The Victoria BC Cruise Port With Kids: 1 Fun Day!

Victoria is a beautiful city located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It’s known for the beautiful architecture, being bike friendly, and having excellent coffee. The city was named for Queen Victoria, the British monarch. There are so many awesome and unique things to do in Victoria with kids. Here is the perfect way to spend one day in Victoria, BC with kids from the cruise port.

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Disclaimer: This blog contains affiliate links which means I get a small commission (at no extra cost for you) if you decide to make a purchase. Thanks for supporting me and helping me to continue to make free content on this platform!

How to Get Around Victoria, BC

There are several ways you can get around Victoria. The distance from the cruise port to the main area of downtown (near the Empress and the Parliament Building) is about a mile and a half. I would recommend taking the shuttle from the cruise port to the downtown area.

Victoria Cruise Port Shuttle

The best and easiest way to get from the Victoria BC cruise port to downtown is by taking the shuttle. The shuttle is about $10 each way, or $15 for the whole day per person. I don’t know exactly which age kids are free, but they didn’t charge us for our 1 and 3 year old kids.

The shuttle driver was great and gave us some information about Victoria as we drove. Luckily, the shuttle runs at least every 15 minutes. It will pick you up from the Ogden Point Cruise Terminal to the Empress Hotel. The Empress is an easy Victoria landmark to find when you’re ready to head back to the ship.

In addition to shuttle costs, make sure you are prepared for the other costs your might encounter on a cruise. Here are 10 Hidden Costs to be Prepared for: Royal Caribbean!

the front of the empress hotel in victoria BC with gardens and beautiful flowers in the front

Rent a Bike

If you’re interested in exploring Victoria, BC on a bike, you’ve definitely got options. Since Victoria is one of the most bike friendly cities in the country, this is a great way to explore the city. Below are a few of the places you can rent bikes in Victoria, BC

The Pedaler – they are located about a mile away from the cruise port and have a huge selection of kids bikes, trailers, and adult bikes
Victoria Bike Rental – this bike rental company is located at the cruise ship terminal, so definitely the best for convenience. They do also have kids bikes.
Cycle BC Rentals and Tours – they do offer kids bikes, regular bikes, and E-bikes. It’s recommended to reserve in advance to ensure they have what you need.

OTher Transportation Options

A few other ways you can get around the city are to rent a car or to grab a bus pass (check here for the bus schedule). Renting a car can be a great idea if you want to get out on your own and enjoy some of the sights outside of the city. If you’re taking a car with your little one, make sure to pack the car seats!

Check out Economy Rentals below! We have saved so much money by booking rental cars through them.

Victoria BC Cruise Port Map

One Day in Victoria, BC from the Cruise Port

Since Victoria is bigger than most of the cities on your Alaska Cruise itinerary, it can be tough to figure out the best itinerary. We had a great day in Victoria and explored some of the highlights. Here is how to spend a great day in Victoria with kids from the cruise port.

See the Parliament Building

The first thing you’ll want to do is walk around the harbor and check out the Parliament Building in Victoria. During the day, you’ll see a beautiful castle like building with turquoise domes and a beautiful fountain in front. If you’re lucky enough to visit at night, you can see the whole thing magically lit up with over 3,000 light bulbs!

We didn’t, but you can actually go inside and see the inner beauty of the building. It’s free to go inside and has some beautiful architecture. We’ve visited Victoria a couple times, and wouldn’t dream of skipping this unique stop.

Plus, it’s right near the Empress Hotel where the shuttle drops you off, so you don’t have to go too far. You can see the Parliament building from really anywhere on the harbor.

Take a Picture with the Canada SIgn

You also don’t have to go far to find the Canada sign. It’s a quick photo opportunity right on the harbor! We stumbled upon this spot as we were asking questions at the Victoria Visitor Center. The visitor center is a great place to stop if you have specific questions or want to schedule a tour.

family of four sitting next to the canada sign in victoria BC. This sign is located near the visitor center and the harbor

Visit Munro’s Books

Munro’s Books has been a notable bookstore in Victoria, BC for over 60 years. The interior of the store has stunning architecture and a huge selection of books. They also have an entire section dedicated to kids books and a selection of consignment books.

bookshelves early in the morning at Munro's Books in victoria BC.

Get Coffee

If you need to get some good coffee or hot chocolate to fuel your day, stop into a coffee shop in downtown Victoria. Victoria is known for having a good coffee scene so you’ll probably get a good cup in most of the downtown coffee shops. A few of the most popular are listed below!

Hey Happy
Saint Cecilia
Union Pacific Coffee Company
Bean Around the World
Milano

Explore Downtown Victoria

Roger’s Chocolate
Beaver Tails Victoria (for a uniquely Canadian treat)
Better Acres Ice Cream
Bastion Square Market (at certain days/times during the summer)
Canada’s Oldest Chinatown
Victoria Bug Zoo
Miniature World

Take a Tour to Butchart Gardens

butchart gardens sign at the entrance. The sign says "Over 100 years in Bloom" and is placed among the hedges. We visited the gardens as a stop on our alaska cruise

In the downtown area, there are several places where you can book a tour to Butchart Gardens. It’s a fun and easy place to bring kids since there is so much room to run around! We decided to make this trip at the last minute and booked a tour at the Victoria Visitor Center.

The tour we chose included a roundtrip bus ride from the Empress Hotel to Butchart Gardens, a tour guide on the bus to give us history about Victoria, and admission to Butchart Gardens. For two adults the price we paid was $180 CAD, and kids under 5 are free.

The drive from the Empress Hotel to Butchart Gardens takes about 40 minutes and ours had a flexible return time with returning buses on the hour. This was a great tour to take from the cruise so we could make sure we were back in time!

When you arrive at Butchart Gardens, make sure to stop into the information center. They can give you a map and a FREE stroller (yay Canada for supporting families!) The workers there were so kind in helping us quickly plan out a stroller friendly path.

dad walking stroller with one hand and having a coffee in the other. in front of him is the fountains at butchart gardens shooting up in the air with pink flowers around

You can also pick up a coffee and some snacks before you get going on your walk around the beautiful gardens. Our favorite parts were the fountains and the Japanese gardens, but they were all stunning. We walked around the whole park with the kids in strollers.

If you’re ready for a treat after touring the gardens, you can stop for gelato near the exit. I’m sure your kids will be excited about a little treat on a hot summer day

green tunnel at the rose garden at butchart gardens in victoria bc. This photo was taken in mid september so the roses weren't in full bloom anymore.

funky looking tree with a stone statue in the japanese garden at butchart gardens in victoria BC. We visited victoria as a stop on our alaska cruise

Other Things to do in Victoria, BC with Kids

1. Beacon Hill Park

This 200 acre park is the perfect place to spend time with your family. It has one of the tallest totem poles in the world, trails, gardens, and more!

2. Grab a Meal

Because we ate so many snacks, we didn’t actually sit down for a proper meal when we were in Victoria. However, a few of the restaurants that we planned to visit are below!

Murchies
The Ruby
The Jam Cafe
Fuego Old Town Eatery
Shanzees Biscuit Cafe
Noodlebox
Canoe Brew Pub

3. Victoria Butterfly Garden

The butterfly gardens are located near Butchart Gardens and would be worth a stop if you’re heading that direction. Here you can see up to 70 species of butterflies, poison dart frogs, flamingos, and more!

4. Visit Craigdarroch Castle

Craigdarroch Castle was built to be the home of Robert Dunsmuir, who was the richest man in nineteenth century BC. The castle has been restored and you can tour the outside and the inside. If you love history, this would be a great stop for you!

5. Schedule a Tour for a Fun Activity

I hope you have the best day ever in the beautiful city of Victoria, BC. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about the Victoria BC cruise port with kids! And check out some of our other articles to help you plan your Alaska cruise with your kids.

The Victoria BC Cruise Port With Kids: 1 Fun Day!