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Oak Bay located close to Downtown Victoria is well-known for its street-lined boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and cafes! Below is the BEST weekend getaway plan for Oak Bay in Victoria, BC including the best place to stay in Oak Bay and things to do in Victoria.

How to get from Vancouver to Victoria on Vancouver Island

From Vancouver (Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal) you will need to take a ferry to Victoria (Swartz Bay). You can easily get to the Ferry Terminal from Vancouver by taking the Canada Line train to Bridgeport Station and catching the 620 bus to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.

For ferry times and ticket information visit the BC Ferry website. If you are taking your car on the ferry you will need to reserve tickets.

Best Place to Stay in Oak Bay, Victoria BC

Oak Bay Beach Hotel is a luxury hotel located right along the Pacific Ocean! The hotel is about a 10-minute drive from Downtown Victoria.

Book your stay at Oak Bay Beach Hotel on Agoda for the cheapest rates.

The check-in time is 4 pm but you can request early check-in and they are usually very accommodating. Phone the hotel a day before your reservation and ask if you can check in earlier. The staff will put in your request and call you when your room is ready.

There is free underground self-parking at the hotel and complimentary chauffeur service to and from Downtown Victoria if you are an overnight guest at the hotel.

There is a 2-night minimum requirement to stay during the summer months.

Oak Bay Beach Hotel Pool

A stay at Oak Bay Beach Hotel includes full access to the heated seaside mineral pools. There are 2 hot tubs and 1 mineral heated pool with views of the ocean.

There’s a little private beach next to the pool area that you can access from the hotel’s stairway.

Snug Pub

Dine at Snug Pub (the hotel’s restaurant), sit out on the patio and enjoy the incredible views of the pools and the ocean! The food here is delicious!

Vis a Vis, Oak Bay

On your weekend getaway to Oak Bay make sure to visit Vis a Vis a French restaurant located about a 20-minute walk away from Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

A friend recommended it to me and I also read reviews and articles on top restaurants to visit in Victoria and this was listed among them. In summer, it’s so nice to sit out on the patio!

Try their Fromage and Charcuterie Board, it’s AMAZING! It has a selection of meats, cheeses, pickled vegetables served with sliced French bread. Make a reservation as it’s a popular place!  

Things to do in Victoria

1. Beacon Hill Park

Beacon Hill Park is a fairly large park in Downtown Victoria. You could spend a couple of hours wandering around this park as there’s plenty to see and do!

There’s a petting zoo in the park where you can be entertained by the animals there. There are donkeys, miniature horses, goats, chickens, peacocks, and other farm animals.

Beacon Hill Park has a pretty rose garden that you can walk around. The BEST thing about Beacon Hil Park is it’s free!

2. Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf opens from 11 am daily and closes at 6 pm Sunday – Wednesday and 8 pm Thursday – Saturday.

At the wharf, you can expect to find food kiosks, souvenir/artsy shops, places offering kayaking adventures, and float homes. I saw that one of the houseboats is listed on Airbnb! What a unique place to stay!

Fisherman’s Wharf is located around the corner from Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

3. The Empress Hotel

The Empress Hotel is the most famous landmark in Victoria and is located right in the heart of Victoria (the southern end of Downtown Victoria). This historic building was built in 1908 and is a high-class luxury hotel. You can walk around inside to marvel at the lavish interior design.

The Empress Hotel serves high tea daily in the Lobby Lounge and is well-known for it. Afternoon tea starts at around CAD 85 per person.

Take a walk along the inner harbour path to view the parliament buildings and the picturesque harbour. If you get the chance walk along the harbour at night to see the glamorous display of lights.

4. The Butchart Gardens

Butchart Gardens is a popular tourist attraction near Victoria in Brentwood Bay. Butchart Gardens will always be special to me as my husband proposed to me under the arch in the rose garden!

The adult admission price is around CAD 35 and the gardens are open from 9 am to 4 pm every day of the week.

Each season brings new flowers so it doesn’t matter what time of the year you visit! It’s beautiful in every season.

Floral display gardens include the Sunken, Rose, Japanese, Italian and Mediterranean gardens. During the summer there’s live entertainment and a firework display at night. Christmas time is also a nice time to visit as you will get to see the decorations, lights, and outdoor ice skating rink.

The above are all the best things to see and do to make your trip to Oak Bay, Victoria BC a memorable one!