Sidney's location at the top of the Saanich Peninsula makes it an excellent base for day trips in several directions.
Victoria is 25 kilometres south along Highway 17 — under 30 minutes by car or about an hour on BC Transit. The provincial capital has excellent museums, a walkable inner harbour, and the famous afternoon tea tradition at the Empress Hotel.
Butchart Gardens, about 15 kilometres south of Sidney, is one of British Columbia's most-visited attractions. Fifty-five acres of landscaped gardens occupy a former limestone quarry; the gardens are particularly beautiful in summer when they're illuminated at night, and in winter during the Christmas season.
The Gulf Islands are a short ferry hop from the Swartz Bay terminal. Salt Spring Island, the largest and most accessible, has farms, artists' studios, a renowned Saturday market, and good cycling. Galiano and Mayne are quieter, with walking trails and dramatic coastal scenery.
San Juan Islands, Washington are reachable via the seasonal Anacortes ferry from Sidney. Friday Harbor on San Juan Island is the main destination — it has whale watching, local wineries, and the Pig War historical park commemorating the unusual 1859 boundary dispute between the US and Britain.