I'm traveling to Victoria this weekend with a few friends (another friend has business in town) and I'm looking for some recommendations on what to do. What bars do you recommend we check out on friday and saturday night? I'd like something that is upbeat and full of fun people (we're late 20s early 30s but anything is fine). Also, any recommendations for unique victoria places? I really enjoy the peculiar/strange or anything off the beaten path worth a visit.

thanks in advance.

- Good pubs with lively atmosphere and young crowds: "Darcy's" and "Bard & Banker" (both in the heart of downtown)

- The Royal BC Museum isn't 'off the beaten path' at all, but it's a *great* museum (and I don't typically like museums at all).

- If the weather is nice and you fancy a trip to the beach, "Willows Beach" is by far the nicest beach in Victoria.  There is also a concession/cafe there, and a park for kids.  On the way there, you could stop in Oak Bay and visit some of the shops and soak in the quaint Britishness of it all.  Also nearby is the Uplands neighbourhood, which is *well* worth a drive through to see the insanely massive mansions and perfectly manicured lawns.

thanks for the suggestions Mark and Dustin, I really appreciate it. The beach may be something to check out if we have time. Also, is there a brewery tour that you would recommend? One that gives out lots of samples of great beer? :)

I rarely see tourists at Darcy's on Thurs/Fri/Sat, and the crowd is certainly 'under 30', so I think it's a pretty safe bet.  Bard & Banker is definitely a more touristy 'brass shiny' spot, you're right about that Dustin.

I think we'll have to "agree to disagree" on beaches... Gonzales is nice because of its less popular and more secluded location, but it's also chock full of seaweed, rocks, and driftwood.  Personal preference, I suppose - I prefer the 'perfection' of Willows even if it's busier and more popular.

Not sure on brewery tours either - Vancouver Island Breweries, as Dustin mentioned, is the only brewery I know of that might offer tours.  It's not in a particularly pleasant location but it's not far from downtown, either (walkable from the inner harbour).  Another good spot for microbrew beer is Spinnaker's Pub,  which is just across the Johnson Street bridge near the Delta Ocean Point hotel.  Nice water views, good microbrew beer, and overpriced but tasty food.

Oh, another solid place on Fri/Sat nights (if you're looking for something a bit more laid back) is "the Mint".  On weekends it's open until 1am I believe, and they have a live DJ.  It's in a basement, so it's pretty dark and out of the way, but the drink menu is excellent and they have some really unique food options (Tibetan & Nepalese).  Lots of young people there after 9 or 10pm, and it's not really a touristy spot since you'd only be able to find it if you knew what you were looking for.

The Mint:  yelp.ca/biz/the-mint-vic…

Darcy's:  yelp.ca/biz/darcys-pub-v…

Clive's. No question

hey everyone, thanks for all the recommendations, i had a great time in victoria. I tried to make it to most places you recommended. Clive's seemed fun, but was packed and since i was with a group that didn't want to wait for a table, we didn't stick around, but it will be top of my list next time i'm in town. Bard and Banker was a hit. We hit a bunch of the pubs in town, but my friends will remember Bard and Banker for the waitresses. Darcy's was fun also, many cordial people, good drinks and numerous bachelorette parties. We finished both nights in victoria at the Upstairs Cabaret, mainly because it was right across from out hotel and we had such a fun time the first night. Everyone noticed it seemed there were three girls for every guy there, and the two single guys in our group are already planning their trip back. Thanks for the help.

Right on, good to hear you had fun!