Meet your guide at the base camp in downtown Victoria to begin your 3-hour tour. During a safety briefing, slip on a vest and learn the features of the stand-up paddleboard. Practice popping up on the giant squishy board and some basic paddling maneuvers. While stand-up paddleboarding experience isn't necessary, expect to feel some burn in your upper body muscles as you paddle through the currents.

When you're ready, your guide leads the way into the historic waterways of Victoria Harbour, busy with seaplanes, ferries, whale-watching boats, yachts, fishing vessels, tugs and barges. During this four-mile (7-km) exploration, you will paddle around the Inner Harbour and the Gorge Waterway.

In the Inner Harbour catch sights such as the ivy-covered Fairmont Empress hotel, stately homes, and the neobaroque BC Parliament Buildings. Cross over to the adjacent (and more quiet) Gorge Waterway to see the architectural stunners like the Johnson Street Bridge and the Tillicum Bridge. Over in this area, you'll also spot some impressive docked yachts and more historic homes along the waterfront.

You should also pay attention to the local wildlife around you: River otters and seals are often seen gliding around the waterways, and eagles and cormorants might be flapping their mighty wings overhead.

Once you've soaked up the city skyline along the water, make your way back to the base camp to end the tour.