Canada, British Columbia: Vancouver Island Hiking Tour

Start: Downtown Victoria, 14:00, day one. Please contact us to arrange alternate plans, if necessary.

Optional pickups from Swartz Bay ferry terminal or Victoria (YYJ) airport available upon request for an additional fee; note: YYJ is located in Sidney, ~32km from downtown Victoria!

Finish: Sidney, following short morning walk on day six. Option to walk to Victoria Airport for ~12:00 or the Swartz Bay ferry terminal for ~12:00 to catch ferry to Vancouver.

Meal inclusions: Listed for guided trips only, please see dates & pricing section for accurate inclusions per support level.

Please contact us to arrange alternate meeting and departure plans, if necessary.

1

DAY 1:

Introductions & Fort Rodd Hill Warmup Walk; Up to ~10km.

Arrive in Victoria and meet your support person for a short transfer to the unique Birds of a Feather B&B, a waterfront wildlife preserve offering private suites and local insights. Go for a warm up walk through the vibrant lagoon teeming with wildlife – otters, seals, eagles, and more – against a backdrop of downtown Victoria.

Birds of a Feather B&B, Colwood.

2

DAY 2:

Colwood & Metchosin; Up to ~24km.

Enjoy a coastal walk along the beach and through quiet neighborhoods, taking in views of the Olympic Range across the Juan de Fuca Strait. Hike the trails of Witty's Lagoon Protected Area, through woodlands, salt marsh, and sandy seashores. Stroll into the tiny village of Metchosin, where sheep and horses graze in open fields bordering the coast. Keep an eye out for seals and majestic eagles along the way!

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast.

Same lodging.

3

DAY 3:

Francis King & Thetis Lake ~14km.

Start at Hatley Park, exploring the historic Castle National Historic Site and Esquimalt Lagoon. Connect with the Galloping Goose Trail and immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the region on route to Francis King Park. Towering old-growth forests and wetlands await. Continue through the park past a picturesque lake, eventually entering Thetis Lake Regional Park. Enjoy the natural wonders of both parks! Meet your support person for a short transfer to your seaside lodging.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast.

Brentwood Bay Resort, Brentwood Bay

4

DAY 4:

Butchart Gardens & Partridge Hills; Up to ~16km.

Immerse yourself in the floral artistry of Butchart Gardens. You can walk from your lodging and spend as much time as you would like exploring everything the world famous gardens have to offer. If you would like to keep your visit shorter, you can continue onward into the nearby Partridge Hills, where trails wind through rugged terrain and sensitive ecosystems. Return to your accommodations for an evening of peaceful rest in Brentwood Bay.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast.

Same lodging.

5

DAY 5:

Brentwood Bay to Sidney; Up to ~20km.

Begin in Brentwood Bay, strolling into John Dean Provincial Park. Hike through forests of old-growth Douglas Fir and Garry Oak. Take in breathtaking views from viewpoints over the Saanich Peninsula before transitioning to a beautiful coastal walk. End your journey in the seaside town of Sidney, relaxing at your lodging.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast.

Sidney Waterfront Inn & Suites, or Beacon Inn, Sidney

All details and pricing are subject to change without notice.

SELECT A DATE BELOW TO RESERVE, OR START A NEW DATE

Don't see what you want?

(Inclusions & pricing are listed below)

PRICING

Self-Guided: C 2995 (per person, double occupancy)

Includes 6 days, 5 nights, 5 breakfasts, admission to the butchart gardens on day four, welcome briefing, on-call support, inn to inn luggage transfers, ground transportation as indicated in the itinerary, detailed maps, route descriptions, 5% sales tax.

Semi-supported, independent tours including welcome briefing, lodging, luggage transfers and necessary vehicle transfers. Choose from existing dates or request new departures. Read more on our “What to Expect” page.

Single Occupancy: 995

All details and pricing are subject to change without notice.

BEST TIMES

The best time to enjoy this tour is June to September.

• Spring daytimes warm up to 10 to 20 °C (50 to 70 °F) by mid June.
• Summer, mid June to mid September, is normally 20 °C (70 °F).
• Autumn, mid September to mid October, daytimes 10 to 15 °C range (50 to 60 °F). Nights can be chilly.

GET TO THE START

Sidney is located on the Saanich Peninsula, at the southern end of Vancouver Island. As a gateway to the Island, the community of Sidney is just minutes away from the Victoria International Airport (YYJ), the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal and the Sidney-Anacortes Ferry Terminal.

The following websites provide information on taxi schedules, fares & bookings:

• YYJ Airport Shuttle
• Yellow Cab
• BC Transit

AFTER THE FINISH

Popular activities in Victoria include boating, water-skiing and sail-boarding in the summer, with hiking, mountain biking, wine tours and golf happening all year. The people of BC take their fun seriously - there is something available for everyone!

Following is a list of hotels we recommend in Sidney, near the Victoria Airport:

• Beacon Inn
• Best Western Emerald Isle
• Sidney Waterfront Inn & Suites
• Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa

BEFORE AND AFTER

Places To Go and Things To Do

Vancouver Island is a very large, yet sparsely populated area which also includes the Gulf Islands and a position of the mainland.

It has one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, including Rainforests, marshes, meadows, oceanfront beaches, mountains, rivers and lakes. This creates a multitude of wildlife species. It is one of the world’s most premier locations for whale watching, bird watching, as well as salmon and trout fishing.

Much of the Island is protected parkland. It contains many pockets of old-growth fir and cedar forests, as well as rare, naturally occurring groves of Garry oak. Vancouver is bisected, north to south, by the Beaufort Mountain Range, which is home to one of Canada’s biggest all-natural ski bases.

The beauty and tranquility of this region has long been a draw for artists and artisans (most notably Emily Carr). Art galleries, studios and shops selling unique, locally produced arts and crafts are found in many population centres, particularly on the Gulf Islands.

For specific information about restaurants of your favour, gallery locations, parklands and adventure information, please refer to the Hello BC website for detailed information.

Rent a car in Victoria and explore other parts of Vancouver Island, its bigger than you think!

Drive to Nanaimo and take a ferry to the Sunshine Coast.

Visit the coastal community of Tofino for a surf or a lesson in stunt kites.

MORE READING

The Galloping Goose Trail takes you up into the hills to where the Sooke River waterfall and famous ‘potholes’ are located. These geographical formations in the river serve as ideal swimming holes in the summer months.

Reading Recommendations for Vancouver Island

The following is a list of books by title and author that illustrate the region of British Columbia, and the history of Vancouver Island. Most are easily available through major book retailers; others will test your resourcefulness.

The West Beyond the West, A History of British Columbia • Jean Barman •
A fascinating history of the Canadian province from the 18th century to the mid-1990s. The author weaves portraits of major personalities and events into a readable overview of the cultural and social influences that have shaped the region.

The Last Wild Wolves, Ghosts of the Rain Forest • Ian McAllister • Chris Darimont •
Life among the wolves of British Columbia's coastal forest, one of the species last refuges. Ian McAllister has spent the last two decades photographing and studying two packs, one from a coastal island, and one from the interior.

National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest • Peter Alden •
A compact photographic guide to the wildflowers, trees, mosses, butterflies, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals of the Pacific Northwest.

The Curve of Time • Muriel Wylie Blanchet •
When in 1927, at the age of 36, the author was left widowed with five children in remote Vancouver Island, her relatives counseled that she'd never manage on her own. But manage she did -- and she wrote this delightful book about the pleasures of exploring the coastal wilderness in a 25-foot boat. It's a funny, vivid account of the region, full of memorable detail on people and place.

The Pig War, The Most Perfect War in History • E.C. Coleman
With a plot to grace any comic opera, the 1859-1872 "Pig War" broke out when an American living on a quietly disputed small island in the Gulf of Georgia (present-day San Juan Island in Washington State) shot a British pig he found rooting up his garden produce. The authorities on nearby Vancouver Island and the military leadership of adjacent Washington Territory both felt they had good reasons to escalate a trivial incident into a full-blown war between the U.S. and Great Britain. Soon, American soldiers found themselves looking down the barrels of the Royal Navy's cannons. While both the British authorities and the Americans continued to threaten and bluster, the Royal Marines and their U.S. counterparts settled down to a round of social events, including sports days, combined dinners, and even summer balls. Despite the outbreak of the American Civil War, and British intervention on the Confederate side, it was decided that the problem should become one of the earliest examples of international arbitration. The German Kaiser was brought in--and came to the wrong decision. Set against the framework of U.S. attempts to gain control of the whole North American continent; this history is a highly readable account of a little-known episode in Anglo-American history

Totem Poles of the Pacific Northwest Coast • Edward Malin
This scholarly, inviting guide, featuring color and black-and-white photographs, is an excellent overview of coastal art of the Pacific Northwest from Tlingit in Alaska to Kwakiutl villages on Vancouver Island. A cultural anthropologist from Oregon, Malin has devoted his career to the art of the Pacific Northwest.

The Raven Steals the Light • Robert Bringhurst • Bill Reid (Illustrator) • Claude Levi-Strauss (Introduction)
A classic collection of 10 Haida myths and legends as presented by scholar Robert Bringhurst and the Vancouver artist Bill Reid (who also provides accompanying black and white etchings). These stories capture the storytelling traditions of the Haida.

Rocky Mountain Wildflowers • John J. Craighead. FIELD GUIDE
A Peterson guide to 590 species of wildflowers with both line drawings and a section of color photographs. Each species is thoroughly described with information on range and habitat, as well as "interesting facts." A classic first published in 1963, this book is a good choice for travelers from Northern Arizona and New Mexico to British Columbia. With a focus on family and genus, the book includes the most conspicuous and commonly encountered flowers.

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America • David Sibley. FIELD GUIDE
A compact, geographically specific version of the Sibley Guide with all-new range maps, the same glorious illustrations and expanded, extremely valuable descriptions of each bird with status, habitat, range, voice and identifying marks. The book covers 703 species of birds occurring west of the Rockies, including Alaska, the western Canadian provinces, Baja California and portions of northern Mexico. Maps show the range throughout North America.

The Best Canadian Animal Stories • Muriel Whitaker. LITERATURE
A collection of animal stories by diverse Canadian authors, evocative of the landscapes and wildlife of Canada and suitable for young adults (or adult animal lovers).

Hatchet • Gary Paulsen. LITERATURE
In the first of Paulsen's popular wilderness adventure novels, 13-year-old Brian must fend for himself after his plane crashes in the Canadian woods. Though at first he's unfamiliar with Canadian plant and animal life, he soon learns what to eat and what to avoid -- and by book's end, he's a knowledgeable, ecologically aware outdoorsman. Teens and sophisticated pre-teens will enjoy it.