Vancouver

Vancouver to Victoria Seaplane Day Trip with Whale Watching Tour

Name: Vancouver to Victoria Seaplane Day Trip with Whale Watching Tour
Brand: Harbour Air Seaplanes
SKU: 3020_VAN7
Price: 563.60 USD
Rating: 4.5 (123 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceVancouver, Canada

Seaplane Flight to Victoria and Whale Watching Cruise

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From $563.60

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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

10 hours
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Overview

Discover the natural wonders of Vancouver and Victoria an exhilarating whale watching excursion! Delight in lovely aerial views on the crossing of the Strait of Georgia by seaplane—the most eco-friendly transport to Victoria. From the island capital, set off on an exciting cruise through Haro Strait, native home to orcas (killer whales), sea lions and seals, followed by a return flight to the mainland.

Whale watching cruise by boat to spot Southern Resident killer whales
Two flights between Vancouver and Victoria are included
See seals, sea lions, seabirds, and the spectacular vistas of Southern Vancouver Island
Small group tour ensures personalized service

What's Included

Roundtrip scenic seaplane flight from Vancouver to Victoria
Whale-watching cruise
Carbon offset levy
GST (Goods and Services Tax)

Gratuities
Food and beverages
Hotel pickup and drop off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Harbour Air Seaplanes
1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3, Canada
Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre Unit #1 - 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC, V6C 0C3 The seaplane terminal is located at Burrard Landing in Coal Harbour. Parking is available at 1095 W Waterfront Rd, Vancouver, BC. Check-in for your flight 40 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Kick off your oceanic adventure from downtown Vancouver. Choose your departure time, meet your pilot, and board the seaplane for a thrilling water take-off.

Leave behind Vancouver’s bustling harbor for the dramatic beauty of the Straight of Georgia. You have plenty of air time to soak up great aerial views of snow-capped mountains and verdant coastline before landing in Victoria. From there, board an open-topped Zodiac or covered Ocean Cruiser (please make your boat selection at time of purchase) for the whale-watching cruise.

Set off into Haro Strait, an area flush with salmon—a natural attraction for orcas during migration! Spot whale pods, as well as seals, sea lions, sea otters and more. Throughout your ride, your guide shares fascinating facts about the resident marine life, and explain the area’s unique oceanic ecosystem.

After your cruise, choose to head directly back to the mainland by seaplane, or stay in Victoria to visit great attractions like the Butchart Gardens or the Empress Hotel, known for its fabulous traditional English tea service. Please check with your guide for the last flight time of the day.

This tour is seasonal, operating from March to October.

Harbour Air Seaplanes

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Haro Straits (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
Children must be accompanied by an adult on the seaplane flight, and whale watching excursion.

Not handicap accessible.
Duration of tour may vary.
On the whale watching excursion, covered vessel tours welcome people of all ages, however the zodiacs are restricted to those that are 6 years old and above, and a minimum height of 4 feet.
Sorry, pets cannot be accommodated on the whale watching excursion. However, certified service animals can be accommodated on covered vessel tours only, and not zodiacs.
Please present Government issued photo ID at check in
Check in 40 minutes prior to departure time
Passengers not checked-in before the check-in cutoff time will not be able to board their flight and will not be refunded their fare. A no show fee of 100% will be charged 20 minutes prior to flight departure on unclaimed seats.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Heather_D

The seaplane experience was awesome! Safe, friendly and a fast way to get to Victoria. The whale watching was a lot of fun! If it’s cool and rainy, rain coat and rain pants are a must! Top of the boat is the best views. We saw humpback whales, sea lions, Harbour seals and eagles.

Reviews

4.5

123 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 123 reviews

A very rewarding experience

Tasha_D, Oct 2023

We saw many humpback whales, sealing, seals, and even a couple bald eagles. It was a super clear day and the views were stunning. We even saw a Grey Whale which from what I heard is more rare.

Whales, whales, whales!

Lisa_M, Sep 2023

Amazing day! We saw dozens of whales! Captain Bill was great and out crewmen, Jake and Derek were fantastic - funny, knowledgeable, and helpful. The trip was everything we’d hoped for!

Fun times

Brent_D, Aug 2023

Great trip. Seaplane flight was beautiful and comfortable. Whale watching tour was terrific. Our tour guide, Ryan was fantastic. Highly recommend the trip!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Brent_D, Thank you for the five-star review. We are so pleased to hear you enjoyed the experience and enjoyed the beautiful views from above. We appreciate the recommendation, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Amazing experience!

Sheereen_A, Aug 2023

Absolutely amazing experience. Highly recommended. We took a seaplane from Downtown Vancouver to Victoria and back again on the last flight. We had part of the day to go around Victoria (although we didn’t get time to go to the gardens) we then went for a 3 hour whale watching experience with Edward the legend, knowledgable fun and make the trip so exciting - we saw killer whales and hump back whales. Bucket list stuff ✅

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Sheereen, thank you so much for your kind and detailed review! We are so pleased you enjoyed your trip to Victoria and experience with Orca Spirit. Looking forward to seeing you for your next adventure. - Harbour Air Team

Great experience

Rachel_P, Aug 2023

The sea plane was such fun and seeing humpbacks so close was awesome. Many thanks to our very skilled skipper who made us feel safe. I loved how respectful he was of the animals as well as being so knowledgeable.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Rachel, Thank you for your five-star review. We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the experience. We are so happy to hear you were able to see humpback whales during your tour - it certainly does make for a memorable experience. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Great day

FLORENT_M, Aug 2023

Great trip, great team, it was just perfect , respectful of the whales, very pleasant flight trip, well done

Response from Host, Aug 2023

thank you so much for your review! We are so pleased you enjoyed your trip to Victoria, and time with Orca Spirit. We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the spectacular scenery and had a chance to encounter some of British Columbia's most iconic inhabitants. Looking forward to seeing you for your next adventure. - Harbour Air Team

Just unbelievable

Gerald_K, Aug 2023

Just great - a real once in a lifetime experience. The whales were as close as two meters to the Zodiac!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Gerald, thank you for your five-star review. We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the experience and saw these majestic creatures up close. Looking forward to seeing you for your next adventure. - Harbour Air Team

Amazing memories were made

Lucy_H, Aug 2023

This was a day I will remember for a long time! The seaplane was really fun, amazing views. We did an open boat for the whale watching tour, and I was awestruck for the whole 3 hours... the views across the water to the mountains were incredible enough, then we saw a humpback whale jump out of the water which was unbelievable, we also saw eagles and seals and sea lions. Don't even know what to say. Best day ever and totally worth the money

Must do trip - fantastic

Natalie_M, Jul 2023

Great seaplane trip to Victoria. Whale watching trip on the zodiac was great fun, we managed to see seals, a californian seal, sea otter, bald eagle, a humpback whale and a pod of orcas - absolutely fantastic. Would definitely recommend this trip - would have enjoyed it even if we'd been unlucky and not seen whales but to see them was brilliant. Explored a little of Victoria, fishermans wharf is well worth finding.

Fun, fast and a treat

Nicolie_C, Jul 2023

Loved the seaplane and views. A quick and easy way to get to the island. Victoria pretty to explore. The whale watching tour was fun. We were suited up and warm clothes, hat and sunglasses are worth taking. We saw lots of whales in their natural habitat. More info on the whales would have been good. The rib boat experience was good: fast, wet at times and close to the sea.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Nicolie_, Thank you for your five-star review. We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the experience. We are so happy to hear you love our services and the convenience of flying. Looking forward to your next flight with us.

Whale watching paradise!

Chris_G, Jul 2023

The whole trip was incredible. Stunning flights and seeing many humpbacks and orcas, including several jumping out of the water was witnessing nature at its very best. Brilliant and knowledgeable crew on the boat made it all the more special!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Chris_G, Thank you for your five-star review. We are so pleased to hear you enjoyed the experience. We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the stunning scenery and seeing many whales from above. We look forward to your next flight with us.

Great one day trip

Olga_F, Jun 2023

Sea plane ride was great, only 35min and you are in Victoria. Service and people in the airports, on the speedy boat were very welcoming and helpful. The weather was not great, but overall experience was nice and we managed to see the whales that was the aim of our trip.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Olga_F, Thank you for your five-star review. We are happy to hear you had a great flight. We work hard to meet the needs of our guests and we really appreciate hearing that our staff is very welcoming and helpful. We hope to welcome you aboard again someday.

Excellent Time

Heather_D, Jun 2023

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Heather, Thank you for your five-star review. We're so pleased to hear your experience was awesome flying with us. We are so happy to hear you love our services and the convenience of flying. The safety of our passengers and crew is always top of our minds, and appreciate your recognition. We look forward to your next flight with us.

Disappointing Experience

jkmoses100, May 2023

This was very disappointing. We originally scheduled our trip for April 29. It worked with our schedule and the predicted weather (which was AMAZING). We were contacted by the cruise company that our cruise was canceled that day (no reason given) would we like to reschedule. Other than canceling completely we rescheduled for May 5 (which we had to move things around to accommodate). On May 3 I was again contacted by the cruise company that the 10am boat we scheduled may be canceled due to low number of passengers and they have reserved places on their 2:00 cruise. So, again we were moved. In the end we were not able to do any part of the trip. The weather was not clear enough fir the sea plane to fly. Viator was very responsive and issued a full refund that same day. However, just overall disappointing because our originally scheduled date wound have been perfect weather and not caused us to rearrange other plans and then eventually not do it at all.

Response from Host, May 2023

jkmoses1, we are sorry to hear your whale watching excursion and return flight were cancelled due poor weather. We understand the disappointment with changing plans and missed excursions, however are pleased to hear Viator was able to issue a refund for your for these cancellations. Despite this experience, we hope to welcome you back aboard again soon in better weather.

A wonderful day

Andrew_H, Apr 2023

The whale watching team were brilliant. We didn’t actually see a whale (which means we have a lifetime free do over) but we did see bald eagles, seals, sea lions, a river otter and, best of all, a wild sea otter. Victoria is beautiful and having a few hours there added greatly to the day as did the fantastic views from the seaplane. Definitely an experience we would have again.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Andrew_, Thank you for your review. We're so pleased you enjoyed the experience and having a chance to see all different types of sea animals. We are happy to hear you enjoyed the fantastic views from above and look forward to your next flight with us.

Amazing day with Seaplane to Victoria and fabulous whale watching tour!

selli98282, Oct 2022

This was an amazing day for us as we flew from Vancouver to Victoria for the day on our first seaplane ride. I am extremely claustrophobic and was concerned I would not enjoy the flight. Despite it being a small interior, I never felt closed in and totally enjoyed the flight both ways. We had a clear day which helped with being able to view the city from above. The flight was smooth and enjoyable. Once we landed in Victoria we walked over to the Orca Spirits Adventures where we signed in for the whale watching excursion. Within a few minutes we were given flotation suits and soon on our way to a wonderful whale watching tour. We traveled a while before seeing our first sign of aquatic wildlife, which were some porposes. Soon afterwards we spotted out first of about 6 humpback whales. We were also brought to an area of numerous sea lions. You could smell and hear them before we could actually see them. They put on quite a show for us. The driver of our zodia was friendly and informative. The beautiful weather proved to be wonderful for this part of our excursion as well. What a fabulous day we had. I was impressed with the organization of these tours. All went smoothly. Highly recommend this tour to anyone wishing to go to Victoria.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

selli98282, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us and fellow Viator users. We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the experience and enjoyed the views from above. We are thrilled to hear you had such a fantastic time on your Whale watching tour and were able to see so many marine wildlife - it certainly does make for a memorable flight. We appreciate the recommendation, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Memories are made of this.

Phil_L, Sep 2022

Brilliant day. From the flights to the tour. The staff at Harbour Air were so helpful and Mick, our whale tour guide was excellent. Saw a plethora (pod/school) of humpback Wales which made our day. Money very well spent.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Phil_L, Thank you for your review! We work hard to meet the needs of our guests and we really appreciate hearing our staff is helpful. We are thrilled you saw a pod of humpback whales- it certainly does make for a memorable experience. Looking forward to seeing you again soon. - Harbour Air Seaplanes

Bucket List complete!

Taeko_A, Aug 2022

Worth every penny! First time doing both sea plane and whale watching and it was beyond expectations! The staff and crew of all, Viator (Ryan helped me rebook), Harbour Air and the whale watching crew(Adrian) was amazing! Can't say enough about this package! Bucket List checked off!

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Taeko_A, Thank you very much for your detailed five-star review! Your kinds words will not doubt benefit fellow Viator users who are considering using our services. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your first Harbour Air experience, and the value of our services. Looking forward to your next flight with us!

Amazing day out

Jo_H, Aug 2022

Great day - sea plane ( gorgeous views over Vancouver and the islands around Victoria) whale watching and exploring Victoria Saw humpback whales and also seal lions , seals and porpoise Would definitely recommend

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Jo_H, Thank you for your review. We are so pleased to hear you enjoyed the gorgeous views from above and were able to see whales and sealions. It certainly does make for a memorable flight. Thank you for the recommendation, and we look forward to seeing you again.

an unique experience

guillermo_d, Aug 2022

an unique experience...flying in a seaplane...visiting Victoria...sailing during 3 hours searching whales....worth to do it

Response from Host, Aug 2022

guillerm, Thank you for your review! We are pleased to hear you enjoyed the unique experience and appreciate the recommendation. We look forward to seeing you again soon. - Harbour Air Seaplanes

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