Wineries, cideries & farm stands
Dozens of small wineries, cideries and farm gates line the valley's back roads. Tastings are relaxed and friendly — pick a designated driver or book a tour.
Make a holiday of it
Explore BC
British Columbia is huge and it can be hard to know where to start. These are the places we'd take you ourselves.
Around the farm
On the doorstep
The Cowichan Valley is one of the warmest corners of Canada — rolling farmland, wineries, rivers and sheltered bays. Easy to fill a few days here before or after the wedding.
Kinsol Trestle
A huge historic wooden rail trestle high above the Koksilah River, now part of an easy walking and cycling trail through the forest.
Cowichan River & lakes
On a hot day, do what the locals do: float the Cowichan River on a tube, or swim off a dock at Cowichan Lake.
Kayaking in Maple Bay
Calm, sheltered water right by the venue. Rent a kayak or paddleboard and look out for seals, herons and eagles.
Salt Spring Island
A short ferry from Crofton. Famous for its Saturday market in Ganges — local cheese, bread, art and crafts.
Duncan & Cowichan Bay
Wander Duncan's totem poles downtown, then lunch on the water in Cowichan Bay village.
Victoria
~1 hour south
BC's charming capital sits at the southern tip of the Island — gardens, a lively harbour, and great food. Worth at least two days.
The Inner Harbour
The Parliament Buildings, the grand Fairmont Empress (afternoon tea, if you're feeling fancy), buskers and harbour ferries.
Butchart Gardens
World-famous gardens in a former quarry, at their best in summer. On summer evenings there are concerts and the gardens are lit up.
Whale watching
Orcas, humpbacks and sea lions all pass through the waters off Victoria. Half-day boat trips leave from the harbour.
The wild west coast
Drive west past Sooke for rugged beaches, tide pools and rainforest trails along the Juan de Fuca coast.
Tofino & the Pacific coast
~3½–4 hours west
If you only add one thing to your trip, make it Tofino: huge sandy beaches, surfing, ancient rainforest and the open Pacific. Accommodation books up months ahead in summer.
Long Beach & Pacific Rim
Miles of sand in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Learn to surf — the water is cold but wetsuits make it fun for beginners.
Tofino sunsets
Laid-back village, excellent restaurants, and some of the best sunsets you'll ever see. Try a boat or floatplane trip to Hot Springs Cove.
Cathedral Grove
Right on the road to Tofino: stop to walk among giant Douglas firs and cedars, some around 800 years old.
Vancouver
Ferry + ~3½ hours
Most overseas guests will pass through Vancouver, so give it a couple of days — mountains and ocean right next to a buzzing city.
Stanley Park & the Seawall
Rent a bike and loop the seawall: ocean on one side, giant cedars on the other. Stop at the totem poles at Brockton Point.
Granville Island
Hop on a tiny Aquabus ferry to the public market for food stalls, artisan studios and buskers.
The North Shore
Capilano Suspension Bridge is the famous one; Lynn Canyon's bridge is free. Grouse Mountain's gondola gives you the whole city at your feet.
Eat your way around
Some of the best sushi outside Japan, dim sum in Richmond, and craft breweries around Main Street.
Whistler & the Sea to Sky
~2 hours from Vancouver
The Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler is one of the world's great drives. In summer Whistler swaps skiing for hiking, biking and lakes.
The Sea to Sky Highway
Fjords, waterfalls and mountain views the whole way. Stop at Shannon Falls and the lookouts along Howe Sound.
Squamish
Halfway to Whistler. Ride the Sea to Sky Gondola for a suspension bridge and huge views, or watch climbers on the Stawamus Chief.
Whistler Peak 2 Peak
A record-breaking gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, with alpine hiking trails at the top.
Whistler's lakes
Alta Lake, Lost Lake and Green Lake are perfect for swimming, paddleboarding and lazy afternoons.
Further afield
A few days or more
Got two weeks or more? BC and its neighbours are enormous — here are the big trips people travel across the world for.
The Okanagan
Warm lakes, beaches and hundreds of wineries, about 4 hours' drive inland from Vancouver. Very popular in summer.
The Rocky Mountains
Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper: turquoise lakes and glaciers. Fly to Calgary (about 1½ hours from Vancouver) and drive in, or road-trip over several days.
Rocky Mountaineer train
A bucket-list rail journey from Vancouver into the Rockies over two days, travelling in daylight with an overnight stop on the way.
Sample trips
A few ways to string it all together. Travel times add up quickly here, so we'd pick fewer places and enjoy them properly.
Island focus
One week
- Days 1–2Arrive in Vancouver. Stanley Park, Granville Island, get over the jet lag.
- Day 3Ferry to the Island and settle into the Cowichan Valley.
- Days 4–5Wineries, Kinsol Trestle, a paddle in Maple Bay — and the wedding!
- Days 6–7Victoria: the harbour, Butchart Gardens, whale watching. Fly home from Victoria.
The classic BC loop
Two weeks
- Days 1–2Vancouver.
- Days 3–4Sea to Sky Highway to Squamish and Whistler.
- Day 5Back down to Horseshoe Bay, ferry to Nanaimo.
- Days 5–8Tofino: beaches, surfing, rainforest (stop at Cathedral Grove on the way).
- Days 9–11Cowichan Valley and the wedding.
- Days 12–14Victoria, then fly home from Victoria or ferry back to Vancouver.
Add the mountains
Three weeks +
- Week 1The two-week loop's first half: Vancouver, Whistler, Tofino.
- Week 2Cowichan Valley, the wedding, and Victoria.
- Week 3Head inland: Okanagan lakes and wineries, then on to Banff and Jasper — or take the Rocky Mountaineer — and fly home from Calgary.