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Welcome to Hipfig's Video Guide Series on Victoria, British Columbia.
In this DIY video, we'll be showing you the Victoria Waterfront and Empress Hotel.
We'll show you how to get there and what to do once you arrive.
The Empress hotel is located 721 Government Street and the Victoria Harbour is
located across the street from the hotel. If your hotel is in the Inner Harbor
area, you can walk to the waterfront and Empress Hotel.
It is located Kitty corner to the Royal B.C. Museum and the B.C. Parliament
buildings. If you're driving, you can find metered parking on the streets or you can
go to public parking garages or at the Victoria Conference Centre which is
underneath the Empress Hotel. To get to the Empress Hotel and Waterfront by B.C.
Transit bus, go on the B.C. Transit website and click on Trip Planner for your best
route and times. If your hotel is located near Douglas Street, you can take bus
number 50, exit at westbound Belleville at Douglas
or you can take number 70, 27, or 28 and exit at northbound Douglas at Humboldt
and walk a block west to Government Street. You'll find many tour company's
stalls and touring bus stops along Government street in front of the hotel.
Across the street from the Empress Hotel on Humboldt Street is the Victoria
visitor center. This is a good place to purchase tickets and make reservations
for attractions, arrange transportation book accommodations, and get local
advice and information. From the visitor center, you can access the Victoria
waterfront. Walk down the stairs and you'll find restaurants, shops, water taxi
stops, an art market full of local art stalls, food trucks, and gorgeous views of
the Parliament building across the harbour.
The waterfront and the Victoria Inner Harbor area hosts over 100 annual
festivals, events, and diverse, artistic cultural, and ethnic community events all
year round. Look on the calendar events from what is happening during your visit.
The link for the calendar events from Victoria can be found on hipfig.com
You'll also find restrooms available underneath the Visitor Center near the
Prince Whale-watching Center. Several local companies offer whale watching
tours from Victoria. Although whale watching tours are
expensive, they are worth it once you see Orcas in the wild. Along the waterfront
pier, you usually run into a market of some kind, usually filled with local
crafts and art vendors. The Victoria Clipper and the Black Ball ferries also
dock here and transport visitors to and from Washington State to Victoria. There
are also many boat tours which offer cruises from here. For an adventure, try a
seaplane tour. You'll find seaplane tours which dock here and offer trips to and
from Vancouver and around Victoria. Along the waterfront
there are also street performers and scheduled performances. An economical
boat tour that you could take from here is a water taxi or a tugboat type tour;
This is a great place to enjoy the sunshine, have a treat, and people-watch.
After visiting the waterfront, go visit the Empress for high tea and the
Victoria Convention Center for a bit of rest and relaxation. The Fairmont Empress
Hotel opened its doors in 1908 and was designed by Francis Rattenbury, who also
designed the parliament buildings in Victoria. The hotel is a National Historic
Site. The hotel has gone through extensive renovations: the new main entrance to the
hotel is by Humboldt street. The old main entrance of the hotel is now the
entrance to a restaurant and the entrance to the tea house, gift shops, and
the Convention Center are located through the South door. The hotel is an
iconic landmark and many royal and celebrity visitors have graced the doors
of this hotel. British royalty that have stayed here are King George the sixth,
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles. It's also hosted numerous
celebrities. The Empress is famous for its afternoon tea which was begun here
in January 20th 1908. It is pricey but it is first class all the way.
Victoria Harbor and Empress Hotel will take an hour or more depending on your
interest. Combine with a visit to the Parliament Buildings and the Royal B.C. Museum.
Happy Travels!
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