a smoothly paved path ending at a stunning lighthouse. This is a beautiful walk where you can watch the boats pass and the sunset. They also have a lower level that you can walk along. (this is more uneven so watch your step if you decide to go.) The lower level is more for adventure seekers, as there are gaps in the rocks, waves coming up, and uneven steps. Once you’re finished your walk on the breakwater you can walk along the path on Dallas road from one end to the other or make a stop at the Breakwater Café to warm up with a coffee.

Beacon Hill Park:

I would highly recommend going on a walk throughout Beacon Hill Park throughout the day. There is so much to see here! There are an abundance of trees surrounding the area and many paths that you can explore. They have many ponds where ducks and turtles like to relax and it is more than likely that you’ll see at least one peacock! Depending what time of year you go, they have stunning gardens and flowers all around the park.

Victoria is a beautiful city so wherever you decide to take a walk any time of year, you will not be disappointed.

Games & Activities:

Just started seeing someone and want to spend the day with them without the pressure OR you and your S.O. don’t want to have a “stereotypical” valentines’ day? Check out some fun activities in Victoria like ax throwing, the arcade, or the board game café.

Ax Throwing:

Axe and Grind, Victoria’s only ax throwing club is a lot of fun! It is something different that you can do together. Have a friendly competition or go on a cute double date! Ax throwing is a workout though so if you have a nice dinner planned after I would suggest bringing a change of clothes!

Quazar’s Arcade:

Go back to your childhood with this blast from the past arcade! Quazar’s Arcade recently opened in downtown Victoria. Try and beat each other’s high score or play a two-player game! This is something new and fun to do in downtown Victoria. They have the largest collection of pinball machines in BC, so you have many choices. They also rotate their arcade games, creating an everchanging variety.

Boardgame Café:

The Boardgame Café is a perfect relaxing date location. Order a bowl of candy for you and your sweetie (pun intended) and choose one of the many board games that they have from Snakes and Ladders to Risk. The boardgame café is a perfect date for a couple, double date, or a group date!

We hope that you enjoy these ideas and that it sparks ideas on what you and your special someone can do together on valentines’ day!

What to do in Victoria during autumn

Posted on September 26, 2018 by - activities, attractions, events, general, Uncategorized

Are you coming to Victoria in the offseason and looking for something indoors to do? Here are a few options!

Butterfly Gardens

Get out of the wind and rain and explore the Butterfly Gardens. This indoor oasis will not disappoint, it is tropical and warm with exotic wildlife and many different types of butterflies. The Butterfly Gardens also has an insectarium, where they have stick bugs, leaf cutter ants, tarantulas and more! One of the highlights of Butterfly Gardens is Little E, he is an Eclectus Parrot and is very friendly, but the thing is he will only land on women, he is quite the ladies’ man. Butterfly Gardens is about a 40-minute drive from downtown Victoria, it is about a five-minute drive from Butchart Gardens. Butterfly Gardens is an indoor greenhouse and is perfect to go to on a rainy day. Come explore this indoor tropical jungle and hang out with the wildlife.

Axe and Grind

Frustrated because it’s raining on your vacation? Take some aggression out and go axe throwing! Axe and Grind is an indoor axe throwing club in Victoria. It’s one of Victoria’s newest attractions and people are loving it. Axe throwing is a very unique sport that is very fun! When you first go there the staff will teach you how to safely throw axes. After that have fun! They have different types of axes that you can throw. Challenge your friends and have fun!

Afternoon Tea

There are many places that you can have tea around Victoria. The most iconic places to have tea are The Fairmont Empress and Butchart Gardens.

The Fairmont Empress is a classic place to get tea in Victoria. They offer 21 different varieties of tea paired perfectly with their three-tiered platter offering sweet and savory options. You can read more about the experience in our previous blog regarding everything you need to know about Tea at the Empress.

A second place to have tea is Butchart Gardens. If you already have a trip to Butchart Gardens this is great add on to complete your day especially if it is a little chilly out. They have nine different varieties of tea that you can choose from and if you really enjoy it you can purchase most of them from their gift shop and the end of your visit. They offer a three-tiered platter complete with sweet and savory options.

Museum

The Royal BC Museum is the perfect place to go on a rainy day. Learn about the history of British Columbia. The museum is currently holding the exhibition Egypt: The time of the Pharaohs until December 31st. They have many interesting artifacts on display in this exhibition. The museum also has some permanent exhibits which include the Natural history of BC, Modern History, First Peoples Galleries, and Our Living languages. All the exhibits in the museum are exceptional.

 

We hope that this blog has given you some ideas on what to while in Victoria during the rainy months.

Victoria’s Best Beaches

Posted on June 14, 2018 by - activities, attractions, events, Uncategorized

The benefit of traveling to Victoria is the abundance of beaches, since we are on an island there are many that we can choose from! Here are some of the best beaches in Victoria to check out on your next trip here!

Dallas Road

The name does not technically describe this as a beach, but you will not be disappointed! All along Dallas road you can experience the ocean in many ways. You can take a drive along the coastline in a car, bus, or bike! Enhance your experience by renting a scooter for the day! On Dallas road you can walk along walkway and enjoy the stunning view. If you’re wanting a more up-close experience you can walk down the (many) stairs and explore the rocky beach! If this doesn’t sound appealing to you, you can always walk the break water out to the lighthouse it is a lovely short 20-minute walk. Rain, or shine Dallas road is worth exploring and you never know what you’ll come across!

Many tourist come in at Ogdon point just off of Dallas road. This is where all the cruise ships doc during the year. One of the most beautiful spots to dock in our opinion!

 

Willows Beach

Willows beach is filled with many activities. It is about a 20 minute walk away from downtown and they have so much to do there in the summer! They have a large grass field perfect for a family picnic. Don’t want to pack a lunch? They have a concession and tea room.  Willows beach has many events going on throughout the summer such as free yoga and free concerts! Check out their event calendar here. Willows beach is a beautiful long beach that has a cement path to walk along or you can walk on the sand! Be sure to check out some of the creative sculptures that they have there such as the Bohdi Frog by the artist Doug Taylor. Every year in Oak Bay they have a sculpture contest and the one with the most votes wins and becomes a permanent instillation purchased by the city or sometimes even residents if they want the sculpture to stay! Willows beach is fun for the whole family and a great spot in Victoria.

French Beach

If you have a car while in town, French beach is one of the most amazing beaches on Vancouver Island. It is a long drive but well worth it! French beach is perfect for a day trip, bring a packed lunch as it is very far from any stores. When at French beach it is a slight hike down to the water and be aware of the wilderness as it is very secluded so there is wildlife in the area. The beach has many hidden treasures you can walk along the main beach, hike in the forest, and along your way find some amazing spots to sit and relax or go and explore!

 

What is the most important part to remember if you go to any (or all) of these beaches? BRING YOUR CAMERA! All of these beaches are breathtaking in their own way.  You can get amazing shots of the scenery, sunset, yourself, or your family. It will be an amazing unforgettable time!

Unique 2018 Victoria BC Events & Conferences

Posted on January 1, 2018 by - events

unique-events-conferences-victoria-bc

Many people know that Victoria offers stunning views and landscapes, but it is a little known fact that Victoria is also a hub of activity for many visitors and locals! As the capital of British Columbia, Victoria is a popular place for gatherings and conferences of all kinds. 2018 brings many reasons to visit Victoria besides the usual attractions, and these include a variety of special events and conferences. If you would like to be a guest in Victoria this year, check out these unique events and conferences below:

2018 BC Women’s Scotties Curling Championship

This January the province’s best women curlers will gather in Victoria to curl in a province wide tournament that is sure to be tons of fun. The teams will compete for a spot at the national level competition, which will take place at the end of the month in Penticton. The Victoria curling club is excited to host this event in the lead up to the 2018 winter Olympics in South Korea, and if you love curling it is a great time to catch a few games either on TV or in person!  

Capital City Comic Con

From March 16-18, comic book lovers, gamers, and tech wizards will be at the Victoria Conference Centre and Crystal Garden for three packed days. See everything to do with comics, toys, games, family fun, science fiction, special guests and pop culture, and maybe even meet your favourite character or actor. Don’t forget to wear your best cosplay! Whether you want to attend a panel, grab an autograph, or just pick up some memorabilia, check out the Capitcal City Comic Con website.

Social Media Camp

In a world where everyone uses social media, why would anyone need to learn about using it? This conference will change perspectives on how to use social media effectively and intelligently in our ever changing world. Not only is this a great opportunity for marketing and communications professionals and beginners, but the conference will also touch on cultural impacts such as changes in politics and security issues too. No matter your sector, you may find this informative conference useful through new knowledge and new contacts. Check it out this May!

NATGEO Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Due to the stunning landscapes and wildlife around Victoria, this exhibition is a tourist favourite as it gives a new way to experience the natural beauty of Canada and the world. The top award winning photos are on display here along with the work of young photographers and special categories. This exhibition runs from December 2017-April 2018 at the Royal BC Museum, and it is well worth a visit. Come and see some of the best nature photography in the world and feel as if you are right there in the photos too.   

Have the events and conferences of Victoria this year snatched your attention? There is plenty more to see in British Columbia’s capital city and CVS Tours can help you see the amazing sights in and around Victoria.