Itinerary

Salt Spring Artisan Trail

Route Duration: 6 hours
Stops on the Salt Spring Artisan Trail:

• Salt Spring Island Cheese - A visit to Salt Spring Island Cheese and goat farm is essential on the Artisan Trail. Explore their charming tasting room and savor over a dozen exquisite artisan cheeses, paired with jams, chutneys, pickled preserves, and crackers. Don’t miss the self-guided tour around the farm and goat barn, and watch the cheese-making and packaging process through the viewing windows! The courtyard café offers delightful dishes like house-made pizzas, salads, and their specialty, a cheesecake crafted entirely with their cheese and served with seasonal fruit and berry compote. Try a gelato made from the same goat milk used for their cheese!

• Sacred Mountain Lavender - Dive into a lavender paradise! Sacred Mountain Lavender is a boutique lavender farm, located on the edge of sacred Mount Tuam, near Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island. They showcase up to 60 varieties of lavender in demonstration beds and cultivate 2.5 acres for lavender buds, bunches, and essential oil distillation. Enjoy a self-guided farm tour and revel in the vibrant purple of organically-grown lavender, blooming from June to September, with varieties suitable for culinary, floral, or spa uses. Visit the farm shop, enjoy a lavender fruitsicle or tea, and explore all aspects of lavender processing, including propagation, harvesting, the drying room, and essential oil steam distillation!

• Salt Spring Brewing Co. - Enjoy beer amidst nature! Nestled against a forested mountain, Salt Spring Brewing Co. has been crafting delicious small-batch beer from mountain spring water since 1998. Their beer is fresh and unpasteurized, with no preservatives or chemicals, and they source local ingredients like island-grown hops, honey, and heather whenever possible. Sample favorites like their raspberry mango sour ale and the crème brûlée vanilla stout. Belgian-born head brewer Louis Hage expertly balances traditional old-world brewing styles with contemporary craft favorites like their tropical hazy IPA…yum!

• Garry Oaks Estate Winery - This breathtaking winery overlooking the Burgoyne Valley offers a variety of award-winning wines to sample! Situated on a century-old farm with a mini-labyrinth, pond, and majestic Garry Oaks, from which the winery gets its name. All wines are estate-grown and bottled, meaning they only grow grapes sustainably and bottle the best from their fertile seven-acre farm. Their quaint tasting room displays many awards, and be sure to check out the racked and ready oak barrels. Enjoy a scenic walk around the property or relax on one of the many comfortable yellow Adirondack chairs while savoring a decadent bottle of Gewürztraminer!

• Ciderworks - A must-visit! Their organic orchard is central to their operations. Salt Spring Apple Co. grows over 425 heritage and connoisseur apple varieties on the property! Their delicious ciders (and there are many) are crafted in their modest Ciderworks building, overlooking the impressive sloping orchard. “Our approach is to make cider with minimal intervention, never adding sugar, allowing our distinctive apples to express themselves.” At a time when most ciders are mass-produced using cheap apples better suited for fresh-eating than cider-making, they chose to plant rare heritage varieties with a long history in cider-making. Ocean views, organic craft cider, artisan pizza, apple fritters…Ciderworks has something for everyone!

• Ganges Harbour — Salt Spring Island - After an incredible day exploring the Artisan Trail, return to Ganges Village for a leisurely stroll along the beautiful Ganges Harbour. On Saturdays from April through October, Salt Spring’s famous Market takes center stage in Centennial Park, located between the main street and a bustling harbor and marina. Engage with local artisans and artists while discovering handcrafted treasures and souvenirs. Locals and visitors alike frequent the market, as it’s the best place to explore island-made crafts, pick up fresh produce, and other delicious goodies for dinner! Ganges Village offers an enriching and unforgettable experience, so ensure ample time to immerse in its charm, creativity, and community spirit.

Attractions on the Salt Spring Artisan Trail:
Ganges Inner Harbour / Salt Spring Island’s Saturday Market

Operates: Departs every hour on the hour at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm

• Private transportation

• Gratuities

A “must do” experience for anyone visiting Salt Spring Island!

Our signature “Artisan Trail” Hop on Hop off tour is a spectacularly scenic 28km loop trail, with epic stops at an award winning Cheesery & Goat farm, a spring fed Craft Brewery surrounded by forest, a beautiful estate Winery, an organic craft Cider & Apple farm and even a hidden-gem mountain side Lavender farm!

Along the trail expect to discover delicious locally made food offerings such as charcuterie, wood-fired pizza, pastries, ice cream and home baked sweets.

Our Hop on Hop off experiences are designed to let you create your own Artisan adventure, at your own pace!
Ample time is given at each stop and with only 20 seats per shuttle departure, you won’t feel rushed exploring all that the Artisan Trail has to offer.

The best part is that with having all the benefits of a traditional Hop On Hop Off, you are in control to choose to stop at all artisans on the trail, or just the ones that interest you!

• The tour will start in Salt Spring Visitor Information Center located at 121 Lower Ganges Rd. In front of the Salt Spring Visitor Information Centre, look for our large white Hop On Hop Off shuttle pulling into the “Loading Zone” located just before BC Transits bus zone.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.