Vancouver Island Road Trip: Suggested 5 Day Itinerary
Located on the west coast of Canada, off the shores of mainland British Colombia is one of Canada’s top tourist destinations: Vancouver Island. Known for surfing, wildlife spotting, hiking trails, stunning scenery, Nanaimo bars, and the beautiful town of Victoria, this island makes for a great road trip destination. So, when a friend was visiting from Switzerland and asked if anyone wanted to meet her, I hopped on a plane and flew out west ready to explore. Given time constraints, we only had five days to see the island which definitely wasn’t enough to see it all, but we did hit a lot of the highlights. So, for those looking for tips, here is my 5 Day Vancouver Island road trip itinerary.
How to Get to Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island does have a few airports for domestic airlines or local sea planes that fly in and out of Vancouver itself, however because we were doing a road trip we opted to take the ferry. There are also multiple ferry options for crossing and we ended up going two different routes to best suit our itinerary so we didn’t have to back-track.
Ferry tickets should be booked in advance and it’s also important to note that the time window for when to arrive is pretty strict. Since the ferry terminals are a bit outside the cities, make sure to allocate travel time as well.
When to Go to Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is technically a year-round destination. The moderate climate and surf conditions make somewhere that people can visit throughout the year. That being said, most tourists tend to visit during the summer months, when it’s warmer and (hopefully) sunnier. Of course, that also means it’s the busiest time of year so expect bigger crowds, higher prices, and less availability. After all, this is an island.
When to go to Vancouver Island will also depend on what you want to see. As I mentioned surfing is year-round in Tofino and you also have the chance to see orcas throughout the year as well. However, prime whale watching takes place from April to October as this is when the humpbacks come through to feed. As for bear watching, spring and fall are typically the best.
I visited at the end of September and we saw several bears and whales (humpbacks and a grey whale).
Vancouver Island Road Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival, Nanaimo, Coombs, and Ucluelet/Tofino
Welcome to Vancouver Island! I recommend taking an early morning ferry from the mainland that will get you in around 9:30-10am. For this itinerary I suggest starting in Nanaimo and 10am is when most businesses open allowing you to explore a little bit, grab a coffee, and stretch your legs before the drive to the west coast.
Nanaimo
Based on my personal experience, I don’t think you need long here. To be honest, we found Nanaimo to be a little bit run-down and honestly, kind of sketchy. So allocate maybe an hour or two to walk along the boardwalk, poke into some shops, and grab a snack or meal.
Nanaimo is famous for their Nanaimo bars and as a Nanaimo bar enthusiast, I knew I needed to try several. For those who aren’t familiar with Nanaimo bars, they are a famous Canadian dessert bar made of three layers: a chocolate, nut, and graham cracker base, a custard centre, and a ganache topping. There is a Nanaimo bar trail in the city and I tried 4 different spots on it. To be honest, I didn’t *love* any but if I had to pick a winner in town it would be from Bocca Café, and funnily enough these ones are actually gluten free as well. I wish there was more of the custard layer but flavours and textures were good. Even better: their Nanaimo Bar latte, I loved it.
For curious minds the worst Nanaimo bar I tried was from Wee Cupcakery (honestly, awful). But the best is in our next stop.
Coombs
If you’ve ever heard of anyone talk about the goats on the roof on Vancouver Island, this is where you find them. Coombs is about a 30-minute drive from Nanaimo on the route you will take to head to the west coast, so it’s an easy stop. It’s a small community but has several little shops favoured by tourists including the famous Old Country Market. Not only does this building have goats on the roof but it also has pretty much anything you can ever think of wanting. Groceries with items from around the world (think pastries from the UK, sauces and spices from Asia, and marzipan from Germany) toys for the kids, kitchen supplies, a cheese section etc. It’s chaotic and overwhelming but also kind of awesome. There is also a bakery counter that sells Nanaimo bars and of the five different bars I ate from the area (over 2 days but still, the sugar rush was real) this one was, in my opinion, the best.
You probably could spend hours here, but even if you get carried away you probably only need 1 hour at most. Make sure to use the toilets before you leave because you have a couple of hours drive ahead of you.
Ucluelet/Tofino
Next stop is Ucluelet or Tofino; depending on your plans. There was a women’s surf competition on when we visited so Tofino was all booked up. We ended up getting a beautiful vacation home in Ucluelet which was much quieter and more local. It’s a bit closer, which means a shorter drive in and out. But, we also still wanted to go to Tofino so we did a day trip. However, you plan is up to you.
The length of the drive will depend on traffic and weather conditions, but it’s probably somewhere between 2-3 hours (more if you are staying in Tofino). You may also want to factor in some stops. Cathedral Grove is meant to be a highlight but sadly, even in late September, there was no parking and as it’s just off the highway, nowhere else to go or wait so we missed it. One spot we did hit that we loved was Stamp River for the Salmon Ladder- absolutely worth the detour if you are visiting during salmon season.
For the purpose of this article, I’m going to say stay in Ucluelet as that’s what we did. So, if your schedule is like ours, you will arrive late afternoon. Assuming the weather is nice, head to the beach for sunset. We went to Big Beach since it was raining off and on and that was just a five-minute walk from where we were staying. However, if you have time and the weather is nice, consider heading out to the lighthouse.
After, head to one of the restaurants in town for dinner. Now, keep in mind Ucluelet is small and only becoming popular recently with tourists as Tofino fills up. So, if you are a bigger group or visiting during bust season, it’s probably worth making reservations.
For pub fare on the water try: Eagles Nest Pub
For Pizza (eat in or take out): Shipwreck Pizza
For something a little fancier: Currents (in a hotel)
Looking for where to stay? There are some ‘hotel’ like properties in town but I suggest a suite/lodge etc by the water.
Day 2: Tofino
Rise and shine because today is a busy one for wildlife spotting! Both Ucluelet and Tofino offer whale and bear tours, but if you are staying in Ucluelet I recommend booking the tours in Tofino as it gives you a chance to see and explore that area as well.
The drive to Tofino is about 45 minutes (again, traffic dependent). Most tours start around 8am but if you need a coffee break before, there’s a great little café in Tofino called Rhino Coffee House that has sandwiches and donuts and all kinds of warm and cold beverages.
We did the bear tour in the morning and the whale watching tour in the afternoon. Both were absolutely fantastic although we did get drenched as a wild storm blew in early afternoon for the whale portion. So maybe sure to have rain gear! You may notice that there are some tours that offer zodiac vs closed boat. We did the boat option- better for me as a photographer as those in the zodiac could not get up and move around, so keep that in mind!
There is a bit of time between tours, enough to grab a quick lunch (Shed has some great burgers and opens at 11am so it works great).
After the tours stick around to explore town. There is also the Tofino brewing company here (I loved their Kelp Stout) and you can grab dinner in town (Tacofino comes highly rated) or head back to Ucluelet.
If you want to stay overnight in Tofino consider:
Day 3: Courtenay
Today is another long drive day to grab some breakfast at a local café (The Break in Ucluelet was yummy) and hit the road. Again, there are some stops along the way if you want to visit some lakes, take a little hike etc. We had driving rain the entire time so only took a quick stop to check out the salmon run before hiding in the warm, dry vehicle.
Courtenay is the main town in Comox valley and is known for its cute shops but the area itself has beaches, a mountain, and lots of outdoor adventure options- assuming the weather cooperates. Again, it did not for us but that was ok because we spent the afternoon browsing fun local shops like West Coast Karma for cool decals, stickers, clothing and more and Artifact where you can find local artwork. Foodies will want to check out The Mustard Lady plus there are a couple of breweries and a distillery in town. We visited Wayward Distillery for a mini tasting and Ace Brewery and I was a fan of both.
Looking for a place to stay? Try:
Day 4: Make Your Way to Victoria
Our original plan for today was to head to Victoria via the south coast of the island so we could check out Botanical Beach which is meant to be a great hike in to a gorgeous beach with lots of tide pools to explore. Unfortunately, you have to time it with the tide and again, we had tons of rain in the forecast. So, we decided to skip that plan and instead stayed north and headed to Victoria via a couple quick stops in Qualicum Bay and Ladysmith which have been named some of the prettiest towns in Canada. The weather in Victoria was (finally) clear so we ended up spending the afternoon on another whale watching tour and had the most incredible experience with several humpbacks lunge feeding around us. One even breached twice (although sadly, I was too slow with my camera).
I think being flexible is a big part of travelling to Vancouver Island knowing it can be very rainy, but honestly this was a great pivot. You can book your own whale watching tour in Victoria here (we used this company).
Since Victoria lights up at night and we still had a little window of dry weather we took advantage and explored the main tourist areas walking from Parliament down to China town to see everything all lit up.
Where to stay in Victoria:
- Helm’s Inn (We stayed here, great location)
- Strathcona Hotel
- Fairmont Empress Hotel
Day 5: Victoria- Back to the Mainland
Spend your final day on the island exploring Victoria. Government Street is great for fun shops and any last-minute souvenirs you might like. You can also take a free tour of the Parliament of Victoria (guided tours are available at certain times, or you can do a DIY tour) or visit the Royal BC Museum. There are also several attractions outside the city centre, you can check out my Victoria Guide for my top tips and suggestions.
As you wrap up your day in Victoria, make sure to allow time to get to the ferry as it’s not in the city centre. The ferry back to Vancouver (Tsawwassen) will actually take you to Richmond and if you are there in time for dinner, consider checking out the dumpling trail before you call it a night.
Good to Know About Vancouver Island
- Vancouver Island can be very wet and rainy, they may also suffer from wildfires in the summer. So, while I do suggest booking some things in advance (such as accommodation) it’s good to have a somewhat flexible itinerary as well.
- Cell phone service is very sporadic in parts of the island. Make sure you download offline maps ahead of time or even have a paper map handy if needed.
- This is a road trip itinerary so chances are you already plan on having a car if you are reading this guide, however if you are wondering if you can get away without one- not really. This is very much a place to drive if you want to see the island outside of Victoria. There are a couple of buses and shuttles but they aren’t necessarily very regular.
- Prices in Vancouver Island are similar to what you will find on mainland BC. If you are visiting from the US or UK, you’ll likely find it reasonable given the current rate of the Canadian Dollar. If you are visiting from elsewhere in Canada, you may find it a bit expensive.
- Vancouver Island has experienced the highest number of tourists in a decade over the 2025 season. This is mainly due to Canadians not wanting to travel to the US. While this sound positive in theory, it has overwhelmed the system a little in many of the small towns. Please remember to be kind and patient with the locals.
Ready to Book Your Trip?
Don’t forget travel insurance!
Please do not travel without travel insurance! I’ve had to use it multiple times throughout my travels and it has saved me thousands of dollars. You can learn more about travel insurance here. If you are looking for a provider I love and recommend SafetyWing. For Canadian readers, take a look at SoNomad.
Book your accommodation
I love and recommend booking.com for accommodation. They have a range of hostels, guesthouses, hotels, and resorts. Plus, the platform has a great loyalty program that means the more you book, the more you can save.
Book your tours
My go-to tour provider that I love to recommend is GetYourGuide. They have options all over the world and partner with local companies for everything from day trips to food experiences and even airport transfers.
Get connected
If you want to have data while travelling for online maps or any other needs, an esim is one of the easiest solutions. I have used esims around the world from Brazil to Uzbekistan, Greece to the USA- they are super easy and you don’t risk losing your home sim! There are two brands I have used and recommend so I suggest comparing both.
Airalo: download the app, pick what country you want an esim for, and after you purchase it follow the installation instructions. You can use promo code HANNAH3326 to save $3USD on your next esim purchase.
Truely: This one is easier in that it’s a one-time download instead of downloading an esim for each country. It also allows you to hotspot and tether- which not all esims do. Check out options here.
Not sure what to pack?
I have destination-specific guides for some countries but you can also check my travel essentials and camera gear if you are looking for some ideas.
Looking for a travel buddy?
Check out my group trips!