About your Trip

Who doesn’t know about Vancouver Island? World famous for its breathtaking scenery, Vancouver Island is a must on your list of places to explore in Western Canada! Find majestic mountains, picturesque lakes and raging waterfalls in the authentic wilderness of West Coast British Columbia. This 4 day tour of Vancouver Island includes 1 night in Victoria, British Columbia’s provincial capital, and 2 nights in the little fishing village of Tofino.  With your free day there, you can take time out for surfing, relaxing on the beach, and even whale spotting on the optional activities on offer. This is an ideal tour to experience the main highlights that Vancouver Island is known for!

What's Included

Dates & Prices

2023 DEPARTURE DAYS

May 01 to May 31

LOW SEASON

THURSDAYS, SUNDAYS

CAD $869

Jun 01 to Sep 30

PEAK SEASON

THURSDAYS, SUNDAYS

CAD $979

JUST WANT TO CHECK AVAILABILITY?

To check current availability, click one of the BOOK NOW buttons above. Then scroll through the calendar in the pop-up window to see departure dates and availability. Note that dates shown in green are GUARANTEED! To continue with the booking process, click the BOOK NOW button on your preferred date, or to exit without booking, simply close the pop-up window.

TRIP OVERVIEW

FROM CAD $869

4 days/3 nights

Season: May – September

Start: 07:30 Vancouver

End: ~20:00 Vancouver

Max Group Size: 13

ITINERARY SUMMARY

  • Day 1 Vancouver to Tofino
    Sproat Lake petroglyphs
  • Day 2 Tofino Free Day
    Free time/activities
  • Day 3 Tofino to Victoria
    Victoria Inner Harbour at night
  • Day 4 Victoria to Vancouver
    Scenic ferry ride through the Gulf Islands

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Soak in the views at Wally Creek, en route to Tofino

See the prehistoric K’ak’awin petroglyph, one of the finest in British Columbia

Enjoy picture-perfect views around the quaint fishing village of Tofino

Watch the sunset over the Pacific from a beach near Tofino

Dive into the scene at Victoria’s Inner Harbour

Sail through the Gulf Islands and across the Salish Sea

YOUR ITINERARY

DAY 1

Vancouver to Tofino

Get your binoculars at the ready! We’ll begin our adventure with a little marine life spotting as we take a scenic ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. From there we will explore the lush rainforests, cascading waterfalls, and giant trees of Vancouver Island. Then we’re off to Sproat Lake to observe one of the finest panels of prehistoric Indigenous petroglyphs. Our day ends by settling into the quaint little fishing village of Tofino, and feasting on fish & chips (don’t worry, they have non-seafood options too!)

 

Meal Inclusions: Dinner

Moose Accommodation: HI Tofino – Whalers on the Point

DAY 2

Tofino Free Day

Today is yours to do as you please! Cruise through the Pacific Ocean and go whale watching, soak in one of Tofino’s hot springs, or jump right into kayaking or surfing. Explore on foot, by bike, or go hiking – Tofino has lots on offer for your free day! As the evening draws in and the stars start to appear, we’ll be setting up a beach campfire (weather permitting) where we’ll toast some marshmallows and share each other’s stories of the day.

 

Moose Accommodation: HI Tofino – Whalers on the Point

DAY 3

Tofino to Victoria

We’ll start our day at Wickanninish Beach in Pacific Rim National Park, which was named after Chief Wickanninish who ruled Clayoquot Sound in the 1700s! Then we’ll be heading to the village of Coombs for a chance to spot the famous goats on the roof of the Old Country Market.  Then, it’s the East Coast for us as we head down to Chemainus with its 39 giant outdoor murals for a little Al Fresco art appreciation.  You’ll also get a chance to snap the world’s largest (ice) hockey stick! (only in Canada, eh?) This evening we’ll be staying in the BC provincial capital, Victoria, where you can enjoy the buzzing Inner Harbour night scene.

 

Moose Accommodation: Ocean Island Inn

DAY 4

Victoria to Vancouver

Today’s a day for history! We will begin our day with a walking tour starting in Victoria’s Chinatown, then make our way along the Inner Harbour to see the Empress Hotel, Parliament Buildings and learn about the Black Pioneers that arrived from San Francisco in 1858. Then we’ll head to Beacon Hill Park – known as the crowning jewel in Victoria’s park system, to gaze at the Terry Fox Memorial, and the world’s tallest free-standing totem pole. After that, the day is yours to explore Victoria as you wish, although we highly recommend checking out the vibrant Fisherman’s Wharf. We’ll then congregate to take another scenic ferry through the Gulf Islands, across the Salish Sea and back to Vancouver.

 

Moose Accommodation: There is no accommodation included tonight. You will need to make your own arrangements. We recommend that you do not book onward travel on this day in case of traffic or weather delays.

ACTIVITIES

Jump on the Island Explorer and take the opportunity to try local adventure activities like surfing in Tofino. Moose offers loads of options to soak in the scenery in a relaxed way, like whale watching and hot springs.

Optional activities are booked and paid through your Moose tour guide while on the tour. No need to pre-book! The following optional activities are available on this tour:

ACCOMMODATION

On the accommodated tour option, accommodation is included for all nights of the tour, in mixed gender, hostel dormitory rooms. Please note that you can request female only dorm rooms, and this is usually possible to accommodate, but we cannot guarantee it.

Most travellers book the accommodated tour option because it provides the best value for your money since we receive discounts from our accommodation providers that aren’t available to the general public. We choose hostels for their budget value, as well as offering great facilities and a warm, friendly atmosphere. By staying in shared dorm rooms you get a chance to meet more people, hang out with other tour guests, and keep the price as low as possible.

Not Interested in Staying in Shared Hostel Dorm Accommodation?

If you’d prefer to book your own accommodation, to stay in private rooms or in alternative properties, check out the non-accommodated version of this tour by clicking here.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The Island Explorer is part of numerous combination tours we offer: the Pacific, Sasquatch and Cougar. After you finish in Vancouver, many travellers will continue on to Whistler the following day.

All tour finish times are approximate. We strongly recommend that you DO NOT book onward travel on the final day of the tour, since traffic or other unexpected circumstances may cause delays.

Please note that our itineraries can change and/or activities can be cancelled without notice as a result of circumstances beyond our control, such as weather, traffic and unforeseen events. If this does occur, there may be alternatives available, or you may get to enjoy more free time to explore on your own!

If you’re flexible about when you can travel, consider the pros and cons of our travel seasons. In Low Season, you’ll get the BEST VALUE on our tours, there’s less traffic, and far fewer people at the most popular sites. The trade off is that the weather is typically more variable, cooler and wetter. Plus, a few sites may be closed, and the glacial lakes may still be frozen in the spring, although that’s also beautiful! In Peak Season, everything is open, the weather is more consistent, warmer and generally drier, and the glacial lakes are in their full glory. However, our tours cost more, traffic is busier, and the most popular locations on our itineraries can be very busy.

We take your safety, and the safety of our staff and partners very seriously. Click here for more information.

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