Fun, Food & Farms: Gourmet Food Lovers' 4 Day Tour
Itinerary
Day1.
Vancouver to Vancouver Island
Tantalize your taste buds with this delicious tour itinerary. Your excursion begins by departing Vancouver via the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal, bound for Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula.
Surrounded by coastal waters and the rich farming regions of the SaanichPeninsula, there is no better place to begin your gourmet getaway. Seafood, particularly salmon and shellfish - mainstays of West Coast cuisine - can be caught fresh from Pacific waters and married with an abundance of local produce right from local area farms. Such are the ingredients used by talented local chefs to prepare magical creations just for you. There's a wide variety of accommodation options in Sidney-by- the-sea, the Saanich region and BrentwoodBay, so feed your soul and then settle in to “island life” with a good night's sleep. Overnight:SaanichPeninsula / BrentwoodBay
Day2.
Saanich Peninsula to Cowichan Valley
Wake up your senses at a nearby café before taking “Vancouver Island’s most beautiful shortcut”, the Mill Bay Ferry, for a trip across the Saanich Inlet to the Island’s gourmet heartland, the CowichanValley. In the local native language, the name of this community translates to mean "the warm land," and for good reason: it receives more sun and provides the best growing conditions of anyplace else on Vancouver Island. Some of the many delicacies you will find here include local asparagus, salad greens, cheese, lamb, free range poultry, balsamic vinegar and fine wines.
If you're in search of a unique culinary experience, why not try a guided Mushroom hunt? This popular fall activity finds you participating in a search for various species including chanterelles, morels and hedgehogs. Local chefs prepare imaginative dishes using the fungi delicacies found on these tours. Imagine a mushroom martini!If you don’t happen to be "Mmmmm" for mushrooms then include a herb farm into a winery and farm tour itinerary.Your options are endless!
Whether it is a self-guided cuisine adventure, or one offered with a local tour guide, you will be delighted with the selection of tasty treats served by area restaurants. Overnight:Duncan / Cowichan Valley area
Day3.
Cowichan Valley to Victoria or Sooke
Today your tour takes you to British Columbia's beautiful Capital City, Victoria. Drive 45 minutes south along the scenic stretch of highway called the Malahat. Stay and enjoy the rich heritage and culture that Victoria is known for, then continue to the west coast community of Sooke where you'll be surrounded by beautiful seaside landscape. Talented chefs and purveyors of fine food in a number of fine dining restaurants, hotels and specialty food shops throughout southern Vancouver Island will offer and prepare for you the freshest local flavours featuring ales, meats & seafood, fresh produce and more, in a culinary reflection of the Pacific Northwest.
For a change of pace, enjoy a dinner cruise or dinner theatre performance. Dinner cruises are a great way to see waterfront attractions while enjoying a fine meal at sea. They generally last about three hours and range from casual fare to fine dining.Or, if you are interested in a more lively boating experience, charters can be arranged to drink, dance and be merry in the safety and privacy of a fully crewed yacht.
Dinner theatre, on the other hand, is always a treat that can be easily incorporated into your itinerary. There are a variety of places that offer wonderful performances and exquisite menus.Enjoy dinner and drinks followed by decadent desserts and a live production. Overnight:Victoria or Sooke
Day4.
Victoria or Sooke to Vancouver
Enjoy the morning at your leisure before departing Vancouver Island via SwartzBay to Vancouver where gastronomic adventure continues. This vibrant city is a wonderful place to wind up your flavourful travels as world-class dining and a fanciful array of cuisine offerings are mainstays of this spectacular region. Overnight:Vancouver
Whether your purpose of travel is a fine-dining circle tour, an active outdoor adventure or a romantic getaway, make the most of what Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Victoria and the GulfIslands have to offer: world class cuisine, superb atmosphere and spectacular scenery. Bon Appetit!
