Explore Salt Spring Island’s Artisan Trail: cheese, craft beer, wine, cider, and lavender. Savor local food, set your pace, and enjoy scenic stops.
Itinerary
Salt Spring Artisan Trail
Route Duration: 6 hours
Stops on the Salt Spring Artisan Trail:
• Salt Spring Island Cheese - Experiencing Salt Spring Island Cheese and goat farm is an absolute must while on the Artisan Trail. Check out their quaint tasting room and sample over a dozen delicious and beautifully presented artisan cheeses, pairing jams, chutneys, pickled preserves and crackers. Make sure to take the self guided tour around the farm and goats barn, then watch the cheese making process and packaging right before your eyes through the viewing windows! The courtyard café has delicious fare such as house made pizzas, salads and their pride and joy, a cheese cake made entirely with their own cheese and served with seasonal fruit and berry compote. How about a gelato made out of the same goat milk that they use to make their cheese!
• Sacred Mountain Lavender - Immerse yourself in a world of lavender! Sacred Mountain Lavender is a boutique lavender farm, nestled on the edge of sacred Mount Tuam, near Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island. They display as many as 60 varieties of Lavender in demonstration beds and have 2.5 acres of lavender that are grown for lavender buds, bunches and distilling their own essential oils. Enjoy a self-guided farm tour and indulge in the rich purple of organically-grown lavender, which blooms from June to September, and yields varieties that can be utilized for culinary, floral or spa experiences. Explore the farm shop, have a lavender fruitsicle or tea while checking out all aspects of lavender processing including propagation, harvesting, the drying room and their essential oil steam distillation!
• Salt Spring Brewing Co. - Drink beer with nature! Nestled in against the side of a forested mountain lies rustic Salt Spring Brewing Co. They have been crafting delicious small batch beer from mountain spring water since 1998. Their beer is fresh & unpasteurized meaning no preservatives or chemicals, and whenever possible they source local ingredients such as island grown hops, honey and heather. Be sure to try some of the favourites like their raspberry mango sour ale and the creme brulee vanilla stout Belgium born head brewer Louis Hage, has expertly balanced traditional old-world brewing styles with contemporary craft favourites such as their tropical hazy IPA….yum!
• Garry Oaks Estate Winery - This stunningly gorgeous winery overlooking the Burgoyne Valley has a multitude of award winning wines to sample! Located on a hundred-year old farm complete with a mini-labyrinth, pond and majestic Garry Oaks from which the winery derives its name. All of their wines are estate grown and bottled, meaning they only grow grapes sustainably and bottle just the best of what is grown on their fertile seven acre farm. Their quaint tasting room boasts many of their awards adorning the walls and be sure to check out the racked and ready oak barrels. Enjoy a scenic walk around the property, or chill out on one of the many super comfy yellow adirondack chairs, while you daydream with a decadent bottle of Gewürztraminer!
• Ciderworks - Not to be missed! Their organic orchard is at the centre of everything they do. Salt Spring Apple Co grows more than 425 heritage & connoisseur apple varieties right on the property! Their delicious ciders (and there’s a lot) are made in their modest Ciderworks building, which overlooks the impressive sloping orchard. “Our approach is to make cider with minimal intervention, never adding sugar and allowing our distinctive apples to express themselves.” At a time when most ciders are mass-produced, using cheap apples far better suited to fresh-eating than to cider-making, they set out to do something different by planting rare heritage varieties that had 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 epic day exploring the Artisan Trail, return to Ganges Village for a leisurely stroll along beautiful Ganges Harbour. On Saturdays from April through October, Salt Spring’s famous Market is front and centre in Centennial Park, which lies right between the main drag and a bustling harbour and marina. Engage with local artisans and artists while discovering handcrafted treasures and souvenirs. Locals are just as likely to be found as visitors, as the market is the best place to check out island-made crafts, pick up fresh produce and other delicious goodies for dinner! Ganges Village promises an enriching and unforgettable experience, so make sure you allow enough time to immerse yourself 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 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm
- 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.