- Victoria Foodie Walking Tour
- Venturi
- Schulze Vineyard Tasting
- Westholme Tea Company Tasting
- Morningstar Farm & Cheese Factory
- Coombs Old Century Country Market
- Tofino Bear Watching Tour
- Kwisitis In Pacific Rim National Park
- Cathedral Grove (MacMillan Provincial Park)
- Blue Grouse Estate Winery Tasting
- 7 nights of accommodations (3.5 - 4 star, or best available)
- Professional Tour Leader
- Transportation on comfortable motorcoach
- 15 meals: 7 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 5 Dinners, 1 Foodie Tours
- 5% provincial tax on top of tour base rate
- Gratuities to driver (Recommend $3-$4 per person per day)
- Gratuities to guide (Recommend $5-$7 per person per day)
- Meals not listed
- Attractions not listed
- Credit card payment fees, where applicable
- Airfare — domestic and international (Unless Specified)
- Travel insurance (Strongly recommended, ask us for a quote!)
- Items of personal nature
AVAILABILITY
START DATE
END DATE
PRICE
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
DEPOSIT
AVAILABLE
Fri, 06 Sep 2024
Fri, 13 Sep 2024
$1,120 USD
$500 USD
Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is the gateway to Vancouver Island’s rugged coastlines, quaint towns, and vast, untouched wilderness. First settled in 1843 and named after Queen Victoria of England, Victoria was once the capital city of British North America and is now the capital city of the province of British Columbia. This old British city has transitioned into a beautiful modern city, for the young and young-at-heart and is home to a thriving foodie and art culture.
Today you will arrive in Victoria and in the evening, you will meet your tour leader in the lobby of the hotel and walk a short distance for your welcome dinner at the Blue Crab Sea Food restaurant.
Overnight: Victoria, BC
Meals: Dinner
After a light breakfast in the hotel (trust us, you will want to save your appetite for later!), this morning we will enjoy a sightseeing tour of Victoria and uncover the history of this old British city while highlighting its transition into the modern city that it is today. We will explore Oak Bay, the harbourfront, Beacon Hill, and Chinatown, the second oldest Chinatown in North America.
As we will continue our tour we will meet a representative of Victoria Foodie Tours and being our culinary adventure! This 2-hour tour begins at the Victoria Public Market and includes stops at The Harmonious Gates of Interest, Fan Tan Alley, Market Square, Bastion Square, Trounce Alley, Government St., the Inner Harbour Causeway, and Parliament Buildings. Depending on the day, there will be between 6-8 food tastings along the route, as we discuss the history and quirks of beautiful Victoria. Tastings can include bread, meatballs, craft beer, macarons, chocolate, and much more!
We continue our tour with a visit to the iconic Butchart Gardens. At one time this was the site of a large limestone quarry. As the limestone deposits became exhausted, Jennie Butchart began transitioning her husband Robert Butchart’s empty quarry into the spectacular gardens we experience today. Showcasing an extensive and diverse variety of plants and flowers throughout of the many areas of the gardens, visitors today are left in awe. After a transfer back to the hotel, you will have the evening at leisure.
After our day of culinary experiences, the evening is free to discover more of the attractive city centre. Victoria’s relaxed pace, urban layout, and network of side streets and alleyways encourage strolling, so it's easily explored. (Foodie Tour)
Overnight: Victoria, BC
Meals: Breakfast
Our first stop today is at Merridale Farm that produces farm-crafted cider, spirits, and fortified ciders. Made from 100% undiluted apple juice that is grown and produced at this Cobble Hill farm, in the heart of Cowichan on Vancouver Island. The farm is home to a cidery, distillery, eatery, and tasting bar. We will have a farm tour followed by tastings and then lunch.
We then drive a short distance to the Venturi - Schulze Vineyard where you will find purists at work with a commitment to producing wines uniquely expressive of the site and of their personalities. The original farmhouse, the family home, was built around 1893, and extensively expanded and renovated in 1993 to accommodate the large family and small tasting room. Their cozy new tasting room in a renovated outbuilding featuring the work of Cowichan Valley artisans using local woods opened in the summer of 2011. Discover the products that have been creating since 1987 in this pure, natural estate grown wines, ancient method balsamic vinegar & verjus.
Our next stop is at the Westholme Tea Company . The Westholme Valley is also located in the Cowichan region on Vancouver Island, nicknamed “the warm land” by the Coast Salish people. This fertile landscape creates a unique micro-climate that fosters the growth of Camellia Sinensis- tea plants, a first of its kind in Canada. The teas and hand-crafted ceramics unite taste and tactility in the simple ceremony of drinking tea and the owners have add some unique Westholme influences to inspire delight in every brewed cup.
Overnight: Nanaimo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We start the day with a drive to the Morningstar Farm and Cheese Factory. A guided tour will feature the whole milk production process from meeting the calves to a close-up demonstration of the robotic milker in action. We will learn about cheese making while watching the cheesemakers working before enjoying guided cheese and fruit and berry wine tasting session.
From Morningstar, we head to the village of Coombs and a visit to the Old Country Market which started as a roadside fruit stand in the 1950’s providing fresh produce to travellers heading to the west coast of Vancouver Island. Over the years it has evolved into a Vancouver Island landmark with a mixture of shops and eateries for locals and visitors alike and it also has those famous goats on the roof!
After lunch, a scenic drive across the breadth of Vancouver Island with a stop in Port Alberni’s waterfront and then to Tofino on the scenic west coast. Dinner will be at the well-known Schooner Restaurant in Tofino.
Overnight: Tofino
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Breakfast followed by an exciting marine wildlife and bear watching tour. Although Tofino’s waters, known as the Clayoquot Sound, is one of the best whales watching location in the world as the waters are rich with food, we set out for a fun-filled bear watching adventure as we sail through Clayoquot Sound searching for black bears foraging for food along the shoreline surrounded by the stunning rainforest. During the 3-hour long tour, the captain and crew will take you to view various other wildlife including Stellar Sea Lions, California Sea Lions, Harbour Porpoise, Seals, Sea Otters, Bald Eagles and Tufted Puffins.
Later we will drive to Kwisitis, or the "other end of the beach" in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, a fitting name for this iconic west coast building perched at the south end of Wickaninnish Beach in beautiful Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The outside deck is the perfect year-round spot to view whales, storms, and surfers alike. Inside the centre, new exhibits about the land, sea, sky, and people of the area await you. We drive back to Tofino for the night.
Overnight: Tofino
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
As we bid farewell to Tofino, we make our way back to the East Coast of Vancouver Island, stopping at the Starboard Grill in Port Alberni, the only on-the-water restaurant with a patio overlooking the harbour with views down the canal. We will enjoy a fresh, west coast-style lunch with a water view from every table. Located in the heart of the Harbour Quay, The Starboard Grill is the place to relax with amazing food, service and views.
After lunch, we continue to will visit Cathedral Grove, located in MacMillan Provincial Park, which is one of the most accessible stands of giant Douglas fir trees on Vancouver Island. Here visitors can stroll through a network of trails under the shadow of towering ancient Douglas-fir trees, majestic pillars untouched by the modern world – some more than 800 years old. Trails on either side of the highway lead visitors through the mighty stands of this coastal forest. On the south side, you will find the largest Douglas firs – one measuring more than 9 metres in circumference. On the northern side of the road, you’ll find groves of ancient Western red cedar standing sentry over nearby Cameron Lake.
Overnight: Nanaimo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Our day starts with a short drive to the town of Chemainus, now known for its thriving arts community, the town was once on the verge of economic collapse. As a way to save the town and rejuvenate it, a series of murals were created to showcase the history of the town which are now featured throughout the town. A local guide will meet us to take us on a tour of some of these murals and explain the significance and history of each masterpiece.
We continue the Blue Grouse Estate Winery comprised of 65 acres tucked away on a sunny Vancouver Island slope in the Cowichan Valley, named from a Salish First Nations word meaning "the warm land". At Blue Grouse, their winemaker has been active in the farm-to-table movement for 20 years and they strongly support the efforts of local food producers. We will combine locally made cheese and charcuterie boards daily with snacks and gather in their licensed outdoor picnic area with some perfectly matched Blue Grouse wines for a picnic.
An evening drive brings us back to Victoria. A farewell dinner this evening will be a good time to compare notes and reflect on a week of outstanding culinary experiences on Vancouver Island.
Overnight: Victoria, BC
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Our Vancouver Island adventure has come to an end. Following breakfast, depart the hotel at your leisure to begin your onward journey.
Meals: Breakfast