Top Vancouver Island Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises

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.

Capital of British Columbia, Vancouver lies on the southern shores of Vancouver Island—with striking architecture, pretty parks, and a British colonial history dating back to the Victorian era. On this tour, explore Victoria in comfort by traditional horse-drawn carriage as your guide brings the city’s Victorian past to life. Along the way, discover sites of interest such as Beacon Hill Park, historic James Bay, and the Salish Sea waterfront.

Our professional historian is able to include many significant sites not offered in other tours. Enjoy the tour in our rare 1997 Bentley New Turbo R Exl built by Rolls Royce. Only 823 were built, all between 1995-97. Our Grand City Tour covers all the main attractions in Victoria, the city of flowers. This finely crafted tour includes more attractions than we can list in the "What to Expect" section.

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.

Marvel at the majesty of Canada’s marine wildlife on this 3-hour whale-watching adventure in Victoria. Hop aboard your boat, a semi-covered vessel built specifically for whale-watching trips, and cruise through the Haro Strait with your guide. Watch the waves from the open sun decks or stay protected from the spray in the heated indoor cabin. Stop off at points of interest through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Listen to fascinating commentary from marine naturalists on board, and admire the beautiful orca, humpback whales, and minke whales you find.

Come and meet the locals—the flippered, furred and feathered kind—on this guided 3.5-hour or more whale watching cruise 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. Find out how you’re supporting a leader in ocean conservation, education, research and sustainability. Watch for seals, sea lions, otters and porpoises as well as bald eagles and an amazing assortment of marine birds. Hoping for something bigger? Whales are guaranteed or you come back for free! Hotel transport included.

Admire native marine wildlife in the waters of British Columbia on this 3-hour whale-watching adventure in Victoria. Hop aboard your open-top boat in Victoria Harbour and cruise out into the rolling waves with your guide. Your vessel, a zodiac speedboat, is built with stability in mind and remains buoyant even in rough seas. Cruise through the Haro Straight to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Watch the water for sightings of humpback whales, minke whales and orcas breaching the waves, and learn of their life cycle and migration habits.

The sheltered waters of Ucluelet Harbour offer an ideal location for an introduction to sea kayaking on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Watch for wildlife, from intertidal life to black bears meandering along the shoreline and eagles soaring above. This kayak tour offers the opportunity to paddle up to a hidden waterfall, learn about the local fish hatchery, or explore the outer harbor limits. Paddling instruction is provided.

The tour starts off with an exciting half hour ride by cruiser boat in the early morning with our kayaks, guide and gourmet picnic lunch. On route to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve guests will have the opportunity to take in the spectacular scenery of rocky bluffs with wind whipped trees, sights of the open Pacific Ocean, a noisy sea lion colony, and a historic native whaling beach. We watch for gray and humpback whales as we travel across Barkley Sound. Whale spotting is all about anticipation, and sightings are truly memorable, so if you watch closely you may get a chance to see whales and other marine life throughout the season.

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.

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.

Hit the waves with expert naturalists in search of Canadian sea-life on this whale-watching cruise from Victoria. Hop aboard your whale-watching boat and head out into the rolling seas with your guide. Gaze out over Victoria’s attractive coastline and watch the waves for sightings of graceful orcas. Listen as the two expert naturalists onboard explain the life cycles of the majestic creatures, and learn of their pivotal role near the top of the marine food chain. Enjoy fine views from the seating areas both inside and on-deck. 

Set out on the Pacific Ocean off of Victoria, British Columbia, in search of whales on this half-day tour. Travel through the Haro Strait and the San Juan de Fuca Strait in search of Minke whales, humpback whales, and orcas. Ride in an-open top Zodiac boat, suitable for 12 passengers or fewer, to ensure up-close wildlife encounters and an intimate atmosphere.

Soar through the air like an eagle in flight on this zipline adventure! Just a half hour from central Victoria, this Vancouver Island zipline park features eight different ziplines that span more than 1,000 feet (305 meters). Your small group will also go on a 10-minute ATV ride and you'll traverse two suspension bridges high above the forest floor. Two tour guides accompany you on this two-hour tour; they'll share insight about the environment and answer any questions to ensure a safe, fun and exhilarating experience in the British Columbia temperate rainforest.

This adventure is a 3 to 4 hour fully-guided whale watching, wildlife and sunset viewing tour departing from Downtown Victoria on the Salish Sea Eclipse - a state of the art covered catamaran with three viewing decks! Your adventure will be ending when the sun goes down and will be an experience to remember!

Hot drinks, certified marine biologists, and indoor and outdoor viewing areas set this Victoria whale watching tour apart from its competitors. Travel in luxury and style as you look out for whales in their natural environment in the one of the world's best whale-watching habitats in the Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait. Other sightings may include marine birds, seals, and sea lions, making this the ideal way to see more of the region's animal residents!

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.

Marvel at Canada’s west coast wildlife on this 3-hour sunset whale watching cruise 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. Whales are guaranteed or you come back for free! As the sun sinks to the horizon, cruise back into Victoria’s scenic inner harbour and enjoy the twinkling lights of British Columbia’s capital city!

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!

Head out into the Salish Sea from Nanaimo in search of the abundant wildlife who inhabit the area. Your guide is an experienced marine expert who will take the time to help you learn about the sea life around Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. This 3-4 hour tour takes you to the habitats of killer whales (orcas) humpback whales, seals, sea lions, porpoises, and eagles.

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.

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.