Canada · BOAT TOURS IN VANCOUVER ISLAND

The 15 Best Boat Tours in Vancouver Island

18 tours  ·  ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8 average  ·  from $132

Victoria Whale and Wildlife Cruise - Choosing between the open boat and catamaran
Boat Tours in Vancouver Island, Cruises & Boat Tours, Tour Reviews, Vancouver Island Tours, Whale Watching, Whale Watching in Vancouver Island, Wildlife, Wildlife Tours in Vancouver Island

Victoria Whale and Wildlife Cruise

1.Victoria Whale and Wildlife Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,729 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $146Our pick

Review of Victoria’s 3.5-hour Eagle Wing whale cruise, with orcas, humpbacks, seals, expert guides, boat advice, price, and practical tips.

“Absolutely amazing. I cried. The experience was so beautiful and having the Crew explain about the whales and the differences and life span was so interesting.”

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Victoria Zodiac Boat Whale Watching Adventure - Three hours in the Salish Sea
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Victoria Zodiac Boat Whale Watching Adventure

2.Victoria Zodiac Boat Whale Watching Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 916 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $154

Review of Victoria’s 3-hour Zodiac whale-watching tour, with practical advice on wildlife, comfort, safety, price, weather, and booking.

“A thrilling adventure and very worthwhile. Appreciated the suits, hats, gloves that kept us warm. A wonderful view of orcas and humpback whales. The sea lions were very entertaining. Mark, our captain, was very engaging and informative about these magnificent creatures.”

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Pedicab Tour of Victoria from Cruise Ship Terminal - James Bay, heritage homes, and a local coffee stop
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Pedicab Tour of Victoria from Cruise Ship Terminal

3.Pedicab Tour of Victoria from Cruise Ship Terminal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 436 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $180

Review of Victoria’s private pedicab tour from the cruise terminal, with Beacon Hill Park, Old Town, Chinatown, pricing, tips, and practical advice.

“This was a great way to see the city in our limited time in Victoria. Andre was very knowledgeable and was an amazing tour guide. We enjoyed being able to see the city at our own pace with plenty of stops along the way for pictures.”

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From Victoria: Whale Watching Trip on Covered Boat - Three hours on the Salish Sea
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From Victoria: Whale Watching Trip on Covered Boat

4.Whale Watching Trip on Covered Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 427 reviews · 3 hours · from $132Best value

Cruise Victoria’s Salish Sea for whales, sea lions, and eagles aboard a covered boat with guides, hot drinks, photos, and a sighting guarantee.

“Extremely well organised and very informative trip. Jake & Liam were excellent guides and captain Gordon did a great job. We were lucky enough to see both humpback & killer whales plus lots of sea lions. Would not hesitate to recommend this company.”

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Summer Whale Watching Tour in a Zodiac Boat in Victoria - Race Rocks and its busy marine neighborhood
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Summer Whale Watching Tour in a Zodiac Boat in Victoria

5.Summer Whale Watching Tour in a Zodiac Boat in Victoria

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 342 reviews · 3 hours 20 minutes (approx.) · from $144

Ride a small Zodiac from Victoria to see orcas, humpbacks, seals, and sea lions, with close wildlife views and free rebooking if whales stay away.

“I enjoyed the tour. I thought it was cool to see various humpbacks, seals and sea lions. It was really nice to see the other parts of Victoria by boat. I did not care too much for our guide. I was extremely excited to learn about the wildlife, Victoria and anything else. Our guide seemed distracted and unfocused. Each time our guide would share a fact about something it felt as though he was unsure about what he was saying. Almost as if he didn’t know what he was doing. We also heard a phone call from the office that he miss-counted the amount of guests and just laughed it…”

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Victoria Whale Watching Cruise with Expert Naturalists - Watching orcas, humpbacks, and smaller marine life
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Victoria Whale Watching Cruise with Expert Naturalists

Victoria Sunset Whale-Watching Cruise - Finding orcas, humpbacks, and smaller wildlife
Boat Tours in Vancouver Island, Cruises & Boat Tours, Evening Experiences, Tour Reviews, Vancouver Island Tours, Whale Watching, Whale Watching in Vancouver Island

Victoria Sunset Whale-Watching Cruise

7.Victoria Sunset Whale-Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 281 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $138

Review of Victoria’s sunset whale-watching cruise, with orcas, humpbacks, sea lions, warm gear, naturalist guides, and a whale guarantee.

“Lots of variety not just whales, though we saw whales too. We saw a beautiful island lighthouse, sea lions, seals, cool boat ride, beautiful jaunt into the harbor in the evening. Knowledgeable guides”

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From Victoria: Whale Watching Tour by Zodiac Boat - Meeting SpringTide on Wharf Street
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From Victoria: Whale Watching Tour by Zodiac Boat

Campbell River: Whale & Wildlife Discovery Cruise - Picking the covered boat or the zodiac
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Campbell River: Whale & Wildlife Discovery Cruise

9.Campbell River: Whale & Wildlife Discovery Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 143 reviews · 4 hours · from $175

Review of Campbell River’s four-hour whale and wildlife cruise, with vessel choices, wildlife odds, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“the weather was rainy and cold - couldn’t see through windows to spot anything for most of the trip, as they were covered with rain from the outside and steam inside. I was disappointed - only saw sea lions, seals and eagles. It was my bucket list trip to see whales and we didn’t see any.”

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Campbell River: 4 Hour Whale & Wildlife Zodiac Boat Tour - Discovery Passage and the first island views
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Campbell River: 4 Hour Whale & Wildlife Zodiac Boat Tour

Nanaimo: Whale Watching Open Boat Tour - Crossing the Salish Sea in an open boat
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Nanaimo: Whale Watching Open Boat Tour

11.Nanaimo: Whale Watching Open Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 85 reviews · 4 hours · from $182

Review of Nanaimo’s four-hour open boat whale tour, with orcas, humpbacks, marine biology insights, practical tips, cost, and comfort advice.

“This was an exceptional experience, from start to finish. The guide was excellent and informative, the captain steady and safe, the boat was comfortable and reliable, and the whales were truly impressive, beautiful, and magical creatures. This is a memory above all.”

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Campbell River: Bute Inlet Grizzly-Watching Tour & Boat Ride - Meeting at The Floathouse in Campbell River
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Campbell River: Bute Inlet Grizzly-Watching Tour & Boat Ride

12.Campbell River: Bute Inlet Grizzly-Watching Tour & Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · 9 hours · from $557

Review of Campbell River’s 9-hour Bute Inlet grizzly tour, with Homalco guides, whale watching, boat views, lunch, and practical tips.

“This activity was one of the very best we have experienced to date, the passion and enthusiasm shown by Captain John, Laura and the First Nation guides to the wildlife and ecosystem was exceptional, their expertise and knowledge was second to none. The whole experience was exhilarating and we would highly recommend this service.”

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Nanaimo: Whale Watching Semi-Covered Boat Tour - A semi-covered boat with a small group
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Nanaimo: Whale Watching Semi-Covered Boat Tour

13.Nanaimo: Whale Watching Semi-Covered Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 48 reviews · 4 hours · from $182

Search the Salish Sea from Nanaimo on a small semi-covered boat, with expert guides, whale sightings guaranteed, and conservation insight.

“It was a great day. We saw several whales and had such beautiful weather. Aly and Joseph were a great team. Their service and education were top-notch. We would highly recommend this excursion to anyone.”

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Campbell River: 6-Hour Whale Watching Boat Tour - Starting at the Floathouse
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Campbell River: 6-Hour Whale Watching Boat Tour

14.Campbell River: 6-Hour Whale Watching Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 46 reviews · 6 hours · from $245

Review of Campbell River’s six-hour whale watching tour, with orcas, humpbacks, dolphins, lunch, boat advice, pricing, and practical tips.

“Amazing trip, Steve was very knowledgeable. Great boat, ideal for the job. Had to wear the float suits, but a small price to pay. We had the pleasure of seeing at least 12 separate Humpbacks during our trip, including one breaching. Seals and sessions too. A small point, but for me one that makes the difference, lunch. It could have been easy to have bought in something commercial. No, we were treated to a "homemade" wrap, granola bar, dried fruit and cookies.”

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Campbell River: 4 Hour Whale & Wildlife Tour by Covered Boat - A covered boat that still feels close to the water
Boat Tours in Vancouver Island, Cruises & Boat Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Vancouver Island Tours, Whale Watching, Whale Watching in Vancouver Island, Wildlife, Wildlife Tours in Vancouver Island

Campbell River: 4 Hour Whale & Wildlife Tour by Covered Boat

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