Here’s What You Need To Know
We’re ready to book! What is the best way to contact you?
Please inquire using the button next to the tour you’d like to book, or give us a call at 778-583-5555 or email info@sipandanchor.com if you’re looking for a custom charter.
How are reservations confirmed?
You’ll receive an automated email confirming your reservation once a deposit or full payment has been made. We do our best to hold requests as long as possible, but cannot guarantee a secured reservation until a deposit is made, due to high demand.
Are private tours an option?
Yes!
Private tours are great for groups or couples celebrating a special occasion, or anyone who is looking for something a bit more exclusive.
Depending on the size of your group, we have a few options available:
- Our Ford Transit Van can accommodate a maximum of 14 passengers; we offer private tours to groups with a minimum of 8 seats purchased.
- Our Signature Tour accommodates a maximum of 12 passengers; we offer private tours with a minimum of 8 seats purchased.
- For larger groups, please contact us.
We’re thinking of having some pre-drinks or bringing alcohol on the Wine Tour. Is that OK?
No.
Unfortunately, liquor laws and Transport Canada laws are pretty strict on this, and we want to make sure everyone is safe and able to enjoy the tour to its fullest.
Thank you for understanding and keep the drinking at the tasting bars.
How do we plan a Bachelor/Bachelorette party with you?
Great question!
First, make sure you have your number of guests finalized. Then check out all of our Sip Tours and Anchor Tours and decide which sounds the most fun!
We recommend the Signature Tour (up to 12 guests).
Because it’s a special day, we require you to fully reserve our tour vehicle to keep your VIP party exclusive to you.
- For groups of up to 14 guests, you can rent our 14-passenger Ford Transit 350 HD Van; payment is required for a minimum of 8 seats.
For groups wanting to do the Signature Tour, we can accommodate up to 12 passengers on the boat; payment is required for a minimum of 8 seats.
STAY CLASSY NOTE:
It is the policy of several wineries not to allow Bachelor/Bachelorette parties, whether with an organized group or self-toured. We don’t think it’s totally fair but we respect our winery partners’ choice to keep things chill. We will do our best to take you to more accommodating wineries who aren’t going to police your fun as much, though we ask out of respect that attire remains tasteful, and you keep in mind respect to the wineries we do visit and their other guests.
If you have any questions about this we welcome your feedback, and thank you for your understanding.
I’m looking to book a shuttle charter to take me and my party from A to B to XYZ... is that possible?
Yes!
We love to accommodate groups for custom tours, corporate shuttles, dinner parties, etc. If you need transportation we can help.
For non-wine tour charters we can accommodate up to 20 passengers between our two vehicles.
Call for a quote.
Is the cost of lunch included in the Wine Tours?
No.
For all Sip tours (except for the Shorty and Lake Country Casual) we make reservations at a nice winery restaurant.
The cost of lunch and gratuities is on you.
PRIVATE TOURS:
If you’d like to bring a picnic instead, or have other lunch requests we can make that happen!
What is included in a Wine Tour?
In addition to a fun and knowledgeable guide (with decent photography skills! #sipandanchor), the tour price covers:
- transportation costs (gas)
- tasting fees (standard tastings)
- chilled bottled waters
- snacks
- a super comfortable ride with AC and kickass sound system (bring your iPod if you like!)
- pick up & drop off safely at your accommodations within the transportation zone
What are the Pick-Up & Drop-Off Zones?
Our pick-up zone lays primarily within a 10 km radius of downtown Kelowna and some locations in West Kelowna.
We want to offer our guests convenience, while maximizing time spent tasting wine and minimizing time in a vehicle.
We understand that Kelowna has a number of great accommodations outside our main pick-up zone.
Depending on the size of your group, location and which tour you’re joining, you may be eligible for pick-up and drop-off for a fee of $10-15 per person (plus 5% GST).
These locations include:
- Sheraton Four Points Hotel
- YLW/Kelowna International Airport
- Black Mountain, Rutland (past Hollywood Rd & Hwy 33)
- Lakeshore Rd (past Cedar Creek Winery)
- Gallagher’s Canyon
- June Springs
- Glenmore (past Scenic Dr)
- McKinley Landing
For guests staying at Sparking Hill, Predator Ridge, La Casa or Lake Okanagan Resort joining a mixed-group (non-private) tour, we recommend arranging alternative transportation to meet us at a central pick-up point.
If you are staying in Summerland (central) and are joining the Spin the Bottle tour, or are staying in Lake Country (central) and are joining the Lake Country Casual tour, we offer complementary pick-up and drop-off.
Big White is outside of our pick-up zone and we do not offer transportation here. If you are staying at Big White we recommend arranging alternative transportation to meet us at a central pick-up point in Kelowna.
PRIVATE GROUPS:
If your group is staying at one of these locations, we offer pick-up and drop-off for a flat rate of $200 (plus 5% GST).
If you have any questions or are unsure if your accommodation is within the zone, feel free to contact us.
Is transportation included in the Boat Tours?
No.
Currently the only boat option that has pick-up and drop-off included is the Signature Tour.
Boat tour guests can park in the large pay parking lot across from the Hotel El Dorado.
Can we bring our own food on the Boat Tours?
Yes!
We encourage it! We can also arrange anything from pizza and pop to charcuterie and bubbles for a special occasion.
Please let us know ahead of time if you’d like us to add something like that to your boat charter.
Do you tour wineries from the boat?
No.
We offer two very different services: wine tours (by land) and boat tours (no wineries).
We created the Signature Tour to offer the best of both; a shorter wine tour in the AM and an afternoon of boating.
We want to book a Signature Tour but have 14 people. Can we pretty please squeeze 2 more people on the boat?
While we can accommodate 14 people in our Transit van (plus 6 more in the Expedition), we have an absolute limit of 12 passengers for the boat due to Transport Canada laws.
Alternatively, we will do our best to arrange with another boat charter company to offer you a second boat if you wish. Please keep in mind we would require a minimum of 8 seat purchases on our boat, plus the cost of the second boat and its relevant fees.
Another option would be to do a morning Shorty tour with us, and rent out (separately) a larger sail boat charter with one of our partner businesses. We can point you in the right direction but cannot guarantee availability.
If this is something you’d be interested in arranging please give us a call!
What happens in the event of bad weather/smoke, etc.?
We will wine tour in the rain, smoke, or shine!
Note: In the event of forest fires, some wineries/wine regions may be unavailable so we would adjust our itinerary to give you a great experience regardless.
For boat tours, in the event of lake flooding, heavy rain/lightening or wind, we will have to reschedule with you (dependent on availability) or offer a full refund. We do our best to provide a 24 hour whether watch notice, but sometimes the whether can change quickly. We want to make sure our guests have an enjoyable and safe experience with us.
SIGNATURE TOUR:
In the case of bad weather, we will still do the wine tour portion of the tour but will unfortunately have to cancel the boat portion.
For the afternoon, we have a few options:
We can continue with a lunch stop and more wineries (charged at Sip Hop Rivalry rate) or can call it quits after the morning portion (charged at the Shorty rate).
If you have any questions or have some feedback we would love to hear from you.
I wonder if there’s a wine out there
thinking of me too
