On May 15th, 2017, we booked a private tour of Victoria Island/Butchart Gardens for 6 people for July 29th (2 ½ months in advance). The local tour company providing the tour was Wild BC Tours. Unfortunately, this tour company did not meet our expectations of a private tour. The tour was a 12-hour private tour that went from Vancouver, BC, to Victoria Island costing $1,761.70 USD for 6 adults. One of our expectations of this tour was that we would be transported to the ferry terminal and around Victoria Island in a comfortable passenger car or a mini van for 6-8 people. Instead we were picked up with a 14-passenger bus with wheelchair accessibility and a hoist in the back section of the bus. We were told by the owner/guide, Chuck, that Wild BC could not get a reservation on the ferry for an automobile so they had to book a “bus” reservation instead. He insinuated that we booked too late! (2 ½ months in advance)
The trip on the bus was extraordinarily unpleasant. Six of us occupied this 14-passenger bus! The vehicle’s suspension and shock absorbers made for a constantly jarring ride making it impossible to hear the guide. The extremely uncomfortable seats in this 14-passenger bus and the constant rattling of the hoist added to an overall unpleasant travel experience. It was so unpleasant that we decided to cut the tour short and return to Vancouver early without stopping in Victoria.
We contacted Wild BC Tours and Viator expressing our disappointment with this means of transportation but the owner, Chuck, refused to refund any part of our money. He also tried to make light of our complaints saying that the bus passed government inspection which really has nothing to do with comfort of the passengers and the ability to hear the guide above all the rattling and bouncing around!
We booked this private tour in spite of the high cost because we wanted a relaxing tour in a “comfortable vehicle” as it states in the description of the tour on the Viator website. We did not experience that. Therefore, we cannot and do not recommend this tour or Wild BC services to anyone.