Victoria Express

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.

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.

This May 23-25, don’t miss the 66th Swiftsure International Yacht race in Victoria BC.

The origins of the Swiftsure International Yacht Race date back to the 1850s, with the first recorded sailing race in Victoria. At that time, the race was between the Royal Navy and local residents, and it didn’t look much like it looks today. The precursor to today’s race can be said to be the race of 1930, in which six boats sailed 140 nautical miles from the Inner Harbor of Victoria to the Swiftsure Bank, and back. Today a lot more than six boats participate, and racers can choose from three offshore courses and one in-shore course; there are nine different races which provide a challenging venue for every level of sailor/sailing yacht. The Swiftsure International Yacht Race has become THE premier sailing event in the Pacific Northwest. Even if you are not a sailor, you can’t help but enjoy the party atmosphere that infuses the whole of Victoria during the races. So why not travel from Port Angeles to Victoria BC aboard the Victoria Express and spend Memorial Day Weekend at the sailing event of the year?

In past years the party atmosphere in downtown Victoria reached epic proportions during the races, but these days the city is pleasantly festive; all visitors are invited to celebrate. There are many hotels within easy walking distance to charming downtown Victoria, and quite a few over look the harbor. When you are ready to turn away from the sea for a spell, there is a fabulous selection of restaurants and shops to peruse. Make sure to at least stroll by the Bimini at Ship Point. It has live music and serves the infamous Bimini Twist to warm racers from the inside out. Squeeze in and enjoy the atmosphere if there is room.

The Victoria Express offers many special packages from Port Angeles and Seattle to Victoria; check them out to see if one sounds right for you. Below are just a few ways to travel to Victoria and enjoy the Swiftsure International Yacht Race.

Package 1 – Express Special – Includes round trip ferry tickets from Port Angeles to Victoria aboard the Victoria Express, Butchart Gardens tour, afternoon free time in downtown Victoria. Starting from $84 per person.

Package 5 – Overnight Express Special – Includes round trip ferry tickets from Port Angeles to Victoria aboard the Victoria Express, Butchart Gardens tour, One-night hotel stay. Starting from $341 for two people.

Package 13 – Overnight with the Kids! – Includes 12:15 p.m. departure from Port Angeles, round trip from Port Angeles to Victoria aboard the Victoria Express, Royal BC Museum and IMAX adventure, one-night hotel stay, three-hour whale watching tour. Starting at $705 for two adults and two children 12 yrs and under. Pricing available for children 13 and over.

Whales can sometimes be spotted from the Victoria Express

It’s spring, and spring is the beginning of whale watching season in the Pacific Northwest. The Straits of Juan de Fuca and the Puget Sound area are some of the most beautiful waterways in the world, offering views of the Olympic Mountains, the Cascade Mountains, volcanoes and islands.

Orcas, also called Killer Whales, are local residents of the waters around Victoria and Vancouver Island. Whale sightings can be spectacular in May, June, July, August and September during their migration to the feeding grounds of Alaska’s waters.

Orca whales, gray whales and humpback whales are amazing to see, yet they are not the only sea life worth looking for out there. Keep an eye out for porpoises, Pacific white-side dolphins, sea lions and harbor seals. Or scan the skies and tree-tops for bald eagles.

Whale watching is an experience many say they will never forget. A typical whale watching tours is 3 hours in length. Be sure to bring your camera and your excitement. Victoria Express can book your entire tour, including ferry to and from Victoria B.C., a whale watching expedition and even an overnight visit in one of Victoria’s hotels.

If you choose to stay overnight, you can tour Butchart Gardens the next day and have time to explore lovely downtown Victoria.