Who doesn’t love freebies? I know I do. Despite being classy a city and one of the best tourist attraction hotspots in the world, there are some amazingly good things to do in Victoria BC without spending a dime. If worse comes to worst you might be charged very little that you won’t even feel your pocket or wallet becoming lighter.
This article seeks to enlighten you on some of the good free things to do in victoria bc whether you are a local or tourist living in Victoria BC. Today is your lucky day, especially If you are reading this as a tourist in Victoria BC who has only enough money left for his or her flight back home.
1. Window shopping.
Until now I hope we’ve agreed that the last thing we’d like to do is spend money on anything. There may be a lot of reasons for this, right from being broke to just not wanting to give anyone some of your hard-earned cash. But who and what is to stop us from peaking and looking at some antiques and other products being portrayed?
Wondering where you can do this? Why not try visiting Chinatown, a town part of a bigger region known as Oldtown. Chinatown has two specific areas you might want to do your free window shopping. Baston square public market is the best place to go check out some pieces made by local artisans. You might also visit Market square during the summer season.
2. Taking nature walks.
When I talk about taking nature walks in Victoria BC, then know that am talking about more than just a stroll in the park. Victoria BC also is known as Garden City has beautiful parts that at first don’t even appear to be free to visit.
First up, you should consider visiting St. Ann’s Academy. This is a place covered with all sorts of trees, orchards, and gardens. You don’t need to have money to gain entrance to and enjoy the beautiful things that nature has to offer you.
You can then also take time to visit the Government House. This ancient building is among the oldest architectures still standing. It belonged to a British Colombian lieutenant General who lived on Rockland Avenue. It’s also surrounded by acres of gardens you’d just love to see.
3. Hiking and Beach Exploration.
You don’t need to spend money to enjoy some of nature’s best scenery in Victoria BC. All you need is just an eye for good things and to get yourself out there.
There’s the trail along Cordova bay. As you get to follow this 55 km network of boardwalks from Victoria to Sooke, you also get the privilege of enjoying the best scenery from both plant and animal life. You even get the chance to come by a beach in victoria where you might decide to swim as you cool from the heat of daytime temperatures.
This is not all, there also plenty of free parks you can explore around Victoria BC, for example, Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park, Francis Regional Park, Goldstream Provincial Park, and Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary.
4. Tour Downtown.
Want to see some of the ancient totem poles in Victoria for free? Why not take time to visit Thunderbird Park. Here you will also get to see some of the Parliament buildings that were built in the 19th century.
If there’s just too much to take in and you fear getting lost, then you can choose to opt for the free guided tour of the place. Since it is public and open to all, you might also get the chance to watch some free events and shows performed by the locals around.
5. Visit the Inner Harbor.
Whenever you’ve got some free time to spare you can choose to visit the ever-busy Inner harbour. Here you get to watch fishermen going about their business. There are also small sails and cruise ships around to watch as they dock or leave the harbour.
If you happen to be around on Labor Day weekend in September, you can go also go there for the annual Classic Boat Festival. At around the same time, you also watch some of the locals feeding Lucy, the harbour seal. If you want to also get some of the action, you can buy a smelt or herring and personally feed her yourself.
Before I forget, there are also lovely floating houses around. They are about 30 in number and each one of them has a uniquely decorated exterior showing the owner’s personality. There’s even one whose walls are decorated by cell phones and digital cameras that had once fallen off the harbour.
6. Have a taste of the Grand Hotel.
Empress hotel also stands as one of the oldest buildings built in the Edwardian era. It was originally built to serve as a terminal for Canadian Pacific’s Streamline. Its surroundings are made up of the ever beautiful rose garden which is also definitely worth the treat.
They even freely allow passers-by to get into the lobby area and have a quick glance of the hotel’s luxurious interior. Just be careful not to fall into the temptation of sitting down and ordering a cup of coffee while you’re at it. The coffee there isn’t anything close to free.
7. Beer Tours.
In as much as a bottle of beer might cost you some you cash, who’s going to charge you just for smelling it? Victoria BC is a brewing capital with more than a dozen breweries operating there. If you are lucky enough you might even get the chance to taste some of their free samples. Some of the famous breweries include Hoyne Brewing Company, Vancouver Island Brewery, and Moon under Water Breweries.
There are many other free things you do in Victoria Bc that I haven’t mentioned here. All in all, Victoria BC has once again proven to be a great city where you can still afford to have a good time even when your pockets are running a bit low.
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