Vancouver

Fly into Vancouver and take a private limousine transfer to the Opus Hotel in Yaletown, Vancouver's newest fashionable district and home to many good restaurants.  Vancouver’s unique location and history contribute to its amazing cultural diversity which is reflected in its food and restaurants. One of the culinary highlights of your time in Vancouver will be a private tour of the region’s top food shopping districts with a local chef who will provide your insight into the city’s dining scene.  On Wednesday and Saturday at 0830 you have the opportunity to take the Edible British Columbia tour of Granville Market; which houses an array of vendors selling largely locally produced goods from green grocers, butchers, bakers, fishmongers,  ethnic food sellers, sweet stands, and casual eateries, as well as a wine shop and a microroaster of organic coffee. 

One night you will have a Chef’s Table dinner at one of the city’s top 5 dining rooms where you will have the opportunity to interact with the kitchen team while enjoying a multi-course meal that will highlight the best local seafood, meats, cheeses and more. Your personal culinary concierge will be available to you during your stay to answer any questions that may come up. 

3 nights in Vancouver.

Vancouver to Whistler

Noted as one of North America’s most scenic drives, the Sea to Sky Highway winds it way from the spectacular city of Vancouver north along beautiful Howe Sound and up the Cheakamus Canyon to Whistler.  As part of your time in Whistler, spend an afternoon with Chef Melissa Craig at the Bearfoot Bistro.  This hands-on afternoon will inspire you as you learn from one of Canada’s best before you get the chance to sit down and enjoy your creations in the world-renowned wine cellar.

2 nights in Whistler. 

Vancouver to Okanagan or Vancouver Island

What shall it be – a 4 hour drive east across the Fraser Valley and over two mountain ranges to BC’s wine country where Lake Okanagan and acres of vineyards await you, or a 2 hour ferry ride west through the picturesque Gulf Islands to Vancouver Island where the laid back lifestyle takes over and rural life influences the food and wine culture?  Either way, you are in for a treat! 

Can't decide?  Do both!

Okanagan

OPTIONAL: 4 DAYS IN OKANAGAN.  Known as the “Napa of the North”, the Okanagan Valley is at the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert, around Lake Okanagan.  This provides the perfect growing conditions for the numerous wineries and orchards which line the hills around the lake – hot summers cooled by the lake breezes and cold, crisp Canadian winters.  Wines produced in this region are not well known outside of Canada due to small lot production, which means the best is kept in the cellars of the local restaurants and wine afficionados.  Your drive will take you north from Whistler, past Duffy Lake and the Joffre Glacier then through cattle country with windy roads and virtually no traffic.
Once you are in the Okanagan, you can spend some time on the lake’s sunny shores, hike the local trails, take to the water on jet skis or explore the more than 100 wineries, cheese shops and local food and craft artisans that dot the lakeshore from Vernon to Osoyoos.

During your stay in the valley, we will arrange private tours of a local fromagerie as well a number of award winning wineries.  For a couple of the evenings, we will arrange a chef’s table dinner for you to ensure you experience the culinary spectrum of the Okanagan’s best from its orchard fresh fruit and produce to the world class wines which show the true character of the valley.  If you prefer you could do this part of the itinerary as the last few days of the tour, after Vancouver Island, in which case you would fly home from Calgary.

4 nights in Kelowna.

Okanagan to Tofino

Vancouver Island has a myriad of micro-environments ranging from wild coastal rainforest to mild inland pastureland which provide a cornucopia of culinary delights ranging from micro-brewed beers, meads and wines, to Canada’s only herd of water buffalo.  There are balsamic vinegar producers, farmhouse cheeses, woodland mushrooms, hand-harvested seaweeds and honey farms to fresh west coast crab, oysters, clams and salmon.  Because of this variety and diversity, Vancouver Island is home to many of the province’s top chefs, winemakers and culinary artisans.  Life is much slower on the Island, but the food scene is setting the pace for the rest of the province in the gorgeous Cowichan Valley, the wild coastal village of Tofino as well as the historic city of Victoria.
Your time on the Island should be spent exploring the many different regions to truly get a feel for the Island lifestyle.  Once landing in Nanaimo head straight to Tofino to experience the miles of untamed beaches and some of the freshest seafood you will ever have.  Spend two nights in this quaint town that is exploding with new development and with a culinary scene to match.

2 nights in Tofino.

Tofino to Cowichan Valley

Next you will stay at a working farm house in the Cowichan Valley and experience the cuisine of master Italian chef and local slow food pioneer, Mara Jernigan at Fairburn Farm. You’ll experience locally produced Buffalo Mozzarella, as well as tour a traditional balsamic vinegary and vineyard.

1 night at Fairburn Farm, Cowichan Valley.

Cowichan Valley to Victoria

For your last night on the Island, explore the historic city of Victoria with its lovely inner harbour and eclectic restaurant scene.  We will arrange for a feast to ensure you remember British Columbia as one of the greatest culinary destinations in the world!

1 night in Victoria.

Victoria to Vancouver

Transfer to Vancouver Airport for your flight home.