I had been wanting to comeback to Bowen Island for a very long time but I never get the chance to do it. Summer in Vancouver is very short and before I knew it, Summer is done. This year is the year that I made sure I will be able to do this, and I did it!

In today’s post I want to share with you my day trip adventure to Bowen Island.

I did a day trip without a car and did 2 hikes in a day. I started with a light breakfast by the ferry station, a cafe called “Tell Your Friends Cafe”. I have a short video for this cafe, have a look HERE. This is a very small cafe by the pier. They offer hot breakfast sandwiches, pastries and both hot or cold drinks. This is a good place for a light sit down or grab and go breakfast.

There are other breakfast place that offers more filling breakfast option like the “Snug Cove” cafe. They serve breakfast, brunch and lunch and the more go to breakfast place for locals and visitors.

After breakfast, I stroll the Lady Alexandra Promenade before I start my hike. I really like this waterfront promenade. It is very quiet in the morning, a good place to hangout and chill while having breakfast. There are few shops in the promenade but the most visited is the restaurant called “The Doc Martens Pub@. This is a pub style waterfront restaurant that offers a lot of seafood options and the usual pub food like burger and fries.

If you walk to the left side of the promenade, you will see the entrance to the dormant point trail. This is very easy to find, hard to miss as the there is a signage in front and a trail map.

Where is it located?

Dormant Point Trail is located in Bowen Island which is 20 minutes by ferry from Horeshoe Bay Ferry Terminal.

How to buy ticket

To get to Bowen Island, you will need to take a 20 minutes ferry ride and would costs 11.70CAD round trip. You can buy the ticket at the Horshoe Bay Ferry Terminal. Unlike other busier BC route where you can buy the ticket online, this one is an exception. Because this is a short and less busy route, tickets are sold onsite. It is a short cheap ferry ride which makes Bowen Island a great day trip get away. Have a look at this video here to get an idea how to get to the Horshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and what the ferry ride looks like.

What is there to see and do?

Bowen is a small island but there’s more than enough activity that you can do for the whole day. If you plan to do more hiking and exploration of the place, I suggest doing an overnight trip so as not to rush the trip.

Aside from hiking, you can do kayaking, biking, walking in the park and promenade, snacks and meals in the cafes and restaurants and shopping in the quaint shops in the island. This is definitely a more quiet island as compared to other Vancouver island, like Victoria.

How long do you need to allocate for the visit?

The Dormant Point Hike itself is a very short hike, only 45 minuets round trip. Definitely, this is going to be just one of the many activities that you can do in the island. You can do a day trip to explore the place, with or without a car. You will definitely reach more area with a car but even without it, you will have fun exploring and hiking around the snug cove area. This is what I did and it was a great day trip.

How to get there?

As I mentioned earlier, you will need to take a ferry ride. BC ferries operate a route to take you to Bowen. Have a look at this video.

What is the best time to visit?

Even if it is just a day trip, I suggest coming early on a Summer day. End of Summer, around September are better are the weather is cooler but still sunny. This makes walking around and exploring the place more enjoyable. Although these 2 hikes are inside a forest, there are some areas that are open. July to September are great time, but I prefer the month of September. You can still get lucky and have a nice day on October but the chances of rain as more as Fall is starting.

Highlights of the Visit

Tue Kilarney Lake Loop Hike was the highlight of my Bowen Island visit, on top of the Dormant Point Trail Hike. These 2 are the most recommended trails if you are visiting Bowen without a car.

Tips for the Trip

1. Plan Ahead – Weather you are driving or walking when you get to Bowen, it is always good to plan ahead. Weekdays are better time to visit as it is not as busy, but if weekend is all you have alloted then that is good as well. Bowen Island is not as busy as other Vancouver Island which makes it a great option for a quite and more relax get away.
2. Check the weather– Always check the weather before you go especially if you are visitng early Spring or Fall. Here in BC, we get more rain during Fall so just be prepared, it won’t hurt to bring an umbrella or poncho with you.
3. Wear proper clothes for the weather: Whatever season you visit, dress for that season. Summer could be hot, do not forget to bring sunscreen or wear a head covering. Early Spring could still be cold and wet, same with Fall. Bring your cold and rain gears with you. Lastly, Winter is definitely going to be cold, mitten, toque and warm jacket are advisable. I personally recommend visitng Bowen during Summer for better experience.
4. Bring Snacks – There are quite a few places to eat in the island but when you do the hikes, there are no food or drinks places inside or even close to the trail. I highly recommend to bring drink or light snac with you just in case you get hungry while doing the hike.
5. Come in Early – Bowen Island is a small p lace, but if you are only doing a day trip it is a good idea to take the earlier ferry. This will give you enough time to check the island and stop for a meal or snack.

The Dormant Point Trail

Let’s talk about the hike. The Dormant point trail is a short hike. It will only take about 45 minutes round tip to finish the hike. This will of course be dependent on your physical condition. The more for you are, the faster it will be.

The trail itself is easy, at least before the last 200m before reaching the top. There’s not much of turns on n this trail. Pretty much follow the path and you will end up at the top. The path is not as paved, but good enough for o be considered for an easy hike.

The last 200m before reaching the top was the difficult one in the sense of elevation. It was very steep going up. Going up was not that much of a problem as much as going down. If you have knee problem, be aware of this area and going down is quite steep and scary.

When you reach the top, you will rewarded with a nice view of water and mountain. It wasn’t busy when I went there, there were only 3 of us at the top. It was nice to sit, relax and enjoy the view. I was able to get a good photo without to many obstructions.

Where to Eat

• Restaurant: Artisan Eats Cafe
• Address: Artisan Ln, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0
• Website: https://artisaneats.ca/
• Hours of Operation: Wednesday – Sunday ; 9:00AM – 4:00 PM

• Cafe: Tell Your Friends Cafe
• Address: 400 Bowen Island Trunk Rd, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0
• Website: https://www.facebook.com/tellyourfriendscafe
• Hours of Operation: Monday – Sunday; 8:00AM – 3:00PM

• Cafe: Cocoa West
• Address: 581 Artisan Ln, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G2
• Website: https://cocoawest.com/
• Hours of Operation: Wednesday – Sunday ; 9:00AM – 4:00 PM

• Restaurant: Bowen Island Pub
• Address: 479 Bowen Island Trunk Rd, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G1
• Website: https://bowenpub.com/
• Hours of Operation: Monday – Sunday; 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Bowen Island Videos:

• A Ferry ride from Vancouver to Bowen Island
• Easy 45 mins Hike to Dormat Point
• Good hike close to the ferry terminal – Kilarney Lake Loop Trail
• Quick stop for snack at Tell Your Friends Cafe
• A lovely promenade to relax at Lady Alexandra Promenade
• The BEST brunch place, The Artisan Eats Cafe
• A stroll at the Artisan Village Square
• A short hike away from the crowd at Wild Coast Nature Conservatory
• Cannot miss the Lighthouse at Cape Roger Curtis
• No effort hike at Sea Walk

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