Day 1: Victoria

105km / 3hr from Vancouver Airport (including ferry)

Most Vancouver arrivals can pick up the car and make the 3pm or 4pm Victoria ferry. The crossing is 1 hr 35 mins, with a 40 min drive either side. You should be set to enjoy your first evening on Victoria’s charming and historic waterfront.

Next day, explore more of British Columbia’s capital, which blends colonial influences (afternoon tea is still an institution) with recent developments. The inner harbour is really attractive, and famous Butchart Gardens just 30 mins from the centre, though not on the direct route to Tofino.

Day 2-3: Tofino (Vancouver Island)

315km / 4hr 30min from Victoria

Head east and north to Parksville, before crossing Vancouver Island through the forested hills of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Cathedral Grove (20 mins after Parksville) is a great halfway stop, with easy walks to the most colossal Douglas Firs and Red Cedars. Look out for Ewoks! Finally you’ll reach the Pacific coast beaches lining the route to Tofino.

The coastline here is amazing – with countless beaches, islands and inlets. It’s a place many love and few want to leave. Tofino has a real west coast vibe and is a fantastic base for surfing and for boat and floatplane trips for the major attractions of whale and bear watching (from David Attenborough’s Seven Worlds, One Planet) and visits to Hot Springs Cove.

Day 4-5: Whistler

370km / 6hr 30min from Tofino (including ferry)

Retrace your route across the island to take the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay and follow the stunning sea-to-sky highway to Whistler – a fantastic summer destination, with its attractive Alpine-style pedestrian centre full of cafes, restaurants and shops.

The warm climate makes Whistler ideal for hiking and mountain biking, as well as ziplines, canoe tours, paddle-boarding or bear watching. You can experience the Olympic bobsleigh track, guided by pilots on wheeled sleds! Less white-knuckle options include the amazing Scandinave spa and Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre.

Day 6-8: Vancouver

120km / 2hrs from Whistler

Driving back towards Vancouver, take the sea-to-sky gondola at Squamish for a great coffee stop at the Summit Lodge. Vancouver itself is a fantastic vibrant and modern city, rated the best in North America for the last 10 years, and in the world’s top 3!

Enjoy the city scene in the trendy Gastown and Yaletown districts, but green is never far away, at gorgeous 1000 acre Stanley Park downtown and the Capilano suspension bridge forest park just inland. A trip up Grouse mountain shows just how close together sea and ski can be! On your last day, you’ll have more time to explore as most flights leave in late afternoon.

Extra Information

• This itinerary is only a suggestion – you’re free to flex stops, durations and accommodation.
• To extend the trip to 10 nights, we’d suggest adding extra nights in Tofino and Whistler.
• Included: Car hire, 2 ferry crossings, local taxes and tourist charges.
• Not Included: Flights, meals (unless stated), parking fees, tolls, fuel, gratuities, National Park entry passes.
• National Park passes are approx 20 CAD per day for up to 6 people.