Victoria Express

Victoria Express is available for private charters for any occasion. 

This is your opportunity to enjoy a private afternoon or evening on the water....

Plan a day trip to the San Juan Islands.

Victoria Express features indoor and outdoor seating, a snack bar, multiple restrooms, and a multimedia center including video screens and a PA system. Victoria Express is perfect for a wide variety of cruises around Port Angeles Harbor, Sequim Bay, Port Townsend Harbor, the San Juan Islands and other points of interest in the Salish Sea. Consider Victoria Express when you plan your next event:

• Charter to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.
• Company Picnic on the Harbor
• Client Social
• Salish Sea Culture Cruise
• Business Luncheon or Dinner
• Sunset Cocktail Cruise
• Retirement Party
• Sales Meeting
• Wedding, Reception or Rehearsal Dinner
• Reunion or Anniversary Party
• Training Class or Workshop
• Private Eco-Tour
• Wine Tasting Cruise
• Or any other reason you want to get out on the water… 

Call or E-mail today for more information:

Phone: (360) 452-8088 

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

If you have ever been to Victoria, BC, you know that it is a city that loves to eat. Only one city in North America has more restaurants per capita than Victoria (San Francisco). A small city that can be easily explored by foot, Victoria is the ideal destination for a gustatory getaway.

The Seventh Annual Dine Around and Stay in Town event will take place from February 18 to March 7, 2010, in Victoria.

57 restaurants are participating in this year's event. They will offer three-course menus for $20, $30 or $40 CDN. To help make your meal complete, restaurants will suggest British Columbia Wines for each dish.

Here is an example of what you can expect for $20: Sips Artisan Bistro on Simcoe St. offers a choice of seafood chowder, organic greens or a spinach and blue cheese salad for an appetizer; and a local cheese plate, a charcuterie and cheese plate, or a local fish plate for an entree (suggested pairing: a 2007 Tinhorn Merlot). For dessert, enjoy Spinnakers truffles (paired with Quail's Gate L.H. Foch). Prices do not include beverages.

A complete list of participating restaurants and their menus is available at Dine Around and Stay in Town.

In order to encourage travelers to Victoria to stay longer and eat more, several excellent hotels are offering special pricing during this event: $69, $79, $99 and $129 per night. A complete list of accommodations is available at Dine Around and Stay in Town.

Travel to Victoria is easy when you entrust yourself to Victoria Express. Cross the Salish Sea in style, whether your point of departure is Seattle or Port Angeles. Please call 360.452.8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

We all can picture tracker dogs saving earthquake victims in Haiti, but saving killer whales? Get real! On the evening of Tuesday, February 9 at 7:00 pm at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island, Katherine Ayres, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology will explain how and why she is using tracker dogs to save endangered southern resident killer whales.

Ayres uses whale scat to measure the health of individual whales and to ultimately assess the health of the overall population. But finding whale poop in the wild is not easy. That's were a trained scat detection dog can be a big help.

Just like tracker dogs that can be trained to detect live people under rubble or cocaine packed inside of a can of gasoline; they too can be trained to detect killer whale feces floating on the water at great distances. Ayers will talk about how detection dogs are being used and what valuable information can be gained from the scat, which unlike blubber biopsies, is collected without impacting already endangered animals.

The Marine Science Lecture Series was created to inspire the general public and to highlight the amazing fish and wildlife of our region. Lectures are free. Please park in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the talk is available before and after the lecture.

The 2009/10 Marine Science Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila located in Eastsound on Orcas Island. It is made possible through generous sponsorship by Tom Averna (Deer Harbor Charters), and The Gould Family Foundation and co-sponsorship by Barbara Brown, Eclipse Charters, The Kingfish Inn, Shearwater Sea Kayak Tours, West Sound Marina and Jim and Kathy Youngren.

The SeaDoc Society is a non-profit program of the Wildlife Health Center, a center of excellence at the world-renowned UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

For more information contact Jean Spalti at the SeaDoc Society, 360-376-3910. Photo courtesy of S. Buckley.

If you are interested in exploring Friday Harbor on San Juan Island this summer, check out our 2010 sailing schedule. Victoria Express can make your Friday Harbor travel arrangements. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 360.452.8088 for more information.

The Canadian Pacific Ballet is staging a bit of mischievous romantic fun for the Valentine's Day / President's Day long weekend with Konservatoriet, A Marriage by Advertisement. The opportunity to attend this ballet is as good a reason as any to travel to Victoria.

Be prepared for practical joking dancers and a lovesick man - already it sounds fun. Of course, there is also true love. You'll be transported back to the 19th century and the world of lovely classical dance.

Konservatoriet was originally the work of Danish Ballet Master and Choreographer August Bournonville, who worked in the mid 1800s. He created Le Conservatoire, or A Marriage by Advertisement in 1849. Typical of Bournonville's style, this ballet showcases many different styles of dance. There is also a vaudevillian feel to much of the work that keeps it lighthearted and fun.

The Canadian Pacific Ballet commissioned Bournonville Master Kennet Oberly to restage this lost masterpiece. His expertise ensures that Konservatoriet, A Marriage by Advertisement is infused with both beauty and comedy.

Konservatoriet plays at the McPherson Playhouse in downtown Victoria on February 13 at 8pm and February 14 at 2pm and 7pm.

So bring your Valentine to Victoria for this delightful ballet. Victoria Express offers many exciting travel packages to Victoria BC. Treat your sweetie to a romantic night at the Hotel Grand Pacific or Hotel Fairmont Empress. Or perhaps the Hotel Chateau Victoria or Hotel Harbour Towers is more your style.

The staff at Victoria Express is looking forward to crafting a unique Victoria vacation for you. Call 360.452.8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

Have you ever wanted to run away to Victoria? If you live in the Puget Sound area, my bet is that you have had that dream every now and then. Victoria is such an accessible place, and at the same time it is a cultivated, international city. It has world class hotels, elegant restaurants, and fabulous art. It also has British flare, and authentic pubs to prove the point. In short, it is irresistible.

Now it is easier than ever to travel between Seattle and Victoria.

Victoria Express offers a number of enticing travel packages throughout the year. Board a ferry and enjoy the most relaxing kind of travel you can find, and the next thing you know, you'll be in Victoria......You made it!

Stay in the Hotel Grand Pacific, in the Inner Harbour. Indulge in their spa, romp in the pool, or simply enjoy a drink in the elegant Pacific Lounge. Or perhaps you prefer the Hotel Chateau Victoria, in the heart of downtown Victoria. Take in the views. Sleep in and enjoy breakfast in your room.

Victoria Express travel packages may include a trip to the Royal BC Museum, a tour of Craigdarroch Castle, or a Grand City Tour. If there is something in particular you would like to do or see, be sure to ask our staff. Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

It is definitely worth traveling to Victoria for this fascinating workshop exploring the connection between Body, Theatricality and the Creative Space, February 5-7, 2010.

The workshop is the creation of Majdi Bou-Matar, who immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in 2003. He was an experienced and widely acclaimed director in Beirut, and has worked on projects throughout the Middle East and Tunisia. Not long after arriving in Canada, Mr. Bou-Matar founded the MT Space - the Multicultural Theatre Space - in the Waterloo Region of Ontario. There his creativity has thrived.

The upcoming workshop will explore the development of a creative moment through emotion and movement. Participants will work collectively to reach unexpected forms of expression.

The workshop goes hand in hand with Puente Theatre's Worldplay Series. Egyptian writer Alfred Faraq's play "The Person" will be read on Sunday, February 7, at the Belfry Theatre at 8pm. This will be followed by a presentation created by workshop participants, inspired by "The Person".

Visit the Puentes Theatre for details about the workshop and the Worldplay.

Make your Victoria travel plans now, whether you plan to participate in the workshop or simply enjoy the fruits of it along with the reading of "The Person".

Victoria Express can make all your Victoria travel arrangements, from travel to lodging. You need only pack and plan how you'll spend your free time once there. Call 360.452.8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

Laughter is good for us. It is said that laughing makes us healthier; it uses core muscles, lowers blood pressure, boosts immunity, and reduces stress. The best part? It feels good to laugh.

In fact, the only thing better than laughing is laughing in Victoria.

The Cody Rivers duo will be in Victoria for one night only, at the Metro Studio (1411 Quadra Street, Victoria). According to The New York Theatre Wire, "The closest experience to it would be seeing 'Waiting for Godot' performed by Chinese acrobats."

Does that pique your curiosity?

Bring your spouse, your children and your mother. The Cody Rivers duo is based in Bellingham, Washington, and has developed a serious following in Victoria. The 30th will be the Canadian premiere of new show, Right Back Where We Finished.

Sammie Gough, from Intrepid Theatre, spoke with the duo's Andrew Connor about the new show. He promises "high-spectacle dances" and "intellectual haziness," among other things. Intriguing...

Since you are traveling to Victoria, you may as well extend your trip and take in some of what the city has to offer. The Metro Studio is in the heart of downtown Victoria, where there are innumerable restaurants, pubs and cafes. Offset the zany, acrobatic, intellectually fuzzy Cody Rivers Show with a sedate, sophisticated Afternoon Tea at the Empress Hotel.

The team at Victoria Express will happily make all arrangements for your Victoria BC travel. Let us organize transportation to and from the island, and find the perfect lodging for you. We offer a number of exciting travel packages to Victoria. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 360-452-8088 for more information.

Please see our ID Requirements to learn what is necessary for travel between the United States and Canada.

Get ready for the Victoria Film Festival, which runs January 29 through February 7, 2010! Clean your glasses, practice sitting, and eat lots of popcorn in preparation for this festival of films.

Have you ever been to a film festival? They really are festive. All films are somehow better when seen during festivals, because the audience is excited to be there and share the experience of watching them. Even films you would not normally plan to see become enjoyable - thanks to the feeling of camaraderie in the theater.

It's as much fun to stand in line before the film, because you are sure to meet someone interesting. Avid film-watchers swap lists of "must see films". Tips on best seats are shared in whispers.

The Victoria Film Festival is being held at several venues in the heart of downtown Victoria. It is easy to travel from one venue to another by foot; and it's a pleasure to stretch your legs between films.

The VFF Program Guide is available on-line, making it easy for folks who don't live in Victoria to select the films they want to see.

This may be the best opportunity to view a wide array of Canadian films on the West Coast. Yet in addition to films from BC, Quebec and Newfoundland, the festival will screen films from France, Israel, China, Turkey, the Bahamas.... the list goes on and on. Each of the 160 films will have more than one screening, making it more likely that attendees will be able to watch the films they want to see.

If you are a true film fan, make a holiday of it. Travel to Victoria, and spend the whole ten days there. Take advantage of Victoria's great restaurants and museums to make your visit to Victoria a memorable event.

Victoria Express will make all your Victoria travel arrangements, from transportation to lodging. Call 360-452-8088, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , for more information.

It's a new year, and you've decided you want to spend more time exploring the world with your family. The kids are older, and it's easier to travel now. In other words, it's the perfect time to visit Victoria as a family.

It's exciting to travel to beautiful Victoria BC, and yet it couldn't be easier when you let Victoria Express make all your Victoria travel arrangements. Your children will be thrilled. You'll feel like you had a real vacation. And best of all is the fact that there are many activities in Victoria geared towards families.

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria offers Family Sundays the third Sunday of each month through April, 2010. Between 2 and 4 pm, children and their parents will be guided through various hands-on art projects. Visiting artists, musicians and performers add to the fun. Please visit the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria for more information.

Children and adults alike will be astonished and delighted by the Victoria Bug Zoo, just a block away from the Empress Hotel in downtown Victoria. Glow in the dark scorpions and the alien-eyed praying mantids are just two of the fascinating creatures you'll be able to see there.

Discover the rich history of our regional maritime heritage and plan your family visit to The Maritime Museum of British Columbia located at 28 Bastion Square in downtown Victoria. On display are nautical artifacts spanning hundreds of years, from the original people to European explorers to present day shipping activity.

And of course, Butchart Gardens is always a destination for families. Their Children's Pavilion and Rose Carousel are now open year round, and starting January 15, families will be able to enjoy a taste of spring thanks to the indoor floral conservatory.

Victoria Express is currently offering many exciting travel packages to Victoria that include lodging. Call (360) 452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details.

Travel between the United States and Canada now requires a passport or enhanced driver's license. Read our ID Requirements for more information.

CBC's Hockey Night in Canada presents Play On - National Championship.

Fri. January 29th, 2010 - Sat. January 30th, 2010 Victoria - Winners of this national championship event will be recognized as Canada's greatest street hockey players and awarded the Redwood Cup.

Games will be take place Friday January 29, 9:00am - 6:00pm and Saturday January 30, 9:00am - 6:00pm. The National Championship Game begins Saturday January 30th at 5:00pm

Thirty teams will battle for 4on4 street hockey national supremacy on Belleville Street (between Menzies and Government) in downtown Victoria. Each of the thirty teams participating in this event previously qualified to do so during one of the twelve CBC's Hockey Night in Canada Presents Play On! events held across Canada this past summer. Winners of this national championship event will be recognized as Canada's greatest street hockey players and awarded the Redwood Cup. The National Champions will also take home a $10,000 cash prize.

This event will also be featured in conjunction with the tenth annual Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada celebration on January 30, 2010 at 12 noon ET on CBC TV. This will be a wonderful free family event with seating available on a first come, first served basis.

For more information go to http://www.playon.ca/

Contact Victoria Express today to learn about our exciting 2010 winter packages to Victoria. We can take care of all your travel arrangements. Call (360) 452-8088 OR email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Travel between the United States now requires a passport or enhanced driver's license. For more information, visit our ID Requirements.

Visit Victoria and enjoy a night out at the theatre. The Langham Court Theatre is running a production of The History of Boys through January 23, 2010. Written by Alan Bennett and directed by Roger Carr, the play closely follows a class of English schoolboys who are studying for their University entrance exams. The two teachers helping them to prepare have very different philosophies about learning and, it turns out, life.

Since The Langham Court Theatre is in downtown Victoria, there are several fantastic options nearby for dining before or after the show.

Hermann's Jazz Club is a good place to wind down the evening listening to jazz. Luciano's Restaurant and Lounge offers classic Italian bistro fare in a modern, chic setting. Bundle up and eat pizza on the heated covered deck before the show,  or enjoy drinks and desert inside after the show.

The Temple is a sleek contemporary restaurant/bar set in an 1890's building. The atmosphere is cosmopolitan and hip, and the rotating menu is out of this world. Eat a full meal before the show: start with edamame beans flavored with mint, lime and rock salt, sink into a rack of lamb with fig thyme polenta, and finish off with a wonton wrapped banana split. Or visit the Lounge after the show, where you can dip szechuan pepper pomme frites into roasted garlic mayo and slurp raw oysters on the half shell.

Contact Victoria Express today to learn about our exciting 2010 winter packages to Victoria. We can take care of all your travel arrangements. Call (360) 452-8088 OR email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Travel between the United States now requires a passport or enhanced driver's license. For more information, visit our ID Requirements.

If you're having so much fun during your weekends in Victoria and just don't want to leave come Sunday afternoon, stick around for some of the best music out there. On alternate Sunday nights at Pagliacci's Restaurant, at 1011 Broad Street, a group of the most creative and talented musicians in Victoria gather together for Klezmer music fun.

The Yiddish Columbia State Orchestra was born when lead singer and accordion player Marion Siegal decided that Sunday nights were the perfect time to try something new. She put the word out to talented musicians, and founded a fantastic eight piece orchestra. Concentrating on Jewish Swing and Yiddish Music Hall Vaudeville music, they move seamlessly through a large repertoire that includes sounds from French cafes, Eastern European caravans, and New Orleans.

Their sound is big, bold and brassy. You'll want to smile, clap your hands, and most of all, dance.

If you can't make it to Pagliacci's this Sunday, January 10th, fear not. The Yiddish Columbia State Orchestra will be back at Pagliacci's January 24th, 2010.

Victoria Express will make all arrangements for your travel to Victoria, including lodging. You need only decide when you want to be there. Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Travel between the United States and Canada requires a passport or enhanced driver's license.

The photo of Marion Siegal is by Barbara Pedrick.

What, there is no such thing as a sea gull? On the evening of Tuesday, January 12 at 7:00 pm in Camp Orkila on Orcas Island where biologist and writer Thor Hanson will engage you in the interesting facts about these opportunistic birds. You might not remember all the fascinating details or identification features for the dozen or so gull species we have, but you should walk away more fond of these birds and probably will no longer make the faux pas of calling them sea gulls.

Gulls belong to the Laridae family. They will eat just about anything, from fish or small rodents to ferry French fries and potato chips and a salt excreting gland enables them to drink either fresh or salt water. They nest in large, densely packed, and noisy colonies where they lay two to three speckled eggs. Larger gull species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, while two years is more typical for small gulls. They can live to be 15 years old and some have been known to live to be over 25 years old. 

The 2009/10 Marine Science Lecture Series was created to inspire the general public and to highlight the amazing fish and wildlife of our region. Lectures are free and this lecture is held at the YMCA Camp Orkila in Eastsound on Orcas Island. Please park in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the talk is available before and after the lecture.

The SeaDoc Society is a non-profit program of the Wildlife Health Center, a center of excellence at the world-renowned UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

For more information: Jean Spalti * SeaDoc Society * 360-376-3910

YMCA Camp Orkila – A Branch of the YMCA of Greater Seattle – Mount Baker Road, Eastsound, WA 98245 – (360) 376-2678

Be sure to make visiting Victoria BC your one of your New Year’s resolutions.  There is no time like the present to plan your next Victoria BC vacation. The only problem will be deciding when to go.

The Splendor of Victoria BC.

Fascinating cultural events, incredible performing artists, and world-class museum exhibits draw visitors from around the world to Victoria, BC. The gorgeous Pacific Northwest setting helps, too.

Below are several upcoming events in Victoria that are worth planning for right now:

World Drums at the McPherson Playhouse on January 23.

The Victoria Film Festival will be bringing a wide variety of films to several venues around the city, January 29 to February 7, 2010.

GottaCon 2010, a gaming convention that is sure to be interesting to gamers, takes place February 5 – 7.

The Alix Goolden Halls presents the best of early music: The Toronto Consort will perform the Da Vinci Codex on January 23, and Tanya Tomkins and Adam LaMotte will perform the Splendor of San Marco on February 20, 2010.

An evening of Chinese Dancing, Singing and Pagentry to celebrate the Chinese New Year, February 20 at the McPherson Playhouse.

The list could go on and on. Suffice to say that you should start planning your travel to Victoria today.

Let Victoria Express make all of the arrangements for you, from getting you to Victoria to your lodging once there. We offer a variety of exciting travel packages throughout the year. All you need to do is decide when you want to leave and call 360 452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Travel between the United States and Canada requires a passport or enhanced driver’s license.

A Carriage Tour through the charming city of Victoria is worthwhile any time of year, but it is particularly fun during the holidays.

Let Victoria Carriage Tours Whisk You Away

Victoria Carriage Tours has been transporting its guests through Victoria and back in time for over thirty years – they know what they are doing, and they do it well.

Christmas Tours have already started. They run December 19th through the 29th, with the exception of Christmas Day. Snuggle into one of their blankets and spend 45 minutes enjoying the sites of Victoria in a horse drawn trolley. As you travel about, you’ll hear about what Christmas was like in Victoria many years ago.

If you enjoy carriage and trolley rides, you’ll be pleased to learn that Victoria Carriage Tours offers a number of tours year round, such as “By the Sea” and “Beacon Hill Park”. These can be a great way for folks with young children, or for those who have trouble walking long distances, to experience Victoria.

Tickets are available through Victoria Carriage Tours.

Let Victoria Express handle your travel to Victoria and your lodging. We are happy to make all the arrangements for you. We are currently running several special travel packages to Victoria. Call 360-452-8088 or contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Cinderella

Imagine the delight in your budding ballerina’s eyes when she finds tickets to watch Ballet Victoria perform Cinderella in Victoria after Christmas.

This is something the whole family will enjoy. Spend a few days in the glorious city of Victoria over the holidays, exploring the neighborhoods, sampling restaurants and museums, and attending the ballet.

Children find the ballet magical. The grand theater, music, costumes, and exquisite dancing transport them completely to a different world. The story of Cinderella will come to life on stage, with humor, evildoers and magic. This is a ballet, but it is also a dramatic performance, and the talented dancers are skilled actors as well.

Ballet Victoria presents Cinderella from Sunday December 27 through Wednesday December 30th at the Royal Theater, 805 Broughton St., Victoria. Tickets are available through the Royal Theatre.

If your budding ballerinas have the stamina for it, treat them to the Canadian Pacific Ballet’s Nutcracker as well, playing at the Mcpherson Playhouse, #3 Centennial Square, Victoria, on December 29th and 30th.

You take care of the Ballet, and let Victoria Express take care of everything else. We’ll make travel arrangements and book your hotel. From now through January 2, 2010, Victoria Express is offering a number of excellent special travel packages to Victoria. Call 360-452-8088 or contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Gather together friends and family and welcome in the New Year from Victoria BC.

Victoria is a classy city with places to go and things to see on any day of the year, so it stands to reason that it will be a great place to visit and bring in the New Year.

There will be an All Ages New Years Party at the Pacific Fleet Club, at 1587 Lyall Street in Victoria, starting at 6:30 pm. Bring your dancing shoes and prepare to rock out to the music of THE KILTLIFTERS, FUNK VIGILANTE, Steel Beach and Crash.

At the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre, 195 Bay Street, you’ll find a delicious catered dinner by Melting Moments and live music by Richard Aloysis. Plan to dance in 2010 after you eat.

Jack’s Pub, at Bear Mountain Golf & Country Club, promises to be loads of fun on New Year’s as well. There will be door prizes, a DJ and the required champagne toast at midnight.

You can, of course, also plan to be spontaneous, dining wherever strikes your fancy and letting what happens, happen. The important thing is to be in Victoria. Victoria Express has a number of excellent travel packages to Victoria from now through January 2, 2010. We’ll get you to Victoria, book your hotel, and bring you back home. Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Butchart Gardens is all lit up for the holidays. Thousands of lights make this normally beautiful place downright lovely. In addition to the lights, hundreds of evergreen garlands, holly, and winter berries adorn lampposts and line walkways. The Twelve Days of Christmas are displayed throughout the Gardens – impressive in the daylight but absolutely magical at night. Nightly evening entertainment at the Piazza includes traditional carols and Festive Brass.

Photo of Butchart Gardens compliments of, and copyright by Butchart Gardens

For many in the Pacific Northwest, ice skating evokes memories of childhood in a distant, colder climate. We remember warming our hands around steaming mugs of hot cocoa while we wait for our feet to thaw, not minding the cold because skating was such a special treat. Outdoor ice skating puts everyone in a cheerful mood, whether you gracefully glide around the rink or cling to your companions for dear life; and it is available everyday at Buchart Gardens during the month of December.

It is the joy of parents to make Christmastime magical for their children. Time spent at the Children’s Pavillion, and a ride on the Rose Carousel are moments your children will remember for the rest of their lives.

Victoria Express is currently offering a “Christmas at Butchart Gardens” special from now through January 2, 2010. Take advantage of this to make this holiday season extra special. All you need to do is contact us, and we’ll make all arrangements for travel to Victoria and lodging.

Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Travel between the United States and Canada requires a passport or enhanced driver’s license.

Craigdarroch Castle

There is much to do in Victoria year round, but at this time of year, the city is particularly engaging. Historic buildings are adorned with lights and garlands, making it easy for visitors to succumb to holiday good cheer.

It takes a good month to fill Craigdarroch Castle with authentic Victorian decorations, so it seems our duty to visit it and admire the efforts of countless staff and volunteers.

In addition, the events calendar at the Castle is jam-packed with a variety of interesting suitable for the whole family, and during the day, this entertainment is included with the price of admission.

Puppet theater, cello music, choirs, and a visit with Father Christmas are just a few of the offerings on hand this month at Craigdarroch Castle. A visit here is sure to be enjoyed by all members of the family.

If you are still missing a few gifts, the  gift shop at Craigdarroch Castle is a good place to find something unique.

Victoria Express is offering two travel packages to Victoria that include a visit to Craigdarroch Castle from now through January 2, 2010. Plan a trip to Victoria before Christmas, or surprise the family with a visit there over the holiday break. Let Victoria Express make all the arrangements, from travel to accommodations.

Call 360-452-8088 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it today.

Victoria's Chinatown

Are you feeling like catalogs and box stores just aren’t offering the perfect gifts for your friends and family? If so, travel to Victoria BC to explore the city’s diverse neighborhoods and shops.

There is no shortage of neighborhoods to explore. Be sure to wear good walking shoes and head to Antique Row and Chinatown, Lower Johnson Street and Cook Street Village. You’ll find an eclectic variety of shops where you are sure to unearth at least one treasure.

On Lower Johnson Street, you’ll find a row of colorful Victorian shops full of fashionable boutiques. This is the place to look for unique clothing items, as many of the stores showcase products made by local designers. If you are adventurous enough to squeeze into some of these tiny storefronts (claustrophobes beware!) you’ll be amply rewarded.

Look for exotic fruits and vegetables, and an enormous selection of Chinese imports in the shops and markets of Chinatown. Start on Fisgard Street, but be sure not to miss Fan Tan Alley, where you’re likely to find the perfect gifts for the young, spirited travelers in your life.

The place to search for antiques and collectibles is Fort Street, between Blanshard and Cook. If European high fashion is more your cup of tea, head to Trounce Alley; this pedestrian-only space between Government and Broad streets is reminiscent of Europe. Three-tiered Market Square is a good place to find a wide variety of shops featuring everything from toys to imports to local art.

You are guaranteed to work up an appetite, so it’s a good thing there are so many excellent restaurants, pubs and cafes in downtown Victoria. It has been said that Victoria has more restaurants per capita than any other city in North America, with the exception of San Francisco. If you are hungering for a particular type of food, you are sure to find it in Victoria.

While you plan your itinerary in downtown Victoria, let Victoria Express take care of getting you there and finding your lodging. We’ll arrange your travel and book your hotel. We are also offering a number of interesting overnight travel packages through January 2, 2010.

Call 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .