Season guide · Victoria · Canada
Victoria in summer
June–August: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: w4nn3s, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Dry, sunny and rarely above 25°C, with festivals, cruise ships and the busiest Inner Harbour; book hotels and tours ahead. Expect highs up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 10°C (50°F), with about 16 rainy days across June–August. June–August are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- June–August
- Temperatures
- 10°C (50°F) to 22°C (72°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 16
- Sea
- 11°C (52°F) to 12°C (54°F)
- Crowds
- Very busy
- Hotel prices
- Highest
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 20°C (68°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 8 | 16.1 h | 4/5 |
| July | 22°C (72°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 4 | 15.7 h | 5/5 |
| August | 22°C (72°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 4 | 14.3 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 21°C (70°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 16 of the year's roughly 141 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 5/5 and hotel prices 5/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- June: TD Victoria International JazzFest (usually late June)
- July: Canada Day celebrations in the Inner Harbour (1 July)
- July: Butchart Gardens fireworks (Saturday evenings, usually July–August)
- August: Symphony Splash — Victoria Symphony on a barge in the Inner Harbour (usually early August)
- August: Victoria Fringe Festival (late August to early September)
Make the most of the weather
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Park · Inner Harbour and James Bay
Beacon Hill Park
Walk up Beacon Hill itself for a view across the strait, then down to the Mile 0 marker on Dallas Road.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Experience · Inner Harbour and James Bay
Whale watching from the Inner Harbour
Operators leave the harbour in covered boats or open Zodiacs to search the Salish Sea for orcas, humpbacks and grey whales, as well as sea lions, porpoises and bald eagles.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Nature
- Kids
- Iconic
- Active
Waterfront · Inner Harbour and James Bay
Dallas Road waterfront and Ogden Point Breakwater
Walk the breakwater at sunset, then continue east along the cliffs to the Mile 0 marker.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Photo spot
Historic site · Colwood
Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse
About 12 km west of downtown, Parks Canada protects a coastal artillery fort that guarded Esquimalt Harbour from the 1890s, with underground magazines and gun batteries.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
Castle · Colwood
Hatley Castle and Gardens
Walk the old-growth forest trails on the estate after the gardens.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Nature
- Couples
Day trips in summer
- Chemainus (About 1 hour by car) — When its sawmill shrank in the 1980s, this small seaside town reinvented itself with large outdoor murals of its logging and pioneer history.
- Sooke and East Sooke Park (About 45 minutes by car) — East Sooke Regional Park has rugged coastal trails over rocky headlands, with petroglyphs at Alldridge Point and views of the Olympic Mountains.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Victoria?
Yes: June–August are among the best months. Dry, sunny and rarely above 25°C, with festivals, cruise ships and the busiest Inner Harbour; book hotels and tours ahead.
+What is the weather like in Victoria in summer?
Highs of up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 10°C (50°F), with about 16 rainy days over the season.