Christmas Shopping Mecca – Downtown Victoria at Your Fingertips
Christmas is less than a month away, and if the idea of packed shopping malls has you feeling like a grinch, why not try something a little different this year?
Combine a comfortable waterfront stay in downtown Victoria at the Victoria Regent Hotel with a shopping trip in BC’s capital. Downtown Victoria’s trendy local boutiques, home and lifestyle shops, independent toy stores, new and used book stores, souvenir shops, art galleries, specialty shops, even a major shopping centre, make it easy to find unique gifts for everyone on your list – and they’re right outside our front door!
Find exactly what you’re looking for, even for the most difficult person on your list, in one of these delightful downtown shopping districts, all within a 5 minute walk of the hotel:
- Lower Johnson St. (LoJo) – 3 Min. Walk
Known as the city’s trendiest street, LoJo is overflowing with boutiques selling men’s and women’s clothing and shoes, eco-friendly soaps and cosmetics, high-end florals, and much more.
- Lower Johnson St. (LoJo) – 3 Min. Walk
- Market Square – 3 Min. Walk
Browse your way through unique, local boutiques in heritage brick-and-beam buildings surrounding an open air courtyard. Find global fair-trade gifts, clothing, bath and body products, and more.
- Market Square – 3 Min. Walk
- Antique Row (Fort Street) – 3 Min. Walk
Called “Antique Row” for its history of auction houses and antique shops, Fort Street (between Wharf and Cook streets) is now a fusion of specialty antique shops and art galleries interspersed with fitness, fashion, food, florists, and independent eco-friendly businesses. Walk up one side and come back the other.
- Antique Row (Fort Street) – 3 Min. Walk
- Trounce Alley – 3 Min. Walk
One of Victoria’s best kept secrets, Trounce Alley houses European fashions and gift shops, sure to satisfy the desires of shoe and handbag aficionados.
- Trounce Alley – 3 Min. Walk
- Government Street – 4 Min. Walk
As you wander toward the Inner Harbour, you’ll find yourself in souvenir mecca. Shop a wide selection of jewellery, fashion boutiques, specialty stores, First Nations art, high quality teas and coffees, handmade chocolates, book stores, and more.
- Government Street – 4 Min. Walk
- The Bay Centre – 4 Min. Walk
Located on Government St. between View and Fort streets, this major shopping centre offers 90+ street front and interior shops, including it’s namesake: the Hudson’s Bay department store.
- The Bay Centre – 4 Min. Walk
- Chinatown – 5 Min. Walk
Shop for art, home furnishings, and Asian wares in North America’s second oldest China Town. You’ll also find a mix of trendy stores and funky fashions in Fan Tan Alley, Canada’s smallest street, measuring 0.9 metres wide at its narrowest point.
When you’re done (or if you need a break), you can return to the hotel to put your feet up, book an in-room spa treatment, and enjoy the peaceful serenity of your waterfront view.