Tour Routes - Victoria and Vancouver Island
Victoria and Vancouver Island
Victoria City Tour and Vancouver Ferry Route
Victoria City Tour and Vancouver Ferry Route – click here for the brochure pages.
Discover Victoria’s island lifestyle and British influences on this driving tour of the small city capital of British Columbia. The Island is a gardener’s delight, and Butchart Gardens is world renowned and sure to wow everyone.
The tour route begins in the heart of the waterfront city passing by the Empress Hotel and BC Parliament Buildings before following the shoreline and its many coves and scenic lookouts. Mt Douglas prides an elevated view across the water to small neighbouring islands and into Washington State. After visiting Butchart Gardens, the drive follows a country route back to downtown.
GyPSy provides commentary and directions for Highway 17 which connects downtown with the ferry terminal for Vancouver. To follow the tour, allow a ½ day, with more time added if you have an extended visit to the Butchart gardens.
Mid Island and Tofino
Tofino is the wild Pacific western coast of Canada. The Pacific Rim National Park is like no other in Canada, with long sandy beaches decorated with driftwoods and the smell of salty ocean winds. And the cross island highway drive from Parksville passes through ancient forests and through surprising mountain ranges.
Between Parksville and Victoria the tour route visits attractive communities like Chermainus with its outstanding mural collection, Duncan and its totem poles and the bustling mid island community of Duncan and its ferry connection to Vancouver.
Expect a total driving time between Victoria and Tofino of approximately 5-6 hours each way. But it’s a drive you won’t soon forget.
North Island and Port Hardy
Highway 19 provides the connection between the mid Island communities and the northern tip of Vancouver Island at Port Hardy, where the ferry to Prince Rupert on the mainland docks. Following from the southern end, zoom on a fast twinned freeway, stopping at waterfront communities that take your interest and that connect to smaller islands like Quadra.
After Campbell River, the driving northbound becomes a more solitary adventure with only a few highway-side communities along the way. But ferry connected communities like Sointula and Alert bay have developed a fine reputation for the works of local artisans.
Expect to spend 5 hours driving time to connect between Port Hardy and the junction with highway 4 to Tofino.