Victoria area with 2 days to plan

[#1survivorfan]

I am in the process of planning 3 days and 2 nights for 2 adult active couples. After disembarking our ship in Vancouver and picking up the rental car and taking the 11:00 am ferry, we are checking in the hotel and then going to Butchart Gardens for the afternoon and evening on Saturday, hoping to see the fireworks also. Sunday is completely free and would like to have some ideas to choose from. We plan to check out the inner harbor area and would like to do some hiking, coastal preferred. Our plane doesn't leave until 5:00 p.m. the next day so we also have the following morning free. Can you tell me your favorite restaurants and activities to do. Can wait to see this beautiful island!!

[scottbee]

I am in the process of planning 3 days and 2 nights for 2 adult active couples. After disembarking our ship in Vancouver and picking up the rental car and taking the 11:00 am ferry, we are checking in the hotel and then going to Butchart Gardens for the afternoon and evening on Saturday, hoping to see the fireworks also. Sunday is completely free and would like to have some ideas to choose from. We plan to check out the inner harbor area and would like to do some hiking, coastal preferred. Our plane doesn't leave until 5:00 p.m. the next day so we also have the following morning free. Can you tell me your favorite restaurants and activities to do. Can wait to see this beautiful island!!

 

The fireworks are very very busy, but impressive. Equally amazing on Saturday nights is a visit to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (the largest telescope in the world when it was built) and their 'Centre of the Universe' facility. Most of the observatory is wide-open to the public on Saturday nights

 

If you like hikes, Victoria has a lot of very nice places to hike, and a huge number of geocaches. For a simple nice hiking area, with a great view of the city, Mt Douglas Park is hard to beat.

[cruiseryyc]

Since you are planning to take the ferry on a Saturday, I highly advise making a reservation and you might want to rethink the 11:00 a.m. one. The drive from downtown Vancouver to the ferry terminal is about 40 minutes; if you have a reservation you have to be at the terminal at least 30 minutes prior sailing. So in order to make the 11:00 sailing you will have to be in your rental car and on your way 9:30/9:45. I'd suggest you do self-disembarkation in order to be sure to make the 11:00 ferry or take the noon one instead. The fireworks at Butcharts are fabulous.

[Urban trekker]

By coastal hiking do you mean along the water or the forested coastal affect - if the latter you could try Thetis Lake Park - has a number of Lakes and is close to downtown and easy to drive to or a little further away would be East Sooke Park or the Sooke Potholes - for a real adventure you could drive out the West Coast Highway to China Beach and do some of the Juan de Fuca trail.

 

The Victoria region is part of the Capitol regional district - here is a link to their Parks website - it will have some info on some of the area that I have mentioned:

 

http://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/

 

To check out the Juan de Fuca Trail - check out this link:

 

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/juan_de_fuca/hiking.html

 

If you just want some easy exercise the Galloping Goose trail is a good idea and the section around Matheson Lake and Roche Cove is quite scenic.

 

These are from memory from my trips over to the Island. I am sure that the Victoria posters will correct any of my errors and provide other tips as well.

 

Sorry if this post is a little scattered - not fully awake yet and haven't had breakfast + recovering from three days of volunteering at the Dragon Boat races.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[scottbee]

Since you are planning to take the ferry on a Saturday, I highly advise making a reservation and you might want to rethink the 11:00 a.m. one. The drive from downtown Vancouver to the ferry terminal is about 40 minutes; if you have a reservation you have to be at the terminal at least 30 minutes prior sailing. So in order to make the 11:00 sailing you will have to be in your rental car and on your way 9:30/9:45. I'd suggest you do self-disembarkation in order to be sure to make the 11:00 ferry or take the noon one instead. The fireworks at Butcharts are fabulous.

 

Saturday generally isn't too bad on the ferry, Friday and Sunday afternoons are the busiest. Having traveled this route a lot (I can recite the announcements by heart), even if you miss the 11, there's a 12, 1, 2.... If you arrive at 10am at the ferry terminal, you should be on the 11am dailing, and it's the MV Spirit of Vancouver Island which is the largest ship in the fleet 400+ cars, 2000 people.

[#1survivorfan]

Thank you for all the info....we do have our ferry reservation and thanks to suggestions from CC's we will self disembark with our own luggage. I hadn't thought about that but am sooooo glad it was recommended.

 

I think the West Coast Highway to China Beach and some of the Juan de Fuca trail is exactly what I had in mind. Thank You!!

 

Now do you have any restaurant recommendations?

 

I know I will regret only staying 2 nights on Vancouver Island.......it will just be the beginning of planning my next vacation!!

[cruiseryyc]

Glad we could help out. You will want to journey back someday because you're not actually seeing Vancouver Island, you're only getting to see Victoria and a bit of the surrounding area.

[#1survivorfan]

one more question...

On our last day our plane doesn't leave until 5:00 p.m. Should we and can we take the ferry back to Vancouver and try to see Grouse Mtn. and Capilano Suspension Bridge? Is this too much to do before heading to the airport? How early should we arrive at the airport. Is the "2 hour before the flight" rule okay?

[scottbee]

one more question...

On our last day our plane doesn't leave until 5:00 p.m. Should we and can we take the ferry back to Vancouver and try to see Grouse Mtn. and Capilano Suspension Bridge? Is this too much to do before heading to the airport? How early should we arrive at the airport. Is the "2 hour before the flight" rule okay?

 

Not sure how/where you're flying back to/via, but if you're on a YVR-LAX or YVR-SFO, you might want to consider flying back from Victoria(YYJ) instead. Even with a change fee, I suspect the airfare back to California is comparible. United Express have 2x daily to SFO and Alaska's regional carrier Horizon have 5x to SEA (connecting to LA area airports).

 

Even though you leave at 5pm, you do have a lot planned for your last day. If you did want to do it that way, I would consider driving 90 minutes north to Nanaimo, crossing from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay, when then puts you on the right side of Vancouver to see Grouse/Capilano. The drive from Victoria to Nanaimo is quite nice, especially around Goldstream Park.