Victoria, B.C.: A European-Inspired Getaway in Seattle’s Backyard
With gas prices soaring and flights canceled, a little Old World charm is just a boat ride away.
By Caroline JiaYing Grygiel July 13, 2026
In an online forum for travel writer Rick Steves, someone posed the question: Which city outside Europe feels the most European?
The answer that popped up over and over again: Victoria, B.C.
Picture yourself on the FRS Clipper, plastered with an enormous Union Jack, as it pulls into Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The impressive Fairmont Empress and Parliament Buildings set the scene; both were designed by English architect Francis Rattenbury. Flower baskets adorn every lamppost, and lovely walking paths meander along the stone wall. Horse-drawn carriages clip-clop down the street. A bagpiper busks on the corner.
“When I first arrived in Victoria, I was struck by how European it felt,” says Palma Cafolla, an Irish-born perfumer who studied in Grasse, France. “The gardens, the heritage buildings, the slower pace and the appreciation for craftsmanship reminded me of places I had loved growing up.”
Cafolla, founder of Zingaro Floral Perfumery, describes her adopted city as a place where beauty still matters. In this summer of sky-high fuel costs and canceled flights, a European-inspired escape in Seattle’s backyard is a gorgeous (and low-risk!) way to scratch the travel itch. Another perk of being in the Pacific Northwest: while Europe sizzled in a heat wave, Victoria was cool enough to require light jackets.
Queen Victoria never visited the city named in her honor, but plenty of other royals have, including Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, Prince William, and Kate, Princess of Wales. Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, quietly lived on Vancouver Island from 2019 to 2020.
Victoria’s Old England vibe was purposely fabricated for a publicity stunt, says John Adams, a historian and founder of Discover the Past. In the 1920s, a marketing spinmeister from California decided that Victoria looked a bit like Old England and played up that theme. “Most people would think he was blind,” Adams says. “If anything, we looked like old San Francisco.”
Victoria began as a small fur trading post until the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 drew hordes from every corner of the world—including San Francisco. The boomtown looked a lot like early San Francisco, with similar commercial buildings.
The brick buildings in downtown Victoria already had a slight Old World charm, and faux half-timbering was added to make them look more English. In the 1960s, red double-decker buses were imported from London. Add the afternoon teas and the English-style pubs, and… presto!
The marketing gimmick worked because it built on what Victoria already has: rolling hills, stone walls, garry oak trees everywhere. “Victoria does have lots of corners that look like glimpses of English villages,” Adams says. “If you’re looking for Old World things to do, you will find them.”
Quintessential Victoria
Start at the Fairmont Empress, named after Queen Victoria, who was also the Empress of India. Afternoon tea is England’s most iconic ritual and at the luxurious Empress, it’s a special occasion splurge. Channel your inner Bridgerton while spreading clotted cream or lemon curd on your scone. The tea menu includes rose congu emperor, a favorite of Princess Diana, and Liza Hill Darjeeling, enjoyed with milk and honey by King Charles III. Pinkies up!
Vancouver Island’s other iconic destination, The Butchart Gardens, lies a half-hour north in Brentwood Bay. It’s a former limestone quarry turned into a flowering paradise thanks to Jennie Butchart, who grew tired of seeing the dusty pit left from her husband’s cement plant. Today, even the trash cans are beautifully planted with flowers. The 55-acre display garden includes manicured, symmetrical designs that recall the formal gardens of Europe, as well as gardens with a softer, wilder PNW aesthetic. Don’t miss the gelateria by the Italian Garden—the gelato makers went to Italy to learn the craft.
A real-life Downton Abbey
Victoria has not only one, but two castles.
Craigdarroch Castle was once the center of a 28-acre estate, built to show off a coal baron’s wealth. Inside the castle, visitors can see Victorian technology like a speaking tube system and leisure pursuits like hair art and billiards, both made popular by Queen Victoria. Hatley Castle, now the campus of Royal Roads University, was designed specifically to look like an estate plucked out of the English countryside.
The two castles were built by feuding generations of the same family. The Dunsmuirs were Scottish immigrants who became the richest family in Western Canada. Their daughters married into British aristocracy, and their son James, who built Hatley Castle, served as lieutenant governor of British Columbia.
Anglophiles will appreciate Winston Churchill’s legacy in Victoria. En route to The Butchart Gardens, the Gray Line sightseeing bus driver pointed out Christ Church Cathedral; its cornerstone was laid by Churchill and its bells are a replica of those in London’s Westminster Abbey. Churchill also planted an oak tree in the Mayor’s Grove in Beacon Hill Park. Every year on his birthday, a group of fans gathers there to give the British prime minister a toast.
Nostalgic flavors
Victoria is a feast for the eyes—and the stomach. The first stop after stepping off the FRS Clipper is brunch at Nourish Kitchen & Cafe, a historic Victorian home-turned-restaurant. Veggies shine here, as does the sweet and salty latte.
The line at Murchie’s Tea & Coffee is always out the door; it’s afternoon tea that’s easier on the wallet than the Empress. Murchie’s was founded in 1894 by John Murchie, who delivered tea to Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle. Try the Mr. Darcy, a vanilla chai latte that pairs well with dreams of Pemberley. One block away, an entire wall at Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe is devoted to British sweets like McVitie’s Digestives and Simpkins travel tins.
Grab a pint at any of the pubs on Government Street—the Irish Times, Garrick’s Head, the Bard & Banker—then walk down to the waterfront for fish and chips with a Canadian twist. Red Fish Blue Fish serves up fish and chips (and poutine, of course) out of a refurbished shipping container.
London is renowned for the best Indian food outside India, and a dinner reservation at Cafe Malabar transports you to Kerala on India’s southern coast. Everything is made in-house, from scratch. For bonus points, take the cutest yellow and checkered water taxi to dinner; it drops you off at Cafe Malabar’s front door.
If it’s a pâtisserie from across the Chunnel you’re craving, visit Le Croissant Chaud, a new artisanal bakery that imports its butter from France. Owner Lucas Fourrier trained at École Ducasse in Paris. Sign up for a baking class, or for instant gratification, pick up a perfectly flaky and buttery croissant at the counter. Nearby OEB Breakfast Co is a magnifique spot for a croque madame and friendly service.
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