Bordered by the Juan de Fuca Strait on one side, and majestic mountains on the other, Victoria is situated on the southeast tip of Vancouver Island. Established in 1843 as a trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, the city was later called Fort Victoria. In the late 1850s, Victoria became the provisioning and outfitting base for miners on their way to British Columbia's goldfields. In 1866, Vancouver Island was administratively linked with the mainland; Victoria became the provincial capital in 1871.

A major port with two harbors—the outer for ocean shipping and cruising and the inner for coastal shipping, pleasure boats, ferries to the US mainland, amphibian aircraft, and fishing—Victoria has a distinctly British flavor with many Tudor-style buildings and a relaxed way of life. It is a center of Pacific Northwest indigenous culture.

Victoria is a city of parks and gardens; even the five-globed Victorian lampposts are decorated with baskets of flowers in summer. Visitors may take a horse-drawn carriage or double-decker bus tour through many historic and scenic landmarks; inquire locally for details. In winter, temperatures rarely go below 40° F (4° C). Victoria's climate is Canada's most moderate, making it a delightful place to visit any time of year.