Victoria & Gulf Islands Cycling
7 days from Lac Ride to North Saanich
From $ 3439
Duration7 days
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Spend 7 blissful days cycling British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, exploring the coast, countryside and refined capital city, Victoria. Join an expert guide and a handful of fellow travelers for this ramble through three gorgeous Gulf Islands: Vancouver, Pender and Salt Spring. Graced with a Mediterranean-like climate, these islands pair Pacific Northwest natural beauty with a European vibe. This trip is right for cycling enthusiasts of any level who love sightseeing from the saddle. All the details are handled for you. Experience country roads, seaside paths, misty moss-draped forests, and the frontier elegance of British Columbia’s capital, Victoria. Expect fresh coastal cuisine and leisurely rides through storybook landscapes. Great snow-crowned peaks rise around us as we discover Gulf Islands National Park and beyond. Ride rolling hills through lush countryside; visit Victoria’s world-renowned Butchart Gardens; explore a quirky village named for a Georgian-era British ship, the HMS Vesuvius; stroll ocean beaches strewn with sea stars and lazing harbor seals; and venture into a park where basalt canyons cradle a jewel-green river. Go home beautifully relaxed after a week on island time.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 7 days
    Service level: Standard
  • Starts in: Lac Ride
    Physical Grading: Average
  • Ends in: North Saanich
    Ages: 18+

Itinerary

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Day 1: Travel to Victoria, BC. Ride to a spectacular overlook of the Strait of San Juan de Fuca.

Start place: Lac Ride

Grab your passports and meet your guides and fellow travelers in the early morning at our host hotel near the ferry terminal in Anacortes, Washington. We will load all luggage into the van and trailer, and head to the ferry terminal with our guide to obtain international tickets to travel from Anacortes, WA to Sidney, BC. During the sail we will do the traditional trip overview and orientation, brief history of different places we will be visiting, and get to know each other. Upon arrival in Sidney, we will transfer to a local park to do a bike fit, bike orientation, and overall riding safety. We’ll have lunch before hitting the Lochside Trail for a 19 mile ride to Victoria, BC; the capital of British Columbia with a heavy European influence and one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. The trail ends in Beacon Park at the very southern tip of Vancouver Island overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains. The views continue as we head east along the Saanich Peninsula before looping back to our lodging for the evening. Lunch and dinner included.
Cycling: 30 miles. +971’ / -966’ Elevation gain/loss.
Meals: D
Day 2: Cycle the Galloping Goose Trail and explore Sooke Potholes Provincial Park.
Today we ride one of the finest sections of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail from our hotel to the town of Sooke. Once on the road we start our journey out of the capital city and into the rural lands of Southern Vancouver Island. As we ride out of the city we pass over several bridges and the trail turns to hardpack as we ride long the former rail-bed. We pass through many small pastoral towns, keeping an eye on the spectacular views of the water. The scenery begins to morph into deep forests complete with ferns and winding creeks after leaving the town of Metchosin. Cycling for the day ends at Sooke Potholes Provincial Park. We will transfer back to our accommodations in Victoria for the evening. All meals included.
Cycling: 34 miles. +1274’ / -1076’ Elevation gain/loss Transfer: 1 hour.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: Ride car-free from Shawnigan Lake to Cowichan Bay. Enjoy iconic wooden trestle bridges.
A stunning day of cycling will be had from just north of Shawnigan Lake up to Cowichan Bay, meandering through Cowichan Valley. After breakfast, we transfer from Victoria to Shawnigan Lake and start cycling north on the Cowichan Valley Trail; a part of the iconic Trans-Canada bike route. Throughout the day we will cross a number of trestle bridges including the Kinsol Trestle (one of the tallest free-standing and incredible timber trestles in the world), riding miles of nice gravel, car-free bliss and enjoying the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The cycling will be characterized by short rolling hills. All meals included.
Cycling: 42 miles. +1252’ / -1593’ Elevation gain/loss Transfer: 45 minutes.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4: Ferry to Salt Spring Island, cycle along the eastern shoreline and explore artsy small towns.
After breakfast, we will hop on our bikes and ride 13.5 miles up to the Crofton Ferry Terminal. Today will be a smooth change of pace compared to yesterday. We will enjoy the tranquility of riding through wetlands and meandering through small local villages. We will use a local ferry to cross over to Vesuvius Bay on Salt Spring Island, then remount to tackle a short 4.5-mile ride across Salt Spring to Ganges, a town filled with marinas, restaurants, and art galleries. We will spend the remainder of the afternoon enjoying the town of Ganges and resting our legs and possibly a little kayaking? All meals included.
Cycling: 27 miles. +1513’ / -1468’ Elevation gain/loss.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5: Ferry to Pender Island and ride to and explore Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and its abundant wildlife.
Up early today for an early morning breakfast and perhaps our toughest ride of the trip. We will start with a ferry over to Pender Island and a subsequent loop ride of North Pender Island including Rosedale beach park where we can search for eagles, sea stars and Harbor seals for fauna as well as arbutus and douglas-fir for flora. We will also have a 10-mile jaunt through the heart of Pender for an excellent opportunity to experience the large tidal exchange throughout the Salish Sea. Upon our return to Salt Spring we will aim our sights at an additional 15-mile ride to Mount Maxwell, the second highest point on Salt Spring Island, with spectacular views of the surrounding archipelago. We will return to Ganges in the latter part of the day to recover from our day’s cycle. All meals included.
Cycling: 27 miles. +2638’ / -2573’ Elevation gain/loss.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6: Ferry to Vancouver Island. Cycle the northern peninsula and wander around Butchart Gardens.
After breakfast we will catch a morning ferry back to the Sidney ferry and cycle through the town of Sidney toward John Dean Provincial Park, named after the early pioneer and landowner of the area. We will wind our way through the John Dean Provincial Park experiencing virgin old growth douglas-fir. During our next segment we will cycle to the world renowned Butchart Gardens, a group of floral gardens in Brentwood Bay transformed from a former limestone quarry. Here we will enjoy the gardens and all the beauty that they have to offer before returning to Sidney Harbor and our last group dinner together. All meals included.
Cycling: 37 miles. +2145’ / -2172’ Elevation gain/loss.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7: A final breakfast ride in North Saanich. Sail back to Anacortes, WA.
After our traditional morning breakfast, we will set out for our final cycle of the week together. Our ride around North Saanich in the morning will provide a crescendo for our week together revisiting some scenic rides along Swartz Bay and the Saanich Inlet, finishing at the Sidney ferry terminal. We end our adventure as we board a mid-day sailing back to Anacortes, WA. We will share our last meal together as we sail back to the states. We bid each other farewell as we arrive back to our start point hotel, smiling about our experiences for the week. Breakfast and lunch included.
Cycling: 15 miles. Minimal Elevation gain/loss.

End place: North Saanich

Meals: B, L

Inclusions

Included

  • Six nights accommodations
  • all meals as noted in the daily itinerary
  • bikes (including E-bikes in limited quantities) ferry ride tickets, Butchart Gardens entry fee

  • Accommodation

    Lodge or cottage accommodations, 6 nights

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