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British Columbia Vacations & Adventure Tours

british colombia tour

If your type of paradise is endless mountain vistas and pristine mountain lakes, look no further than our British Columbia Vacations & Adventure Tours.

The beauty of British Columbia is astounding. From the pine-fringed rivers of Kootenay National Park to the impossibly blue Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, around every corner is a dramatic show of the power and diversity of mother nature. However, British Columbia is one of those places you need to get deep into the landscapes to experience its full charm - and there's no better way to do that than on our British Columbia Vacations & Adventure Tours. With expert guides leading the way, you'll journey along secluded trails of the Esplanade Range while staying in delightful lodges and enjoying home-cooked meals. Leave your stresses behind, let the sun be your alarm clock and get ready for adventures you'll be reminiscing about for years to come.

British Columbia Trips

North America

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure

AustinAdventures

Operated by our sister brand Austin Adventures

4.88

  • Duration 6 days
  • Activity Level Level 4 
    • Activity Level 4

      Challenge Accepted

      I'll let my trusty guides sweat the small things, so I can focus on my goal. Getting to the top, reaching the end, achieving my dreams! Sure, it'll be tough, but the views will be worth it.

    Read more about the Active Range

 ADULT ONLY

Helicopter deep into Canada's backcountry and hike from hut to hut amid pristine alpine wilderness. Explore the lesser-trekked trails of British Columbia’s Esplanade Range by day and indulge in fresh meals and absolute peace each night.

Trip Start: Calgary, Alberta Trip End: Calgary, Alberta

North America

Vancouver Island Adventure

AustinAdventures

Operated by our sister brand Austin Adventures

  • Duration 6 days
  • Activity Level Level 2 
    • Activity Level 2

      On the Move

      Sure, I own some hiking boots, they're even worn in, but they don't go on long trips. I like my creature comforts and I like to give a range of activities a go.

    Read more about the Active Range

 ADULT ONLY

Get your blood pumping on daily adventures and relax in all the creature comforts Black Rock Resort has to offer. Discover Vancouver Island’s wild, rugged beauty and welcoming charm on this six-day multi-sport adventure.

Trip Start: Victoria, British Columbia Trip End: Victoria, British Columbia

Reviews from our British Columbia Vacations

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British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2022

Awesome Adventure!

"An Incredible adventure surrounded by pristine alpine scenery. We were alone in this stunning… read more

"An Incredible adventure surrounded by pristine alpine scenery. We were alone in this stunning scenery with hikes that challenged us and pushed us. But we were rewarded with the most awe struck views. Definitely a trip of a lifetime! read less

5 Stars (8 reviews)

Fiona, Canada

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2022

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure

"The guides are awesome. Food is great. Friendly folks everywhere. My only issue… read more

"The guides are awesome. Food is great. Friendly folks everywhere. My only issue is about the write ups and how those compared to reality. read less

4 Stars (8 reviews)

Elizabeth,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2022

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure

"From start to finish, great organization, people, guides, food, accommodations! As a repeat client, nothing… read more

"From start to finish, great organization, people, guides, food, accommodations! As a repeat client, nothing but superlatives for Austin! read less

5 Stars (8 reviews)

Hans,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2022

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure

"I enjoyed the entire trip. The guides were knowledgeable the food was great and the… read more

"I enjoyed the entire trip. The guides were knowledgeable the food was great and the scenery was amazing. The helicopters were pretty cool too. read less

5 Stars (8 reviews)

Sandra,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2022

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure

"I enjoyed our Austin Adventures alpine hike and the beautiful country we were able to… read more

"I enjoyed our Austin Adventures alpine hike and the beautiful country we were able to enjoy. Our guides, Will and Rehannon were very pleasant and went to great efforts to help us enjoy the trip. I also appreciated that they facilitated the return of my prescription sunglasses which must have fallen out of my pack. Jeremy and Tim were great and I appreciated the efforts they went to to assist some of the members of the group who needed assistance in getting down the Col of the Wild. Additional instruction on evening behavior would have made the first night's sleep better. Overall, it was a great trip that I will never forget. It might be helpful to screen the participants by saying that people should be able to go up and down flights of stairs without hanging onto a railing, do a single leg squat to a 45 degree angle. read less

5 Stars (8 reviews)

Jerry,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2022

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure

"Overall, this was an incredible experience. The views were amazing, and the team guiding… read more

"Overall, this was an incredible experience. The views were amazing, and the team guiding and supporting us made the trip enjoyable. read less

5 Stars (8 reviews)

Paula,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2022

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure

"It checked all the boxes. Everything was exceptional from the first moment to the last.… read more

"It checked all the boxes. Everything was exceptional from the first moment to the last. The group was superb. As with any tour there were parts that I felt could have been skipped (Emerald Lake and Lake Louise). There are other places in the same locations, with fewer people, and just as good if not better experiences.
read less

5 Stars (8 reviews)

Suzanne,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2022

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure

"Sue and I had a wonderful time and we can't thank Will and Ree enough… read more

"Sue and I had a wonderful time and we can't thank Will and Ree enough for all their help. They made the trip pleasurable and shared their knowledge of glaciation, alpine, wildflowers, etc. They were also very helpful with some of the difficult areas of the hiking. read less

5 Stars (8 reviews)

Tracy,

Austin PIF 2

Take 10% off the trip price when you book a trip and pay in full.

By paying in full we are able to pass on savings to our guests, but please note that by opting for this payment plan, your booking becomes non-refundable, non-cancellable, and non-changeable. 

We highly recommend that you purchase Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) insurance. We recommend Redpoint Insurance – you can find details here.

T+Cs Apply.

BOOKING CONDITIONS

Your Expert Local Guides

British Columbia FAQs

Do you recommend buying travel insurance?

As an Austin Adventures traveler, it’s highly recommended you take out travel insurance to cover the likes of travel delays, missed connections, medical expenses or injury, or lost baggage for your travel with us. Please head to our Travel Protection page for more in-depth information and our recommended insurance provider.

What's included on your North America trips?

Accommodation

We've spent years finding places to stay that are quaint, perfectly-located, and comfortable when we take you to the most amazing parts of North America. We offer a wide variety of accommodations on our trips ranging from locally run inns and first-class hotels to resorts, dude ranches and historic national park cabins. Accommodations are selected for their location, unique charm and history, and offer a true feel for the region. We strongly believe in the value of a good night's sleep and our accommodation reflects this. We also like to have somewhere comfortable to relax after the day's activities.

Transport

We're really focused on ensuring that we spend as little time as possible sitting in vehicles, and that we optimise your vacation for adventuring in the great outdoors. Our average driving time is just over two hours a day, and we make plenty of stops for bathroom breaks and sightseeing along the way. We use modern, comfortable 15-passenger vans for all of our transfers and a second van is added to most departures to provide more flexibility and more room to spread out while seeing the sights! Make no mistake - our trips are not typical bus tour vacation packages! Picture more of a road trip with family complete with good music, tasty snacks, and plenty of guide-supplied fun facts along the way to keep you entertained!

Meals

Just about all your meals are included when you travel with Austin Adventures in North America. We provide a wide variety of cuisine - breakfasts are typically eaten at your hotel on your own time in the morning before meeting up with the group. Lunches feature everything from elaborate picnics to roadside cafes to sandwiches trailside. Dinners are usually eaten at our hotel's dining room or a local restaurant with plenty of options to choose from. We easily cater to vegetarians, picky kids, and people with particular dietary needs. All our guides have food safety certificates and are well-practiced in the art of food prep and serving while on-the-move. You'll find the meals are a real highlight of your trip!

All Guiding Services

Each trip features two or three incredible guides and our average guest to guide ratio is 6:1. Our guests are often drawn to North America by the beautiful scenic landscapes, promise of wilderness and clean air - and there's no doubt you'll find all that, though what you may not be expecting is to forge real, genuine friendships with your fellow tripmates, including our wonderful guides. They're hands-down the BEST guides you'll ever come across.

Activities

Any activity described in our itinerary, such as hiking, rafting, horseback riding, kayaking and biking, are included in your trip cost. Our itineraries are pretty jam-packed to maximize our time spent exploring in these amazing places, and your guides will make it clear if there are additional activities available (at your expense).

How many people are there on each of our North America trips?

We get a real variety of people on our trips and they all seem to have one thing in common – a love of the outdoors! Our trips can accommodate up to 22 guests, depending on each departure. Our adult-only departures require a minimum age of 16 years and generally feature a mix of singles, couples and friends, and our family departures require a minimum age of 6 years to join (7 years on our Alaska Family Adventure) and are a great way to meet other like-minded families who like to get outside.
Please note child rates apply to children 12 years and under.

Do you charge a forced single supplement if I'm a solo traveller?

We regularly accommodate single guests on our group trips and there’s no forced single supplement if you don’t mind sharing a room (you might even get a room to yourself sometimes). If you prefer not to share a room at all, you can upgrade to a single room.
PLEASE NOTE: If you book within 90 days and you’re a Forced single, you’ll be required to pay for your own room.

If I book a trip with my children, will I be sharing a room with them?

Active Adventures & Austin Adventures family vacations are naturally about spending time with family and as such, most families opt to share rooms on our trips. At time of booking, families consisting of four guests with children aged 17 and under will be automatically assigned one shared room. However, the following alternative rooming allocations are available:

  • Families consisting of four guests with all children aged 13 and above are welcome to opt for additional rooms as per advertised double occupancy adult rates.
  • Families consisting of four guests with at least one child aged 12 and under are automatically assigned a shared room. However, families can opt to pay the adult rates for all guests in their family to have an additional room.
  • The same principles apply for families consisting of more than four guests.

Rooming preferences are subject to availability and must be communicated in writing at time of booking. Automatic assignments as per this policy will be applied in the absence of any specification provided by guests. Any request for additional rooms during trips will be at the guests’ own expense and subject to rates made available by the accommodation provider at the time. All minors (guests aged 17 and under) must be accompanied by at least one adult.

What if I need a special diet?

We’re accustomed to catering to the following special diets:

  • vegan (no meat or animal products)
  • vegetarian (no meat products)
  • pescatarian (vegetarian, and eat fish)
  • no red meat (eat chicken & fish)
  • no pork (eat chicken & fish)
  • gluten intolerant (no wheat, rye, barley or oats)
  • lactose intolerant (no dairy products)
  • picky kids (send us a list of what your child will eat and we'll make sure to have it!)
You will get the opportunity to specify your particular requirements when you fill in your travel wallet. If you have any other dietary requirements please let us know well in advance, via email or the online travel wallet.

 

How much luggage can I bring on the North America trips?

You'll need one piece of luggage, plus a daypack. Your main piece of luggage can be a soft sided duffel or a suitcase with wheels, and you'll need a good quality 18-24 liter daypack to carry with you throughout the days on the trails.

As far as extra luggage goes, if there's not too much (such as one small extra bag per person) then it shouldn't be a problem to fit it in our luggage trailer during the trip. If you've got more than that, then all major airports have luggage facilities available on a weekly basis, or if you are staying at a pre-trip hotel they may be able to store it for you until you return too.

How much spending money should I bring and where do I get cash?

You'll be able to find a reliable ATM once you arrive to start your trip, within the township or at the airport you land in, as national park ATM locations are sparse at best. Aside from tips for your guides, you could bring $200 and go home with change though some people like to bring some cash to cover a round of drinks, a few souvenirs, and dinner on "night on your own", although you could just as easily use a credit card for these purchases too.

What are your recommended guide gratuity guidelines?

You will have 2-3 guides on your Austin Adventure (depending on group size) and we recommend $15-25 per day, per guest, per guide. Typically, gratuities are offered by check or cash in local currency on the final morning of the trip and can either be given to each guide individually or to one guide to be equally distributed. Most of our guides these days also accept gratuities via Venmo (please note this app does not work in Canada). All dining, housekeeping and activity tips are included in your trip price.

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Why Travel With US

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Experience adventure the way you want

You’ll be inspired and exhilarated, enjoying mind-blowing scenery on foot, in a sea kayak, or by bike - all at your own pace. Get ready for the trip of a lifetime.

benefits awards

Crafting award-winning trips for decades - the Kiwi way

We're proud of our Kiwi roots and you’ll love our professional, warm and relaxed style of hosting. Plus, we’re always here to help with planning, travel, bookings... even hiking boot recommendations!

benefit time v2

Every detail covered, to maximise your time

As soon as your trip starts, we've got everything covered – top notch meals, comfortable transport, superb accommodation, amazing guides and INCREDIBLE service.

benefit group travel

Group travel for those who aren’t ‘group travellers’

With our small groups of typically no more than 14 (up to 18 max), you'll get to know our team, your fellow travellers, and have the flexibility and freedom to do as much (or as little!) as you like. It’s all about going at your own pace.

benefit gems

Explore hidden gems through our expert local guides

All our carefully selected guides are highly experienced and have deep personal connections to nature and culture. You’ll enjoy a special experience, authentic local knowledge and an adventure like no other.

benefit review

4.85 out of 5 from 6493 reviews. That’s pretty solid.

We could hang around all day telling you how wonderful our trips are... but the best people to hear it from are our guests themselves.