Victoria

A fine and worthy way of shaking off a bout of jetlag, if you've just arrived from Australia, is to take to two wheels and suck in some fresh Victoria air and history. The Pedaler's enjoyable and informative Castles, Hoods & Legends two-hour bike tour explores Victoria's historic and picturesque neighbourhoods beyond the compact downtown. Along the way, with the route neatly avoiding challenging hills, you'll pass through the city's tiny Chinatown with its famously narrow Fan Tan Alley, Beacon Hill Park, the world's (second) tallest Indigenous totem pole and Craigdarroch Castle, an eccentric Victorian-era baronial mansion.