Vancouver Island, Victoria to Tofino in 4 days

Victoria: the harbour, the museum, the gardens.

1. 08:30 1

   Fisherman’s Wharf

   Sight

   Floating homes and harbour seals at the fish shack. Water taxi to the Inner Harbour.

   

   1.3 km · 15m walk to next

2. 10:00 2

   BC Parliament Buildings

   Sight

   Free tours on weekdays. The Empress hotel is across the lawn.

   

   269 m · 5m walk to next

3. 11:30 3

   Royal BC Museum

   Sight

   First Peoples gallery and the Old Town. Ninety minutes minimum.

   

   736 m · 5m walk to next

4. 13:30 4

   Red Fish Blue Fish

   Food & drink

   Fish tacos from a shipping container on the pier. The queue moves.

   

   22.3 km · 30m drive to next

5. 15:00 5

   Butchart Gardens

   Park & nature

   Sunken Garden from the top lookout first. Saturday fireworks in summer.

   

   24.3 km · 25m drive to next

6. 18:00 6

   Beacon Hill Park

   Park & nature

   Mile 0 of the Trans Canada, peacocks, the Dallas Road cliff walk.

   

   2.3 km · 10m drive to next

7. 19:30 7

   Il Terrazzo

   Food & drink

   Old Town courtyard, wood fired oven. Book.

   

Up island and over the hump to the coast. Highway 4 has one lane sections; give it three hours from Nanaimo.

1. 08:00 1

   Goldstream Provincial Park

   Park & nature

   Old growth 20 minutes from town; the salmon run is October to December.

   

   15.1 km · 10m drive to next

2. 09:30 2

   Malahat SkyWalk

   Activity

   Spiral walk to a 250 m view; the slide down is the fast way.

   

   23.6 km · 25m drive to next

3. 11:00 3

   Cowichan Bay

   Sight

   Floating village; True Grain bread and Hilary’s cheese.

   

   69.0 km · 40m drive to next

4. 12:30 4

   Pirate Chips

   Food & drink

   Nanaimo. A deep fried Nanaimo bar, obviously.

   

   70.9 km · 1h drive to next

5. 14:30 5

   Cathedral Grove

   Park & nature

   800 year old Douglas firs right off Highway 4. The lot is small; be patient.

   

   119 km · 2h drive to next

6. 17:30 6

   Chesterman Beach

   Park & nature

   Sunset walk to Frank Island at low tide. Check in, then the Tacofino truck.

   

Tofino: surf, rainforest, whales, and the best dinner on the island.

1. 07:00 1

   Cox Bay

   Activity

   Surf lesson with Pacific Surf School. The water is 12 degrees; the wetsuit is included.

   

   16.4 km · 10m drive to next

2. 10:00 2

   Rainforest Trail

   Park & nature

   Two 1 km boardwalk loops through old growth, one on each side of the highway. Park pass required.

   

   7.1 km · 8m drive to next

3. 11:30 3

   Long Beach

   Park & nature

   16 km of sand. Walk from the Long Beach lot to Incinerator Rock.

   

   9.7 km · 15m drive to next

4. 13:30 4

   Wildside Grill

   Food & drink

   Fish tacos from the shack. Cash or card.

   

   7.3 km · 8m drive to next

5. 15:00 5

   Tonquin Trail

   Park & nature

   Cliffside boardwalk from town to three beaches. Sea stacks and sunsets.

   

   714 m · 15m walk to next

6. 16:30 6

   Tofino Harbour

   Activity

   Grey whales March to October, bears on the shore at low tide, with Ocean Outfitters.

   

   136 m · 5m walk to next

7. 19:30 7

   Wolf in the Fog

   Food & drink

   Tofino’s kitchen. Book two weeks out; the bar seats walk ins.

   

Ucluelet, then back east with the good stops, to the Nanaimo ferry.

1. 08:30 1

   Wild Pacific Trail

   Park & nature

   Lighthouse Loop, 2.6 km. Storm watching in winter.

   

   1.7 km · 5m drive to next

2. 10:30 2

   Ucluelet Aquarium

   Activity

   Catch and release aquarium; everything goes back in the sea each fall.

   

   151 m · 5m walk to next

3. 12:00 3

   Ravenlady Oyster Forte

   Food & drink

   Oysters from a food truck by the harbour.

   

   77.2 km · 1h 15m drive to next

4. 14:30 4

   Sproat Lake Provincial Park

   Park & nature

   Petroglyphs reached by the boardwalk; a warm lake swim.

   

   47.9 km · 40m drive to next

5. 16:30 5

   Coombs Old Country Market

   Food & drink

   Goats on the roof. Yes, really.

   

   14.2 km · 10m drive to next

6. 18:00 6

   Rathtrevor Beach

   Park & nature

   The tide goes out a kilometre; the sand warms the incoming water.

   

   34.8 km · 25m drive to next

7. 19:30 7

   Departure Bay Ferry Terminal

   Sight

   BC Ferries to Horseshoe Bay, 1 h 40 min. Reserve.