Top Places to See Fall Foliage Around Greater Victoria

This season, watch fall flourish and transform the landscape of B.C.’s capital city. Your fall adventure to Greater Victoria starts with a cozy accommodation. Find your perfect stay here.

University of Victoria

The University of Victoria boasts a wonderfully scenic campus with huge trees, sprawling green spaces and several large totem poles. You’ll see fall colours all through “the quad,” located in the centre of campus between the library and arts buildings. Take a stroll along tree-lined Ring Road and make sure to check out the cultivated Finnerty Gardens. For an immersive forest experience right on campus, opt for a nature walk through Mystic Vale.

Cowichan Valley Trail

Explore this multi-use trail, a part of The Great Trail route on Southern Vancouver Island and admire the autumnal hues that transform this trail into an incredible sight in the fall.

Image by @nat_venture

Hatley Castle & Gardens

If you’ve ever looked up images of Victoria (or watched X-Men or Deadpool), you’ll likely recognize Hatley Castle and Gardens. A National Historic Site of Canada, the castle was commissioned to be built by the Dunsmuir family (also the former owners and residents of Craigdarroch Castle) and was completed in 1908. Its surrounding grounds include a rose garden, an Italian garden, a huge greenhouse, and a Japanese garden that’s especially striking during the fall season.

The Butchart Gardens

A classic Victoria attraction, The Butchart Gardens are beautiful at any time of year. During the autumn season, shades of orange, crimson and gold come to the forefront and create a spectacular view through the Sunken Garden and Japanese Gardens. We recommend spending at least a few hours meandering the grounds, snapping photos along the way, before treating yourself to afternoon tea at The Dining Room Restaurant.

Image: The Butchart Gardens Sunken Garden

Image: The Butchart Gardens Japanese Garden

Image by @afrederia7

Goldstream Provincial Park

Just 25 minutes north of Victoria’s city centre, Goldstream Provincial Park is a great place to enjoy a morning or afternoon adventure. Take a leisurely walk along the forest floor toward the Goldstream Nature House, and keep an eye out for bald eagles along the way! Starting around mid-October, you can experience the salmon run, a natural phenomenon where millions of Pacific salmon forge their way upstream to spawn. To get your heart pumping, opt for the short hike to the Goldstream Trestle, a fantastic spot for photo-ops and to spot the fall hues from above.

Image: Goldstream Provincial Park, via Ian Terris Photography

Mount Douglas Park

Just 15-minutes from downtown Victoria, discover Mount Douglas Park (PKOLS). With clear signage and multiple hiking trails that vary from easy to intense, you can choose whichever one suits you.

Tip: The trails are dog-friendly so keep your companion on a leash and bring them along for the adventure.

Image: @urbanwhalewatching on Instagram

Salt Spring Island

A short ferry ride from Swartz Bay will bring you to Salt Spring Island, a beautiful oasis for artists and creatives that bursts with colour in the fall. Explore this scenic island, find local hangouts and immerse yourself in the quaintness of island life.

Image by @nat_venture via Instagram

Gowlland Todd Provincial Park

With a plethora of hikes to choose from that lead you to the top of mountains or down to sea level, discover these forested trails popping with colour.

Juan De Fuca

Starting at just over an hour outside of Victoria, these coastal trails along the Juan De Fuca Straight will bring you through some unimaginable foliage.

Image by @kristarobertsgeary

Gardens at HCP

Just 20-minutes from downtown Victoria, discover the Gardens at HCP. Here you can soak up fall hues as you meander through nine acres of gardens on a 103-acre site.

Want more?

For more inspiration on picturesque places in Victoria, follow us on Instagram and check out the hashtag #ExploreVictoria. You can also read about 5 Super Instagrammable Places in Victoria.

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Download PDF The cover of Victoria's Official 2024 Vacation Guide. A crowd of people are on a pier at Victoria's Inner Harbour at sunset on a summer day.

The cover of Victoria's Official 2024 Vacation Guide. A crowd of people are on a pier at Victoria's Inner Harbour at sunset on a summer day.

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Destination Greater Victoria is honoured to be based on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples of the Songhees Nation and the Esquimalt Nation, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.