A Girls' Trip to Salt Spring Island: Our Weekend Itinerary
Guest article: by Beth Dunlop
Overdue for a girl-getaway, in early July our group of four besties spent a weekend on Salt Spring Island — two of us travelling from Vancouver, one from North Vancouver Island, and one from central island (that’s Beth - me!). Salt Spring was the perfect “middle ground” for our get together, and the logistics were made simple with a little bit of planning! Two different ferries, one hotel room, a picnic dinner on the patio, a morning at the infamous Saturday Market - and the full Saturday afternoon on the Artisan Trail was the icing on the cake! Here's exactly how our trip went, in case you're planning your own.
Getting There: Two Ferries, One Destination
Planning to meet up from both the “mainland” and Vancouver Island meant we naturally split into 2 groups.
The Vancouver duo “walked across” on an early Friday morning direct sailing from Tsawwassen to Long Harbour, hopped onto the BC Transit bus that met the ferry, and got a direct ride into Ganges — about a 15-minute ride that drops off right in front of the Salt Spring Visitor Information Centre.
*Whichever terminal you land at (Long Harbour, Fulford Harbour, or Vesuvius), BC Transit connects to that same spot, so all routes take you to the heart of Ganges Village.
The two of us from Vancouver Island brought our car and took the Crofton to Vesuvius sailing. This is an unreservable route, so we arrived early to ensure we made the sailing. Crofton is a small town, with lots to explore as you wait for your sailing: we grabbed coffee at a local coffee shop before boarding, then wandered through the Crofton Old School Museum, steps from the ferry dock. This converted one-room schoolhouse is a wonderful journey back in time with areas inside that recreate a pioneer kitchen, schoolroom, church, and more. Located on the Crofton waterfront, it is entrance-by-donation, with money accepted used to help maintain the building. It's a great way to fill time before a sailing, especially compared to a typical ferry terminal wait. For travellers who would rather spend the time outside with a picnic – a large grass park is also right at the line up – a great place to stretch out and relax.
Ferry and transit schedules can shift by season, so it's worth checking current times before you go — the FAQ page here links out to the latest BC Ferries and BC Transit schedules for all three terminals. Ferries rates vary by terminal and sailing, and you are charged only to go to Salt Spring, there is no charge on your return passage.
Disclosure: Since the Artisan Trail Tour was our main activity it meant we didn’t even need a car at all, but in the end we decided that we wanted the option to do a little more exploring on our own, so the two of us coming from Vancouver Island travelled across by car.
Friday Afternoon: Snacks, a Meetup, and a Stop in Fulford Harbour
Enroute to Ganges to meet the other girls, we stopped at Country Grocer for snacks for our hotel room. This small chain of Grocers is always a delight to visit, with everything you would expect from a grocery store, plus some Salt Spring style treats as well — we were ready! We met the other two at our hotel, dropped our bags, and after a bit of downtime decided to drive out to Fulford Harbour to check out the shops there. Salt Spring Island Mercantile and The Wardrobe were our favourites - definitely worth the short drive — we spent longer in there than we planned to, and left with more than we'd walked in for!
For dinner, we kept it simple: a picnic on our hotel patio, using a few of the things we'd picked up along the way. A relaxed start to the weekend, no reservations required.
Parking the Car for the Weekend
Once we were settled in Friday night, we didn't touch the car again for the rest of the trip. With our Hop On Hop Off tour booked, a walkable Ganges, and BC Transit for anything farther afield, there was no reason to. If you're planning a Salt Spring girls' trip, this is one of the easiest ways to actually relax once you arrive — find parking once, and be done with it.
Choosing Our Departure Time
The Artisan Trail runs three departures a day — 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and 12:00 pm — and we deliberately chose the 12:00 pm departure. It gave us a full, relaxed morning for getting ready, breakfast and the Market without having to rush our coffee to catch an earlier tour. If you're coming from off-island or want time to properly explore Ganges first, the noon departure is worth considering.
Saturday Morning: Getting Ready & The Ganges Market
Saturday started with an early breakfast and getting ready for the day – summer heat meant summer dresses! We packed our bags for the day remembering water, shopping bags, and parasols, just for fun! One of us packed a soft sided cooler bag too, in case we decided to pick up treats on the tour (spoiler alert: we got treats!). Then just a short walk into Ganges for the Saturday Market, which runs seasonally (April through October) in the heart of the village. Give yourself as much time as possible here — it's easy to lose track of time while browsing without noticing. With over 120 stalls of local makers and creators, this market is renowned and brings visitors from all over.
Don't Miss the Overview
One important tip: arrive at least 15 minutes before your departure time! There's a short overview before the bus leaves that covers the loop, the schedule, and — importantly — some discounts and details you won't want to miss. The bus pulls out right on time, so showing up late means missing that information and holding up the rest of the group, and can consequently mean all other tour departures are pushed late as well! You don’t want to be “that” person. 🙊
Stop 1: Salt Spring Island Cheese
About a 14-minute drive from Ganges, this was our first stop. The bus parks at the bottom of a shaded, tree-lined hill, and the walk up through the dappled sunlight is fairy-tale — close to the top you pass some pretty cool chickens, and start to glimpse the little mecca that is Salt Spring Island Cheese. Once there, we enjoyed the cheese pairings – with regular and gluten-free options for those who are gluten sensitive. We checked out the delicious-looking pizzas other guests were enjoying, and debated between the tables in the courtyard and the flower garden, but we opted for their house-made goat milk gelato and enjoyed it in the back seating area, overlooking a big open field, with the free-range goats playing in the field adjacent. A relaxed, easy first stop.
Stop 2: Sacred Mountain Lavender Farm
Back to the bus on our way to Stop 2! Chilled music playing as we pulled away, setting the pace for the short drive to Sacred Mountain Lavender Farm. This stop is quiet and so postcard-picturesque — we wandered through the main path and enjoyed watching the play of light and shadow across the flowers, and the big fuzzy bumbles bees loading up with pollen. (Watch for signs that guide you where you can and can not walk.) We visited the shop for lavender tea and lavender popsicles, and picked up lavender gifts for the kids and dog-sitters we left at home! Look for posters and signage that teach you about the lavender varieties grown on site, and how to identify different types of bees. If you bring something with you, the grounds are a lovely spot for a picnic.
Stop 3: Salt Spring Brewing Co.
Tucked into the forest with a shaded, comfortable patio, this stop was one of our favourites. Can’t decide what to get? We recommend sharing flights to sample them all! We enjoyed our beverages with fresh snacks in the perfect forest setting. It’s a rare treat that you can enjoy a serviced patio in the forest! The food menu changes, and our girl-gang enjoyed hot dogs and a brie and crackers plate. One thing worth knowing in advance: there's a fairly steep stairway to get in and out, so it's not the easiest stop for anyone with mobility considerations.
Stop 4: Garry Oaks Estate Winery
By this point in the afternoon, we'd started befriending the others on our tour, and recognizing the faces getting on the bus we’d gotten off of — a nice, low-key way the day builds a bit of a group feeling even among strangers, high-fiving as we hop-off the bus that they are hopping-on!
Garry Oaks has a genuinely gorgeous vista over the vineyard, and into the Burgoyne Valley. We chose to do the tasting which was as interesting as it was educational – no lecture vibe here! The staff here were some of the friendliest we met all weekend. We naturally gravitated to the Adirondack chairs after the tasting – how could you not!
Final Stop: Ciderworks & Salt Spring Apple Co.
Our last stop of the day, and a strong way to end it. The range of ciders here was more interesting than we expected — enough variety that you start picking up the subtle differences of some of the 425 varieties of apples they grow here! The views are beautiful, whether you sit up on the patio or head down to the orchard level, and the food menu was unique – the pulled jack fruit tacos and the hummus trio, that included beet and pumpkin hummuses, were the favourites of our group.
Back to Ganges
The shuttle brings you back to where the day started, right at the Visitor Information Centre in the heart of Ganges. From there, it's up to you: stay for dinner in the village, head back to your accommodation, or catch your bus or ferry home if you're doing it as a day trip.
Our Tips for Your Own Salt Spring Girls' Trip
- Pack water and layers — the weather was perfect for our trip - but we know that it (and the temperature at each stop) can shift more than you'd expect over a day outdoors.
- Bring something to carry your purchases — you will buy things. Hop On sells cooler bags if you don't want to bring your own.
- Pay attention to pickup times at each stop — When you get off the driver will remind you the time that he will be back to get you. The shuttle runs on a loop and won't wait, so know when the next pickup is before you wander too far.
- Check and double check ferry and transit schedules before you go — routes and times can shift seasonally; visit the Hop On FAQ page links to the current BC Ferries and BC Transit schedules for all three Salt Spring terminals.
This is not your typical Hop On Hop Off experience — we highly recommend! And next time, we may even opt for a fully customized Private Tour so we can spend even longer at our stops, and even add a few more in!
- Beth (me!), Anne, Theresa & Teresa
