Where to Find the Best Ice Cream on Vancouver Island (And Why We Love Them)

One of our favourite travel traditions is finding a place for a treat, and for us, that almost always means gelato or ice cream. I’m still dreaming of my gelato from?Amorino in Paris: it takes me right back to a day walking the Tuileries Garden and cooling off with gelato that looked like a flower (almost too pretty to eat). Gelato seems to always fill that need for our family. So today, I’m rounding up some of our favourite ice cream stops on Vancouver Island, where we live and travel often. Each one is tied to a memory, an outing, or a beach day, and all are family approved.

? South Island (Victoria & Saanich Peninsula)

• Chocolat Favoris – This downtown Victoria shop elevates ice cream with a hot chocolate dip and over-the-top toppings. It’s dessert theatre and totally worth it.
• Beacon Drive-In – A Victoria classic. Right by Beacon Hill Park and the ocean, this old-school drive-in serves soft-serve cones that hit just right after a walk through the park.
• Virtuous Pie – Plant-based pints and scoops that even dairy lovers will devour. Bonus: you can grab a vegan pizza to go with it.
• Interactivity Board Game Café – Their house-made milkshakes pair perfectly with chips, popcorn, and a round of board games. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon on a rainy day.
• Politano Cafe – These milkshakes are not just dessert—they’re dessert in a glass. Loaded, massive, and totally shareable. Trust us: you’ll want more than one spoon.
• Scoop and Waffle – A sweet new spot in Sidney that we’re excited to try this summer. Serving house-made ice cream and fresh waffles—yes, please.
• The Fickle Fig – In North Saanich, this farm-to-table bakery also crafts small-batch, homemade gelato. A local favourite that’s always fresh.

? Cowichan Valley

• Drifters Creamery – A food truck with serious flavour. Serving organic, soft-serve with unique toppings, this spot near Cowichan Bay is totally worth the short detour.

?? Central Island (Coombs, Parksville, and Area)

• Billy Gruff’s Creamery – Located at the Coombs Old Country Market, this spot serves up generously sized scoops in classic and creative flavours. Check out the goats on the roof while enjoying an ice cream.
• Billy G’s Doughnuts – Just steps from the creamery, these fresh doughnuts are another must-try treat. A perfect follow-up (or prequel!) to your ice cream indulgence.
• Ice Cream Dreams – On our list to visit this summer! This family-run spot in Qualicum Beach offers a huge selection of hard and soft-serve options.

?? Gulf Islands (Hornby Island)

• Lix on Hornby Island – A summer staple in the Ringside Market square. After a beach day, this is our favourite place to grab a cone and soak in the relaxed island vibe (we’re excited to hear they’re reopening!).

? Comox Valley

• Love’s Ice Cream – On our list for this summer! Located in Cumberland, this small-batch ice creamery gets rave reviews for their creative, creamy flavours. Have you tried it yet?

? West Coast (Ucluelet & Tofino)

• Ukee Scoops – Right in Ucluelet, this charming spot serves nostalgic Island Farms scoops and creamy floats. Perfect after exploring the Wild Pacific Trail.

Every family has their own treat traditions, and for ours, these ice cream stops are tied to adventure, road trips, and cooling down after a day in the sun. Whether we’re hiking, beaching, or board-gaming, we somehow always end up with an ice cream. In looking through all my ice cream photos, I could probably write an ice cream guide for all of BC (I promise we eat a lot of veggies and salad when we aren’t eating ice cream).

What have I missed? Share your favourite ice cream or gelato spot on Vancouver Island—we’re always looking to try somewhere new!

If you are heading to Maui in the future, check out Emma’s post on her favourite shave ice spots around the island.