Victoria flights and travel guide

Victoria's heritage buildings, tea rooms, horse-drawn carriages and flower gardens give the city its old-world charm. Its university students give it a youthful energy. Meanwhile, the first Chinatown in Canada and First Nations totem poles standing amid the stately public buildings of this former British outpost add to its cosmopolitan air.

Victoria's charming Inner Harbour is in the centre of the city, home to the Fairmont Empress Hotel and the Legislative Buildings. A busy place, seaplanes land here, ferries and yachts put-put in and out while kayaks glide about. Street performers entertain visitors during the spring and summer months and at night the water sparkles from the thousands of lights of the Legislative Buildings.

Unlike Vancouver, Victoria is not a towering city of glass; there are few buildings more than seven storeys high. Like Vancouver however, the views of the mountains and ocean frame the city beautifully.

Most cheap flights to Victoria land at the international airport a half-hour away. Once in Victoria, almost all the key sights are within walking distance of the Inner Harbour - the Old Town, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Beacon Hill Park and James Bay, the oldest neighbourhood in Victoria.

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Victoria climate

Victoria has the mildest climate in Canada, averaging more than 2,000 hours of sunshine each year. February often marks the start of spring when most visitors arrive on cheap flights to Victoria. Summer temperatures range between 18 and 32 degrees Celsius (64-89 degrees Fahrenheit). Off-shore breezes ensure summer temperatures never get uncomfortable. Most rain falls in January, February and March, but even then it is much less than what falls in Vancouver and the rest of British Columbia.

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When to fly to Victoria

Victoria is a four-season destination, and there is no bad time to visit. Its climate is mild year-round and even during the rainiest months - January to March - Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island receive less rain than nearby Vancouver.

Peak Season:
The summer months are peak season. This is when most visitors take cheap flights to Victoria to enjoy the festivals and cultural events.

Off Season:
November to March are the off-season months when temperatures veer towards chilly. The weeks following Christmas and New Years are typically soft and visitors can usually get cheap airfares and hotel rooms.

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Getting downtown Victoria

Once tourists have landed on cheap flights to Victoria, there are several options for getting downtown. Avis, Budget, Hertz and National Car Rental all have desks at Victoria International Airport. There are shuttle services by AKAL Airport Shuttle and taxis operated by the Yellow Cab of Victoria. Bus services are operated by BC Transit Bus Service. There are six trips per day in each direction between downtown and the terminal building.

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Getting around Victoria

If you’re planning on making a trip around Vancouver Island, then you’ll want to rent a car after your cheap flight to Victoria. In the city you can walk or ride a bike and soak up the local atmosphere. Public transit, which includes British-style double decker buses, is run by BC Transit. Buy day passes or books of 10 tickets to save a little money.    

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Victoria insider information

• Greater Vancouver Island with its gorgeous scenery and numerous activities that include fishing, surfing, skiing, hiking and whale-watching is on the city's doorstep for side trips.
• Top surfing spots are off Tofino and Long Beach, between Sooke and Port Renfrew. Top-rated dive spots include Race Rocks Underwater Marine Park near Victoria and Browning Wall near Port Hardy.
• Nanaimo has the world's largest diving reef. Vancouver Island's diving is so good, Jacques Cousteau rated it second only to the Red Sea for diversity and clarity.
• Vancouver Island's beauty and lifestyle has attracted many creative types to set up shop here. It's a great place to pick up some distinctive jewellery, glass work, sculpture, handmade soaps, hand-knit sweaters or unique folk art.
• The Royal BC Museum, south of the Empress Hotel, offers a fascinating walk through history. There are three permanent galleries - the First Peoples Gallery detailing First Nations cultures before and after the arrival of Europeans, the Modern History Gallery and the Natural History Gallery that traces BC from the Ice Age, complete with a life-size woolly mammoth.
• Thunderbird Park is a historic space in the grounds, exhibiting welcome figures, monumental poles and First Nations carvings.
• There are free, guided tours of the ornate Parliament Buildings on weekdays. An added bonus, visitors can have breakfast or lunch in the Legislative Dining Room. More informal is a picnic on the grounds. The Legislative Gourmet Lunch Bag Menu features sandwiches, fruit and a juice box for about $7 each.
• After landing on cheap flights to Victoria, walk along Government Street to get a sense of Victoria's heritage. With a very British look, these include woollens and bone china from England, tartan from Scotland and lace from Ireland. Turn into Trounce Alley for European fashions and gift shops.
• Bastion Square, which has a Festival of the Arts each summer, is a lively area of shops and restaurants.

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Victoria airports

Victoria International Airport (CYYJ) is located on the Saanich Peninsula, 22 kilometres north of Victoria.

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