Where to stay · Victoria · Canada
Where to stay in Victoria
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Wpcpey, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Inner Harbour and James Bay. Parliament, the Empress and seaplanes on the harbour, with heritage houses behind. Best alternatives — budget: Fernwood; nightlife: Downtown and Old Town.
Key facts
- First visit
- Inner Harbour and James Bay
- Families
- Inner Harbour and James Bay
- Budget
- Fernwood
- Nightlife
- Downtown and Old Town
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Inner Harbour and James Bay | Parliament, the Empress and seaplanes on the harbour, with heritage houses behind |
| Families | Inner Harbour and James Bay | Parliament, the Empress and seaplanes on the harbour, with heritage houses behind |
| Couples | Inner Harbour and James Bay | Parliament, the Empress and seaplanes on the harbour, with heritage houses behind |
| Budget | Fernwood | Bohemian village square with a theatre, cafés and painted heritage houses |
| Luxury | Inner Harbour and James Bay | Parliament, the Empress and seaplanes on the harbour, with heritage houses behind |
| Nightlife | Downtown and Old Town | Victorian brick shopfronts, Chinatown and the LoJo boutiques |
| Food lovers | Downtown and Old Town | Victorian brick shopfronts, Chinatown and the LoJo boutiques |
| Solo travellers | Downtown and Old Town | Victorian brick shopfronts, Chinatown and the LoJo boutiques |
| Shopping | Downtown and Old Town | Victorian brick shopfronts, Chinatown and the LoJo boutiques |
| Quiet stays | Vic West and Songhees | Waterfront condos and hotels across the Johnson Street Bridge |
| Beach | Oak Bay | Tudor-style shops, tea rooms and sandy Willows Beach, a separate municipality to the east |
Victoria neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, families and luxury
Inner Harbour and James Bay
The Inner Harbour is Victoria's postcard: the Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress, the Royal BC Museum and the causeway where street performers gather in summer. Behind it, James Bay is a quiet residential area of Victorian and Edwardian houses running down to Fisherman's Wharf, Beacon Hill Park and the Dallas Road waterfront.
- Good
- Walk to almost every central sight; Harbour views; Quiet at night
- Watch out
- Most expensive hotels in the city; Cruise-ship days make the harbour busy
- Nearby
- BC Parliament Buildings, Fairmont Empress, Royal BC Museum, Fisherman's Wharf, Beacon Hill Park
$$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, shopping, nightlife and solo travellers
Downtown and Old Town
North of the harbour, Government Street, Market Square, Bastion Square and Lower Johnson Street ('LoJo') hold restored 19th-century buildings full of shops, pubs and restaurants. Chinatown, with Fan Tan Alley and the Gate of Harmonious Interest, is at the northern edge. Most mid-range hotels and the best-value dining are here.
- Good
- Most restaurants and bars in walking distance; Wide hotel choice; Five minutes to the harbour
- Watch out
- Visible street disorder in some blocks; Weekend noise near the bars
- Nearby
- Chinatown, Fan Tan Alley, Market Square, Bastion Square
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and luxury
Vic West and Songhees
Across the harbour from downtown, Vic West's Songhees Point is lined with hotels and condos facing the Empress and the Parliament Buildings. A waterfront walkway runs from the bridge towards Westbay, and the Galloping Goose cycling trail starts nearby. Harbour ferries cross to downtown in minutes.
- Good
- Best views back over the Inner Harbour; Quiet evenings; Harbour ferry to downtown
- Watch out
- Fewer restaurants; A walk or ferry ride from most sights
- Nearby
- Songhees Walkway, Johnson Street Bridge, Galloping Goose Regional Trail, Westbay Marine Village
$$ · Best for budget, food lovers and solo travellers
Fernwood
East of downtown, Fernwood centres on a small square with the Belfry Theatre in a former church, a pub and independent cafés, surrounded by colourful wooden houses. Craigdarroch Castle and the Rockland area's mansions are a short walk away.
- Good
- Local character; Good cafés and pub; Lower prices than the harbour
- Watch out
- Mostly B&Bs and rentals; About 25 minutes' walk to the harbour
- Nearby
- Belfry Theatre, Craigdarroch Castle, Rockland
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples and families
Cook Street Village and Fairfield
Cook Street Village is a short strip of cafés, bakeries and small grocers under chestnut trees, between Beacon Hill Park and the Dallas Road waterfront. The surrounding Fairfield neighbourhood holds Ross Bay Cemetery, where Emily Carr is buried, and the small Abkhazi Garden.
- Good
- Walkable village feel; Close to the waterfront; Peaceful
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Quiet in the evenings
- Nearby
- Beacon Hill Park, Dallas Road, Ross Bay Cemetery, Abkhazi Garden
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, families, luxury and beach
Oak Bay
Oak Bay is a well-to-do district with an English-village feel along Oak Bay Avenue, known for tea rooms, bookshops and gardens. Willows Beach is the area's best sandy beach, and the scenic Beach Drive follows the shore past the Oak Bay Marina and the Uplands' large houses.
- Good
- Calm, safe-feeling streets; Sandy beach; Pretty coastal drive
- Watch out
- About 15 minutes by car or bus from downtown; Limited nightlife
- Nearby
- Willows Beach, Oak Bay Avenue, Oak Bay Marina, Uplands Park
$$ · Best for quiet stays, families and budget
Sidney
Sidney, on the Saanich Peninsula about 25 km north of downtown, has a walkable waterfront, a pier, an unusual number of independent bookshops and the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea aquarium. It is minutes from Victoria International Airport, the Swartz Bay ferry terminal and Butchart Gardens.
- Good
- Convenient for ferries and flights; Relaxed small-town feel; Close to Butchart
- Watch out
- About 30 minutes from downtown Victoria; Quiet at night
- Nearby
- Victoria International Airport, Swartz Bay ferry terminal, Butchart Gardens, Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Inner Harbour and James Bay | $$$$ | BC Parliament Buildings, Fairmont Empress, Royal BC Museum, Fisherman's Wharf, Beacon Hill Park |
| Downtown and Old Town | $$$ | Chinatown, Fan Tan Alley, Market Square, Bastion Square |
| Vic West and Songhees | $$$ | Songhees Walkway, Johnson Street Bridge, Galloping Goose Regional Trail, Westbay Marine Village |
| Fernwood | $$ | Belfry Theatre, Craigdarroch Castle, Rockland |
| Cook Street Village and Fairfield | $$$ | Beacon Hill Park, Dallas Road, Ross Bay Cemetery, Abkhazi Garden |
| Oak Bay | $$$ | Willows Beach, Oak Bay Avenue, Oak Bay Marina, Uplands Park |
| Sidney | $$ | Victoria International Airport, Swartz Bay ferry terminal, Butchart Gardens, Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea |
Getting to your hotel
Victoria International Airport (YYJ) is about 25 km north of downtown in North Saanich, roughly 30 minutes by car; BC Transit buses also serve the airport area. Floatplanes and helicopters fly from the Inner Harbour (YWH) to downtown Vancouver in about 35 minutes.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Victoria for first-time visitors?
Inner Harbour and James Bay. The Inner Harbour is Victoria's postcard: the Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress, the Royal BC Museum and the causeway where street performers gather in summer.
+Where should families stay in Victoria?
Inner Harbour and James Bay: Walk to almost every central sight.
+Which area of Victoria is best for a budget stay?
Fernwood ($$): Bohemian village square with a theatre, cafés and painted heritage houses.