Victoria - Best Tea? Walking Tours?
 

Where have you gone for afternoon tea that impressed you?

Also, are there Victoria walking tours?

We'll be in Victoria for a couple of days in early July.

Thank you.

The White Heather Tea Room in Oak Bay is my favourite. Good food at reasonable prices. Perhaps nothing beats the atmosphere of the Empress Hotel but you pay an arm and a leg for it, especially mid summer.

I don't know about walking tours.

I don't know about walking tours in Victoria, but the entry on Victoria in the Destinations section of the Fodor's web site (accessible via the link near the top of this screen) describes a good walking itinerary.

The Royal British Columbia Museum is excellent. An interesting (and free) tour of the BC Legislative Buildings is offered on week days.

White Heather Tea Room on Oak Bay Avenue, but you do need a reservation. I had a wonderful tea there over Christmas and tea for two (including a glass of champagne and tip) came to $50.00. The Empress charges about that PER PERSON.

While I would agree with the "White Heather" being one of the best tea's in Victoria, the atmosphere and ambience are somewhat lacklustre. If you truly want both a good tea, and a lovely atmoshphere, go the extra mile and splurge on the Empress Tea Room. It will be worth the extra $$'s and will be a memory you will cherish always.
Having said that, "Murchies" on Government St. also has a lovely tea in a unique atmosphere. Few locals have tried this place because it is more known for it's coffee's, but they do have a very nice tea in a private tea room.

Oh...I almost forgot to reply about the "walking tours".
John Adams offers some fantastic walking tours of the city and surrounding areas of Victoria. You can check it out on his website:
http://www.discoverthepast.com/

There are several types of walks to choose from and all at a very reasonable rate, plus you get some extremely interesting historical facts about the city which will add to it's already charming ambience.

Good luck and have a wonderful time in our fair city :)

On a trip to Victoria few years back we took the evening ghost walk offered by John Adams. It was a non-traditional peek into Victoria history through some very engaging stories. I would highly recommend it.

We did the Empress tea, and as much as it had great atmosphere, I think it was very overpriced. But for a first time experience, we enjoyed it. Next time, we will try someplace else.