22 Awesome Family-Friendly Activities in Victoria

With so many great family-friendly options, you can make every day a family day in Greater Victoria!

Make your family getaway one for the books by making a getaway to Greater Victoria. From transportation, to accommodation, to entertainment – Victoria is a family-oriented destination that appeals to all ages and interests. Read on for 22 ways to spend a special weekend in our beautiful city!

1)    Getting Here – Harbour Air Seaplanes

Can’t get enough of the sunshine? Harbour Air is welcoming an extra dose of Vitamin D with a promotion that will have your family raving about the journey, not just the destination. Fly from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria in just 35 sun-swept minutes!

2)    Staying Here – The Coast Victoria Hotel

Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina By APA is a hotel loved by locals, business and leisure travellers alike. Children fawn over Victoria’s indoor/outdoor pool, while adults adore the hotel’s picturesque marina and waterfront location. With a complimentary downtown shuttle service, a fitness centre, and the famed Blue Crab Seafood House as their on-site restaurant, The Coast Hotel is a convenient and entertaining choice for your family weekend getaway.

Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA’s Indoor/Outdoor Pool

3)    Staying Here – Royal Scot Hotel & Suites

Royal Scot Hotel & Suites has it all – an indoor pool, hydro-therapy pool, sauna, exercise room, games and billiard room, restaurant, lounge, and even an on-site convenience store and gift shop. Paired with their can’t-be-beat location beside the Legislature and Parliament Buildings and only one block from the Inner Harbour, you and your family will be well-situated for exploration.

4)    Staying Here – The Parkside Hotel & Spa

A haven for families, the Parkside Hotel & Spa ensures that every child and adult is fully entertained during their getaway to Victoria. With unique hotel features such as rooftop marshmallow roasting, a bookable private movie theatre, complimentary bikes, and an indoor pool and hot tub, the Parkside will be the perfect home base for your Greater Victoria adventure. The hotel is fun for adults too – while your kids are splashing, book yourself a relaxing massage at the Parkside Spa.

5)    Blooms away at the Butchart Gardens

No Family Day would be complete without a trip out to the Butchart Gardens! The century-old Gardens span 55-acres of lush greens and seasonal colour. Your entry also features dining and shopping opportunities, including The Dining Room, named one of Canada’s Top Romantic Restaurants to Dine At by  OpenTable.

6)    Spring into Spring with Flying Squirrel

Flying Squirrel Victoria is Victoria’s premiere indoor Trampoline Adventure Park. You’re never too old or young to have a great time here – this urban playground features a café, or a low-impact anti-gravity fitness area for those looking to occupy themselves while their kids jump. If you have any night-owls in the family, every Friday and Saturday from 9-11pm, Flying Squirrel does a Neon Lights event where they turn on laser lighting and black lights!

7)    See Tropical Wildlife at the Butterfly Gardens

Victoria Butterfly Gardens, located in Brentwood, is a must-see if you have any wildlife-lovers in your family. Not just butterflies – with tortoises, iguanas, flamingos, macaws, and so much more, you’re sure to be impressed with rare animals co-existing in a lush jungle setting. The site also features an Insectarium, showcasing an impressive invertebrates and insect collection from around the world.

A family explores the Victoria Butterfly Gardens | Photo by Matt Shannon Photography

8)    Take in Epic Views at Malahat SkyWalk

Adventure with your family over to Malahat SkyWalk for an outdoor experience that’s unique to Vancouver Island. The 10-story spiral tower will bring you 250m above sea level, and take you down via a super-speed spiral slide. There are also lush hiking trails with plenty of educative messaging about the local flora and fauna.

9)    Solve Clues with Quest Reality Games

For those looking to sharpen their minds, Quest Reality Games is an interactive escape room facility in Victoria, offering indoor and outdoor escape games. If you’re looking to soak in the spring air, they have organized outdoor GPS-adventure games that set you on a treasure hunt throughout downtown Victoria. What will you discover on the way?

10)    Putt your way through Haunted Manor Victoria

Highly recommended for a family that loves a good thrill, putt your way through the 15-hole Haunted Manor minigolf course! This unique minigolf experience features interactive games, spooky effects, and requires imagination to solve some of the courses – it isn’t always as clear-cut as swinging a club! Once you’ve made your way through the course, challenge your kids to ping-pong in their neon-lit lounge.

11)    Feel Larger-than-Life at Miniature World

Feel the strong-but-satisfying pang of nostalgia browsing through Miniature World’s little attractions and displays – all 85+ of them! Miniature World’s themes touch moments in history, snapshots of great landmarks, storybooks of fiction and fantasy, and more.  Young, old, and young-at-heart – a visit here will spark the creative imaginations of all.

12)    Wriggle your way to the Bug Zoo

Victoria Bug Zoo Inc. opened its doors in 1997 and has been showing visitors of Victoria awe-inspiring bugs ever since. This mini zoo offers the opportunity to view live tropical bugs from around the world – such as giant walking sticks, glow-in-the-dark scorpions, tarantulas, and Canada’s largest ant colony. The zoo is sure to thrill everyone; children, adults, and bug lovers alike!

13)    Channel your Inner Lumberjack at Axe & Grind

Time to upgrade your dart-board! Axe & Grind is the island’s indoor take on a quintessentially Canadian backyard sport – axe throwing. If your family is competitive and up for trying new experiences, jot this idea down when you visit Victoria. Experienced staff will teach you how to throw axe in a safe and fun environment, paving the way for a bit of competition.

14)    Treat Yourselves to a BeaverTail

You will win over your kids’ utmost adoration after you treat them to a BeaverTail. BeaverTails Victoria, located just off Government on Broughton Street, specializes in flat, fried pastries that are then sprinkled with delectable toppings. This pinnacle Canadian treat truly resembles a beaver tail!

The Storefront of BeaverTails Victoria | Photo by Off the Eaten Track 

15)    Dive into Greater Victoria’s Aquarium

As the only aquarium in southern Vancouver Island, the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea is dedicated to the learning, exploration, and conservation of Salish Sea Bioregion. And what a bioregion it is – discover over 160 live marine species such as wolf eels, pacific salmon, sea stars, and the grand finale – a giant Pacific Octopus. The Centre also houses a rare, full intact orca skeleton!

16)    Get your Adrenaline-fix at WildPlay

Perhaps you have some adventurers in the group… or perhaps, you just really need to tire someone out.  WildPlay Element Parks offers nature-immersed aerial adventures for a unique way for adults, teens, and kids to have fun together. Zip through a zipline tour in Victoria’s tree-tops, balance on wobbly bridges, and fly through the air on rope swings for an action-packed outdoor experience!

17)    Get your Game On at Interactivity

Sharpen your strategic side by bringing your family to the Interactivity Board Game Café. For only $7, over 900 different games are at your disposal, perfectly paired with their café of delicious paninis, famous house-made milkshakes (that can be made ‘wobbly’!), and bowls of candy, chips, and popcorn. Game on and good luck!

The interior of Interactivity Board Game Cafe | Photo by Bob Hewitt Photographic

18)    Play Brain Games at Puzzle Lab

A brand new, first-of-its-kind gallery, Puzzle Lab offers heirloom-quality jigsaw puzzles like you’ve never seen before. Their signature puzzle shapes will give pause to even the most seasoned of puzzlers, making for a fun challenge for the whole family! Artwork is specially curated from up-and-coming Canadian artists who receive a royalty on every puzzle sold, making this a fun way to support local artists.

19)    Buzz Over to Country Bee Honey Farm

You may know them for their deliciously infused premium honey – but a visit to Country Bee Honey Farm is so much more. Wander their blooming Field of Dreams, learn about the world of pollinators, and feed their farm-raised livestock on your next trip up to Brentwood. Entry to the farm is by donation and makes for a great outdoor family activity.

Country Bee Honey Farm up in the Saanich Peninsula | Photo by Matt Shannon Photography

20)    Have a Roaring-Good Time at Dino Lab

Dino Lab Inc. was a private fossil-preparation service for collectors and museums, that has since decided to go public! A highly unique, hands-on experience in Victoria, you can tour their private fossil gallery, an ice age area, and have a behind-the-scenes look at their fossil prep lab. You finish your tour by trying your hand at some fossil-preparation yourself, using the same tools and methods as the pros! Please note that private tours are available by appointment only.

A young family uncovers the past at Dino Lab | Photo by Matt Shannon Photography

21)    Immerse Yourself with IMAX

Chances are that a visit to the Royal BC Museum was already in the plans (and if it wasn’t – pencil it in!). A fun stop while you’re there is to immerse yourself with IMAX Victoria, located on-site. With feature movie-showings ranging the Great Bear Rainforest and the Hidden Pacific (to name a few), your family will be transported to new worlds by their crystal clear imagery and digital surround sound.

New to IMAX is an ethereal cave-diving adventure in the French Alps, the Bahamas, Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and more. Check their showtimes, here!

22)    Game on at Iron & Wood Golf Simulators

Sporty families, listen up! Iron & Wood is not just a golf simulator – think hockey, baseball, soccer, basketball… and even zombie dodgeball. Three surround-sound Bluetooth speakers let you easily adjust the vibe of your family’s private room – or helps you watch the big game in a lively atmosphere. If your group is larger than six, it is recommended that you rent multiple rooms!

Have a Great Weekend!