Good vibes all around
Set yourself on a path toward renewal and intention, where each day brings fresh opportunities to unwind, connect, and delight in life’s simple pleasures. This thoughtfully crafted itinerary invites you to embrace creativity, rejuvenation, and meaningful moments, waving together relaxation, wellness, and a touch of playful indulgence during Intention: A wellness getaway in Victoria. Discover experiences that feed your soul and lift your spirits, setting the perfect tone for the year to come.
Suggested accommodations | Welcome to wellness | A royal reset | Immersed & inspired
Suggested accommodations
Magnolia Hotel & Spa
Centrally located in downtown Victoria, the Magnolia Hotel & Spa puts you footsteps from Victoria’s top spas, dining, and shopping. This boutique property, known for its personalized service and attention to detail, offers an elegant stay that’s perfect for lingering and settling into the rhythm of island life. During Intention: A wellness getaway in Victoria enjoy a $50 per night credit for use at their onsite spa, Spa Magnolia, or their house restaurant, The Courtney Room. Plus receive a Wellness Trail & Running map, 24-hour access to the fitness room, filtered bottled water, and a continental breakfast each morning.
Oak Bay Beach Hotel
Enjoy a stay on the shores of the Salish Sea and let your stresses break like waves on the rocks below. Recognized as the #1 hotel in Western Canada by the Conde Nast Traveler 2025 Readers’ Choice awards, this boutique hotel blends modern luxury, with unrivaled ocean views, and a world-class spa famed for its seaside mineral pools. During Intention: A wellness getaway in Victoria elevate your stay with an in-room BABOR spa package, valued at $150, plus enjoy discounts on spa treatments and retail products during your stay.
Jan 15 – Welcome to wellness
Ease into your adventure as the journey itself sets a restorative tone, welcoming you into a vibrant community and comfortable surroundings. Throughout the day engage your creativity through hands-on exploration and savour a farm-to-table dining experience that inspires intention and connection for what’s to come.
Arrive/Check In
As an island destination, getting here is part of the experience. Whether you choose to sail along majestic coastlines, or soar above them, you’ll feel the weight off your shoulders the moment the journey begins. Once you arrive in downtown Victoria, you’ll find the core both walkable and welcoming. Check-in to your hotel and settle into a pace a world away from the bustle of day-to-day life. This is the moment where your year starts anew, one with purpose, passion, and intention.
Lunch: Tractor Everyday Healthy Foods
Perfect for those on the go, Tractor Everyday Healthy Foods offers fresh, healthy food in a quick service format. Think veggie-packed bowls, nourishing salads, flavourful sandwiches, and hearty soups and stews perfect for January afternoon. Focusing on real food, Tractor carefully selects food suppliers who are committed to sustainability, focusing on local farms and producers and using seasonal ingredients wherever possible. It’s fresh, it’s fun, and it’s the perfect lunch spot for you as you explore the city.
Afternoon: Watercolours for Wellness at Emily Carr House
Discover the joy of creativity through Watercolours for Wellness at the Emily Carr House, a National Historic Site of Canada. Guided by artist, educator, and therapeutic arts practitioner Helga Strauss, this welcoming workshop invites participants of all experience levels to slow down, explore their imagination, and embrace the restorative power of creative expression. With all materials provided, you'll experiment with watercolour painting in a relaxed and supportive environment designed to spark connection, curiosity, and play.
Evening: 10 Acres Bistro
Nourish the mind, body and soul at 10 Acres Bistro, where farm-to-table dining isn't just a slogan; it's a way of life. 10 Acres Bistro mindfully sources their seasonal produce, meats and eggs from their own 10-acre farm on the Saanich Peninsula, creating a menu that shifts with the seasons and supports the health and sustainability of our community and our planet.
Jan 16 – A royal reset
Spend the day connecting with local makers, wellness practitioners, and experiences designed to help you slow down, recharge, and reconnect. From a waterfront brunch and inspiring wellness market to skincare rituals and Scandinavian-style sauna traditions, each experience offers an opportunity to nourish yourself from the inside out.
Morning: Boom + Batten
Take a waterfront stroll along the Songhees Walkway before arriving at one of Victoria’s popular brunch destinations. Here you’ll find peach cobbler brioche french toast, smoked salmon and cream cheese mousse, and beet and lemon ricotta benny; all paired with breathtaking views of the Salish Sea. It’s elevated casual dining inspired by our pacific northwest surroundings.
Morning: Made with Intention Wellness Market
Visit a market crafted with intention. The Made with Intention Wellness Market at The Parkside Hotel & Spa brings together South Vancouver Island’s best makers and practitioners for a curated experience grounded in wellness, mindfulness and community connection. At the market you can expect to find everything from holistic health to natural beauty & skincare, nutrition, artisan goods, wellness coaching, and sustainable living, as well as an array of hands-on workshops and experiences. This is an opportunity to connect with our region’s best wellness professionals and find the elements you need to thrive in the year ahead.
Afternoon: Glow with Intention: A Guided Skincare Ritual
Slow down and indulge in a moment of self-care high above the city. Set in The Parkside Hotel & Spa's City Club Lounge, eight floors above the wellness market, this intimate experience pairs sweeping views of Victoria with a guided skincare ritual designed to leave you feeling refreshed and radiant. Sip on a welcome drink as you follow along with expert guidance, using a starter skincare set valued at $64 that you'll take home after the session. Whether you're visiting before or after exploring the Made with Intention Wellness Market, it's a relaxing opportunity to pause, reconnect, and cultivate a little extra glow from the inside out.
Evening: Aufguss Ceremony
Hit the sauna circuit Scandinavian style during an Aufguss Ceremony at Ærth Saunas. Hosted every hour between 5:15-7:15pm at Ærth, an Aufguss Ceremony is led by a sauna master who guides you through cycles with essential oil infusions, breathwork, and presence, best of all, it’s included free with your paid visit to Ærth Saunas outdoor sauna oasis. Each 90-minute sauna experience at Ærth includes electrolyte water, their house-blended tea, and of course, towel service, as you sweat and plunge your way through the sauna circuit.
Jan 17 – Immersed & inspired
Embrace a day dedicated to rejuvenation and holistic nourishment, where your senses are awakened and your well-being is thoughtfully nurtured through unique experiences that blend relaxation, mindful movement, and inspired culinary delight. This is an invitation to pause, reset, and savour every moment along the way.
Morning: Drift | A Floating Sound Meditation
Soak in the sounds or restoration during a 75-minute guided Floating Sound Meditation session. As you drift across the surface of a warm and peaceful pool, the gentle sounds of crystal alchemy bowls, gongs, and sacred instruments fill the air for a sensory experience like no other, as the sound waves travel through the water and your body. This is a deeply immersive experience that nurtures a sense of calm while soothing the mind and releasing built up tension. Pure zen.
Morning/Afternoon: Seaweed Tasting & Treatment Workshop
Dive into the fascinating world of seaweed during this one-of-a-kind Seaweed Tasting & Treatment Workshop. Led by marine biologist, wild seaweed harvester, and author Amanda Swinimer, this immersive experience explores the remarkable role seaweed plays in our health, our oceans, and the planet. Discover a variety of edible seaweed species found along the coast of British Columbia, learn how they are sustainably harvested, and sample their unique flavours firsthand. The experience also includes a luxurious seaweed hand soak, leaving you with a deeper appreciation for one of Vancouver Island's most abundant and natural treasures.
Afternoon: The Empress/Emperor Treatment
Wind down after a day well spent by the water with a spa treatment designed to melt away tension and encourage deep relaxation. The Empress/Emperor Treatment at Ali Kay Holistic invites you to settle into a slower rhythm with two hours of facial, ear, hand, and foot reflexology. Through gentle, rhythmic touch, take the opportunity to reconnect with your body, quiet your mind, and give yourself some well-deserved time to simply rest.
Evening: End Dive
For our sendoff dinner, let’s choose something truly local. At End Dive, everything is made in-house using ingredients only from End Dive’s own local grower, picker, and fisher friends. What you can expect is an ever-changing menu that playfully showcases some of the region’s finest flavours through an array of methods ranging from dry aging to fermentation, curing, smoking, and more. End Dive compliments this all with one of the city’s best cocktail menus and a range of natural wines and ciders. This is where farm-to-table flavour meets city sophistication.
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