Looking for a fun weekend getaway to Salt Spring Island? You’re in the right place! After five years of living on the island, we’ve put together the ultimate weekend itinerary that blends exploration, relaxation and an authentic taste of the island life. We include our favourite spots and tips for making the most of your trip.
Our Salt Spring Island itinerary includes a one-of-a-kind picnic crawl, scenic stops, the best artisan spots and restaurants with a unique setting.
Overview: How to Spend a Weekend on Salt Spring Island
→ Check into your cozy stay → Dine in a quirky heritage cottage → Keep the night going with a live music show → Eat a creative breakfast sandwich at a specialty bakery → Browse the Saturday Market → Gather picnic treats at the best artisan spots → Enjoy your picnic with a wine tasting → Relax at a beach with harbour views → Dine on farm-to-table cuisine → Sip your morning coffee at a locals' cafe → Drive the North End loop with fun road trip stops → Get a scoop of small-batch gelato → Walk along the scenic shoreline at a provincial park → Explore Fulford Harbour |
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Salt Spring Itinerary for a Weekend Getaway
Friday
Check into your stay
From luxury hotels to cozy B&Bs, Salt Spring Island offers a variety of places to choose from. These are our top picks, each for a unique reason:
- Best luxury hotel: Hastings House Country Hotel - the 1940s Sussex-style manor overlooking Ganges Harbour is a Relais & Chateau property.
- Best value hotel: Salt Spring Inn - the restored heritage inn is located right in the heart of Ganges.
- Best for groups: The Cottages on Salt Spring Island - The spacious and modern cottages feature two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a living room and a lake-facing balcony.
- Best B&B with character: Westover Bed & Breakfast - the quirky cabin is nestled in a cedar forest with an outdoor clawfoot bathtub, fireplace and secluded porch.
Dine at Treehouse Cafe
Your weekend trip kicks off with dinner at the Tree House Cafe, a must-visit spot nestled in a wooden heritage cottage with a large plum tree as its centrepiece. While the summer crowds can be lively, the wait is definitely worth it to dine in the enchanting space.
If you're travelling to Salt Spring from mid-May to September, you'll also get to enjoy their "Music Under the Stars," with live music performances every night from 7 PM to 9 PM. We saw Blue Bayou Band who has a fun bluesy feel and it was excellent!
Treehouse Cafe is open until 9pm and doesn't take reservations.
Keep the night going at Mateada
Mateada Salt Spring
Not many places are open late in Salt Spring, which makes Mateada a great addition to the island. The music lounge offers excellent cocktails and is fun for listening and dancing to live music.
Alongside their cocktails, Mateada also serves unique mocktails, kombucha and nitro yerba.
We enjoyed a lively performance by The Della Kit with David Morin, who played a groovy set of jazz-inspired neo-soul. The atmosphere was electric, and by the halfway point, nearly everyone was up dancing in front of the stage.
Mateada features a variety of music styles from Thursday to Saturday - check out their event lineup. Shows start at 9pm and they are typically open until midnight.
Saturday
Refuel with a creative breakfast sandwich from Francis Bread
Francis Bread
Refuel with a gourmet breakfast sandwich from Francis Bread, a local favourite known for its wood-fired bread made from BC organic grains.
Their daily specials change, but everything we've tried there is superb like their shakshouka breakfast sandwich made on a sourdough sweet potato bun.
🧺 Pick up a fresh loaf for your picnic later in the day. As you continue exploring, we'll guide you to the best artisan spots for more delicious picnic treats.
Sample chutneys from Salt Spring Island Kitchen Co.
Next door to Francis Bread, visit Salt Spring Island Kitchen to sample a variety of savoury, sweet, and spicy jams at their tasting bar.
Their spreads make great gifts and we also love using them for charcuterie boards at home. Our favourites are Hot Mango and Spicy Tomato.
🧺 Pick out your favourite chutney and then head across the street to South End Sausage to pick up some local charcuterie to add to your picnic spread.
Discover Salt Spring's creative scene at the Saturday Market
To experience Salt Spring's vibrant creative spirit, don't miss the Saturday Market in Ganges. From April to October, over 100 local artisans come together to showcase their unique creations.
If you're travelling to Salt Spring Island when the Saturday Market isn't on, instead visit these shops in Ganges that carry local products:
- Salt Spring Soapworks
- Waterfront Gallery Society
- nook
- Harlan's Chocolate
Taste award-winning goat cheese on a farm
Salt Spring Island Cheese farm
Next on the itinerary is the Salt Spring Island Cheese farm where you can taste award-winning goat cheese. There are so many flavours to try like garlic, chilli, olive tapenade, lemon, pepper, truffle and basil.
🧺 Choose your favourite cheese for your picnic.
Wander along the farm to see the goats and viewing windows where they make the cheese.
✔️ Top Tip: stop at farm stands as you drive around the island and pick up fresh produce for your picnic, like cherry tomatoes or strawberries. The stands operate on an honour system, so bring cash.
Enjoy your picnic with a wine tasting at Kutatas Wines
It's time for your picnic! By now, you should have a loaf from Francis Bread, chutney from Salt Spring Kitchen, charcuterie from South End Sausage, goat cheese from Salt Spring Island Cheese and any produce you picked up from farm stands.
Head to Kutatas Winery (pronounced Koo-Tah-Tash) to enjoy your spread alongside a wine tasting. The winery encourages guests to bring their own picnic items to pair with their wines.
Relax at the charming picnic tables overlooking the vineyard, where the friendly winemaker will guide you through each wine.
✔️ Top Tip: Don’t forget to pack a knife, plates, and napkins for your picnic.
Relax at a beach with harbour views
After your picnic, head to Churchill Beach to catch the afternoon glow over Ganges Harbour. It’s also a fun spot to watch floatplanes take off and land.
The beach is only a 4 minute drive from Ganges, at the end of Churchill Road. Bring something comfy to sit on since it’s a pebble beach, and wear water shoes or Crocs if you’re swimming - the rocks can be a bit rough on your feet.
Dine on farm-to-table cuisine at Feast
Feast is Salt Spring's newest restaurant, offering farm-to-table platters made with ingredients from within a 100km radius. It's located in a heritage building with a delightful courtyard patio in the back. If the weather is warm, we recommend making a reservation outside.
Their signature “Feast Platters” are perfect for sharing, serving 2-4 people. If you're a party of two, a platter is more than enough food and appetizers aren't necessary.
Check out more restaurants in our list of the 26 best restaurants on Salt Spring.
Sunday
Sip your morning coffee at Switchboard Cafe
Grab a morning coffee at Switchboard Cafe and sit at one of the tables outside to take in the peaceful atmosphere.
Drive the relaxed North End loop
Clockwise from top left: Benny Bun from Off the Hook, walking the Fernwood dock, a flight at Salt Spring Wild Cider, Lavender and Black
After your coffee, set off to explore the tranquil north end of the island. We've created a fun loop for you to do:
- Eat brunch at Off the Hook 🍳 - the family-owned neighbourhood joint serves up some of the best dishes on the island. We are obsessed with their Benny Bun, which comes with bacon, a fried egg, cheddar cheese, crispy hash browns, arugula, and hollandaise sauce.
- Walk the Fernwood Dock ⚓ - take a leisurely walk down the 400-ft dock and take in that ocean air.
- Stop in at Lavender and Black 🪻 - a boutique lavender and helichrysum farm with a beautifully decorated shop.
- Get a flight of ciders at Salt Spring Wild Cider overlooking their farm🍎🍺 - we recommend trying their Modern Flight which includes five ciders with unique flavours.
Get a scoop of small-batch gelato from Glad's
Choose a flavour of Glad's handmade gelato and enjoy it with a walk along the harbour. Ari loves their unicorn flavour covered in sprinkles with a cone on top - it tastes like pink cotton candy.
Go for a walk at Ruckle Provincial Park
Head to the south end of the island to Ruckle Provincial Park, one of the most beautiful parks in the Gulf Islands. Take the trail to the shoreline for picturesque views of the ocean, rocky outcrops and distant islands. Also look out for eagles, seals and whales.
Explore Fulford Harbour
Rock Salt Cafe | Fulford Harbour
Finish your day with a stroll through Fulford Harbour, a cute little village in the south of the island.
Pop into The Pottery - our favourite boutique for shopping local artisans.
If time permits, grab a bite to eat at Rock Salt Cafe - their food is made from scratch and their dining room has 180° ocean views. Eating here works out well if you're catching the ferry from Fulford Harbour since it's located right beside the terminal. Their pulled pork sandwich is a must try.
Enjoy your weekend on Salt Spring Island!
Check out more things to do with our list of 33 fun things to do on Salt Spring Island.
Get started on planning your trip to Salt Spring Island
- 🛌 Book your accommodation: Booking.com is our go-to for finding places to stay. Sort by top reviewed.
- ⛴ Book your ferry: BC Ferries
- 🚗 Car rental: see Rentalcars.com to compare car rental prices across different companies.
Combine Salt Spring Island with a road trip through Vancouver Island to Tofino and Victoria.
Want to explore more of the Gulf Islands? Check out our other island guides:
- Fun Things to do on Pender Island
- Unique things to do on Galiano Island
- Best things to do on Gabriola Island
- Groovy things to do on Hornby Island
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