Rising from the rich Pacific Ocean, the legendary Vancouver Island offers so much raw wilderness and wildlife, yet most is inaccessible by road. Our Vancouver Island small ship tour takes you off the beaten track, to discover our diversity—from the oceanic northwest coast, to the quieter channels and archipelagos of the inside passage, from the rainforest in the north to the balmy mediterranean islands in the south. Wildlife includes whales, bears, birds and many other marine mammals. All of this is punctuated by the region's rich culture: from the elders at Kyuquot who teach us traditional skills, to the boardwalk communities of the Broughton Archipelago, to the culinary artisans of the south.
Highlights
From south to north along Vancouver Island, there is so much stunning variation.
* On the Gulf Islands & Salish Sea trips, island hop among warm, dry Garry Oak meadows ecosystems, arbutus lined shorelines, and Douglas fir forests.
* On the Desolation Sound trips, explore the stunning drop of the Coast Mountains from thousands of feet straight to the sea, and explore the fjords and islands at their foot.
* On the Broughton Archipelago (Whales & Totems) trips, explore the rich marine life among 200+ islands and the southern Great Bear Rainforest’s fjords.
* On the Wild Side trips, explore the beautiful and rugged northwest coast, including glacial refugium Brooks Peninsula and the sea-otter homeland of Kyuquot Sound.
* On the Vancouver Island Inside Passage trips, like our other Supervoyages, explore the diversity and changes as you move from the Salish Sea through the Desolation Sound region to the steep rainforest of the Broughton Archipelago.
Vancouver Island encompasses many indigenous people’s traditional territories, and we work with indigenous guides all along it.
Along the east side of Vancouver Island, we travel in the south through Coast Salish territory, where we work with guides from the Penelakut and/or Tsawout territory; in the northeast we travel in Kwakwaka’wakw territory, where we visit with guides in Alert Bay. On the northwest coast, we’re in the territory of the Kwakwaka’wakw and Nuu-chah-nulth, where we visit with guides in Kyuquot.
Find both adventure and comfort aboard our little expedition ships as you explore the shores of Vancouver Island. Our all-local crew love to give you the best experience of the region they love. As local coastal ships, they are known and welcomed by people we may meed along the way, and you travel as an insider — the guest of the locals — while you explore. These well-cared-for little ships are nimble and able to anchor in beautiful areas larger ships cannot enter.
Explore Vancouver Island's rugged and beautiful north coast. Brooks Peninsula (an un-roaded glacial refugium), Solander Island (home to puffins), Kyuquot Sound (including sea otters and the village of Kyuquot), lush inlets, rivers and sandy beaches. Wildlife...
Explore Vancouver Island's rugged and beautiful northwest coast. Brooks Peninsula (a glacial refugium), Solander Island (home to puffins), Kyuquot Sound (including sea otters and the village of Kyuquot), lush inlets and sandy beaches. Wildlife includes...
An amazing journey through the wild island archipelagos on Vancouver Island's east coast, for an incredible value price. Highlights of Gulf Is National Park, Desolation Sound, Discovery Islands including wildflowers, beaches, waterfalls, seabirds, marine...