Vancouver Island Holidays

Vancouver Island is a wildlife lover’s dream with whales and bears drawn to the region’s food-rich waters. This is a two-part experience from Tofino which  consists of a whale-watching cruise on a 12-passenger Zodiac in the open waters of the Pacific, during which you may spot gray or humpback whales, seals and sea otters. During the second part of the tour you’ll cruise along the coast of the Clayoquot Sound during low tide to see the island’s resident black bears.

• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Cruise along the calm waters of the inlets of beautiful Clayoquot Sound on board a 45-foot covered cruiser in search of black bears in their natural habitat. Travel along the shore and keep an eye out these beautiful creatures as they seek out one of their favourite foods – the rock crab, which they search for when the tide goes out.

• Departs daily
• Operates April to October
• Group experience

Head out into the Salish Sea from the Victoria's Historic Fisherman's Wharf on this exhilarating catamaran cruise. Keep your eyes peeled for humpbacks, orcas and other marine species as you spend a few hours on the water. You'll be accompanied by a naturalist/biologist and the boats feature washrooms, an indoor heated area and plenty of outdoor viewing areas.

• Departs daily
• Operates May to October
• Group experience

Whale watching cruise See whales in the wild and learn from an expert naturalist Feel the ocean breeze on a catamaran cruise Listen to the whales on a hydrophone

This is the ultimate whale and wildlife-watching adventure from Tofino. Travelling by 12-seater Zodiacs or a 65-foot covered boat, you'll explore the inlets and fjords of the spectacular Clayquot Sound. This six-hour experience is split into to excursions out on to the water, with a break on land to refresh between voyages. Wildlife you may see during your cruise include black bears, sea lions, sea otters and, depending on the time of year, gray whales, humpback whales and orcas.

• Departs daily
• Operates March to October
• Group experience

Experience Victoria aboard an open top, double-decker bus, with the flexibility to explore the many popular attractions the city has to offer on this hop-on hop-off tour. The tour loop takes approximately 90 minutes, and guests can hop on and off at their leisure whenever the tours are operating. Highlights include Fairmont Empress Hotel, Craigdarroch Castle, Chinatown and Old Town, Fisherman's Wharf, Panoramic Inner Harbour, Parliament Buildings, Christ Church Cathedral, Oak Bay Village and Marina, Cook Street Village, Ogden Point Cruise Terminal and Break

Hop-on-hop-off bus Hop on and off at various stops around the city, or sit back and enjoy the guided tour Stops include Fisherman's Wharf, Cook Street Village and Christ Church Cathedral.

Choose from journeying into Bute or Toba Inlets in search of grizzly bears. You will travel by a covered boat and spend three hours on land to watch the grizzlies as they search for salmon in the rivers. These magnificent creatures can be up to eight feet in height, and you will have the chance to observe them from various viewing platforms set along the river. The tours are led by the Homalco First Nation in Bute Inlet and The Klahoose First Nation in Toba Inlet. Lunch, hot drinks and a light snack are included.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: Bute Inlet 8.30am; Toba Inlet 7am
• Daily departures from Campbell River
• Operates 20 August to 15 October for Bute Inlet and 28 August to 15 October for Toba Inlet
• Group experience

Good to know
Please bring cameras, binoculars, sunscreen, sunglasses, warm layers, sturdy walking shoes, a reusable water bottle and any extra food or snacks you would like. Minimum age is 10 years.