Vancouver Island by Motorhome

Depart the UK on your chosen scheduled flight to Vancouver. Upon arrival, independently make your way to your hotel, where you spend the first night of your adventure.

Accommodation

Included

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Close

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Like the city that surrounds it, the Fairmont is rich in history, vibrant and cosmopolitan. Subtly luxurious, the 556 guestrooms and suites are spacious and cater to guests’ every need. In-room coffee-makers, a refreshment centre and cosy bathrobes ensure guest comfort and convenience. Selecting a 9th floor Fairmont Gold room provides the added luxuries of private lounge access and personal concierge assistance during your stay.

FAIRMONT ROOM
Bed type: One King, one Queen, or two Queen beds Size: 275 to 350 sq. ft. Spacious residential-styled rooms located on floors 2 through 8. These newly renovated guest rooms offer elegant décor and are furnished with reproduction antiques.

DELUXE CITY VIEW ROOM
Bed type: One King, one Queen, or two Queen beds Size: 275 to 350 sq. ft. Spacious residential-styled rooms located on floors 10 through 13 offering stunning views of the city skyline. These newly renovated guest rooms offer elegant décor and are furnished with reproduction antiques.

DELUXE CORNER ROOM
Bed Type: One King or one Queen Size: 300 to 450 sq. ft. The Deluxe rooms offer exquisite décor, luxury and comfort as well as more natural lighting with the double windows. These rooms are bright and spacious and offer corridor city views.

JUNIOR SUITE
Bed Type: One King Size: 450 to 500 sq. ft. A spacious room with the luxury and elegance of a Fairmont room but more living space. Here you can find a quiet corner to relax with an inviting living space.

FAIRMONT GOLD ACCOMMODATIONS
A “hotel within a hotel”, Fairmont Gold is dedicated to a consistently high quality of service designed to satisfy the most discerning of traveler. Fairmont Gold is located on the 9th floor and creates an atmosphere of privacy with a separate Concierge and check-in desk. Guests on this floor have access to an exclusive lounge, which features complimentary deluxe continental breakfast, morning newspaper, and complimentary coffee, tea, and café au lait throughout the day, with canapés served at cocktail hour. The Concierge staff is happy to arrange theater, dinner reservations, limousines, and any other special touches you require.

FAIRMONT GOLD ROOM
Bed Type: One King, one Queen, or two Queen beds Size: 350 sq. ft. Residential in style, Fairmont Gold rooms are graciously appointed featuring a large work area with a desk, two telephones, complimentary High-Speed Internet access, twice-daily housekeeping services as well as a variety of additional services and amenities.

FAIRMONT ONE BEDROOM SUITE
Bed Type: One King, one Queen, or two Queen beds Size: 750 sq. ft. A luxurious home away from home featuring two rooms – a sitting area to relax by day and the comfort of a gracious bedroom, separated by two sets of French glass doors. A Fairmont One Bedroom Suite features a king bed, or two queen beds, one full bathroom, as well as the standard Fairmont business services and amenities.

View Hotel

Pick up your motorhome from the Vancouver depot. Be sure to check ferry times and book the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay Ferry, which takes about ninety minutes across the Alaska Marine Highway. Allow around four hours to reach the ferry terminal to account for traffic and to ensure plenty of time to board. Head south along the Trans-Canada Highway and take the ferry across to Saanich, on southern Vancouver Island. Once you arrive, West Bay Marine Village is just 20 miles away, with spectacular views of Victoria’s harbour.

Once you leave the urban and suburban areas, the route climbs over the rugged Malahat Highlands, made up of volcanic rock covered by 400-year-old Douglas firs, which were once common throughout Victoria in colonial times. The rivers here have gravel beds left behind by early glaciers and subsequent erosion, and are home to thousands of salmon. The Malahat Summit offers several stunning vantage points for viewing the Saanich Inlet, a backwards-facing fjord shaped by glacial flow. The lowland valleys feature lush farmlands, tree farms, and orchards, while the rivers host Steelhead trout reaching up to a metre in length. Continuing north and overlooking the Strait of Georgia, consider exploring some of the scenic coastal areas before reaching Campbell River. From there, take the short ferry crossing to Quadra Island, where you can enjoy the spectacular Discovery Passage, often passed by cruise ships en route to Alaska and back.

Located on the northwest tip of Vancouver Island, Port Hardy is “where the adventure begins.” You might see pods of killer whales and schools of dolphins and porpoises leaping over the cresting waves. Cape Scott Provincial Park, at the northern point of the island, offers a fantastic opportunity to explore its fourteen-mile-long beach, where seals and sea lions play offshore. Beachcombers may even discover old Native trade beads or glass floats carried across the Pacific. A short journey south-east along the coast brings you to Beaver Cove and, beyond it, Telegraph Cove, both excellent spots to enjoy the coastal scenery and wildlife.

You’ll be retracing your route south, so if you missed anything on the way north, now is the perfect time to stop. Along the way past Campbell River, you’ll find several beautiful provincial parks to explore, including Morton Lake, Elk Falls, and Miracle Beach. The area around Qualicum Bay is known for its fresh seafood, with scenic pull-outs giving easy access to sandy and pebble beaches, and local docks offering daily catches. Be sure to visit Little Qualicum Falls, a charming and picturesque waterfall tucked into this coastal region.

It’s only a short journey today to explore Vancouver Island’s second city. Nanaimo offers natural beauty at every turn, nestled between Mount Benson and the Strait of Georgia. The thriving local arts and music scene has something happening every day. History enthusiasts will enjoy wandering through Nanaimo’s winding downtown, discovering historic buildings that have been transformed into charming shops, restaurants, and museums, particularly in the Old City Quarter. There are also abundant shopping opportunities, and for the more adventurous, activities such as bungy jumping, rock climbing walls, and more await. Whether you’re seeking fun, excitement, or a leisurely day of shopping, Nanaimo has plenty to offer.

The Horseshoe Bay–Departure Bay Ferry is just ten minutes away, and the crossing takes about two hours. Once in Horseshoe Bay, continue to Burnaby on the outskirts of Vancouver, where you’ll find easy access to the city via bus or a 15-minute walk to the SkyTrain. Vancouver is one of our favourite cities and definitely deserves some of your time.

Return your motorhome to the Cruise America depot, make your way to the airport and check in for your flight back to the UK.