Inner Harbour

The Inner Harbour is the small, busy basin at the centre of Victoria, British Columbia, and it is the place where British Columbia’s capital shows itself off. Ferries, float planes, whale-watching boats, small harbour ferries and yachts move in and out of the water, while the Fairmont Empress hotel and the domed Parliament Buildings frame the scene on the land side. Long before settlers arrived, the harbour and its shoreline were home to the Lekwungen-speaking Songhees and Esquimalt peoples, whose villages stood around the water, and the Indigenous presence is part of the area’s story today.

The built landmarks give the harbour its look. The Fairmont Empress Hotel, a château-style hotel opened in the early twentieth century, rises behind the causeway with its ivy-covered walls and tall roofs, and the Provincial Parliament Building, finished in the late 1890s to a design by Francis Rattenbury, faces it across the water. At night the Parliament Buildings are outlined with thousands of lights, and the effect from the causeway is memorable. The Royal BC Museum stands just behind, and Thunderbird Park nearby displays totem poles and carvings.

The stone causeway along the harbour front is the main promenade, and it is lively with street performers, musicians, artists, caricaturists and food vendors, especially in summer. Visitors can watch float planes take off from the water, an everyday sight, and small colourful water taxis shuttle people around the harbour. Larger ferries leave from the Inner Harbour terminal, connecting the city with Port Angeles and Seattle in Washington State, and the arrival of a ferry adds to the activity. Whale-watching and wildlife tours depart from the docks, and sightings of orcas, humpbacks and seals are common in season.

Around the harbour are shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants of many kinds, from casual seafood places to more formal dining, and the streets of the old downtown and Chinatown, the oldest in Canada, are a short walk away. The Fairmont Empress is known for its afternoon tea, a Victoria tradition that visitors often book in advance. Evenings are pleasant, with the lights reflected in the water and the crowd drifting between the causeway and the restaurants.

The harbour is free to enjoy and open at all hours. A leisurely visit takes one to three hours, longer if you add a boat trip or museum. It suits families, couples, photographers and first-time visitors who want an orientation to the city. Spring and summer bring the most activity, while winter is quieter but still scenic. Bring a light jacket for the breeze off the water.