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A couple walking down the staircase into the Sunken Garden at The Butchart Gardens during their Magic of Christmas holiday light display in Victoria, BC
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Slow down. See the magic.

Step into the peaceful rhythm of the holidays in Victoria, where the city’s gentle pace offers a welcome escape from the holiday rush. Stroll beneath sparkling lights by the Inner Harbour, enjoy warm cocoa in inviting cafés, and embrace cherished traditions, both familiar and fresh. Here, it feels like you have all the time you need, with space to rest, reflect, and truly appreciate the beauty around you. Let your holiday story unfold with warmth, wonder, and lasting memories in Victoria.

Experience the season

A young family walks through the Sunken Garden during The Butchart Gardens annual holiday light display, The Magic of Christmas, in Victoria, BC

Holly jolly happenings

Discover a season’s worth of ways to celebrate the holidays in Victoria. Take a cozy carriage ride, marvel at grand gardens lit up like a Christmas tree, and stroll festive markets overflowing with local delights. Whatever you do, our distinctively mild climate makes getting outside, and getting together, even better. Find holiday events that put a little sparkle in your season.

Find holiday events
Three women enjoying a carriage tour of Victoria, BC's Inner Harbour in the wintertime

Guided tours

Wrap up warm and see the city at a gentler pace, where guided tours feel less like sightseeing and more like being welcomed in. Let the soft clip‑clop of a horse‑drawn carriage, a story‑rich walking tour, or a harbour ferry drifting past twinkling lights slow you right down. It’s an easy, intimate way to feel the city’s holiday charm, present, unhurried, and quietly full of wonder.

Take a tour
A family dines on fondue at a fire table on the Veranda at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC

Eat, drink and be merry

There’s no tradition more timeless than a meal shared with good company. Home to the highest number of restaurants per capita in Canada, not to mention spirited stops from breweries to wineries and distilleries, Victoria is brimming with perfect places to enjoy a feast for the whole family or a toast to time together.

Savour the season

A dazzling 4-days of Christmas

The proof is in the pudding, a Christmas in Victoria is a magical experience you’ll never forget. As if it were written out of your favourite Christmas storybook, Victoria’s brilliant architecture, whimsical gardens, and charming carriage rides come to life in a new light, festooned with glittering lights and flowing ribbons. Ring in the season with a charming four-day getaway in a holiday wonderland.

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A female couple dances next to the fountain next the the fountain on the grounds of the BC Parliament Buildings, which are illuminated by holiday lights, in Victoria, BC

Holiday hideaways

Gather around a roaring in-room fireplace, hit snooze in the warm embrace of a luxurious bed, or check into a suite with panoramic views of downtown’s sparkling sights. There are countless unique ways to stay in Victoria, from historic hotels to charming B&Bs and glamorous resorts. Find your home-away-from-home for the holidays in the heart of the city and beyond.

Holiday plans made easy

A couple walks hand-in-hand down the staircase out front of Craigdarroch Castle Historic House & Museum during the holidays in Victoria, BC
10 ways to celebrate ChristmasThe holidays in Victoria have a way of filling the city with glow, music, and anticipation. There’s a comforting rhythm to the season, twinkling lights at dusk, crisp air on evening walks, and a sense that time slows just enough to savour it. If you’re wondering where to start, here’s a few of our favourite festive happenings to enjoy along the way.
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A couple walks through a Christmas display at the Bay Centre Shopping Centre in downtown Victoria, BC
Holiday shopping guideVictoria’s shops are rooted in the people who make this place special, local growers, makers, and artisans who pour care into everything they create. Wander from quirky finds to polished pieces, sweet treats to thoughtful gifts, and you’ll find something that feels just right, waiting on one of Victoria’s local shelves.
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A mother and her two children enjoy the holiday lights at Lights of Wonder in Centennial Square in Victoria, BC
What to see & doSettle into the holiday season in Victoria, BC, where softly lit streets invite you to wander, local shops brim with heart and creativity, and small moments of joy seem to appear everywhere you turn. Festive lights glow, thoughtful gifts wait to be discovered, and the city hums with a gentle, celebratory energy.
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Merridale Cidery at Christmas time in Greater Victoria, BC

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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 Xwsepsum Nation, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.