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Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island
Overview

Vancouver Island holidays

The Vancouver Island region encompasses Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and a part of the mainland. This tranquil and beautiful part of Canada offers a large variety of landscapes with a diverse ecosystem that includes rainforest, mountains, beaches, lakes and rivers. These habitats provide abundant opportunities for viewing wildlife such as birds, bears and whales. The usual point of entry is via the capital, Victoria, reached in little more than 20 minutes by float plane or a couple of hours via the state ferry system from Vancouver.

Explore Vancouver Island

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Top things to do in Vancouver Island

Bear watching in Clayoquot Sound

Board a small inflatable Zodiac boat and explore the fjord inlets of Clayoquot Sound, searching for the black bears resident in the area. These bears often amble down from the forests to feed on crab, clams and barnacles along the coastline. During the cruise a knowledgeable local guide will explain about the local environment and the importance of the bears to the ecosystem.

Floral displays at the Butchart Gardens

A short drive from Victoria are the Butchart Gardens. These internationally renowned floral gardens were founded by the Butcharts in 1906 with a small Japanese Garden. They have since grown to more than 22 hectares of gardens. The blooms are glorious from March through to October. Displays include the Rose Garden, the Sunken Garden and the Japanese Garden.

Whale watching in Clayoquot Sound

Board a custom-designed Zodiac or covered vessel for a whale-watching tour, visiting the gray whale feeding areas near Tofino before heading into the pristine waters of Clayoquot Sound. Here you can spot sea lions, seals, porpoises and orcas (killer whales). The area is also known for its variety of sea birds, including tufted puffins and resident bald eagles. The annual gray whale migration occurs from March to May, while resident gray and humpback whales are present in local feeding areas from June to November.

The latest from Compass - our online travel magazine

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"The highlights were seeing the rainforest for the first time, the knowledge of our local guides was also amazing. Costa Rica has been the holiday of a lifetime for me…I cannot fault the service.
Mrs Tooley"

"The whole organisation worked incredibly well and we had a most informative and enjoyable visit. Yoshie Matsumoto must be the most outstanding guide in Japan. She was absolutely superb and added a great deal to our enjoyment.
Mr Kirkland"

"The unplanned and unexpected encounter with a traditional Burmese procession taking young boys to the monastery to become monks and girls to have their ears pierced. Half a mile long, it consisted of ridden horses, oxcarts, ponies & traps, elephants and motor vehicles, all festooned with flowers and gay decorations and accompanied by loud music. It was not in a tourist location and was by the locals, for the locals. Absolutely glorious.
Mr Jeremy Waters"

"Our trip to Egypt that you organised ran like clockwork. Many, many thanks.
Mr Fishburn"

"Getting really close to the glaciers from the cruise ship was terrific.
Mr Richard Dobson"

"I very much enjoyed the talks by William Taylor and our guide Hamdi, who were both very knowledgeable. Istanbul is a buzzy place with great scenery, history and interesting people & visitors. To see the city and its surroundings placed in perspective was very insightful. I learned a lot, from Rev'd Taylor and Hamdi and also the other party members. I am looking forward to going back to Istanbul in the future.
Dr Michael James"

"There was no one inspirational moment as there were so many! I shall never forget our granddaughter's wow moment when she saw the first elephant so close to our vehicle at Shamwari Game reserve.
Mrs Penelope Cook"

"The guidance and advice you provided were invaluable. Your choice of locations, itinerary were all spot on. Your efforts in preparing your colleagues for our arrival and your kindness throughout were all fantastic. We truly have returned with the rich taste of both northern and southern India we had hoped we would experience.
Mr Alfandary"

"The landscapes of Namibia were more than I had imagined and the people so friendly. All your hotels and lodges were perfect. Once again, many thanks for a wonderful holiday. We will certainly use Cox & Kings again!
Ms. Canning"

"An enjoyable and memorable tour which will remain the ‘experience of a lifetime’.
D J Barlow and H F Gregg"

"The tented game reserve at Nkomwasi was sensational. The rangers were excellent in every way accommodation was well above average and the meals up to a very high standard. The second moment was the meal in the vineyard with the four course meal accompanied by wine with every course. The view was absolutely magnificent.
Mr David Buss"

"We would recommend this holiday to anyone wanting to visit India.
Dr Leslie Wills"

"The whole holiday was a fantastic experience, made especially so firstly by the fantastic guide, and secondly by the wonderful company of your other guests.
Mr David Carter"

"We have recently returned from our honeymoon in Japan and just wanted to let you know what an absolutely fantastic time we had! Our guide was fantastic, the accommodation in Tokyo and Kyoto was first class and the ryokan on Miyajima Island was an amazing experience.
Angela and Adrian Turner"

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MONTH BY MONTH

READ OUR COMPASS BLOG

THE COX & KINGS DIFFERENCES

Vancouver Island holidays

Explore Vancouver Island

Top things to do in Vancouver Island

Bear watching in Clayoquot Sound

Floral displays at the Butchart Gardens

Whale watching in Clayoquot Sound

The latest from Compass - our online travel magazine

Where to go for your autumn adventure

Where to go for your spring adventure

Where to go for your winter adventure

Where to go for your summer adventure

"The highlights were seeing the rainforest for the first time, the knowledge of our local guides was also amazing. Costa Rica has been the holiday of a lifetime for me…I cannot fault the service.
Mrs Tooley"

"The whole organisation worked incredibly well and we had a most informative and enjoyable visit. Yoshie Matsumoto must be the most outstanding guide in Japan. She was absolutely superb and added a great deal to our enjoyment.
Mr Kirkland"

"Our trip to Egypt that you organised ran like clockwork. Many, many thanks.
Mr Fishburn"

"Getting really close to the glaciers from the cruise ship was terrific.
Mr Richard Dobson"

"There was no one inspirational moment as there were so many! I shall never forget our granddaughter's wow moment when she saw the first elephant so close to our vehicle at Shamwari Game reserve.
Mrs Penelope Cook"

"The landscapes of Namibia were more than I had imagined and the people so friendly. All your hotels and lodges were perfect. Once again, many thanks for a wonderful holiday. We will certainly use Cox & Kings again!
Ms. Canning"

"An enjoyable and memorable tour which will remain the ‘experience of a lifetime’.
D J Barlow and H F Gregg"

"We would recommend this holiday to anyone wanting to visit India.
Dr Leslie Wills"

"The whole holiday was a fantastic experience, made especially so firstly by the fantastic guide, and secondly by the wonderful company of your other guests.
Mr David Carter"

"We have recently returned from our honeymoon in Japan and just wanted to let you know what an absolutely fantastic time we had! Our guide was fantastic, the accommodation in Tokyo and Kyoto was first class and the ryokan on Miyajima Island was an amazing experience.
Angela and Adrian Turner"

Begin your journey

Request a brochure

Featured Small-group Tour

Splendours of Andalucía

Featured Tour

HIGHLIGHTS OF MEXICO

MONTH BY MONTH

READ OUR COMPASS BLOG

THE COX & KINGS DIFFERENCES

Vancouver Island holidays

Explore Vancouver Island

Top things to do in Vancouver Island

Bear watching in Clayoquot Sound

Floral displays at the Butchart Gardens

Whale watching in Clayoquot Sound

The latest from Compass - our online travel magazine

Where to go for your autumn adventure

Where to go for your spring adventure

Where to go for your winter adventure

Where to go for your summer adventure

"The highlights were seeing the rainforest for the first time, the knowledge of our local guides was also amazing. Costa Rica has been the holiday of a lifetime for me…I cannot fault the service. Mrs Tooley"

"The whole organisation worked incredibly well and we had a most informative and enjoyable visit. Yoshie Matsumoto must be the most outstanding guide in Japan. She was absolutely superb and added a great deal to our enjoyment. Mr Kirkland"

"Our trip to Egypt that you organised ran like clockwork. Many, many thanks. Mr Fishburn"

"Getting really close to the glaciers from the cruise ship was terrific. Mr Richard Dobson"

"There was no one inspirational moment as there were so many! I shall never forget our granddaughter's wow moment when she saw the first elephant so close to our vehicle at Shamwari Game reserve. Mrs Penelope Cook"

"The landscapes of Namibia were more than I had imagined and the people so friendly. All your hotels and lodges were perfect. Once again, many thanks for a wonderful holiday. We will certainly use Cox & Kings again! Ms. Canning"

"An enjoyable and memorable tour which will remain the ‘experience of a lifetime’. D J Barlow and H F Gregg"

"We would recommend this holiday to anyone wanting to visit India. Dr Leslie Wills"

"The whole holiday was a fantastic experience, made especially so firstly by the fantastic guide, and secondly by the wonderful company of your other guests. Mr David Carter"

"We have recently returned from our honeymoon in Japan and just wanted to let you know what an absolutely fantastic time we had! Our guide was fantastic, the accommodation in Tokyo and Kyoto was first class and the ryokan on Miyajima Island was an amazing experience. Angela and Adrian Turner"

Begin your journey

Request a brochure

Hotel ratings

"The highlights were seeing the rainforest for the first time, the knowledge of our local guides was also amazing. Costa Rica has been the holiday of a lifetime for me…I cannot fault the service.
Mrs Tooley"

"The whole organisation worked incredibly well and we had a most informative and enjoyable visit. Yoshie Matsumoto must be the most outstanding guide in Japan. She was absolutely superb and added a great deal to our enjoyment.
Mr Kirkland"

"Our trip to Egypt that you organised ran like clockwork. Many, many thanks.
Mr Fishburn"

"Getting really close to the glaciers from the cruise ship was terrific.
Mr Richard Dobson"

"There was no one inspirational moment as there were so many! I shall never forget our granddaughter's wow moment when she saw the first elephant so close to our vehicle at Shamwari Game reserve.
Mrs Penelope Cook"

"The landscapes of Namibia were more than I had imagined and the people so friendly. All your hotels and lodges were perfect. Once again, many thanks for a wonderful holiday. We will certainly use Cox & Kings again!
Ms. Canning"

"An enjoyable and memorable tour which will remain the ‘experience of a lifetime’.
D J Barlow and H F Gregg"

"We would recommend this holiday to anyone wanting to visit India.
Dr Leslie Wills"

"The whole holiday was a fantastic experience, made especially so firstly by the fantastic guide, and secondly by the wonderful company of your other guests.
Mr David Carter"

"We have recently returned from our honeymoon in Japan and just wanted to let you know what an absolutely fantastic time we had! Our guide was fantastic, the accommodation in Tokyo and Kyoto was first class and the ryokan on Miyajima Island was an amazing experience.
Angela and Adrian Turner"