Top Things to do in Sidney
The 10 Best Things to do in Sidney, Vancouver Island
Discover the best top things to do in Sidney, Canada including Lochside Regional Trail, Mary Winspear Centre, BC Aviation Museum, Sidney Street Market, Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, Sidney Pier, Sidney Spit Marine Park, Beacon Park, Victoria Distillers, BC Ferries.
Restaurants in Sidney
1. Lochside Regional Trail
2. Mary Winspear Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 76 reviews
Reviewed By elainebU1629YJ - Langley, Canada
Staff at Mary Winspear are knowledgeable and friendly. The venue is accessible and the choice of offerings wide and suited to all tastes, from theatre to music to art, and including authors and celebrities.
3. BC Aviation Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 179 reviews
Come enjoy a trip back in time with the whole family, with over 20 aircraft on display in Sidney, at The BC Aviation Museum! Where learning and fun meet! Memorable visitor experiences include: • Sit in the cockpit of a warplane. • Discover the history of our valiant Canadian aviation pioneers with our passionate tour guides or on a self-guided visit. We’ve been collecting and preserving 8,000+ aviation books, 13,500+ photographs. Don't miss our gift shop - the perfect place to find aviation themed gifts. Come explore the BC Aviation Museum in Sidney, located near the Victoria International Airport.
Reviewed By Bob2885 - Victoria, Canada
I toured the museum in September as part of a group. The tour guide was informative, responsive to questions and entertaining. The exhibits cover the history of aviation in the 20th century with a focus on British Columbian and Canadian aircraft. There are planes, lots of them, tens ofunmounted engines in various stages of dress, helicopters, innumerable model aircraft and a good collection of memorabilia related to aviation in the First and Second Wars. This would be a fun tour with children. I climbed the stairs into a late '50s Viscount airliner, looked into the cockpit of a jet trainer, and was impressed by the huge size of the museum's latest restoration project, a Lancaster bomber. Don't miss it!
4. Sidney Street Market
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 80 reviews
Every Thursday night during June, July and August, the Town's charming main street, Beacon Avenue, is closed to traffic and transformed into one of the most spectacular, festive street markets in British Columbia.With over 150 vendors offering everything from locally grown produce, handmade jewellery by local artisans, one of a kind clothing, toys, flowers, handmade soaps, home-made breads, jams, fudge and so much more; there is something for everyone in the family! The Sidney Street Market attracts up to 5,000 people a night who all come to savour the flavours, see the sights and listen to the sounds of a myriad of musical performers. The Sidney Street Market is a must see and do event for everyone's summer activities list. Market hours are 5:30 to 8:30 pm.
5. Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 367 reviews
Explore the underwater beauty of the Salish Sea Bioregion - one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world! The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea is a not-for-profit aquarium and learning centre devoted to the exploration and conservation of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is named after the Coast Salish indigenous peoples of the region. Explore natural aquaria habitats of over 160 live species including a giant Pacific octopus, colourful rockfish, and magnificent wolf eels. Check out the marine mammal artifact exhibit complete with a rare orca skeleton, and take in the permanent exhibit of beautiful Coast Salish art. Journey from seashore to seafloor and discover the amazing diversity of the Salish Sea in 28 aquarium habitats teeming with marine life from anemones and nudibranchs to salmon and sculpins. Then get a close look at the weird and wonderful invertebrates in our shallow "Look" Pool (pre-COVID Touch Pool) overlooking the breathtaking Sidney waterfront.
Reviewed By 19Ros69 - Vernon, Canada
What a great learning experience - went early in the day and before too many people arrived and consequently I had a personal guide who answered many of my questions. This young woman was passionate about the sea life and willingly answered my questions with great information about the sea creatures on display. When I first entered I went straight to the jelly fish, I so enjoy watching the way they move; when I left I appreciated the delightful young octopus because of what I learned from the guide. I will return.
6. Sidney Pier
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 262 reviews
Iconic Pier situated along the waterfront in Sidney BC
Reviewed By LiveVanIsle
A lovely spot to walk out and see local people fishing, catch a sunset or just enjoy the view and watch the boats go by.
7. Sidney Spit Marine Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By Dinger2481 - Paignton, United Kingdom
We had planned this trip to Sidney Split National Park as on previous visits to family in Canada and we missed the months it was open. So top tip check the summer dates before planning this usually June 30th to end of August or about September 3rd cost is $19 for adults and $16 for children and senior citizens (2018 prices) remember there are no shops so you need to take picnics snacks and water and of course take all your rubbish with you as there is no refuse service! The best way to get There apart from private yachts or perhaps a raft ????is to go by the Alpine group Sidney split ferry great ???? intro from the crew although I was a bit worried when he said that the life belts should be dry from yesterday - what wit ! Anyway the sandy beach is stunning and there is lots of space The walks around the forest are equally beautiful and the scenery all round breathtaking and well worth the visit just for that We saw a fledgling eagle and nest and we think mum or dad from the beach which made the trip - see pictures There are lots of picnic areas and benches and for those that are inclined you can book camping pitches - by the way another top tip the last boat off is 4.30 pm don’t miss it unless you are prepared to camp!!! ( later 6.30 pm sailing on a Friday and Saturday evening) Large parties can book otherwise you pay for your ticket prior to sailing and again top tip it’s best to get in the line up early even for the return if you want to get back on time!!! Private boat owners can moor up on the jetty or close to the shore there were a few around which added to the buzz I would highly recommend this trip for couples families groups or campers it’s a great adventure peaceful and beautiful and a great place to unwind by the sea - oh and by the way Sidney itself is a great place to look around and enjoy a meal and drink ( or two ) we went in the pier Bistro which was superb with great service, food and location overlooking the water ( reviewed before by me) This is definitely somewhere you will remember and want to return to almost Caribbean ????????
8. Beacon Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 83 reviews
Small Park located in Sidney B.C.with an ocean view
Reviewed By gulfcoastbreezes - St. Petersburg, United States
We visited on a gorgeous day. Sun was shining,lots of people were out on the rocky beach and walking. Some people were looking for sea glass. A wedding took place in the band shell, reception was held in the hotel bordering the park. We saw a seal by the dock and lots of sea birds.
9. Victoria Distillers
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 50 reviews
To accommodate Victoria Spirits’ growing business, they recently moved to a larger location on the beautiful waterfront, in Sidney, BC and opened their doors in May of 2016. Their name also changed to Victoria Distillers bringing a new focus as makers and collaborators to highlight the distillery as a tourist destination you definitely don’t want to miss. The new site houses two copper pot stills, continuing to produce award-winning spirits including Victoria Gin and Empress 1908 Gin . Visitors are guided through the entire distillation process and around the gleaming stills giving them an intimate look into one of BC’s finest artisan distilleries. Following a tour, visitors are able to taste their premium spirits and bitters neat. The waterfront location also has an on-site lounge, along with an outside patio area, where guests can enjoy their favorite cocktails. Tours are available on the hour from 12-3 pm Friday to Sunday.
Reviewed By hmclaughlin2016 - Halifax, Canada
Great little tour of their facility, and a lovely tasting experience...all for $7. Seriously!! You'll want to grab a bottle of The Empress Gin once you try it... delicious, and pretty. We have tasted and purchased gin from various countries in Europe, Australia, Tasmania, other provinces in Canada , and Empress is second best of all times. (Ironworks from Lunenburg NS is tops). Very cool that their still is actually made in Victoria , and they use seawater as a coolant too :)
10. BC Ferries
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 4,474 reviews
BC Ferries provides passenger and vehicle ferry services to 45 ports of call across coastal BC, with sailings to and from Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands, and Northern BC. BC Ferries Vacations also offers over 100 travel packages, including return ferry and accommodation. When on board BC Ferries, there are plenty of options for food and shopping, along with great wildlife and sightseeing opportunities.
Reviewed By mdspices - Oliver, Canada
We lived on the island a few times, so I would say we have experience traveling with BC Ferries, we have shopped in their gift shops, enjoyed Starbucks coffee from the coffee shop, and White Spot in their self serve restaurant. The last two times we have traveled to the island and back, was during Covid-19, so we stayed in our vehicle all four times. They squeezed us on as the last vehicle the last time we traveled, what a great feeling that was.
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