TRIAL ISLANDS TOUR

Home to Oak Bay's iconic lighthouse and a local seal colony

$49-89/person
Photo Friendly 3 Hours 2-8 People Intermediate

Islands, seals & lighthouse

Discover the natural beauty of Victoria on our Trial Islands Kayak Tour, ideal for intermediate paddlers with some experience. As you paddle along, take in the stunning views of the snowcapped Olympic Mountains and Oak Bay's picturesque coastline, including the iconic lighthouse. A knowledgeable guide will lead the way, providing insights into the area's history and ensuring your safety. Keep an eye out for the playful seal colony that calls Trial Islands home.

Family kayak tour victoria be towards Seal island
Seal pup at Trial Islands tour
Two kayaker near Trial Island with the lighthouse in the background
Amazing Scenery

Enjoy a south coast kayaking experience meandering along Victoria's stunning southern coastline and a visit to iconic Trial Islands. Awe inspiring views of the Olympic mountains combined with the marine wildlife that makes Victoria famous, this tour is sure to leave you breathless!

Professional Service

Our tour guides are Paddle Canada certified sea kayak guides. Choose between Necky Eliza and Current Design Storm single kayak or (more stable and faster) Necky and Current design double kayaks. We include a snack on each kayaking tour. Private washroom amenities available.

See Wildlife

Visit the island's local seal colony, spot herons, cormorants, oyster catchers and eagles as we paddles along the amazing intertidal coastline. The occasional sea lion can bespotted around Trial's Southern point. Past hidden beaches, sea stars and floating jellyfish, this is a trip to remember!

Easy Access

We begin this trip at the highly photogenic Kitty Islet (with the red and yellow chairs!). There is free parking available here, and we have toilets located at our office which is directly across the street on Beach drive.

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Pricing

2-8 people per tour, 3 hrs

Child
2-13 yrs
$49/person
  • Kayak, Paddle and all safety equipment
  • Snack Provided
Adult
14 and over
$89/person
  • Kayak, Paddle and all safety equipment
  • Snack Provided

Trip Details

Total trip distance is between 8-12km (depending on speed of the group). Due to strong currents and winds around the Trials Islands they can only be accessed at certain times of the day. Tour times may have to be adjusted to correlate with slack tide. If winds are exceeding 20 km/h your guide will contact you before the tour to suggest an alternative route (e.g. our Oak Bay Coast & Islands Tour or along the southern shoreline of the stait of Juan de Fuca towards Ogden point) or reschedule/cancel the tour.

Meeting Up

We meet at Kitty Islet across from our office on Beach drive. We set you up with all your gear and you sign our waiver (If you have not already viewed and signed it online).
You should wear comfy clothing (fast drying athletic wear or merino wool is best but not required) and any kind of shoes (although water shoes or neoprene booties would be preferable) You won’t get very wet but some drops may sprinkle on you from paddling.
Valuables may be left with us to take to the office, locked in your car or taken in drybags on the trip.

Mini Lesson

We start with a brief review of safety signals on Kitty Beach before launching our kayaks. Here in the sheltered waters of McNeill Bay we will have a mini refresher lesson of basic kayaking strokes and emergency procedures before heading off on our adventure.

McNeill Bay

We will begin by following the shoreline around McNeill bay and making sure that everyone is comfortable and confident. Once our guide is convinced that everyone is safe on the water and can turn and paddle sufficently, we will continue with the tour and make our crossing to the Trial Islands.You will learn a bit of Victoria’s and McNeill Bay’s history as you paddle out on the beginning of our journey!

Trial Islands
We will make the crossing at various points according to the currents and the winds that are happening at the time. The middle of the islands are full of life….a large seal colony, cormorants, oyster catchers, eagles, blue herons….. there are a number of small pretty beaches and of course a close up of the Trial island Lighthouse. After having enjoyed this gem, and taken our fill of photos we will cross back over to Vancouver island again and continue the tour along the scenic strait of Juan de Fuca.
Gonzales/Foul Bay

After the Islands, we pass a number of small bays, mansions, and hidden pebble beaches before arriving at Harling/Foul point. From here we pass Harpooner rock, the Chinese cemetary, and then pass by the unmistakable Templer rock jutting out of the water.Lastly we will pass by what is arguably Victoria’s best sandy beach, Gonzales beach.(there are bathrooms here if needed)

Ross Bay and Cattle Point

After the sandy beach of Gonzales we continue west to the large pebbly beach of Ross Bay. Depending on group energy levels we will stop for a snack in the tiny Hollywood Cove or push on to the end of Ross Bay next to Clover Point.

Return trip

After a snack and a drink, it’s time to retrace our steps and return to Kitty Islet. If you’re not in a rush after your tour, take a map and do a short walking tour over to the hidden gems of McMicking Park and Anderson Hill Park only minutes away!

“I loved every minute of it. What an amazing way to see this beautiful city. Brook and Heike made sure we were well taken care of and felt safe the whole time. I can't wait to come back!”
Astrid Lange
Astrid Lange
Germany
“This was my first time kayaking. I had an awesome time. It was wonderful to breath fresh air, get a little exercise and have fun at the same time. I might be addicted to kayaking...”
Efrat Margalit
Efrat Margalit
Israel

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