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Cascadia: Seattle, Olympic, Victoria, Vancouver and Whistler

9 days from Seattle to Vancouver: two nights in Seattle, two in Olympic National Park for the Hoh and Hurricane Ridge, the Coho ferry to two nights in Victoria, and two in Vancouver with a day up the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler.

9 days · Seattle to Vancouver · up to 12 guests

The facts

At a glance

Length
9 days, 8 nights
Start and end
Seattle to Vancouver
Group size
7 to 12 guests
Activity level

Moderate

Daily walks of 2 to 5 km on park trails, beaches, garden paths and city streets, mostly flat. Hurricane Ridge sits at about 1,600 m with short level meadow paths; Rialto Beach is sand and loose cobbles. The longest drives are about four hours, on days 3, 4 and 8, in legs of two hours or less. The whale-watching boat is about three hours on open water. Every park day has an easy and an active choice, and any walk can be sat out.

Meals included
8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
Room of your own
+ CAD 1,085 (estimated price)
Season
Mid June to mid September

Highlights

Why this trip

  • Pike Place Market as the stalls open, then the Space Needle on a timed ticket
  • Sea stacks and driftwood at Rialto Beach in the late afternoon
  • The Hall of Mosses in the Hoh Rain Forest at about 8:20 am, before the queue at the gate
  • Hurricane Ridge in the afternoon, looking across to Mount Olympus
  • The Coho ferry across the Strait of Juan de Fuca into Victoria's Inner Harbour
  • Butchart Gardens as the gates open, and an afternoon whale watching in the Salish Sea
  • The BC Ferries crossing through Active Pass in the Gulf Islands
  • The Sea to Sky Highway: Shannon Falls, the Sea to Sky Gondola and lunch in Whistler

What makes this trip different

  • Free time is part of the plan

    Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.

  • Solo without the penalty

    A room of your own is + CAD 1,085 (estimated price).

Day by day

Itinerary

WASHINGTONBRITISH COLUMBIAOLYMPIC MOUNTAINSVANCOUVER ISLANDPacific OceanPuget SoundStrait of Juan de FucaStrait of Georgia12345SeattleDays 1 to 2Lake CrescentDays 3 and 4ForksDay 3Rialto BeachDay 3Hoh Rain ForestDay 4Port AngelesDay 4Hurricane RidgeDay 4VictoriaDays 5 to 6Butchart GardensDay 6VancouverDays 7 to 8Shannon Falls and the Sea to Sky GondolaDay 8Brandywine FallsDay 8WhistlerDay 8

Tap any stop on the map to open that day

Arrive in Seattle

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to your hotel in central Seattle

  • Welcome dinner
  • Stay in Seattle

Fly into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), about 25 km south of downtown. We meet arrivals at set times through the day and drive you to a central hotel; the pick-up windows come with your final itinerary. If you land early, the city is easy to explore on foot: walk down to the waterfront on Elliott Bay, where the green and white state ferries come and go, or wander Pioneer Square, the brick district where Seattle began after the fire of 1889. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the hotel for a short briefing on the trip: two countries, three ferries and a passport check in the middle, how the days are paced, and what to pack for rain in the Hoh and wind on Hurricane Ridge.

Evening

Then we walk to a welcome dinner nearby, with Pacific Northwest salmon and shellfish on the menu. Tomorrow starts at Pike Place Market as the stalls open, a few minutes from the hotel.

Included

  • Pick-up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
  • Welcome briefing with your guide
  • Welcome dinner in Seattle

Free time: Free until the evening briefing

  1. Seattle2 nights
  2. Forks1 night
  3. Port Angeles1 night
  4. Victoria2 nights
  5. Vancouver2 nights
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

Wildlife and weather: July and August are the driest months, with Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver often in the low to mid 20s C, while the Pacific coast stays near 15 C and is often foggy in the morning. Hurricane Ridge can hold snow into June, and the Hoh gets rain in every month. Look for Olympic marmots and black-tailed deer at Hurricane Ridge, Roosevelt elk in the Hoh valley, sea stars in the tide pools at Rialto Beach, and Bigg's orcas, humpback whales, sea lions and bald eagles in the Salish Sea.

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Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.

Before you book

Right for you?

Good for you if you want

  • Travellers who want two cities, a national park and two island-and-ferry days across two countries in one unhurried trip
  • Walkers who like 2 to 5 km a day on good paths, with a harder option on the park days
  • Anyone who wants park entries, ferries, whale watching and the gondola settled in one price
  • Solo travellers and couples who prefer hotels to camping and lodges far from town

Not for you if you want

  • Travellers who want the Oregon coast, Crater Lake or the Redwoods on the same trip
  • Hikers looking for long trail days or backpacking in the Olympics
  • Those who want guaranteed sunshine: rain and coastal fog are part of the Pacific Northwest
  • Travellers who cannot enter both the United States and Canada on their passport

Book flights after we confirm your seat.

8 nights

Where you'll stay

Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.

  • Seattle2 nights
  • Forks1 night
  • Port Angeles1 night
  • Victoria2 nights
  • Vancouver2 nights

One price

What's in the price

Included

Accommodation

  • 8 nights: 2 in central Seattle, 1 in Forks, 1 in Port Angeles, 2 in Victoria near the Inner Harbour and 2 in central Vancouver
  • Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each one when we confirm your dates
  • Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement

Transport

  • Pick-up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and drop-off at Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
  • A private air-conditioned van with seats for 14, for at most 12 guests, and a professional driver, in Washington on days 1 to 5 and in British Columbia on days 5 to 9
  • The Seattle to Bainbridge Island ferry across Puget Sound
  • The MV Coho ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, as foot passengers with luggage
  • The BC Ferries sailing from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen

Your guide

  • A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, who leads and narrates rather than drives
  • A naturalist on the whale-watching boat and an Indigenous guide at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre

Activities

  • Guided walk through Pike Place Market and the waterfront (Seattle)
  • Space Needle observation decks (Seattle)
  • Olympic National Park entry as arranged with the park, including any surcharge for non-US residents where it applies
  • Lake Crescent and Rialto Beach (Olympic National Park)
  • Hoh Rain Forest Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trail (Olympic National Park)
  • Hurricane Ridge viewpoints and meadow walks (Olympic National Park)
  • Guided walk around the Inner Harbour, the Parliament Buildings and Chinatown (Victoria)
  • Butchart Gardens entry (near Victoria)
  • Whale-watching boat trip, about 3 hours (Victoria)
  • Granville Island Public Market and a guided walk through Gastown, Coal Harbour and Canada Place (Vancouver)
  • Shannon Falls and the Sea to Sky Gondola (Squamish)
  • Brandywine Falls and the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (Whistler)
  • Stanley Park seawall and the Brockton Point totem poles (Vancouver)

Meals

  • 8 breakfasts
  • 3 lunches: sit-down in Port Angeles and Whistler, and a picnic at Lake Crescent
  • Welcome dinner in Seattle, dinner in Forks and farewell dinner in Vancouver

Not included

  • International flights to Seattle and from Vancouver
  • ESTA, US visa or Canadian visa fees
  • Travel insurance
  • Lunches on days 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 9; dinners on days 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7
  • Drinks
  • Tips for your guide and drivers (optional; guidance sent with your booking)
  • Optional activities such as Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Royal BC Museum or the Peak 2 Peak Gondola
  • Personal expenses

Extras

Room of your own
CAD 1,085 (estimated price)

When you can go

Dates and prices

Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.

Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.

Before you book

Booking terms

Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.

Business addresses

See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

Good to know

Questions

What does the price include?

Eight nights in hotels, 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers at SEA and YVR, a private van and driver on each side of the border, all three ferries, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, park entry as arranged for Olympic National Park, the Space Needle, Butchart Gardens, a whale-watching boat, the Sea to Sky Gondola and the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre.

How big is the group?

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in a van with seats for 14, so there is room for day packs and rain gear, and everyone can hear the guide on the forest trails, in the gardens and on deck.

Who leads the trip?

A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all 9 days and across the border, with a separate professional driver in each country so the guide can talk rather than drive. A naturalist leads the whale watching. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.

How fit do I need to be?

Moderate. Most days have 2 to 5 km of walking on forest trails, beaches, garden paths and city streets. The hardest optional walks are Hole-in-the-Wall at Rialto Beach, about 5 km on sand and cobbles, and Hurricane Hill when its road is open. Every park day has an easier choice, and any walk can be sat out.

I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?

Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 1,085 more. If you would rather share, ask when you book and we will try to pair you with another solo guest at the twin-share price. Solo travellers get the same seat, meals and guide as everyone else.

When is the best time to go?

Mid June to mid September. Hurricane Ridge Road is open daily, the ferries run their summer timetables, and orcas and humpback whales are most often seen in the Salish Sea. July and August are the driest months, though the Hoh Rain Forest gets rain in every month.

Do I need a visa or an eTA for Canada?

You need a valid passport for both countries. Most non-Canadian visitors need an ESTA or US visa to fly into Seattle. Canada asks visa-exempt travellers for an eTA only when they arrive by air, so the Coho ferry crossing needs a passport but no eTA; some nationalities need a Canadian visa. We do not arrange these, so check early.

How do we cross the border?

By sea. On day 5 the group walks onto the MV Coho ferry in Port Angeles with luggage, crosses the Strait of Juan de Fuca in about 90 minutes and clears Canadian customs in Victoria's Inner Harbour. A Canadian van and driver meet us there, and your guide stays with you throughout.

Will we definitely see whales?

No one can promise it, but summer is the best season: Bigg's orcas and humpback whales are regularly seen in the waters off Victoria, with sea lions, seals and eagles on the rocks. The boat keeps to the legal distances, so bring binoculars and a warm layer.

How long are the drives?

Most days stay under about four hours on the road. Day 4 is the one exception, about 4.5 hours, because the Hoh Rain Forest and Hurricane Ridge sit on opposite sides of Olympic National Park; no leg is over 90 minutes. Days 3 and 8 run about 4 hours, broken by walks and lunch, and three ferries replace long highway days.

What happens if it rains or a ferry is cancelled?

We keep going and adjust. In rain the Hoh is at its best, Hurricane Ridge moves to the clearer half of the day, and Victoria and Vancouver have covered markets and museums. If a sailing is cancelled, your guide moves the group to the next sailing or another route and rebooks what it touches, at no cost to you.

How does booking work, and can we choose our own dates?

Pick a small-group date and request to book: we confirm within 24 hours and take no payment until then. Hotel names, airport pick-up windows and the ferry times come with your confirmation. For your own dates, choose the private trip, or ask from the dates section for an independent quote.

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