Stop at Victoria, British Columbia

[Jaylie]

We'll be on the Ruby for the Alaska sailing on September 9th out of Seattle. On the last night of the cruise the ship stops at 7pm in Victoria, BC. We don't really want to take an excursion at that hour, so we are wondering if there would be the possibility to just get off the ship and walk around to see the city. Or, would we be better off taking one of the suggested tours. thanks

[CeeCee59]

Victoria is a very walk-able port and they do have a coach that will take you to the downtown area (really cheap as I recall) if you don't feel like walking. Lots of pubs and touristy stuff on the waterfront. Buchart Gardens at night will be lit up and though I have only seen the gardens in the daytime I'm told that it is very nice in the evening. Victoria is a very safe port to explore on your own with some lovely architecture.

[martincath]

Personally I wouldn't call the shuttle buses into town cheap since they charge more per person than a cab (US$10 is the cheapest I've ever seen them advertised, compared to ~CAD$10 for an entire car load that will go anywhere downtown instead of just the one specific shuttle stop). If you're a solo traveler, maybe - since that price also gets you a return ticket - but for 2+ just take a cab.

 

Actually, if you aren't mobility-challenged just walk - along the waterfront for nice views would be about 45mins on foot to where the shuttles will drop you near the Empress hotel. Direct through pleasant surburban streets is 20mins if you hustle. Either way you end up where you can see parliament and empress all lit up nice, buskers will likely still be performing on a cruise evening too. Butchart IMO is not worth doing on one of these short PVSA-compliance stops, especially in the evening, as your time on site is so limited and the cruiseline excursions so overpriced. However, due to the tight timing and lack of public availability to the gardens - they close at 6pm - if Butchart is a bucket list item for you, suck up the spend and do the cruise excursion.

 

Sounds like that's not the case for you OP, so I'd walk into town or maybe take a watertaxi for a few bucks. Swans brewpub is the only place we always visit on every Victoria trip - real British style beers, and with a second cellar at the correct temp so you can actually drink them just like they should be served back in the old country. Otherwise, since it's a Saturday the excellent Royal BC Museum will still be open until 10pm - other than some touristy shops and bars/restos the rest of Victoria buttons up by 5-6pm for the night.

 

Try not to wake all the retired English ladies who live there by having too much fun - it takes them ages to get their pearls and gloves on before they can come outside to harangue you hooligans;-)

[jimsig]

Last year we walked from the pier to downtown. Easy almost flat walk from what I remember. We walked up Monreal, took the first right, and then a left on Oswego and followed that until we got to Belleview and took a right and we were at the harbor. On the way back we followed Belleview, to Quebec, to Kingston and checked out the Fisherman's Wharf area and back down Dallas. It was a nice walk. Below is a map of the area

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@48.4189251,-123.3752733,1279m/data=!3m1!1e3