Visit one of the world's great museums, the Royal BC Museum, just a stone's throw from the VCC and attached to a state of the art IMAX Theatre. Our century-old Legislative Buildings, brilliantly outlined in light each evening, stand at the harbour's edge. Craigdarroch Castle, built in the 1880s, features the best collection of residential stained and leaded glass on the West Coast.

And the world-famous Butchart Gardens, with its spectacular 55-acres of floral display, is quite simply a 'must-see'.

Wine Country

In just a short time, Vancouver Island's wines and ciders have gained an international reputation for quality. The warm, dry Cowichan Valley, an hour from Victoria, is the Island's largest wine-growing region. A short 20-minute drive from downtown Victoria will bring you to a number of estate wineries, hosting daily tours, wine tastings and seasonally inspired fare.

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365 Days of Golf

There are almost a dozen courses within a half-hour drive, from championship and traditional links courses to economical pitch-and-putts. Try Olympic View, with its two picturesque waterfalls and 12 lakes. Or lovely Cordova Bay, whose multiple tees accommodate all levels of play. Royal Colwood is set amongst 450-year old Douglas firs and majestic Garry Oaks, while the Victoria Golf Club, a seaside links course, is acknowledged as one of Canada's finest private clubs. And the new Bear Mountain, a Jack Nicklaus course, offers a special mountain high golf experience.

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Award-Winning Gardens

Our moderate climate makes Victoria a gardening paradise. Everywhere you look, gardens are being tilled and flowers are in bloom. And so many different types! - from the Japanese gardens at Royal Roads University to the English style estate garden on the Government House grounds. A real life Prince and Princess created the Abkhazi Garden in the 1940s. And the civic garden at Beacon Hill Park, dating from the 1880s, is just five minutes away from the VCC.

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Local and Provincial Parks

From wilderness to family recreation areas and many beaches, Victoria has an abundance of parks. The popular Beacon Hill Park, just minutes away from the Victoria Conference Centre, has been a centre of family activity for more than a century. Our regional parks are linked by 100 kilometres of trails, in a green ribbon that stretches from the major ferry terminal at Sidney into downtown Victoria and on to the Western Communities.

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