See the very best of Victoria on a comprehensive city tour that includes a visit to Craigdarroch Castle. During your sightseeing tour, an experienced guide provides fascinating commentary on Victoria's rich history and scenic beauty. Enjoy numerous stops at points of interest, such as Fisherman's Wharf and Beacon Hill Park, for photo ops. This 3.5-hour tour is a great way to get to know the the charming provincial capital and its famous landmarks, including the Victorian-era elegance of Craigdarroch Castle, the city’s premiere heritage and architectural attraction.
Built by Robert Dunsmuir in 1898 during the reign of Queen Victoria and now a National Historic Site, Craigdarroch Castle has been meticulously restored, giving visitors a glimpse of privileged life in 1890.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Castle and 48hr HoHo lasts about 2h 30min. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $54 per person for this Victoria experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Under the red umbrella on the sidewalk in front of The Empress Hotel. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 60 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Wheelchair accessible
We stayed in Victoria for a week and this was a fun way to see the highlights of the city and decide where we wanted to spend more time later on. It was sunny and warm so we opted to sit up top and you can’t beat the view. The bus was on time at each of the stops, the drivers were all very nice, and it was a convenient way to get around town without needing a car.
But the house is simply amazing. Each room was jam-packed with historical items and we were actually able to take photographs - which is highly unusual in old buildings. It IS a very large house, but not what I think of as a castle when I compare it to the castles I saw in England, Scotland and Ireland. Nevertheless, it's well worth the money to see the house. As for the tour of Victoria itself, there really isn't much to see. I though the entire city was 'historical', but it's only a few blocks. To me the city itself was a true disappointment and wasn't worth the visit.
Hello, We are glad that you enjoyed your tour of Craigdarroch Castle. Yes, it is smaller than castles in Scottland and England by far. The Craigdarroch Castle is considered a "bonanza castle— massive houses built for entrepreneurs who became wealthy during the industrial age." As Craigdarroch Castle states on their website. It is a very interesting place to see and it is very pleasing to tourists that they are able to take photos inside. Victoria does become a quieter town throughout the winter months but during the summer there are an abundance of activities to do. Museums, tea, butchart gardens, whale watching, parks, beaches, shopping, festivals and more! We are sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the city of Victoria. Thank you again for the review!
Unfortunately, apart from the castle, I had seen most of the sights the previous day with another tour. Otherwise, good tour.
Hello, Thank you for the review, We are glad that you enjoyed the tour of Craigdarroch Castle. Victoria is a small city so there can be some overlap! We hope to see you again one day!
Sightseeing of the famous Craigdarroch Castle and city of Victoria. Tour guide aka the driver took us to visit the castle first and then have a city tour around Victoria. The castle itself is small but beautiful from both outside and inside. You can learn the history of this castle since it was created. City tour takes you to some scenic spots around Victoria such as university of Victoria, Brody bay, etc.
Hello, Thank you for the review, we are glad that you enjoyed your city and castle tour! The castle is smaller compared to others but carries an abundance of history with it. We hope to see you again one day!
Enjoyable tour. Guide John had researched his tour and provided good info except for a few stupid jokes. Castle was good.
Hello, Thank you for the review. we are glad that you enjoyed your tour. We're sorry to hear that you didn;t enjoy John's jokes! We hope to see you again!
Thorough and complete! Great for a fast overview of the city. Beware of the kids who run the tour pick up kiosk...very unhelpful and rude!
Great and affordable tour of the city. Loved learning the history of the Craigdarroch castle, our tour guide Leeroy was very helpful and informative.
Hello, Thank you for the review, we are glad that you enjoyed Leroy's tour. Our drivers try to provide as much information as possible on their tour. Craigdarroch Castle is a wonderful place full of a lot of history. We hope to see you agian!
We were on 3 tours the week before and this one was by far the best. Partially because of what we were seeing, but mostly because of our tour guide ~ Archie. He was absolutely the best out of all the tours we did the past two weeks.
Archie our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the surrounding sights. Didn't know where the castle was located or what really to expect. From where the bus had to park to the castle was a bit of an uphill travel. The castle itself is a series of 2 flights of steps to reach each of the floors, and down stairs to the kitchen, out to the back of the castle, then down another flight to ground level going back around to the front and once again, this time, downhill to the bus. Tolmie Park offered a beautiful vista view of the area including looking out to the harbor. Due to the mainland fires the sight was a bit hazed over though. Again, Archie, shared a wealth of insight into the surrounding communities and shoreline areas we traveled. All-in-all the tour was well worth it.
This was a great tour. Victoria was BEAUTIFUL and we want to go back! The driver was engaging and funny, the wildlife abundant, and the castle was amazing. We bought the excursion on the ship because we had some credits back but I see here the price is significantly less than what we paid. My only complaint about the castle is we had limited time there due to the fact they told us we could go outside for a snack/restroom/etc and come back in so we used the restroom first and went to the gift shop while the crowd started through the castle. When we left the gift shop and went to the castle door it was locked!! We wasted a lot of time trying to get in for the tour we had paid for, eventually going in the back door and being led back to the start of the castle so we could see it all. Overall I would highly recommend the tour.
Hello, Thank you for the review, we are glad that you enjoyed your tour. CVS only supplies the driver and bus, I believe that this must have been a shore excursion tour. We provide an hour at the castle on our tours and leave at 10 am and 1pm daily. It seems very strange that the castle was locked unless this was a tour at night and for some reason they decided to lock the doors. We are glad that you enjoyed Victoria and our beautiful sights. We hope to see you again.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle and 48hr HoHo | 2h 30min | 4.2 (106) | $54 | |
 Victoria City Highlights: Chinatown, Craigdarroch Castle (1-9pax) | 3 hours | 5.0 (9) | $322 | View |
 Victoria Half-Day Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos | 3h 30min | 4.9 (2,762) | $156 | View |
 Victoria Guided Food and History Tour | 2 hours | 5.0 (2,253) | $83 | View |
 Victoria Zodiac Boat Whale Watching Adventure | 3 hours | 4.8 (1,091) | $148 | View |
 Ghostly Walking Tour in Victoria | 1 hour | 4.7 (983) | $17 | View |
 The Butchart Gardens Express Shuttle from Downtown Victoria | 3–5 hours | 4.5 (714) | $45 | View |