The Lochside Trail is a part of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, this portion of Greater Victoria’s network of reclaimed railway line and commuter trails has been transformed into a popular recreational corridor. This selection from our itinerary of cycle-tours offers a one-way drop off service to Sidney where cyclists will traverse bird sanctuaries, active farmlands, seaside trails and train trestles back to Victoria. Incredible views of the Coastal Mountains, including the massive Mount Baker volcano, make for unparalleled vistas and photo opportunities. Cruise through shoreline villages and perhaps have a picnic lunch on the beach in full view of our beautiful Gulf Islands. Cycling does not get better than this!

All riders will meet and register at 10:00 a.m. at the office of CycleTreks/ Great Pacific Adventures located at 1000 Wharf Street.

All package rates include: helmet, top quality hybrid style bicycles; water bottle, map, and transportation to the site (one-way only)

Without a doubt, the Gardens are Victoria’s most visited landmark. The vast beauty of the Butchart Gardens is world famous, and entirely accessible by bicycle right from downtown Victoria. Our one-way drop off service is an excellent way to see the gardens and then hop on one of our hybrid Rocky Mountain bikes and explore the region of Central Saanich with a memorable ride through our gorgeous countryside, along the Lochside Trail, back to Victoria.

All riders will meet and register at 10:00 a.m. at the office of CycleTreks/ Great Pacific Adventures located at 1000 Wharf Street.

All package rates include: helmet, top quality hybrid style bicycles; water bottle, map, and transportation to the site (one-way only)

The naturally flowing, cool mountain water of the Sooke River carves out the unique “potholes” swimming area, miles away from the crowds and the city life. This is the starting point of a self-guided cycling adventure that will take you through the wilderness of the Sooke Hills, down the mountain to the Sooke Harbour basin, through beautiful Roche Cove, serene Matheson Lake and along several kilometers of rolling country farmlands above the beaches that surround idyllic Metchosin. Stopping for photographs and simply being “out there” is what this tour is all about. From the mountains to the seashore, enjoy a day on the trails Victoria’s West Shore locals have come to treasure and love.

All package rates include: helmet, top quality hybrid style bicycles; water bottle, map, and transportation to the site (one-way only)

All riders will meet and register at 10:00 a.m. at the office of CycleTreks/ Great Pacific Adventures located at 1000 Wharf Street.

Leaving directly from our downtown office overlooking the Inner Harbour, guides will lead you on an excellent ride around Greater Victoria, through the vibrant and historic Inner Harbour core, along the spectacular Victoria waterfront, into gorgeous and idyllic Oak Bay neighbourhoods. Enjoy sights such as Beacon Hill Park, Emily Carr House, “The Castle” and many serene island seascapes.

All riders will meet and register at 10:00 a.m. at the office of CycleTreks/ Great Pacific Adventures located at 1000 Wharf Street.

This is an excellent adventure that gives participants a taste of the best of everything that makes Vancouver Island and the West Coast of Canada one of the most popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts. Departing from Victoria and utilizing our regional trails and sections of the Trans Canada trail this tour completes a full circle of Southern Vancouver Island from coast to coast. Included are opportunities for white water and ocean kayaking, bear, whale and wildlife excursions, swimming in pristine wilderness lakes, beach combing and fresh pacific salmon and crab feasts on the beach.

This is an ‘executive’ camping tour using comfortable cots and spacious tents on private property. Upgrades to indoor accommodation are available on most nights and all meals are either prepared for you or are in local establishments and are always included.

Tour Details

Day One: (approx: 43 kms/27 miles)
Beginning at our shop in Victoria we head north on the Lochside trail through the farms and fields that
supply the region with its fresh produce, stopping for lunch at a quaint seaside cafe overlooking the
Saanich inlet. After lunch we board B.C. Ferries for a 20 minute sailing across to Mill Bay. This crossing
has been billed as the most beautiful short cut in the world.

After disembarking we’ll ride the Mill Bay/ Shawnigan Lake area stopping for tastings and tours at BC’s
only commercial cidery and one of Vancouver Islands’ best wineries. Our final ride of the day is to
Cowichan Bay and our accommodation for the night. Dinner is at a local restaurant.

Day Two: (approx: 35 kms/ 22miles)
After a nice light breakfast we depart for the Kinsol Trestle where we start our ride on the Trans Canada Trail.
This is one of the highlights as we are ride through pristine wilderness and over century old trestles where
photograph and wildlife viewing opportunities abound.

By midday we find ourselves crossing the Cowichan River and arriving at our destination for the day.
Here we lunch and decide what to do with the rest of our day. *Our hosts for the evening, Don and Rose at the
Warm Rapids Inn operate a white water kayaking school on the Cowichan River, which makes this a perfect
opportunity for those interested to join in a beginner’s clinic for the afternoon. The other options are: a guided
hike in search of Black Bear, Roosevelt Elk and other wildlife; enjoy a leisurely afternoon by the pool; or
perhaps take your bike and explore the river and the town of Lake Cowichan on your own.

Dinner tonight is a pool side barbeque with all the fixings, a soak in the hot tub and perhaps some tall
tales around the camp fire.

Day Three: (approx: 33 kms/21miles)
After breakfast we’ll bid a fond farewell to our hosts and then it’s on to our next destination; Port Renfrew
on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. This little coastal fishing community is the gateway to the famous
West Coast Trail and Pacific Rim National Park.

We start off with a van shuttle down some rugged active logging roads (to active to ride) to our start point.
From here we ride a deactivated logging road with many river crossings and some amazing areas of old
growth forest including a stop at the not so famous Harris Creek Sitka Spruce. This tree must be seen
to be believed, it’s as big as a house, maybe two.

We continue on to Lizard Lake for our lunch and perhaps a swim along the shores of this pristine
wilderness lake. After lunch it’s on to Port Renfrew and our accommodation for the night, Big Fish Lodge. Tonight we’ll
feast on a West Coast meal prepared on the private beach at our host property.

Day Four: (approx: 30-50 kms/20-30 miles)
Today we will start the day with a visit to the amazing tidal pools and rugged rocky
out croppings of famous Botanical Beach, this is the West Coast at its most spectacular.

After our interpretive walk we’ll start our ride down the West Coast Road to Sooke, again combining driving the
more difficult sections and riding the best, of course. Today’s ride takes us along some beautiful coastline
including French and China Beach and the surfing hot-spot of Jordan River.  Our lunch today will be a picnic
lunch on the beach.  We will end our ride at the Ocean Wilderness Inn with either a relaxing hot tub overlooking the
spectacular Juan de Fuca Strait, or a stroll down to the ocean from their private trail.

Day Five: (approx: 50 kms/30 miles)
After breakfast today we head up to the Sooke River and the potholes.

This is a beautiful watershed with huge trees and deep pools of crystal clear water. After exploring the area
we depart on the Galloping Goose trail towards Victoria. This old railway right of way leads us through old
growth forest, along the shores of the Sooke basin and on through uninterrupted park and pasture land right
to the doors of our office in downtown Victoria.

At this point to top off our last day we include an exciting whale watching excursion in search of the mighty
Orca and other exciting wildlife directly from our docks on the harbour and thus, alas, ends our most excellent
adventure.

Tours maybe changed without notice due to weather, road conditions, rider safety, and other factors which may
require an altered itinerary.

**Advanced reservations are required**

All prices include: meals and accommodations, transportation and transfers, van escort, guides,
top quality hybrid bike, helmets, water bottle and snacks. Pricing does not include gratuity or alcohol.

This tour combines our Southern Gulf Islands tour with the remote and rugged wilderness of southwest Vancouver Island.  This adventure allows participants to experience everything that makes Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands one of the most popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts.  Departing from Victoria and utilizing our regional trails, quite country roads and sections of the Trans Canada Trail, this tour completes a full circle of the Gulf Islands and Southern Vancouver Island. Included are opportunities for hiking, white water kayaking, swimming in pristine wilderness lakes, beach combing and fresh pacific salmon and crab feasts on the beach.

This tour is a combination of B&B stays and nights of ‘executive’ camping using comfortable cots and spacious tents on private property. Upgrades to indoor accommodation are available on most camping nights and all meals are either prepared for you or are in local establishments and are always included.

 As with all outdoor adventures, please allow plenty of additional time for your other connections. Times are approximate and may vary with each group.

Tour Details:

Day One: (approx dist: 40 kms/ 25 miles)
From downtown Victoria, we will ride our regional trail system past bird sanctuaries and active farmlands to the Saanich Peninsula.  Along the way we’ll stop at a local winery and cidery for a tour and tasting.  Lunch today will be at a local eatery.  After lunch we will make our way north to Swartz Bay where will board a BC Ferry to Mayne Island.  Mayne, once a Cariboo gold-rush stopover (halfway between Vancouver Island and Vancouver’s Fraser River ports) has a colourful history dating back long before early Spanish and British explorers arrived there.  When we arrive we have a very short ride to our accommodations for the evening and a delicious dinner.

Day Two: (approx dist: 35kms/ 22 miles)
After breakfast, we will set out to explore Mayne Island.  Our first stop of the day is at the historic Lighthouse Park at Georgina Point with spectacular views of Active Pass and the Strait of Georgia.  We’ll then set out for the Japanese Gardens and after a short stroll through the Gardens we’ll boarding another ferry for a quick 20-minute crossing to the Pender Islands.

 Pender Island was just one island but in 1902 a channel was dredged to create a safe passage for steamships, creating the now two islands.  It wasn’t until 1955 that a one-lane bridge rejoined the islands; a delay that may account for the noticeable differences between the two islands today.  The day’s end brings us to one of the most beautiful harbour in all of BC, Bedwell Harbour and the Poet’s Cove Resort and Spa. We’ll check in, get refreshed and ready for another great dinner and spectacular sunset

Day Three: (approx. dist: 15 - 30 kms/ 10 - 19 miles)
We start the day with a ferry transfer to Salt Spring Island, the largest and most populated of the Southern Gulf Islands.  Arriving in Long Harbour we’ll ride a scenic loop of the north end of the Island, around St Mary Lake, to the main township of Ganges.  Here will have lunch and check into our warm and comfortable accommodations for the night.  This afternoon offers you a choice of another great ride around the southern part of the Island; or a tour of some of the local galleries; or shopping the quaint shops in Ganges.  Dinner is at a popular local restaurant.  

Day Four: (approx. dist: 35 kms/ 22 miles)
After breakfast we’ll ride north to Vesuvius and take a short ferry ride to Crofton on Vancouver Island.  From here we’ll ride south to the quaint seaside village of Maple Bay.  Surrounded by smooth, pebbled beaches, Maple Bay is one of the finest natural harbours on the West Coast and one of Jacques Costeau’s favourite diving spots.  We will stop here for lunch and then continue on to our final destination and accommodations for the night in Cowichan Bay.  Tonight’s dinner will be at a local seafood restaurant.

Day Five: (Approx dist: 35 kms/ 22miles)
After a nice light breakfast we depart for the Kinsol Trestle where we’ll start our ride for the day on the Trans Canada Trail. This is one of the highlights as we are ride through pristine wilderness and over century old trestles where photograph and wildlife viewing opportunities abound.   

By midday we find ourselves crossing the Cowichan River and arriving at our destination for the day.  Here we lunch and decide what to do with the rest of our day. *Our hosts for the evening, Don and Rose, operate a white water kayak school on the Cowichan River, which makes this a perfect opportunity for those interested to join in a beginner’s clinic for the afternoon.  The other options are: a guided hike in search of Black Bear, Roosevelt Elk and other wildlife; enjoy a leisurely afternoon by the pool; or perhaps take your bike and explore the river and the town of Lake Cowichan on your own. Dinner tonight is a pool side barbeque with all the fixings, a soak in the hot tub and perhaps some tall tales around the camp fire.

Day Six: (Approx dist: 33 kms/21miles)
After breakfast we’ll bid a fond farewell to our hosts and then it’s on to our next destination; Port Renfrew on West Coast of Vancouver Island.  This little coastal fishing community is the gateway to the famous West Coast Trail and Pacific Rim National Park.  

We start off with a van shuttle down some rugged active logging roads (to active to ride) to our start point. From here we ride a deactivated logging road with many river crossings and some amazing areas of old growth forest including a stop at the not so famous Harris Creek Sitka Spruce. This tree must be seen to be believed, it’s as big as a house, maybe two.   

We continue on to Lizard Lake for our lunch and perhaps a swim along the shores of this pristine wilderness lake. After lunch it’s on to Port Renfrew and our accommodation for the night.  Tonight we’ll feast on a West Coast meal prepared on the private beach at our host property.

Day Seven: (Approx dist: 30-50 kms/20-30 miles)
Today we will start the day with a visit to the amazing tidal pools and rugged rocky out croppings of famous Botanical Beach, this is the West Coast at its most spectacular.  After our interpretive walk we’ll start our ride down the West Coast Road to Sooke, again combining driving the more difficult sections and riding the best, of course. Today’s ride takes us along some beautiful coastline including French and China Beach and the surfing hotspot of Jordan River.  Todays lunch will be a picnic lunch on the beach.  We will end our ride at a beautiful B&B with a relaxing hot tub and a short walk to spectacular views of the Juan de Fuca Strait.

Day Eight: (Approx dist: 50 kms/30 miles)
After breakfast today we head up to the Sooke River and the potholes.  This is a beautiful watershed with huge trees and deep pools of crystal clear water. After exploring the area we depart on the Galloping Goose trail towards Victoria. This old railway right of way leads us through old growth forest, along the shores of the Sooke basin and on through uninterrupted park and pasture land right to the doors of our office in Victoria, and the end of our adventure.

This 3-day cycling tours offers just a sample of what life on the Southern Gulf Islands is really like. Quiet roads, breathtaking views and laid back style is what this tour is all about.   We begin and ends this adventure in Victoria, BC, the Cycling Capital of Canada. It uses only the best high-quality bicycles and combines trails, roads, BC Ferries and van escort. We carefully select comfortable accommodation and take care of the lunch and dinner arrangements at some of the best locations in the Pacific Northwest!

Tour Details

Day One (approx 40 kms/ 25 miles)
From downtown Victoria, we will ride to the Saanich Peninsula.  Along the way we’ll stop at a local winery and cidery for a tour and tasting.  Lunch today will be at a local eatery.  After lunch we will make our way north to Swartz Bay where will board a BC Ferry to Mayne Island.  Mayne, once a Cariboo gold-rush stopover
(halfway between Vancouver Island and Vancouver’s Fraser River ports) has a colourful history
dating back long before early Spanish and British explorers arrived there.  When we arrive we
have a very short ride to our accommodations for the evening and a delicious dinner.

Day Two (approx. 35 kms/ 22 miles)
After breakfast, we will set out to explore Mayne Island.  Our first stop of the day is at the
historic Lighthouse Park at Georgina Point with spectacular views of Active Pass and
the Strait of Georgia.  We’ll then set out for the Japanese Gardens and after a short
stroll through the Gardens we’ll boarding another ferry for a quick 20-minute crossing to the
Pender Islands.

Pender Island was just one island but in 1902 a channel was dredged to create a safe passage
for steamships, creating the now two islands.  It wasn’t until 1955 that a one-lane bridge
rejoined the islands; a delay that may account for the noticeable differences between the two
islands today.  The day’s end brings us to one of the most beautiful harbours in all of BC,
Bedwell Harbour and the Poet’s Cove Resort and Spa. We’ll check in, get refreshed and
ready for another great dinner and spectacular sunset.

Day Three (approx. 30 km/ 19 miles)
After a leisure morning enjoying the property we’ll start with a ferry transfer to Vancouver
Island and the Township of Sidney, a quaint seaside town on the north east coast of the Saanich
Penisula.  From here we cycle the Lochside Trail which traverses bird sanctuaries, active farmlands,
seaside trails and train trestles as it winds its way back to Victoria. and the end of our journey. Incredible
views of the Coastal Mountains, including the massive Mount Baker volcano, make for unparalleled vistas.

Tour Price Includes: All accommodations as noted (B&Bs, inns, cottages); all meals starting with lunch
on day one through lunch on day 3; van transportation and transfers, hybrid bikes, helmets and of
course our experienced local guides. Does not include airport/hotel transfers in Victoria; alcoholic
beverages;or gratuities.

This tour of the Greater Victoria and the Cowichan Valley offers cyclists the serenity of an ocean vista against an unparalleled and picturesque backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Winding gradually along the gorgeous eastern shoreline of Southern Vancouver Island, riders will enjoy the people, unique villages, seascapes, and aboriginal cultures of Mill Bay, Cobble Hill, and ultimately, our destination for the day at Cowichan Bay.

Cowichan Valley, or “Quw’utsun”, meaning “the warm land” in the language of the Cowichan’s aboriginal people, offers spectacular views of Saltspring Island, Mt Tzouhalem and parts of the Finlayson Arm-Goldstream Park fjord. Cruise on your bikes through seaside to the village of Mill Bay or along the idyllic Shawnigan Lake.

A favourite on our tour is at BC’s only estate cider maker, Merridale Estate Cidery. Roll on through postcard-like scenic agricultural lands, grape growing country, and local farms where fruit growers and dairy farmers produce their fresh goods daily. Enjoy a wine tasting tour at one of Vancouver Island’s finest vineyards, Cherry Point. The Cowichan tribes have a fantastic tasting room and multi-use ceremony facility among one of the largest and most established vineyards in the region.

Finally, Relish the completion of your day with a homemade ice cream cone from a very special roadside vendor and visit the many unique craft shops of Cowichan Bay.

This full day of touring includes a hybrid-style bicycle, helmet, map, water bottle, all fares and transfers, lunch, and, of course, your friendly guides.

All riders will meet and register at 9:00 a.m. at the office of CycleTreks/ Great Pacific Adventures located at 1000 Wharf Street.

This full day tour winds though some of Victoria’s best cycling routes. We begin in historic James Bay. This quaint seaside village includes the childhood home of Emily Carr, one of Canada’s most famous artists. After cycling through Beacon Hill Park and along the stunningly beautiful waterfront we stop for lunch at Oak Bay Marina. After lunch we continue on to Mount Douglas Park, an oasis of old growth trees within the city. Here we’ll take a short hike to the top of Mount Douglas for a breathtaking view of Victoria. After getting back on the bikes we quickly meet up with the Galloping Goose Trail, the local cycling trail network, which will takes us through local farms, past bird sanctuaries and over trestle bridges back to our starting point in downtown Victoria.

All riders will meet and register at 10:00 a.m. at the office of CycleTreks/ Great Pacific Adventures located at 1000 Wharf Street.