Cold fingers, a warm paper cup, the harbour slapping at the floats. Base: one downtown or Inner Harbour room for two nights, within a few blocks of the Empress, so the harbour, Government Street and Chinatown are all on foot. The causeway walk and the Parliament lights are free. Pace: an arrival day, with one table booked for dinner and the lights as the evening plan.
Into the harbour, then brunch
There are three good ways in. A floatplane from downtown Vancouver lands right in the Inner Harbour, a flight of well under an hour. BC Ferries sails from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay in about 1 hour 35 minutes, and the drive or bus into town takes about 40 minutes more. From Seattle, the Victoria Clipper docks on Belleville Street, across from the Parliament Buildings. US travelers clear Canadian customs on arrival and need a passport.
Where to eat: Jam Cafe on Herald Street, a few blocks north of the harbour, for a big late brunch. Drop the bags at the hotel first. Expect a short wait on a Friday.
Government Street and a box of creams
Walk south down Government Street, the old shopping street that runs from Chinatown to the harbour. In December the shop windows are dressed for Christmas and the lamp posts carry hanging baskets of greenery. It is the kind of street you stroll rather than shop.
Stop at Rogers’ Chocolates at 913 Government Street, a Victoria chocolate maker known for its Victoria creams, round chocolates with soft flavoured centres. Buy a small box. Save half for the Parliament lights tonight; it is a cold-hands, warm-chocolate kind of evening.
Fish tacos on the docks
Where to eat: Red Fish Blue Fish at 1006 Wharf Street, an outdoor counter on the dock below the street, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, holidays too. Order the fish tacos and a cup of chowder and eat at the counter with the floatplanes taxiing past. There are no reservations and no indoor tables, so dress for the weather.
From the dock, follow the harbour path south along the causeway in front of the Empress. The stone railing is where the cover of this guide is set. Pause there a minute. The view across the water to the Parliament Buildings is the postcard of the city.
An afternoon at the Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum on Belleville Street sits beside the Parliament Buildings and covers the natural and human history of the province, from coastal forests to the First Nations of the coast. Give it about two hours, and check the website for current hours and which galleries are open before you go.
Expert tip: book tomorrow’s Butchart Gardens timed ticket and your tea at the Empress before you leave home. The Christmas evenings sell out on weekends, and the Empress tea is a table to reserve, not one to walk in for.
The Parliament lights and dinner at Il Terrazzo
Step out of the museum as the sky goes dark. The Parliament Buildings are outlined in thousands of small white lights every night, and in December the lawn in front is a quiet place to stand with the rest of the chocolate and watch the harbour turn gold and navy.
Where to eat: Il Terrazzo, off Wharf Street, an Italian restaurant with a courtyard terrace warmed by heaters and fireplaces. Book ahead and ask for the terrace; under the heaters, a December night outdoors feels snug rather than cold.
Where to eat and stop
- Breakfast · Jam Cafe Victoria — a big brunch on Herald Street. Why here: Downtown, a short walk from the harbour, brunch after the ferry or floatplane.
- Lunch · Red Fish Blue Fish — fish tacos and chowder at an outdoor dock counter. Why here: On the Inner Harbour docks, lunch for two with the floatplanes passing.
- Dinner · Il Terrazzo — Italian dinner on a heated courtyard terrace. Why here: Near the harbour, a warm table after the Parliament lights.
- Quick stop (snack): Rogers’ Chocolates — a small box of Victoria creams to share. Why here: On Government Street, chocolate to carry to the Parliament lights.
The floatplane or Clipper dock → your hotel: about 10 minutes walking. The hotel → Jam Cafe: about 10 minutes. Government Street → Red Fish Blue Fish: about 5 minutes. The causeway → the Royal BC Museum and the Parliament lawn: about 5 minutes.
Where to stay
- A downtown or Inner Harbour hotel near the Empress — two nights downtown or on the Inner Harbour, within a few blocks of the Empress and the causeway.
Dinner: Il Terrazzo on the heated courtyard terrace, after the Parliament lights.
Tomorrow: a slow breakfast, tea at the Empress and the Butchart Gardens Magic of Christmas after dark.
Bad-weather plan
Heavy rain? Swap the causeway stroll for more time in the Royal BC Museum, eat lunch indoors at Jam Cafe instead of the dock, and see the Parliament lights from the covered Empress steps across the road.
Stay: Inner Harbour base · Anchor: the Parliament lights · arrive by floatplane, ferry or Clipper
Good to know: Victoria in December is usually wet and mild rather than snowy; a rain jacket matters more than a heavy parka.
