Vancouver & Gulf Islands Bike Tour

Canada's Undiscovered Isles & Victoria

From $0 pp dbl. occ. | 6 days / 5 nights

Call for single supplement pricing

Out here at the edge of the continent, the pleasures are simple. And while boutique wineries, local artisans and farm-to-table eateries are part of the daily scene, you won't have to pedal, paddle or hike far to imagine you've landed in a secret place. Where it's just you and the soaring eagles, with space to spare.

Highlights

Bike quiet rolling hills along pristine coastline, lush cedar forests and bucolic inland pastures
Discover one of western Canada's most appealing regions with its endless panoramic views of the inland archipelago and Olympic Peninsula
Sea-kayak on the calm waters of Montague Harbor, where you might spot harbor seals and bald eagles
Savor exquisite farm-to-table cuisine and award-winning wines locally sourced from the land and sea

British Columbia

Start Victoria / End Victoria or Galiano Island

Itinerary

Days 1-2 Soak up inspiring views of the Salish Sea en route to Brentwood Bay | Explore Butchart Garden's amazing floral display | Cruise what's known as Vancouver Island's Most Beautiful Shortcut aboard the Mill Bay ferry | Pedal rolling country roads in bucolic Cowichan Valley | The mild microclimate here yields more sunny days than anywhere else in Canada! | Set a leisurely pace, stopping along the way at small boutique wineries, artisan studios and roadside produce stands.

Days 3-4 Journey by ferry to Salt Spring Island, the coolest island in Canada according to the Washington Post | Enjoy an undulating and scenic ride past island cottages, sylvan hillsides and lush farmland | Stroll through Garry oak meadows to a stunning viewpoint at Ruckle Park | Visit local farm stands and stop to taste craft beer or artisan cider | Explore unique art galleries and whimsical shops in the town of Ganges | Our Relais & Châteaux home, Hastings House, welcomes you to 22 acres of beautiful land and colorful gardens.

Days 5-6 Watch for porpoises, bald eagles and—if we're lucky—whales during a water-taxi cruise to Galiano Island | Pedal quiet rolling roads past rugged shoreline and stretches of forest dotted with eclectic galleries and art studios | Play hide-and-seek with harbor seals as you kayak the tranquil cobalt waters of Montague Harbor | Hike through temperate rain forest to Galiano Bluffs for endless vistas of the surrounding islands and Olympic Peninsula.

Next: Dates & Prices

The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind — you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due. View cancellation policy.

Cancellation fees may vary based upon departure date. Please review the grid below:

Number of Days Prior to Trip Start	Cancellation Fees (per person)	Departure Dates

For information on our trip transfers see here.

Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.

Available
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Going
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Private Trip
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C Classic Dates

Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from a large selection of dates for your group of 8 or more. Call us for date availability. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or if your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you.

2020 Private Trip Pricing

10 or more guests: from $3,399 pp dbl occ
9 Guests: from $3,799 pp dbl occ
8 Guests: from $3,999 pp dbl occ
2-7 Guests: Give us a call or reach out here!

Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.

Don't see your ideal travel date? Make a Date

2+ AVAILABLE TO BOOK
for 2 or more guests
8+ AVAILABLE TO BOOK
for 8 or more guests
16+ AVAILABLE TO BOOK
for 16 or more guests
Reserved

C Couples, Friends & Solos Tours

2020 June

8+ 6/21–6/26

2020 July

8+ 7/5–7/10

8+ 7/26–7/31

2020 August

8+ 8/2–8/7

8+ 8/23–8/28

8+ 8/30–9/4

2020 September

8+ 9/6–9/11

View Scheduled Dates

The sky’s the limit! Tell us what your dream trip would be and we'll make it happen! Whether you're looking for a honeymoon trip for 2, a 30-person family reunion or a 100-person corporate trip, we can do it all. A dedicated Custom Trip Consultant will work closely with you to bring your dreams to reality. Call us at 800-462-2848 to speak with your Custom Trip Consultant or click on the button below.

REQUEST YOUR CUSTOM TRIP NOW

Previous: Overview

Dates

C Couples, Friends & Solos Tours

2020
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep

View Scheduled Dates
Go Private
Go Custom

Prices

From $0 pp dbl. occ.
6 days / 5 nights

Call for single supplement pricing

Reviews

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Premiere Hotels*

Brentwood Bay Resort

Vancouver Island (2 nights)

Hastings House

Salt Spring Island (2 nights)

Galiano Inn & Spa, Galiano Island, Canada

Galiano Oceanfront Inn & Spa

Galiano Island (1 night)

* Casual Plus

See Lodging Details

Activity Level

This trip is rated Levels 2-4

See Daily Route Options

What's Included

Services and equipment are included.

See how we include more

Why Backroads

Why Travel with Backroads in British Columbia Islands

Find out What sets us apart

More On This Trip

Watch videos

Detailed Itinerary Reserve This Trip

Reviews by Power Reviews ®

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Next: Lodging

Premiere Hotels*

Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the View Scheduled Dates or Private Dates tabs.

Brentwood Bay Resort

Vancouver Island (2 nights)

Perched on a forested hillside with spectacular bay vistas, this chic boutique resort features a blend of West Coast and Asian styles. (pool, spa)

Hastings House

Salt Spring Island (2 nights)

This Sussex-style manor hotel is located on 22 acres with beautiful gardens overlooking the ocean and features tastefully furnished rooms. A Relais & Châteaux member. (spa)

Galiano Oceanfront Inn & Spa

Galiano Island (1 night)

* Casual Plus

One of the island's original accommodations, this Pacific Northwest retreat is virtually a destination in itself thanks to its superb vistas of the harbor, Active Passage and the lighthouse on nearby Mayne Island. (spa)

Previous: Reviews

Next: Activity Level

This Trip Is Rated Levels 2-4

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Daily Route Options (drag to see full )

Day	EASYGOING				ACTIVE				AVID
Daily Route Options
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Level 4		Level 5
	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain
1			23*	1200			40	2400
2			23*	800	37	1300	51	1500
3			13*	800	32	2300
			20*	1400
	Ruckle Seaside Walk
4	16	1300			31	2500
5	13*	1000	18	1900	24	2500
5	Kayaking in Montague Harbor (2 Hours)
6	Galiano Bluffs Hike

Note: The Gulf Islands' landscape is characterized by constant rises and valleys. The continuously rolling terrain can make routes feel more challenging than the mileage may suggest. Roads have chip seal pavement and are rough at times. Walking trails are on maintained paths with rocks and roots, sometimes muddy and some with steep pitches.

* Includes shuttle.

Learn more about how we determine our activity level and fully support a range of abilities and interests.

Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies and other external factors.

Previous: Lodging

Next: What's Included

Meals

All breakfasts, 5 dinners, 4 lunches

Available Bike Options

The key to a stellar day’s ride is a bike that’s perfectly in tune with your cycling style… Backroads has you covered with the best bike fleet in the world! Read on for your available bike options for this trip.

Backroads Titanium Bikes (Included in your trip price)

Our custom-built titanium bikes are specially designed for you—and we offer different models for varied terrain so your bike is ideally suited to the region. Our custom-made bikes are included in your trip price.

Touring Bike (Included)

Performance Road Bike (Included)

Backroads Custom Electric-Assist Bike (Included in your trip price)

Wishing for a little extra assistance up those hills? Our custom Backroads Electric-Assist Bike lets you experience the thrill of exploring on two wheels while providing a boost when you want it. We've modified a selection of our great Titanium Bikes with the intuitive BionX "pedal-assist" system.

Backroads Custom Electric-Assist Bike (Included)

Cannondale Pro Carbon Upgrade ($400 rental fee) – Available 7/1/19

We’re excited to announce that beginning July 1, 2019, we’ll offer the new and much-anticipated Cannondale 2020 Synapse Hi-MOD pro carbon upgrade on Biking Trips in Europe, United States and Canada. Delivering phenomenal acceleration and handling in a light and powerful package, the Synapse is built for experienced cyclists, men and women alike, who are looking for a high-performance bike that doesn’t sacrifice comfort. The Synapse will be offered in a complete range of sizes; detailed bike specifications will be announced in February 2019.

Cannondale 2020 Synapse Hi-MOD

Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem ($400 rental fee)

Do you prefer to spin in tandem with your partner? You'll love the Co-Motion Periscope Torpedo tandem on your Backroads trip. You can upgrade to a Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem on your trip.

Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem (Upgrade)

Also Included

Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
Snacks and beverages between meals
Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
Park and other entry fees
Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
Select coach transfers
Baggage transfers and porterage

Previous: Activity Level

Next: Why Backroads

Get the Straight Talk about This Trip

We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.

Previous: What's Included

Next: Why Backroads

Why Travel with Backroads in British Columbia Islands

The Best Leaders in British Columbia Islands

Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in British Columbia Islands, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.

Our Superb Bikes Included

A great bike is obviously critical for a great multi-adventure trip; you don't want to gamble on one that's been sourced locally to trim costs. This trip features our acclaimed Backroads Custom Titanium bikes, expertly tuned and fitted, and included in your trip price. Learn why our titanium bikes are ideal for most riders.

Choose Your Fellow Travelers

With Backroads you won't end up with kids on what you thought was an adult trip; we have exclusive departures for families, so they're off having their own adventures. As you browse our unrivaled selection of trips and dates, you can count on finding a trip in British Columbia Islands that's geared exclusively to your choice of traveling companions.

We Know Our Neighbours Well

Backroads first headed up to Canada in 1980, when an older Trudeau was prime minister, and we've been exploring its spectacular landscapes ever since. Our leaders are Canadian and many are proud to make their homes in British Columbia Islands—where we offer more trips than any other active travel company and have spent many more years finding the best ones.

We've Set the Standard

For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by

We Invented the Multi-Adventure Trip

After more than 30 years of creating Backroads Multi-Adventures, our trip designers know how to blend the perfect balance of biking and hiking with other activities to showcase the best of a region. And then they arrange the seamless transitions that would be so hard to orchestrate on your own—adding dimensions to your trip that are exciting, inspiring and just plain fun.

We Live in the Neighborhood

Our Trip Leaders in British Columbia Islands live in the area and are deeply engaged in their communities, giving them unique inside knowledge they're happy to share in making your experience that much richer. They'll introduce you to people, customs and parts of town you'd likely never encounter on your own—and teach you a few local phrases to help break the ice.

Your Trip Will Run. Period.

Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for one or two people (or a family of three or four), subject to a nominal extra fee. Or transfer to another trip, and we'll give you a credit. It's all part of our trademark commitment to treating guests with integrity, transparency and total accountability. Read all the details.

We Know Where We're Going

Tom Hale has been keeping Backroads on track, with one eye on the horizon, since 1979. His passion for active travel, and for ensuring the highest-quality travel experience, is evident in every detail we add to make a guest's trip unforgettable—and the fact he's right there in the office, making it happen. To hear Tom describe his vision, watch our video.

Signature Backroads Picnics

Guests rave about our picnic spreads. Enjoy a welcome break in a scenic spot, or a quick refuel stop if you don't want to lose momentum. And because we have two vans, one can host lunch while the other is out providing support along the route.

Previous: What's Included

Detailed Itinerary Reserve This Trip

Guest Photo Gallery

Featured Blog Story

Discover BC's Gulf Islands

British Columbia's Gulf Islands, with diverse ecosystems, local art galleries and fresh seafood, are the perfect place to explore, bike, kayak and relax.

Vancouver & Gulf Islands Bike Tour