The Best Bowen Island Day Trip from Vancouver

Bowen Island is a charming, luscious island located near the Lower Mainland in British Columbia. It’s the perfect day trip from Vancouver or a great way to spend the weekend in nature.

The island is known for hiking, kayaking, cider houses and distilleries and the main things to do are all walkable! This means you don’t have to rent a car to explore the island.

Bowen Island is only a 20-minute ferry ride from Vancouver, and the ferry takes you through part of the beautiful Howe Sound!

In this travel guide, we’ll show you how to get there and any activities to book in advance. We’ll also include some options for places to stay!

On this Bowen Island day trip, you will truly get the chance to relax with a variety of activities and amazing places to eat. Let’s create your Bowen Island itinerary!

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1 Day Itinerary for a Bowen Island Day Trip

Ideally, it’s best to arrive in the morning to make the most of your Bowen Island day trip. Check BC Ferries in advance, so that you can plan your day!

Once you arrive on Bowen Island you will be dropped off in the heart of Snug Cove on the east side of the island.

Snug Cove is a very welcoming village with a handful of shops, restaurants and cafes. If you take a right from the ferry terminal, you will find one of Snug Cove’s popular ice cream parlous featuring Earnest Ice cream.

Branch on Bowen is hard to miss and is worth checking out at some point on your Bowen Island itinerary, especially on a sunny day!

Breakfast & Snug Cove Town

If you haven’t had breakfast at this point, this is the perfect opportunity to hunt for a cafe on your Bowen Island day trip.

The Snug Cafe is one of your best choices for breakfast and it’s only a 2-minute walk from the ferry terminal!

Follow the road up the hill and you will come across many unique shops and restaurants. This also leads you to the picturesque marina area to the side.

Extra tip – (If you’re visiting on a Saturday there is a local farmers market from 10 am-12 pm)

Looking for inspiration in Vancouver? Here’s our Top 25 Best Things to do in Vancouver, Canada!

Artisanal Square

Make your way to Artisanal Square is up a steep hill and is walkable, there is a walking trail on the left side through the trees that takes you straight to the square or you can simply follow the road.

Artisinal Square is home to Artisan Eats Café & Fine Foods, Cocoa West Chocolatier and a few unique shops.

The chocolate shop is a highlight of the island with handmade chocolates and the views from Artisan Eats Café are incredible! They have an outdoor patio if you want to stop for a drink or a snack.

Artisan Suites is a lovely 4-star hotel with a garden and a terrace if you’re looking for a place to stay on Bowen Island – Find it on Booking.com here!

Explore Killarney Lake

Killarney Lake is located in Crippen Regional Park and around a 30-minute walk from Snug Cove. The Killarney Lake Loop Trail will take around 2 hours, but it’s a beautiful walk through the trees!

When we walked past the Fish Ladder, we saw a mink! It quickly hurried off, but it was amazing to experience the nature here on Bowen Island.

The lake also has small pebble beaches with picnic tables nearby. It’s one of the best spots to relax on a Bowen Island day trip from Vancouver without a strenuous hike!

This will be the perfect way to spend your afternoon before heading back to the Snug Cove area.

Tip – In the Fall you can sometimes see the salmon run at the fish ladder during the Killarney Lake Loop Trail.

Kayaking in Bowen Island

If you still have energy left, it’s now time for kayaking! An alternative option is to hike the Dormant Point as well as a 1-hour session of hiking. However, Killarney Lake is a relaxing hike for all to enjoy!

Once you are back at Snug Cove, hunt down Bowen Island Sea Kayaking and head out to the ocean! As previously mentioned, you can book yourself a tour, in advance or make your own way around the area.

Around the corner from Branch on Bowen, there is a store offering kayak rentals! Bowen Island Sea Kayaking provides tours around the stunning area of Bowen Island, whether you are a beginner or experienced, you can enjoy the scenery from the water.

There is also the option to rent a kayak or sup to roam the waters at your own pace. You may even be lucky and find some seals on your adventure!

Looking for more things to do from Vancouver? Check out our 3 Day Itinerary on the Sunshine Coast! Similar to Bowen Island, but larger in size!

Finishing off your trip to Bowen Island

At this point on your Bowen Island itinerary, you may be ready for a nap! Bowen Island and Snug Cove are filled with adventure and there is even more on the west of the island!

On this Bowen Island itinerary, we only have enough time to discover one side of the island – but we would love to check the west side out one day, although a car may be needed for that adventure.

End your day with ice cream from Branch on Bowen and wait for the next ferry to take you back over to Horseshoe Bay, Vancouver.

Earnest Ice Cream is our favourite ice cream in Vancouver (they have an incredible vegan range) Find flavours such as chocolate, raspberry, blueberry oat, lemon and peanut butter pretzel! For us, it was definitely a treat at the end of our day on Bowen Island.

More things to do in Bowen Island

If you’re spending more than one day in Bowen Island – here are some more ideas to spend your time on the beautiful island.

• Hire a bike to explore the island – Find Bowen eBikes at the ferry port in Snug Cove!
• Visit Bowen Cider House and try their samples

If you have more time during your morning on your Bowen Island day trip, check out these beaches near Snug Cove

• Sandy Beach
• Mother’s Beach
• Pebbly Beach
• September Morn Beach

How to get to Bowen Island

The best way to get to Bowen Island from Vancouver is by using BC Ferries.

From Vancouver, head to Horseshoe Bay and from there you’ll find ferries almost every hour taking you to Snug Cove, Bowen Island. Take the 257 bus from Downtown Vancouver to get to Horseshoe Bay.

The price is $11.70 per person and $44.85 per car. Even if you take a car, you will still pay for every person in the car! You will only be charged once as the ferry is free from Snug Cove (Bowen Island) to Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver).

These ferries are non-reservable so you just need to turn up at least 15 minutes before the ferry departure to get a ticket.

Where to stay on Bowen Island

Although we recommend visiting Bowen Island on a day trip from Vancouver, it’s also lovely to experience a night stay. Here are a few accommodations you can find on the island (There aren’t too many options)!

• Artisan Suites on Bowen $$ – A beautiful 4-star hotel with amazing views of Bowen Island – Find the Booking.com link here!
• Rainforest Retreat $$ – Stay in a cosy modern apartment in the heart of nature – Find the Booking.com link here!

Best Restaurants in Bowen Island

• Branch on Bowen – best ice cream!
• Tell Your Friends Café – delicious vegan food!
• Doc Morgan’s Pub & Restaurant – comfort food!
• Snug Cafe – best breakfast!
• Artisan Eats Café – A French bakery plus lunch and dinner!

More hiking on Bowen Island

Bowen Island is home to amazing hiking trails! Some locals make their way over to Bowen Island just for the hiking, and we don’t blame them – Bowen Island is beautiful!

Mt Gardner – One of the more rewarding hikes is the challenging trail up to Mt Gardner. It takes 7 hours to complete this hike and although it’s rated Intermediate, it does require a lot of climbing. The views are amazing though! 

Dorman Point – Dorman Point is a 1-hour hike up to a viewpoint overlooking the Howe Sound. It’s 30 minutes steep hike up to the viewpoint and it is also rated Easy. It may be a great option to add to your day!

Check out our The 12 Best Easy Hikes in Vancouver, Canada for some of the best beginner trails!

Is Bowen Island worth a day trip?

Yes! A Bowen Island day trip from Vancouver is worth it if you love exploring British Colombia. With the ferry only being 20 minutes, it’s a quick and easy day trip away from the city.

After visiting ourselves, we would recommend visiting Bowen Island in the summer months to make the most out of your day and get the best weather. Although the island is lovely in the spring and autumn too!

There are other places to visit on a day trip, such as Deep Cove or False Creek, however, Bowen Island is unique and also worth checking out.

Alternatively, there’s a 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise you can do from Granville, Vancouver!

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Have the best Bowen Island day trip! Find us on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers).

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