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…
Must-see attractions in Vancouver Island
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…
Sooke Potholes Provincial Park
Vancouver Island
This relaxed park has been a favorite natural hangout among locals for generations. With the potholes (natural rock pools) carved into the river base…
Vancouver Island
A rustic farmhouse and cider producer where tours, samples and ocean views are available, this is a tasty pit stop if you're a red-nosed cider fan. The 10…
Maquinna Marine Provincial Park
Tofino
One of the most popular day trips from Tofino, the highlight here is Hot Spring Cove. Tranquility-minded trekkers travel to the park by Zodiac boat or…
Vancouver Island
This dramatically located building is perched over a sandy, rock-fringed beach. Inside you'll find displays on the region's rugged topography and wildlife…
Vancouver Island
A labor of love for the local Rotary Club, this small museum anchored by a restored Seine fishing boat stands as a testament to Campbell River’s salmon…
Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea
Vancouver Island
Sidney's kid-luring highlight, this aquarium is accessed through a dramatic Disney-style entrance that makes you think you're descending below the waves…
Victoria
Victoria’s much-loved bascule bridge across the Inner Harbour reopened in March 2018 with a handsome new streamlined structure replacing the steel-and…
Vancouver Island
This expansive, mostly outdoor heritage attraction includes a menagerie of pioneer-era buildings and hulking old logging machinery. But the main…
Vancouver Island
Wet your line off the downtown Discovery Pier (rental rods available) or just stroll along with the crowds and see what everyone else has caught in the…
Vancouver Island
A lovely pier-length attraction aimed at anyone with more than a passing interest in salty history, this folksy facility is lined with intricate models,…
Victoria
This square once held a jail, gallows and a brothel. Many of its scrubbed stone buildings are now restaurants, boutiques or offices. There's also a summer…
Tofino
Showcasing the work of First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers, this dramatic, longhouse-style building is a downtown landmark. Inside you'll find…
Courtenay and District Museum & Palaeontology Centre
Vancouver Island
With its life-size replica of an elasmosaur (a prehistoric marine reptile first discovered in the area), this excellent small museum also houses pioneer…
Victoria
A waterfront walk from the Inner Harbour (or, better yet, a short hop by mini-ferry) delivers you to this floating, boardwalk-linked clutch of houseboats,…
Nanaimo
Woodland trails, rugged coastlines and quiet little beaches make this bucolic little island a popular rustic day trip for visitors. It's a 20-minute ferry…
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Victoria
Granted, it's not the Louvre, or even Vancouver Art Gallery for that matter, but this east-of-downtown art nook does harbor one of Canada's best Emily…
Victoria
This early-20th-century Gothic-revival cathedral is one of Victoria's most attractive buildings. The third Anglican cathedral to be built in the city, the…
Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre
Vancouver Island
This small and mildly interesting interpretive center overlooks the water and illuminates the area's flora and fauna. Nip inside the shed-like facility…
Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre
Vancouver Island
Bring your kids and they'll learn all about the salmon lifecycle at this off-the-beaten-path hatchery attraction. Besides lots of hands-on action (as well…
Vancouver Island
This smashing little marine-critter attraction can be found at the entrance to the Discovery Pier, where it's repurposed the old blue shed aquarium that…
Culture Shock Interactive Gallery
Vancouver Island
This diminutive gallery shop sells contemporary First Nations crafts, T-shirts and jewelry, all made in and around BC. There's a coffee shack alongside if…
Vancouver Island
There’s plenty of history lovingly stuffed into this museum in the town’s former train station. Closely packed exhibits cover the favorite BC topics:…
Vancouver Island
A dozen or so photo-friendly sculptures are dotted around the town's waterfront. Look out for a graceful gymnast, a hollow eye made out of whale bones and…
Port McNeill & District Museum
Vancouver Island
Trace the town's logging and First Nations history in a handsome gabled log building that's a short walk from the waterfront.
