there's plenty of parking. Make sure you bring snacks and water because nothing is available for purchase. I recommend going when they have a public event. We went when there was a graduation happening and we got to go inside the castle for free. Otherwise it's $22 per person to get a guided tour of the gardens. The gardens are absolutely stunning and make sure you go see the Rose Garden and visit the naval academy museum. It's also on the property and is free to go in.

Very beautiful castle. We had a good walk around the castle. They have free garden access, but no inside tour. Still, the visit is so worth it. The peacock is so cute. They roamed around. Having a bird seed in you, would be fun.

This place is amazing!!! absolutely beautiful and have had a great experience every time I have visited. The gardens are beautiful and are so lovely to walk through. My favourite gardens are the Italian garden and Japanese gardens, they are both just stunning. I love all the history the site holds and the castle is magnificent. The staff there are all friendly! This one guy was telling me facts about peacocks! My only problem though is the washrooms. The only ones I really found were the ones at the bottom of the castle and there was only one stall. Had to wait for awhile cuz there was a lineup. Everything else though is just so great. Definitely somewhere you have to visit!

Peaceful and beautiful spot to visit! The only reason I took a star off is due to the limited access inside the castle. It's a beautiful structure. It shouldn't be limited to students & staff only. The public would greatly appreciate more of this iconic X-Men set.

I did not realize this place they film X-man at the begin of the trip. It has the very large garden and gorgeous garden. The air is fresh and I can feel it through my lung while breathing. Just a pity we could not go inside at have a closer look.

Very historic castle located inside the Royal Roads University campus. We came in the morning before the open and there is no too many tourists we can fully indulge ourself into the natural and beautiful architecture here. There is also Japanese garden and Italian garden beside the castle you can enter for free. The castle is not allowed to enter by yourself you have to buy a ticket with guiding tours and the guide will explain very detail the history of the castle and how it transformed to the one we look nowadays. Lots of information from this journey and you will love it. Good to spend 1-2 hours here plus you can roaming around the beautiful campus too.

I would say I had to do it over I would skip the indoor tour and simply enjoy the Gardens on the grounds. The indoor tour only consisted of the entryway, sitting room, library and Billiards- but because it is now an academy ( the furniture wasn't preserved) so we were not walking into Museum spaces.

Very nice place to go with family and kid. Due to covid 19, We couldn't go inside. But outside is classic and beautiful enough. You won't Be disappointed. The castle is surrounding by Japanese garden and rose garden. Also you can see the ocean from the garden and the restaurant. We didn't know this castle is the place to film X-Men 🤩🤩: professor X teaches the mutants inside! I will definitely go again to visit inside.

One of the best free spot to visit in Victoria. Accessible by bus 52 - Bear mountain. The Hatley gardens is a must, full of flowers depending of the season and Great Lakes inside. I believe it’s $22 the ticket to access the garden. It’s a great spot to visit alone or with family and kids. It’s a day activity.

Very cool building! If they are offering try and go on one of their tours. It was a really cool place to get some cosplay photos, but pro tip do not wear that fake leather material in cosplays during a heat wave.

Excellent place for a nice historical walk throughout the garden and grounds of the Castle and the Royal Road university. This is a hidden place not known by tourists since it's about 25 min from Victoria. The tour is slightly expensive and not really worth it. But the gardens are free to enjoy 😉 beautiful place for amazing pictures as well

This was a special treat for us to do while we were visiting family up in Victoria Island. It is a beautiful castle built 1908, and the landscaping is still beautifully maintained. The tour guide was very nice and accommodating with all the tourists' questions. The garden was breathtaking. There's also a cafe you can go to for drinks and snacks outside the castle. It was my cousin's first time to see a castle, and I'm glad we took him here first.

Absolutely stunning. Free to walk around the grounds and check out the gardens. I do believe you can book an inside tour but even from the outside it’s incredible. There’s also a beautiful peacock roaming around greeting the tourists. Fairly busy place but the grounds are huge so people are spread out.

Exploring the grounds (and the university grounds) is free, but guided tours are $24. They have about five tours daily—check the website. We only checked out the grounds and rode our bikes around, but the area is lovely. The nearby bird sanctuary nearby is also a fun visit if you feel so inclined.

A very lovely castle with beautiful gardens and hiking paths. Free admission to the gardens, castle interior is NOT open to the public(unless you book a tour). Cute peacocks roaming the grounds. A great place to visit, be prepared for lots of walking.

The garden is free to visit from 10AM - 4PM. The building interior is open for guided tours in the summer (5/20-9/4). Tickets can be purchased on-site. I visited here on Sunday morning on a rainy day in April so I didn't do the tour. There were few tourists here so we really enjoyed our time exploring the garden. The rose garden is not in bloom yet, but we saw plenty of other flowers. Parking is not free but very cheap ($1 per hour). Overall, I enjoyed the visit here and would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Victoria.

Gorgeous castle! We’ll every girl has a princess/queen dream, this is a great place for high tea, photos and venues especially weddings. All that Victorian architectures, immersed into the historical aesthetic. Graceful walking peacocks family, walking into the crowd and guarding the property. A great spot for sunset too, I mean if you looking for a spot for proposal, this is it. Best of all, it’s all free, this is the inspiration ticket to your European trip.

My mom and I decided to check out Hatley Castle and Gardens on a whim. Unfortunately the building wasn't open to the public the day we went. We checked later and found a brief message stating that it usually opens may 20 for the tourism season. Despite not having access to the building we were able to walk through the incredible gardens! We stayed for about an hour and walked through the series of themed gardens. In early spring there are plenty of plants in bloom and lots to see and enjoy. I can't wait to go back in every season to see all the changes in the gardens! Definitely worth the trip! FYI parking is paid but accepts cards that tap. Not sure what the price is for admission to the building when it opens for public.

Beautiful castle, worth for just a walk around outside, although the $25 hour long tour was good, showed all the main floor rooms and the guide talked for the whole hour with detailed history. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Walking the gardens is a must!

Great castle for X men fans or otherwise. The Japense Garden next to it are better than any garden I have ever visited. But that might also be because it was a bright sunny day in spring. I'll let pictures do the talking.

The guided tour inside is interesting. Be sure to follow the strict rules and you'll enjoy it. The cafe is good. Just know that the washrooms (in the university cafe) are a bit of a walk uphill from the castle tour below.

The castle 🏰 was a beautiful view. I was very impressed with the castle’s design. There was beautiful peacock which was quite interesting.

Such a beautiful place to visit! It was a beautiful stroll around the gardens. We wish we could have gone inside. It's a bit hilly but worth the effort. Gorgeous! We didn't go on a tour, we just paid to park and explored the grounds.

Well worth the drive from Victoria! It's in such a beautiful location. We didn't get to go inside but toured the gardens and there was still so much to see. It was gorgeous.

Beautiful, well-maintained gardens. The castle itself is closed to public now, but the gardens are free to explore - they have a beautiful rose garden, and a Japanese garden, as well as smaller hedged gardens closer to the castle. You can park in the open lot for $1/h. Recommended for a nice morning or afternoon to explore the gardens.

A beautiful castle with a rich heritage nestled in one of the most idelic areas in all of Victoria. Trees as old and varied as the material that went into the construction of this amazing estate. A journey from its family beginnings to a military training ground and ending with a place of higher learning. Spend hours exploring the gardens, flowers from all over the world. Highly recommended, family friendly.

Really nice to visit. We walked through the gardens and around the castle. You can go at your own speed. If someone in your group has a hard time walking up hills, you can drop them off by the castle and then park down below.

This is a wonderful place to go for a walk and to enjoy a gorgeous garden with your family and or fur baby! And definitely visit their Japanese garden. Parking is paid but absolutely affordable.

Beautiful Gardens at Hatley’s Castle. Everytime I visit different flowers are blooming, I can’t wait for Rose 🌹 Season. There are lots of beautiful Rock paths to make your way around and also many ponds. The castle is overlooking the lagoon and bird sanctuary. You will see many Peacocks and bunnies along with other animals.

The day I went was pretty quiet. It's also quite romantic since it's snowing. Unfortunately the garden was closed. But I still had a good time with my husband. 💞

Second time returning to this place! I was hoping to catch the cherry blossom season here but I just missed it. Beautiful garden, ocean views, wild life, gorgeous drive, nearby, only reason I gave it a 2 star is both times I went the inside tour was not available/ private function. Would love to go on a tour sometime!

We took a tour of the inside (with a guide) of the castle and of the garden (self guided). Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and made the place come to life. Gorgeous place. The gardens are wonderful. I'd like to go back during the salmon run as they have an artificial run where it looks like you can everything up close.

The Hatley Castle located in the heart of the Royal roads university. The view of the castle to the ocean, the scenery and the peacocks 🦚 were amazing. It is hard to find such beauty nearby. The rose and Japanese garden were both nice. The employee’s were really kind and helpful. We needed wheelchair facility and it was all good. Thank you for such a great place and the service

I study at Royal roads university hence its a regular visit to the Hatley castle. The castle is really beautiful and gives you the ancient vibe! It's pretty maintained and surrounded with nature all around. There's a beautiful view of the ocean and at times Washington state from the back side of the castle. During winters it snows and looks equally good. Overall you can get good pictures no matter the time of year. PS: Peacocks & peahens are habitats of this region and you can find them lurking through this area a lot.

Hatley in the fall 🍁 I do love this castle.. very beautiful and peaceful place. No entrance fee in 2021. It opens for outdoor and the garden only. Indoor and museum are closed..

We explored the grounds outside of the fenced areas. There are two beautiful ponds connected by a fascinating fish ladder. Our kids loved playing with it. We also saw a heron, a turkey vulture, and a number of ducks close up. The Fall foliage was beautiful to top it all off!