Which Is Better To Visit Vancouver Or Victoria?
British Columbia is home to many beautiful towns and cities, whether you’re visiting the mainland or one of the many islands.
Born and raised in Vancouver, I’ve been asked many times the question (from my old jobs): “Which is better to visit Vancouver or Victoria?” And I’m sure you’re also wondering since you’re here.
My answer to the question of which is better to visit is to visit both, but only if you have time. They offer different but similar things and sights. But if you’re on a time crunch, Vancouver would be the top pick. But, let me explain in more detail about both cities.
Which Is Better To Visit Vancouver Or Victoria
Before getting into the specifics of Vancouver and Victoria, here’s a brief overview of the province’s capital and the biggest city in British Columbia.
Vancouver
Vancouver is one of the top destinations to visit in Canada. It’s located in the Southwest of the province of British Columbia and has gained popularity with the outdoors and its culture.
In addition, Vancouver is known for many things, like the outdoors, but also for food like seafood and sushi, a diverse population, and beautiful mountains and ocean views, no matter where you are.
Victoria
Victoria is the capital of British Columbia. It’s a historic city on Vancouver Island, a ferry ride from the mainland. Victoria is the largest city on the island and is well known for its ocean views and the arts.
Moreover, Victoria is the capital of British Columbia—a new fun fact for you! Since Victoria is one of the older cities in British Columbia, it has many landmarks and older-style buildings and architecture.
Differences Or Similarities Between Vancouver And Victoria
While they’re only a ferry ride apart, Vancouver and Victoria have more similarities than differences, but I’ll explain more below.
Weather
The weather is overall similar; however, Victoria will have a slight advantage over Vancouver. Both do experience mild winters.
Vancouver
While Vancouver has mild winters with temperatures rarely under 0°, maybe -4°C at most, there are times when we get snowfall, and it does stick around for a while or a short amount of time.
Summers bring warm and hot weather, with temperatures could reach as high as 30°C (86°F) or more depending on the year. Vancouver also gets a lot of rain throughout the year, sometimes consecutively.
Victoria
Victoria, on the other hand, receives less rain than Vancouver during the winter. The island city also has hardly any snowfall, and if it does get snow, it doesn’t last long.
Summer weather is also around 19°C to 25°C, depending on the year. Typically, Victoria is cooler during the summer months.
More information on weather in Vancouver or weather in Victoria.
Cost & Prices
When it comes to cost, Vancouver and Victoria have around the same prices when it comes to excursions, food, and accommodations. But Victoria can have slightly better rates when it comes to hotels. But overall both are around the same prices for almost everything.
Food
I’d say Vancouver has the edge over Victoria based on the number of options for where to eat, and of course, Vancouver is the bigger city.
Similar food can be found in both cities, but Victoria has a more condensed area with restaurants and pubs, whereas in Vancouver, everything is more spread out.
Nightlife
Again, Vancouver would have the edge over Victoria in terms of nightlife. Because Vancouver is a bigger city, there are more clubs, bars, and pub options. But Victoria does have a handful of late-night locations for live entertainment.
Safety
Speaking for both cities, overall, Vancouver and Victoria are generally safe to visit. However, I’d like to reiterate that crime is inevitable and happens everywhere; that being said, there are locations where Vancouver is unsafe (ex, Chinatown/East Hastings Street), and the same goes for Victoria (ex, downtown at night).
In addition to being more transparent, there’s been a rise in random attacks, homelessness, illegal activities, and more vandalism, as well as some gang-affiliated activities. But I don’t want to alarm you; they’re not generally targeted toward tourists.
But keep an eye out for your surroundings even during the day, don’t walk alone at night, and don’t walk anywhere that looks sketchy.
Transportation
Vancouver will win in terms of transportation because it’s a bigger and more populated city. Both cities are walkable in the downtown core, so you don’t necessarily need to drive while in the downtowns.
Vancouver
Getting around Vancouver is relatively easy without a car; navigating a car in the city can be tricky with all the one-way streets in the downtown core, but it’s pretty easy outside of that.
There’s the SkyTrain, which will take you to the city’s most popular locations, and the Canada Line extension, which will take you to and from the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Downtown Vancouver.
There are also many bus routes that will take you to locations and neighbourhoods that the SkyTrains don’t reach. Plus, there’s also the SeaBus, which connects from Waterfront Station downtown to Lonsdale in North Vancouver.
A subway is still being built that will run directly to the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Victoria
While Victoria doesn’t have an extensive transportation network like Vancouver, it does have buses. Having ridden on the bus, getting around Downtown Victoria without a car was straightforward as there were only so many places to stop downtown.
Tourist Attractions
Vancouver and Victoria have many tourist attractions. These are the most popular things to do in both cities, and that I think tourists should at least experience them once.
Vancouver
These are the top three tourist attractions in Vancouver.
Stanley Park
Stanley Park is one of the biggest tourist attractions and is a beloved park in Vancouver. It’s one of the easiest places to visit Vancouver for the first time.
There are also many things to do in Stanley Park, such as walking the famous Seawall and stopping off at the viewpoints and interest spots.
The park also has the world-famous Vancouver Aquarium, an excellent place to take families with young children. Plus, there are other spots like Prospect Point, walking along the many trails, the Rose Garden, and more.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Another fantastic opportunity to enjoy nature is at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The 450-foot (137-metre) suspension bridge over the Capilano River is the main attraction.
Other attractions include the Cliffwalk, where you can walk on the side of a massive cliffside, Treetop Adventures, and more.
Plus, it’s one of Vancouver’s most popular Christmas events, as the entire park is decorated for the holidays with thousands of Christmas lights and Christmas-themed decor.
Granville Island
Another one of Vancouver’s top tourist spots is Granville Island. You can visit Granville Island whether it’s winter in Vancouver or on a hot summer day, as there are many local businesses inside the various buildings.
There’s the popular Granville Island Market, where local businesses sell everything from produce and meat to candies, artisan goods, and small restaurant vendors.
Another spot perfect for families with young children is the Kids Market, a kid-centric mall with everything from a play area to a toy store. You can also find local Indigenous stores, restaurants, centres for the arts, and more.
Victoria
These are the top three tourist attractions in Victoria.
Butchart Gardens
The world-famous Butchart Gardens has been blooming for over 100 years and is the most popular place in Victoria. There are five different gardens, with thousands of plants and flowers to photograph and explore. Many events happen within the gardens throughout the year.
One of the most notable and worthy things to do in Victoria is enjoy high tea at The Dining Room, a tradition since the 1840s. You can skip high tea in The Dining Room instead and enjoy The Blue Poppy Restaurant, the coffee shop, or Gelateria.
Butchart Gardens is also worth visiting during the winter in Victoria. The gardens are decorated for the holiday season with millions of lights and decorations throughout the park, plus Holiday High Tea.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Another notable spot in Victoria is Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a small tourist spot with food and tourist-related activities, such as whale watching. Most people like to visit Fisherman’s Wharf because of the well-known eclectic and colourful boat homes.
Fan Tan Alley (Victoria’s Chinatown)
Fan Tan Alley is the spot to be if you’re looking for the narrowest alley in North America. Connecting Fisgard Street and Pandora Avenue, the alley was once used for illegal drug and gambling activities in the 1900s. Today, you can find local small businesses inside the alley.
You can also do walking tours, like the Victoria Guided Food and History Tour, which takes you through some of Victoria’s historical locations, including Fan Tan Alley.
➡️ Check Prices & Availability Here for the Victoria Guided Food and History Tour
How To Get To Victoria From Vancouver
Getting from Victoria to Vancouver is relatively easy. The most common way is taking the ferry from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to Swartz Bay (an hour and 30 minutes non-stop ferry ride).
Then, you’ll have to either drive to Victoria, Uber/Lyft, or take a bus into Victoria, which will take around 35 minutes or more, depending on traffic.
There’s also the option to take a seaplane from Vancouver at Coal Harbour to Victoria near Inner Harbour. It also has a shorter travel duration of 35 minutes.
Conclusion
So, to answer your question about which is better to visit, Vancouver or Victoria, Vancouver will have the edge over Victoria but not by much. However, if you’re not on a time crunch and are considering visiting both cities, I highly recommend doing so.
Have a good day 🙂
