Vancouver Island
Far more than just another pretty flower arrangement, Butchart is a national historic site and a triumph of early-20th-century gardening aesthetics. With…
Must-see attractions in Vancouver Island
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Vancouver Island
One in a magnificent seven of BC national parks, Pacific Rim is replete with wave-whipped beaches and brooding forests, most of them far from civilization…
Victoria
Arguably the finest museum in British Columbia and carrier of a ‘royal’ prefix since 1987, Victoria’s flagship sight mixes the cream of BC’s provincial…
Victoria
More ostentatious country mansion than fortified castle, Craigdarroch, with its turrets, stained-glass windows and palatial interior, looks like it might…
Vancouver Island
This must-see longhouse-like facility proudly displays dozens of culturally priceless Kwakwaka'wakw artifacts confiscated when potlatch ceremonies were…
Victoria
This dramatically handsome confection of turrets, domes and stained glass is British Columbia's working legislature and is also open to visitors. You can…
Victoria
It’s not big, nor are its resident critters (although some of them are alarmingly colossal by insect standards); however, this diminutive indoor ‘zoo’ is…
Victoria
Tucked along the side of the Fairmont Empress Hotel, this huge collection of skillfully crafted models depicting important battles, historic towns and…
Victoria
Fringed by crashing ocean, this waterfront park is ideal for feeling the breeze in your hair – check out the windswept trees along the cliff top. You'll…
Tofino
Visible across Clayoquot Sound and accessible via kayak or water taxi from the Tofino waterfront, Meares Island was the site of the key 1984 Clayoquot…
Vancouver Island
Don't be put off by the unassuming concrete exterior: this is one of Vancouver Island's best community museums. Studded with fascinating First Nations…
Vancouver Island
This excellent catch-and-release facility on the waterfront focuses on illuminating the marine critters found in the region's local waters, which can mean…
Vancouver Island
This spiritual home of tree-huggers is the mystical highlight of MacMillan Provincial Park. Located between Parksville and Port Alberni, it's often…
Vancouver Island
Tiny (8-sq-km) Raft Cove lies south of much larger Cape Scott Provincial Park in Vancouver Island's northwest corner. A short 2km trail brings you to the…
Vancouver Island
Check out the region's 'locavore' credentials at this delightful and highly welcoming working farmstead. Let your kids run wild – most will quickly fall…
Vancouver Island
This unique, beautifully rustic barn-like museum is bristling with hands-on artifacts and artfully displayed skeletons of cougars and sea otters, but the…
Vancouver Island
A big draw on tiny Cormorant Island, this hidden nature park consists of a small marsh guarded by a clutch of starkly beautiful dead trees (most of them…
Vancouver Island
One of Vancouver Island's most ruggedly alluring parks, this isn't the easiest one to access but once you step onto its tree-backed beaches and blink in…
Victoria
This swath of temperate rainforest a 20-minute drive from the city is bisected by the Trans-Canada but squeezes a lot of nature into its 4.5 sq km. A…
Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park
Vancouver Island
Home to some of BC's eldest residents, the old-growth spruce and cedar trees in this magnificent but remote park frequently exceed 1000 years of age. With…
Vancouver Island
Featuring a greatest hits of wilderness attractions as well as Vancouver Island's highest mountain, Mt Golden Hinde (2200m), Strathcona is the poster…
Tofino
Situated on remote Flores Island and accessed by tour boat or kayak, Ahousat is the mystical location of the spectacular Wild Side Heritage Trail, a…
Vancouver Island
Thought tea was a tropical plant? Not always. Hidden in bucolic farmland 8km north of Duncan, the improbably located Westholme grows its own tea plants…
Vancouver Island
The mother of all pit stops, this wood-framed and turf-roofed food and crafts menagerie is stuffed with bakery and produce delectables. It attracts huge…
Tofino
Explore what coastal temperate rainforests are all about by checking out the frog pond, forest boardwalk, native plants and educational workshops at this…
Vancouver Island
An upmarket glass-fronted winery that’s popular with tour groups, Averill is cradled by mountains guarding terrain that’s ideal for producing the vineyard…
Vancouver Island
A wonderfully quirky museum located on a row of false-fronted buildings that looks like a Dodge City movie set, with evocative exhibits on the area's…
Vancouver Island
This small but nature-packed provincial park was given fresh impetus for visitors with the building of a new centerpiece, a 60m-long suspension bridge…
Vancouver Island
One of BC's earliest exponents of craft cider-making, Merridale has since gone from strength to strength. The rustic-chic cidery site is lined with trees…
Vancouver Island
One of the Cowichan Valley's original wineries is now on its third owners, Colombians who have added a bit of Latin panache to wines such as the crisp,…
Vancouver Island
A rough and rugged wilderness swath with a wave-crashing coastline where whales, otters and a multitude of marine life thrives. Old-growth forest,…
Vancouver Island
This fascinating museum is worth an hour of anyone's time. Its diverse collection showcases indigenous masks, an 1890s pioneer cabin and video footage of…
Vancouver Island
This jam-packed community museum is like a 100-year-old attic turned inside-out. It illuminates the area's rugged pioneer days with dioramas, glass cases,…
Victoria
Colonizing part of the Inner Harbour's landmark Steamship Terminal building, this gallery showcases the photo-realistic work of Canada's most celebrated…
Victoria
The birthplace of BC's best-known painter, this bright-yellow gingerbread-style house has plenty of period rooms, plus displays on the artist's life and…
Vancouver Island
This idyllic outdoor attraction combines rambling forest trails shaded by centuries-old trees with flower-packed gardens planted with magnificent…
Vancouver Island
If you haven’t got time to hit the epic beaches of Cape Scott, decamp to this closer-to-town option mixing urban comforts (picnic tables and parking) with…
Horne Lake Caves & Outdoor Centre
Vancouver Island
BC's best spelunking, a 45-minute drive from Parksville. Some caves are open to the public for self-exploration, though the excellent guided tours are…
Vancouver Island
The ambitious manufacturers of Victoria Gin have branched into vodka, whiskey and beyond. The distillery relocated to Sidney in 2016 and now inhabits a…
Vancouver Island
These gardens offer a kaleidoscope of thousands of fluttering critters, from around 75 species, in a free-flying environment. As well as watching them…
