Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Vancouver Island: Victoria, Butchart Gardens and Tofino
7 days from Vancouver: the ferry to Victoria for Butchart Gardens and whale watching, the Cowichan Valley and Chemainus, two nights in Tofino and back on the Nanaimo ferry.
7 days · Round trip from Vancouver · up to 12 guests
Downtown Vancouver and False Creek, with the North Shore mountains Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skyline_of_Vancouver,_BC.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Vancouver
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Easy walking on most days: up to about 6 km on flat seawall paths in Vancouver, paved paths at Butchart Gardens, town walks in Victoria and Chemainus, and boardwalk trails with stairs in the rainforest near Tofino. Three hours on a covered whale-watching boat. One long driving day with stops. You can sit out any walk.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 845 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Stanley Park seawall early, before the bikes and coaches, then lunch at Granville Island Public Market
- The Great Hall of the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, ticket included
- The ferry through Active Pass and an unhurried late morning at Butchart Gardens
- A three-hour whale-watching trip from Victoria's Inner Harbour with a marine naturalist, included
- A Cowichan Valley tasting, the murals of Chemainus and the old Douglas firs of Cathedral Grove
- The Rainforest Trail, Long Beach and the Wild Pacific Trail at Ucluelet, with two nights in Tofino
- Two nights in every base, and home across the Strait of Georgia on the Nanaimo ferry
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 845 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Vancouver
Vancouver International Airport to your hotel downtown
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Vancouver
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR), on Sea Island about 15 km south of downtown, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the half-hour drive into the city. Plan to land by about 3 pm; the latest arrival time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
Afternoon
Your hotel is central, so the rest of the afternoon is easy on foot: the seawall around Coal Harbour, the white sails of Canada Place and the seaplanes landing in the harbour, with the North Shore mountains behind.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: two nights here, two in Victoria, two in Tofino, and how the ferries and the one long driving day fit together. Then we walk a few minutes into Gastown, the oldest part of the city, past the steam clock on Water Street, and sit down to a welcome dinner of west coast food at a local restaurant.
Included
- Pick-up at Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Short evening walk into Gastown
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
Stanley Park, Granville Island and the Museum of Anthropology
Stanley Park to Granville Island, then the UBC campus
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Vancouver
- Drive about 1 h
We start at about 8:30, before the cyclists and coaches, on the seawall in Stanley Park, a forested park of about 400 hectares on a peninsula at the edge of downtown. Your guide walks you along the water to Brockton Point and its totem poles, carved by artists of several Northwest Coast nations, with the harbour and the North Shore mountains across the water.
Afternoon
Our vehicle collects us at the end of the walk for the short drive to Granville Island, a former industrial island under the Granville Street Bridge, where lunch is at the Public Market: smoked salmon, bakeries and produce stalls, with tables beside False Creek. In the early afternoon we drive out to the University of British Columbia and the Museum of Anthropology, whose Great Hall has tall glass walls framing carved poles and house posts, and whose collection includes Bill Reid's sculpture The Raven and the First Men.
Evening
We are back downtown by late afternoon, and the evening is yours.
Included
- Stanley Park seawall walk with your guide to the Brockton Point totem poles
- Lunch at Granville Island Public Market
- Museum of Anthropology at UBC, ticket included
Easier option: Ride in the vehicle to Brockton Point and walk only the shortest stretch of the seawall.
More active option: Rent a bike and ride the whole seawall loop around Stanley Park, about 9 km, and meet the group at Granville Island for lunch.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 4 to 6 km on foot, on flat paths.
The ferry to the island and Butchart Gardens
Vancouver to Tsawwassen, ferry to Swartz Bay, then Butchart Gardens and Victoria
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Victoria
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about 45 minutes south to Tsawwassen for the BC Ferries sailing to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island, about an hour and a half on the water. The route crosses the Strait of Georgia and threads Active Pass between Galiano and Mayne islands; stand on the outer deck as the forested shores slide close, and watch for bald eagles and seals. From Swartz Bay it is about 20 minutes to Butchart Gardens at Brentwood Bay. Jennie Butchart began planting in her husband's worked-out limestone quarry in the early 1900s, and the Sunken Garden she made there is still the heart of the gardens, now a National Historic Site of Canada.
Afternoon
We walk it first, then the Rose, Japanese and Italian gardens, with lunch at the gardens in between. Mid-afternoon we drive half an hour into Victoria and check in near the Inner Harbour.
Evening
The rest of the day is free to walk the waterfront and choose a place for dinner.
Included
- BC Ferries from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, with the vehicle
- Butchart Gardens, ticket included
- Lunch at Butchart Gardens
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Victoria
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours at Butchart Gardens on paved paths, with some slopes and steps in the Sunken Garden.
Whales in the morning, Victoria on foot
The Salish Sea from the Inner Harbour, then Victoria's old town
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Victoria
- By boat
Morning
Victoria's whale-watching boats leave from the Inner Harbour, a few minutes' walk from the hotel, and we take an included three-hour trip in the morning with a marine naturalist on board. Out in the Salish Sea and the Juan de Fuca Strait the boat looks for killer whales, humpbacks, sea lions and harbour seals. Sightings are never guaranteed, and the captain goes where the latest reports are. We book a covered boat with a cabin, so the trip works in wind and rain.
Afternoon
Back on shore, lunch is a sit-down meal near the harbour. In the afternoon your guide walks the group through the old town: past the Parliament Buildings, finished in 1898 and outlined in lights after dark, the Fairmont Empress hotel and Bastion Square, and into Chinatown, the oldest in Canada, with its narrow Fan Tan Alley.
Evening
Your ticket to the Royal BC Museum is included for the rest of the afternoon, and dinner tonight is your choice.
Included
- Three-hour whale-watching trip from the Inner Harbour with a marine naturalist
- Sit-down lunch near the harbour
- Guided walk: the Parliament Buildings, the Empress, Bastion Square, Chinatown and Fan Tan Alley
- Royal BC Museum, ticket included
Optional experiences
- Afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay ashore in the morning: the Royal BC Museum and the Inner Harbour at your own pace, then join the group for lunch.
More active option: In the free late afternoon, walk the Dallas Road waterfront to Mile Zero and back through Beacon Hill Park, about 5 km.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on the water; dress warmly even in summer. The town walk is about 2 to 3 km on pavements.
Cowichan, Chemainus and across the island to Tofino
Victoria over the Malahat to Duncan and Chemainus, then Cathedral Grove and Tofino
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tofino
- Drive about 4.5 h
This is the one long driving day, about 320 km and four and a half hours on the road, because there is no shorter way from Victoria to the west coast. We break it into four stops, so no stretch runs much over an hour and a half. We leave Victoria at 8:30 and climb the Malahat above the Saanich Inlet into the Cowichan Valley, where the streets of Duncan hold dozens of totem poles, and we stop at a local winery or cidery for an included tasting.
Afternoon
Chemainus, a mill town that turned to outdoor murals in the early 1980s, is our lunch stop, with a walk around its painted walls. Past Nanaimo we turn west on Highway 4 to Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park, where a short loop trail leads among Douglas firs, some around 800 years old.
Evening
The last stretch crosses the mountains past Port Alberni and Kennedy Lake, and we reach Tofino around 6 pm for dinner together.
Included
- Duncan's totem poles
- Tasting at a Cowichan Valley winery or cidery
- Chemainus murals walk and sit-down lunch
- Cathedral Grove old-growth loop trail in MacMillan Provincial Park
- Arrival dinner in Tofino
Easier option: Stay with the vehicle at Cathedral Grove, or walk only the first few minutes of the flat loop.
Activity: Longest day on the road: about 4.5 hours of driving, broken by three stops of 45 minutes to an hour and a half. The Cathedral Grove loop is short and mostly flat.
Rainforest, Long Beach and Ucluelet
Tofino to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and Ucluelet, then back to Tofino
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tofino
- Drive about 1.5 h
Tofino sits at the tip of the Esowista Peninsula in the territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, with Clayoquot Sound to the north and the open Pacific to the west.
Morning
We start the morning in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the Rainforest Trail, two short boardwalk loops through western red cedar and hemlock hung with moss, quiet before the day visitors arrive. A few minutes on is Long Beach, about 16 km of sand and surf, and the Kwisitis Visitor Centre above Wickaninnish Beach, where exhibits tell the story of the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples of this coast.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Ucluelet, the fishing town at the southern end of the peninsula road. Then we walk the Lighthouse Loop of the Wild Pacific Trail at Amphitrite Point, with waves breaking on the rocks below and the open water of Barkley Sound beyond.
Evening
We are back in Tofino by mid-afternoon, with free time before a farewell dinner together.
Included
- Pacific Rim National Park Reserve admission
- Rainforest Trail boardwalk with your guide
- Long Beach and the Kwisitis Visitor Centre
- Lunch in Ucluelet
- Lighthouse Loop of the Wild Pacific Trail at Amphitrite Point
- Farewell dinner in Tofino
Optional experiences
- Bear watching by boat in Clayoquot Sound (timed to low tide)
- Surf lesson at Cox Bay or Chesterman Beach
- Sea kayak tour from Tofino harbour
- Prices shown at booking
Easier option: Skip the Rainforest Trail stairs and walk the flat sand at Long Beach and the Kwisitis centre instead.
More active option: Carry on past the Lighthouse Loop on the next clifftop section of the Wild Pacific Trail, and we collect you further along.
Free time: Mid-afternoon free in Tofino before the farewell dinner
Activity: About 5 km on foot in short sections. The Rainforest Trail boardwalks have many stairs and can be slippery when wet.
Back across the Strait of Georgia
Tofino to Nanaimo, ferry to Horseshoe Bay, then Vancouver International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
Walk down to the beach before breakfast if you like, then we leave Tofino at 8 am on Highway 4, back over the mountains to the east coast of the island, about three hours to Nanaimo with a coffee stop on the way. At Departure Bay we board the BC Ferries sailing to Horseshoe Bay, about an hour and forty minutes across the Strait of Georgia and into Howe Sound, with the Coast Mountains rising ahead.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice, on board or at the terminal. From Horseshoe Bay it is about an hour through West Vancouver, over the Lions Gate Bridge and through Stanley Park to Vancouver International Airport, arriving mid- to late afternoon, or we drop you downtown if you are staying on. Sailing times change by season, and we confirm yours with your final itinerary. If you would rather skip the drive, scheduled flights run from Tofino to Vancouver, and we can book one for you at extra cost.
Included
- BC Ferries from Nanaimo (Departure Bay) to Horseshoe Bay, with the vehicle
- Drop-off at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) or downtown
Optional experiences
- Scheduled flight from Tofino to Vancouver in place of the drive and ferry (price shown at booking)
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 6 pm.
- Vancouver2 nights
- Victoria2 nights
- Tofino2 nights
- Vancouverend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Summer is the drier season on the coast, but Tofino can be misty or rainy on any day, and it is cool on the water. Whales are seen in the Salish Sea most of the year, with the best odds from May to September; sightings are never guaranteed. In late summer wildfire smoke can haze the views.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Victoria and the wild west coast in one unhurried week
- Garden lovers: Butchart Gardens with time to walk it properly
- First-time visitors to British Columbia who want the ferries, whales and rainforest without driving themselves
- Solo travellers who want a small table and a guide for the whole week
Not for you if you want
- Hikers after long trail days: our West Coast Exploration trip, with Whistler and Tofino, suits you better
- Travellers who need a guaranteed whale or bear sighting: wildlife is never certain
- Anyone who cannot face one four-and-a-half-hour driving day
- A beach holiday: the Pacific here is cold and the weather changes fast
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Vancouver2 nights
- Victoria2 nights
- Tofino2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights in central hotels of at least 3-star-plus standard: 2 in downtown Vancouver, 2 in Victoria near the Inner Harbour, 2 in Tofino
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on day 1 and drop-off there or downtown on day 7
- Our own vehicle and driver for the whole trip
- BC Ferries from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay and from Nanaimo (Departure Bay) to Horseshoe Bay, with the vehicle
- The whale-watching boat from Victoria
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with a marine naturalist on the whale-watching boat
Activities
- Vancouver: Stanley Park seawall walk and the Brockton Point totem poles
- Vancouver: Granville Island Public Market
- Vancouver: Museum of Anthropology at UBC
- Brentwood Bay: Butchart Gardens
- Victoria: three-hour whale-watching trip
- Victoria: guided walk through the old town and Chinatown
- Victoria: Royal BC Museum
- Cowichan Valley: Duncan's totem poles and a winery or cidery tasting
- Chemainus: the murals
- Cathedral Grove: old-growth walk in MacMillan Provincial Park
- Pacific Rim National Park Reserve: admission, the Rainforest Trail, Long Beach and the Kwisitis Visitor Centre
- Ucluelet: the Lighthouse Loop of the Wild Pacific Trail
Meals
- Breakfast daily (6)
- 5 lunches: Granville Island, Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Chemainus and Ucluelet
- 3 dinners: welcome dinner in Vancouver, arrival dinner and farewell dinner in Tofino
Not included
- International flights to and from Vancouver
- An eTA or visa for Canada, if you need one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed: dinners on day 2 in Vancouver and days 3 and 4 in Victoria, lunch on day 7
- Drinks, except the Cowichan tasting
- Tips
- Optional activities: bear watching, surf lessons, kayaking, afternoon tea at the Empress, the flight from Tofino
- Personal expenses
- Extra nights before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 845 (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+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, five lunches and three dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle and driver, both BC Ferries crossings, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan: whale watching, Butchart Gardens, the Museum of Anthropology, the Royal BC Museum, a Cowichan tasting and the Pacific Rim park pass.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. Everyone fits around one table at lunch, hears the guide on the seawall, and boards the ferry or the whale-watching boat without waiting for a coach load.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport on day 1 to the airport on day 7, with a professional driver in our own vehicle. On the whale-watching trip a marine naturalist on the boat explains what you are seeing.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. Most days have easy walking on flat paths, up to about 6 km in Vancouver. The Rainforest Trail near Tofino has boardwalk stairs, and the whale-watching boat is three hours on the water. Every walk has an easier option, and you can sit any of them out.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
A room of your own is CAD 845 on top of the shared-room price, shown up front with nothing added at checkout. Solo travellers join the same table, the same walks and the same boat as everyone else, and are often a good share of a small group.
When is the best time to go?
May to September. Butchart Gardens is in bloom, whale-watching boats run their main season and the outer coast is at its driest. July and August are the busiest and Tofino rooms book early. Expect cool mornings on the water and the chance of rain or mist near Tofino in any month.
Will we see whales?
Very likely, but no one can promise it. Victoria's boats look for killer whales, humpbacks, sea lions and seals in the Salish Sea, and the captain goes where the latest sightings are. We use a covered boat with a naturalist on board, so even a quiet day on the water is worth it.
How long are the drives?
Most days have under an hour and a half of driving. Victoria to Tofino on day 5 is the long one, about 320 km and four and a half hours, broken by a tasting, a sit-down lunch in Chemainus and a walk at Cathedral Grove. Day 7 is about four hours of driving plus the ferry to Horseshoe Bay.
How is this different from your West Coast Exploration trip?
West Coast Exploration is the active week: Squamish, Whistler, a long hike, surfing and Hot Springs Cove, with three nights in Tofino. This trip is gentler: Vancouver, Victoria with Butchart Gardens and whale watching, the Cowichan Valley and Chemainus, then two nights in Tofino with short rainforest and beach walks.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and nothing is charged until then. The small group starts from CAD 4,695 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 8,450 per person.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, ferries and activities.
Do I need a visa for Canada?
Most visitors flying in need either an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), applied for online before you fly, or a visa, depending on your passport. US citizens need only a valid passport. Check the Government of Canada rules for your nationality before you book flights.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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