A guide to your time ashore in Victoria, British Columbia

Ogden Point — Getting off the ship

Ogden Point is about 1.5 miles or 2.4 kilometers from downtown Victoria’s Inner Harbour and wharf/waterfront district. Right at the terminal you’ll find gift shops, a currency exchange and a welcome/visitor information area. Cruise ships dock directly at Ogden Point’s large piers, so no tendering is needed and guests can disembark directly from the ship and either walk into Victoria’s center or arrange a brief ride from a convenient shuttle or taxi.

Getting from the ship into Victoria

If you’re comfortable walking, you can easily reach downtown Victoria by walking west through the James Bay neighborhood (roughly 20-30 minutes walking), or simply head north (which is your left as you walk toward the city from the pier) and follow the shore around to the west using Dallas Road, Kingston Street and Bellville Street until you reach the waterfront/wharf area. If you’d rather ride, shuttles are available every 15 minutes or you can take a taxi (both take about 10 minutes, depending on traffic).

For guests who prefer a curated itinerary, check out the available shore excursions in Victoria. High tea, horse-drawn trolley, museum visits and sightseeing motorcoach tours are some of the favorites, as well as Butchart Gardens (which we’ll cover in more detail below). Excursions generally include transportation so you don’t have to worry about arranging it separately. 

Once you’re downtown, Victoria’s compact city center is easy to navigate on foot, making shopping, dining and sightseeing seamless and easy.

Victoria’s Inner Harbour and downtown highlights

Victoria’s Inner Harbour is vibrant, colorful and scenic, with abundant flower baskets nearby and daytime ferries and float planes bustling about. The British Columbia Parliament Buildings buildings sit directly on the south side of the Inner Harbour along Belleville Street, and thousands of tiny lights outline the entire structure every evening after sunset.

You can get the most famous view of Parliament from the lower causeway or the opposite side of the water near the Fairmont Empress Hotel, which is itself a visual treat. This grand, castle-like hotel sits directly on the eastern/northern edge of the water. Walking along the Inner Harbour causeway gives you a full, unobstructed view of the hotel’s historic brick facade and green copper roof.

The Royal BC Museum, at the south end of the Inner Harbour and fairly near the water, is a popular option for daytime guests who want an indoor cultural stop.

Government Street is a primary north/south thoroughfare near the downtown waterfront, and features abundant shops, boutiques and restaurants. Some favorites include specialty tea and chocolate shops as well as vendors selling local crafts. This is a natural stop for guests exploring the Inner Harbour on foot. Read more in our articles on things to do in Victoria, BC and best local restaurants.

Butchart Gardens — planning your visit

Butchart Gardens is a well-loved floral display garden that welcomes over a million visitors per year, and has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada. A Princess® shore excursion to the gardens’ illuminated garden displays is always a favorite of cruise guests. Depending on your itinerary, this 1.75-hour self-guided tour may occur during daylight hours or later in the evening. When the gardens are open to visitors, these excursions run in full daylight (for daytime visitors) so obviously the illumination displays are not part of the experience, but the enchanting sculpted garden displays and colorful flowerbeds are equally impressive whenever you attend. Partake of the on-site gift shop and refreshments if desired, and after your visit, you return to port via motorcoach through downtown Victoria.

Evening visitors to the garden enjoy seeing the famed Rose Fountain lit with colored lighting effects, which makes a memorable visual centerpiece to the experience. If you time it right, you may also get to partake of various outdoor entertainment on the garden grounds as well, including live outdoor music and weekly fireworks on Saturday evenings. If you enjoy nature and biology, the Best of Victoria excursion includes the Victoria Butterfly Gardens as well as the Butchart Gardens.

If you're visiting Victoria during early May or mid-September, the garden excursion may not be offered due to limited daylight hours, so be sure to confirm when booking your excursion.

Practical tips for your time ashore

Victoria, BC uses the Canadian dollar, so you’ll want to either take advantage of the currency exchange or use credit cards, which are widely accepted downtown and at most local vendors.

Victoria is typically mild and temperate during cruise season, with typical June typical daytime highs of 18°C to 20°C (64°F to 68°F) warming to 19°C to 25°C (66°F to 78°F) in July and August, depending on how close you are to the water. These months are the driest of the year as well. It’s a good idea to pack a light layer in case the evening grows a little chilly, and good walking shoes are a must if you intend to go by foot to the downtown area, or decide to walk about 0.8 kilometers (half a mile) along the breakwater (just south of the pier) to the lighthouse at the end.

Victoria’s compact, vibrant and easily accessible downtown area helps cruise guests make the most of their few hours ashore. Explore how a stop in Victoria can be more than a brief bookend to your perfect Alaska cruise itinerary.