Top Vancouver Island Day Trips

Explore Vancouver Island's magnificent scenery on a full-day, private tour from Victoria to Englishman River Falls, Little Qualicum Falls, and Cathedral Grove, home to some of the tallest and oldest trees on the island. You'll visit a country market, hike through the rainforest and to the waterfalls, and make plenty of photo stops, while learning about Vancouver Island's nature and culture throughout the day. Traveling with a private guide means the trip can be tailored to you, and this tour is priced per-group for up to eight people.

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of nature on your trip to Vancouver Island, it can be tough to know where to start. On this full-day small-group guided tour, join your guide for a curated tour of Toba Inlet and take in the region’s crashing waterfalls, craggy cliffs, and dense forests. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the grizzly bears that call the area home.

Discover the wines of the Cowichan Valley on a wine tour from Victoria, and taste your way through part of Vancouver Island's fascinating wine trail. You’ll visit three wineries for tastings and tours, and enjoy lunch at a boutique winery surrounded by rolling vineyards. This wine tour includes round-trip transport from downtown Victoria, lunch, and tastings, for the perfect introduction to Vancouver Island wine.

Discover one dramatic landscape after another with the help of a guide on this full-day coach tour between Vancouver and Whistler: the Sea-to-Sky highway, the Sea-to-Sky Gondola, Squamish, and Whistler Village. From the gondola, admire Howe Sound, the Squamish River, and the coastal mountain range. Enjoy plenty of free time to wander about Squamish and partake in Whistler Village activities on your own. Round-trip transport from select locations included.

Explore Victoria's history and culinary scene on this two-in-one, small-group walking tour of the British Columbian capital. Follow a guide to highlights such as the Parliament Buildings, the Inner Harbor, Fan Tan Alley, the Harmonious Gates of Interest, and the Victoria Public Market. Along the way, stop for food tastings of local products.

Make the most of your visit to Victoria by seeing  many of the area’s highlights in just one day. This private tour packs in top sights including, Butchart Gardens, one of Canada’s oldest Chinatown neighborhoods, Craigdarroch Castle, and the famed Parliament Buildings. Plus, you’ll even have time to stop at a local winery to experience British Columbia’s burgeoning wine scene. Round-trip transportation is also included for an added convenience.

Vancouver Island is known for producing great wines in a beautiful environment. Visit well-regarded wineries on Saanich Peninsula on this tour from Victoria, which includes private wine tastings at each location, a behind-the-scenes tour of a local winery, and a guide with extensive knowledge about the industry. This small-group tour is limited to 15 passengers or fewer for a more intimate experience.

See the best of the city of Victoria—and even visit the famous Butchart Gardens—on this time-saving, half-day tour. With just your private guide for company, travel with ease aboard a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle. Have time to soak up the beauty of Butchart Gardens, stroll Victoria’s Chinatown and Inner Harbour, Fisherman's Wharf, and more.

Take to the skies on a short seaplane adventure over Victoria and its stunning surroundings, including the Inner Harbour, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Mountains. Enjoy breathtaking views of rugged coastlines, shimmering inlets, and landmarks as you soar above southern Vancouver Island. With thrilling water take-offs and landings, this small-group experience offers an unforgettable introduction to seaplane aviation.

Explore Victoria in style with luxury tour vehicle! Join us as we share captivating historical tales, including haunted legends, quirky facts, and intriguing insights about the city. Travel sustainably and comfortably while uncovering iconic landmarks and hidden gems. With hassle-free pick-up and drop-off services, we make your journey effortless—because everyone matters. Book today for a fascinating and unforgettable adventure! Travel time is included in tour duration. After Butchart Gardens, outside viewing only. Admission to the Butchart Gardens not included.

Vancouver Island’s south west coastline is a landscape of great natural beauty—with soft-sand beaches, rugged cliffs, and old-growth forests hugging the shore. On this tour, travel from Sooke to Port Renfrew with pickup and drop-off in downtown Victoria included. Hit top natural attractions like French Beach and the Jordan River with your guide, and enjoy the freedom to plan your itinerary to hit the sites of most interest.

FOOD, WINE and SPECTACULAR SCENERY. We LOVE this revised tour to REFLECT COVID-19.Join Island Time Tours for a lovely relaxing adventure exploring the Cowichan Valley. We visit 3 (4 if time permitting) of the prettiest vineyards and do our own thing to avoid any line-ups. We offer you a wonderful experience at each vineyard.. First stop includes bubbly with orange juice (optional) w/ fresh warm bake goods. Relax, inhale and take in this beautiful countryside. LUNCH is filled with afternoon tea delights with WINE served weather permitting in the great outdoors. Dessert w/wine complete this tour at another picturesque vineyard. Great food, award winning wines and spectacular beauty. Let's go!

A boat ride along the Campbell River is one of the best ways to spot the region’s diverse range of wildlife. On this full-day small-group boat tour, keep an eye out for the black bears that often forage on the riverbanks, and humpback and orca whales as they crest above the deep blue waves on their hibernation journey back from tropical climates.

Experience the Great Bear Rainforest’s diverse wildlife while exploring the culturally rich territories of the Kwakwaka’wakw people on this half-day small-group boat tour. After departing from Port Hardy, spend the day searching for sea otters, orcas, humpback whales, pacific white-side dolphins, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoises, and bald eagles, all from the comfort of a rigid inflatable (RHIB) wildlife viewing boat with comfortable shock-mitigating seats.

Experience nature’s majesty with this small-group half-day whale-watching boat tour off the coast of Vancouver Island. After meeting the team at Campbell River, head out onto the waters to witness a diverse range of wildlife, with a particular focus on whale spotting. Glimpse orcas, gray whales, humpback whales, minke whales, porpoises, pacific white-sided dolphins, seals sea lions, and even the occasional bear along the shoreline, all in their natural habitat.

Spend the day cruising the Salish Sea in search of bears, whales, and dolphins on this six hour, small-group tour. Learn about the region’s nature and wildlife from your certified naturalist guide and captain as you relax with complimentary snacks and drinks. This tour highlights the diversity of the coastal waters and marine life, and provides great photo opportunities before you take a break with an onshore lunch accompanied by homemade baked goods.

What makes this tour unique it that there are no crowds and we are not in bear stands. Viewing is from the boat only. Most often we are the only boat out there. Additionally, we do not book more than 8 guests on this adventure to ensure unobstructed views and a quiet setting for bears. Upon departure, we travel 2 hours north of Campbell River into the heart of bear country through vast fjords with whimsical waterfalls for you to enjoy while your guide keeps a keen eye out for intertidal Black bears! Shortly thereafter, we head to the estuaries in search of Grizzly bears. This is a spring bear tour and only books May & June when bears are emerging from hibernation and their spring foraging habits are predictable. They are not feeding on salmon this time of year. Note: Departure times vary due to tides. If your departure time changes we will contact you prior to the trip. Please check for our messages the day before, or contact us if you are going out of service.

Get up close to some of the biggest marine animals around Vancouver Island on this full-day, small-group sightseeing tour by boat. Whale sightings are guaranteed as you cruise around the Desolation Sound and Salish Sea, while other potential animal sightings include dolphins, sea lions, seals, and seabirds. Lunch, snacks, and refreshments provided.

This tour is thoughtfully designed to showcase the best of the Sea-to-Sky Highway with balanced timing, scenic photo stops, and hidden local gems. Guests enjoy waterfalls, mountain viewpoints, a gondola experience, and the unique Whistler Train Wreck trail, plus generous free time in Whistler Village. The relaxed pacing and curated route create a comfortable and immersive journey from Vancouver to Whistler.

This small-group experience gives you the whole day to tour the Salish Sea, Discovery Passage, and Johnstone Strait in a speedy Zodiac boat. Stay cozy in provided floater suits, toques, gloves, and goggles as you spend the day searching for some of the abundant wildlife of the coastal waters, including humpback whales, bears, sea lions, and Pacific white-sided dolphins. Your tour will focus on finding orcas, but highlight the diverse beauty of the coast.

Experience the most comprehensive Indigenous and wilderness tours we offer. You’ll journey through the majestic Salish Sea to a historic Homalco First Nation village site, then view grizzly bears and other wildlife from a safe distance. Learn about our peoples’ rich history and how we’ve lived alongside these majestic creatures for millennia. This deluxe wilderness and Indigenous cultural tour will lead you through Aupe, an uninhabited Homalco village site, giving you unique insights into the ways of our peoples. From there, you’ll journey through the Bute Inlet, one of British Columbia’s most epic whale-watching stretches, to Orford Bay for a picnic lunch surrounded by a spectacular mountain vista. Our experienced guides will lead you on a land-based search for grizzly bears, elk and eagles along salmon-bearing rivers.

It is a navigation APP with self-guided routes with audio guides through Victoria Everything you need to know about Victoria Points of interest linked to Google Maps geolocation Car routes through the city walking routes Access to Web Panel to customize your own route Access to Panel Web as a repository of travel documents Audio guides with 6 languages available (Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, French, English.)

Drive the scenic Sea to Sky highway to Squamish for this 4 hour hike. Not for beginners, the steep ascent takes you through forest & waterfalls, leading to amazing views of mountains and ocean. While you're at it, learn photo composition with your smartphone or DSLR. Complimentary photos taken.