Twinkling Lights and Festive Nights: Celebrating Christmas in Victoria, B.C.
Embracing the holiday spirit in Victoria, B.C., during Christmas, is an enchanting experience. Nestled on Vancouver Island, this charming city boasts a delightful blend of festive cheer and natural beauty. I’ve been looking forward to spending Christmas here for quite some time and I’m thrilled to share our weekend adventures, and in doing so, perhaps one day, you too will experience the magic and beauty of this island.
Despite being in the throes of winter, Victoria’s weather remains relatively mild. While the temperatures tend to be chilly, snowfall is uncommon, and the city usually experiences little to no snow. Instead, gentle rain showers might occasionally bless the region.
My recent Christmas holiday weekend was nothing short of magical and it all starts with our stay at the newly renovated Fairmont - The Empress. There are many historic hotels in Victoria, and we chose The Empress, not only for its beauty and high level of service, but also the location. (You can read about this in a previous blog post linked here.)
The activities offered by The Empress are like other luxury hotels – a high class spa, fitness facility, etc. They are most known for their famed high tea experience. If you visit during the holidays, they have a delightful festive drink menu and a specially curated food menu for both Christmas Eve and Day (reservations required).
One of the main reasons for visiting Victoria, this time of year, is for the mesmerizing light display at Butchart Gardens. The botanical gardens are stunning all year round, but during the holidays, they take on a whole new look trading the blooms for bulbs. Embracing the theme of the 12 Days of Christmas, the gardens are transformed into a dazzling spectacle of lights and festive displays.
In addition to embracing the festive spirit, we also indulged in Vancouver Island’s natural wonders. This time of year, rain is likely, and if you want to go exploring, I suggest having flexible plans. I hired Darwin from Surfside Adventure Tours for the weekend. He specializes in outdoor activities and expertly guided us to different hiking trails and waterfalls giving us maximum views and avoiding the rain all together.
Our day started with a hike at Goldstream Park, which led us to a beautiful waterfall. There are a few trails leading to the falls and the route we took, going through a tunnel, added extra fun.
Next stop was Cowichan Valley Trail and Kinsol Trestle. This bridge is one of the tallest free-standing timber rail trestle structures in the world (187 meters in length and 44 meters tall). The trail is also quite significant as it’s part of The Great Trail system that connects over 15,000 communities! If you enjoy history, you can learn more about the Kinsol Trestle here.
Sitting Lady Falls
The second waterfall we visited, and you can see why it was given this name.
Our last stop took us to Hatley Castle. A little bit about the history is Victoria has two castles, this one and Craigdarroch Castle (to see pictures from that visit click here). Both castles were built by the same wealthy coal family, the Dunsmuir’s.
Craigdarroch Castle was built first by Robert Dunsmuir, who sadly passed before it was finished. Hatley Castle was built by Robert’s son, James. You can still tour the inside of Craigdarroch, but Hatley is now home to Royal Roads University. Both castles are worth visiting, in my opinion, as they are quite different from each other and each stunning.
With its blend of festive charm, cultural experiences, and natural beauty, Victoria, B.C. is an idyllic destination for creating cherished holiday memories. From the elegance of the Fairmont Empress to the enchanting lights at Butchart Gardens, this city beckons travelers to immerse themselves in the joyous spirit of Christmas amidst its captivating landscapes.
For Fairmont Empress video tour - Click Here
The Butchart Gardens video tour - Click Here
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