Top Vancouver Island How to Get Around

Explore Victoria's history and culinary scene on this walking tour of the British Columbian city. Follow a guide to highlights such as the Parliament Buildings, the Inner Harbor Causeway, Trounce Alley, Bastion and Market squares, Fan Tan Alley, the Harmonious Gates of Interest, and the Victoria Public Market. Along the way, stop for between food tastings of craft beer, chocolate, tea, tapas, cheese, bread, olive oil, and other local products.

Take a sweet-smelling stroll through Victoria’s famous Butchart Gardens, spanning 55 acres (22.2 hectares) of beautifully designed flower beds, lily ponds, footbridges, and thematic landscapes. With a convenient pickup location and a flexible return shuttle schedule, it’s an easy way to experience one of Victoria’s most popular attractions. Visit during summer or holiday season evenings to witness special luminous displays that add an extra touch of enchantment to the gardens.

Soar over downtown Victoria and surrounds on a thrilling, 20-minute seaplane flight! Take to the skies right from the water and enjoy an unforgettable aerial perspective of the harbor, coastline, Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains towering in the distance. With a maximum of five passengers, it’s an intimate, small-group ride navigated by an expert pilot.

You might not guess from the pretty gardens and charming streets, but the city of Victoria is full of ghosts, or at least ghost stories. Walk with your guide through some of the most haunted spots in town, hearing the spooky and tragic tales from Victoria’s past. You never know, you may go home with a story of your own….

Experience an up-close encounter with northern Pacific marine life on a 3-hour whale watching cruise off Victoria’s coast. Travel out into the open ocean aboard a comfortable, motorized boat to look for native species like humpback whales, gray whales, orcas, elephant seals and sea lions in their natural habitat. Learn about local marine ecology from a naturalist guide, and take in fantastic views of Vancouver Island in between animal sightings.

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!

Explore British Colombia’s Victoria by pedicab with a guide on this 3-hour tour of the city, including convenient pickup and drop-off at the cruise ship terminal. Travel through one of Victoria’s oldest neighborhood, James Bay, to one of its oldest grocers. Then pass through Beacon Hill Park, and see the peacocks there. Plus, catch a glimpse of the famous Empress Hotel.

Share the waters with whales, orcas, and more on a wildlife watching tour. In addition to animal sightings, the aquatic adventure also offers great views of the San Juan and Gulf Islands, plus the Howe Sound. Stay warm inside the cabin, where you can purchase snacks and drinks. Your ticket comes with a whale sighting guarantee, with a free tour should you not spot any whales.

Spin through downtown Victoria on two wheels and discover top city attractions with ease on this Victoria castles and neighborhoods bike tour. Hop onto your bike and follow your guide through the city streets. Learn of Victoria’s colorful past through its historic buildings, and explore districts including the Inner Harbour, Cook Street Village, and Chinatown. Enjoy fine views over the Dallas Road waterfront and admire the eery Craigdarroch Castle. Cycle through Moss Rock Park and Beacon Hill Park, and soak up the artistic atmosphere in leafy Fernwood.

Take off from Campbell River on a tour that is unlike any other. You’ll fly over the Comox Glacier and get a bird’s eye view of the spectacular scenery over the Vancouver Island Mountain Range. See British Columbia’s oldest provincial park, Strathcona Provincial Park from high above, and marvel at the sights that are often only for experienced hikers and mountaineers!

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 why British Columbia is one of the best places in the world to see whales and other marine wildlife on this 3-hour tour with Eagle Wing Tours at Victoria’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Hop aboard a comfortable semi-covered or open boat and help support Eagle Wing’s many conservation, education and research activities! Let certified and knowledgeable naturalists be your guides to the stunning wildlife and natural history of the Salish Sea. Watch for seals, sea lions, otters and porpoises as well as bald eagles and a mind-boggling assortment of marine birds. Hoping for something bigger? There’s always a chance to see humpback, killer, minke or grey whales!

Feel like you’ve stepped back in time to vintage Victoria with a 1-hour tour through the city’s most splendid neighborhoods aboard a horse-drawn carriage. Beginning at the illustrious Empress hotel, admire sailing ships in the Inner Harbor and trot through the leafy gardens and lawns of Beacon Hill Park. Pass stately Victorian mansions and other local landmarks like the Trans-Canada Highway Mile 0 marker, and take in fantastic views of the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca during the stylish ride. 

Explore quaint Victoria on this guided walking tour with a local historian. Along the way, take in picturesque views of the city’s Inner Harbour and wander the streets, alleyways, and town squares of Old Town, Bastion Square, and Chinatown, while learning about Victoria's history. Plus, hear about its past scandals like opium smuggling.

Hot tub on the water Explore the Gorge Waterway Listen to music Go swimming Enjoy a one of a kind experience with your significant other or some friends

Treat your taste buds to a walking food tour of Victoria’s bustling Fort & Blanshard Streets. Once known as Antique Row for its abundance of vintage shops, this hip neighborhood is now filled with trendy restaurants, modern boutique shops, and home to the arts district. Follow a local gourmet guide to some of the best eateries in the area including a tea salon, a European-style deli, an authentic taqueria, Middle-Eastern street food, and more. Chat with shop owners and chefs along the way to gain insight into Victoria’s thriving culinary scene. Group size is limited to 12 for a more personalized tasting experience.

Raise a glass to Victoria’s thriving craft beer culture on a guided brewery tour! Join a local beer-loving guide on a unique brewery tour the city’s finest boutique and small-batch breweries. Ride aboard a ‘brew bus’ to discover the hippest, hoppiest spots where locals go to enjoy a cold one, and sample seasonally inspired pilsners, porters, IPA’s and more.

North 48 Bicycles offers unforgettable guided bicycle tours in the Victoria BC region. Our rides range from Easy to Epic, and we cater to all manner of road cyclists from beginner to expert. Our groups are small (6-8 riders), and are led by experienced, knowledgeable guides. Our daily tours are all-inclusive, including bike, helmet, pre-ride coffee and snacks. Our bike fleet is from the world-renowned Colnago brand, and we offer the endurance-oriented CX Zero in aluminum (including women-specific geometries), as well as the race-oriented AC-R in full carbon. We start and end in historic Market Square, returning in time for a late lunch allowing you the rest of the day to enjoy Victoria. We have teamed up with other great Victoria companies to offer a full west coast experience.

Witness grizzly bears in their natural habitat on this breathtaking wildlife, cultural and marine tour. Join an Indigenous guide and visit the traditional territory of the Homalco First Nations in Bute Inlet. Bear viewing, whale watching and cultural exploration make for a one-of-a-kind adventure. This is the only bear tour from Campbell River that is 100% indigenous owned and provides you with an immersive indigenous experience from start to finish. By choosing Homalco Tours you help contribute to the cultural and economic recovery of the Homalco First Nation people and youth. Thank you for choosing us and in the language of our people "ʔiymot" (it is good).

Explore Victoria and take in top attractions in style on this 30-minute Victoria carriage tour including James Bay. Hop aboard your horse-drawn carriage and set off in comfort through the streets. Listen as your driver shares stories from Victoria’s colorful history, and admire famous sites such as the Parliament buildings, Emily Carr’s former residence and the beautiful Inner Harbor. Admire traditional house-fronts in James Bay, one of the West Coasts’ oldest districts, and enjoy fine ocean views along the Dallas Road waterfront as the Olympic Mountains rise in the distance.

Get a history lesson mixed with food as you wander around downtown Victoria on this walking tour. Explore historic areas of the city, which started out as a fur trading outpost, as you taste the local cuisine. Plus, Victoria boasts one of the oldest Chinatown sections in North America. The tour covers some of the oldest parts of the city, including the Victoria Public Market, Chinatown, Fan Tan Alley, and Emporium Dragon Alley.

Many whale-watching cruises stick close to the shoreline, but this small-group tour increases your chances of seeing whales by heading out onto the open ocean. Cruise by the Carmanah lighthouse, Sea Lion Rock and the West Coast and Juan de Fuca Trails while keeping your eyes peeled for telltale blows, as well as black bears, deer, bald eagles and other wildlife.

Discover the beauty of downtown Victoria on this 45-minute Beacon Hill Park carriage tour. Hop into your horse-drawn carriage and travel in style along the winding roadways round Beacon Hill Park — Victoria’s oldest and, many would say, most attractive park. Discover top local attractions including St Anne's Academy, the Empress Hotel and the Church Of Our Lord, and listen as your driver shares tales and folklore from Victoria's dim and distant past. Head along pretty pathways and enjoy fine views over the vibrant flowerbeds, peaceful ponds and manicured lawns.

The Canadian city of Victoria has a rich British colonial history dating back to the Victorian era, evident in its striking architecture and historic landmarks. Explore the city in style by traditional horse-drawn carriage, and take in sites of interest such as James Bay— one of Vancouver Island's oldest neighborhoods—and the Salish Sea waterfront. As your horse clops along, enjoy fine views over Victoria to the Olympic Mountain range beyond.