Extended Tours

If you are looking for an overnight getaway near Victoria, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands offer a kaleidoscope of great mini-trips from mountaintops to seashores. Alternatively, combine a trip to one of our big-city neighbours (such as Vancouver, Whistler and Seattle) into a two-nation vacation experience or a British Columbia coastal extravaganza!

The sheltered Gulf Islands are jewels in the Strait of Georgia, where an idyllic rural lifestyle includes sheep farms, craft markets and great hiking and cycling opportunities. Cruise there aboard BC Ferries, then drive or bike the quiet roads and find out why "Island time" runs at such a leisurely pace.

Nanaimo, the Island's "Hub City", is home to the world famous Annual Bathtub Race. Farther north, Parksville and Qualicum Beach are best loved for their sandy beaches. A scenic drive west, past Port Alberni, takes you to the wild and beautiful Pacific Rim National Park, where Long Beach faces the wide Pacific Ocean.

Recreation is a year-round affair in Courtenay, which presides over the lovely Comox Valley, north of Qualicum Beach.

This area offers the ocean for boating and the mountains for skiing and hiking. A bit farther north, you will find the town that calls itself the "Salmon Capital of the World", Campbell River, along with other northern communities such as Port McNeill, Alert Bay and Port Hardy. The north Island is a vast wilderness paradise rich with history and spectacular scenery and definitely worth a visit.

For more detailed information about these areas, please visit our Vancouver Island Communities and Gulf Islands pages.