The best things to do on Vancouver Island with limited time from Victoria to Tofino.

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver Island Highlights - 4 Days - Victoria to Tofino

If you take the ferry from Nanaimo, you can drop your rental car off and then Uber to the terminal. You need to be at the ferry terminal at least 30 minutes before departure (even as a foot passenger) otherwise they won't let you on.

Arrive in Victoria in the morning and pick-up your rental car. 

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Drive towards Fisherman's Wharf and find a place to park your car.

There are a few paid parking lots around there. We parked at the closer lot of 12 Erie Street, but there is a cheaper lot at 203 Quebec Street.

Fisherman's Wharf has a lot of great options for lunch, plus our Whale Watching Tour from took off from here.

We saw sea lions, harbour seals, and orcas. This was the best, I couldn't recommend this tour more. 

You'll want to pre-book your whale watching tickets. We did a half day tour (about 3.5hrs) starting at 2pm. 

After whale watching, you can walk towards the Victoria Parliament building. It's cool to see from the outside, and across from the Inner Harbour. 

Walk to Nourish Kitchen & Cafe for dinner. If you don't want to go to Nourish, there are a lot of other walkable options for places to eat.

After dinner, get a head start on your drive to Tofino and stay at the Best Western Cowichan Valley.

There are lots of options of things to do in Victoria depending on your vibe. We went to Fisherman's Wharf and Whale Watching.

If Whale Watching isn't your thing (it's really cool though), you could visit Butchart Gardens or take a tour inside parliament. If you have an extra day, you could do all of the above!

Hit the road early. The drive to Tofino is 3.5 hours and there are lots of cool places to check out along the way! 

First stop is at Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park. Scenes from Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi and Jurassic World: Dominion were filmed here. The old trees (some up to 800 years) and tall (some up to 80m) served as the backdrop for the home of the Ewoks home, planet Endor.

The park is divided into the North and the South Trails (on either side of Highway 4). The South Trails are more frequently visited as they have the largest Douglas Fir in the park on the "Big Tree Trail". In addition to this famous trail, there is the "Living Forest Trail" with interpretive signs that explain the ancient forest's lifecycle through its flora and fauna.

The trails are easy and take about 20-30 minutes (if you don't stop). I would do the Big Tree Trail first as this is the most popular followed by any other trails you may be interested in.

The North Trails are less busy and still beautiful. Follow the "Old Growth Trail" to witness exposed roots, or captivating views of the Cameron River and Cameron Lake.

Make sure you look both ways before crossing the Highway to access both sides of the trails. 

Drive 15 minutes to Coombs Country Candy shop. This is where we parked to see Hole in the Wall Waterfall. 

After the hike, head into Coombs Candy Shop for snacks, a tea, and use of their bathroom. The drive to the next stop is 1.5 hrs.

You can't park at the trailhead as marked on Google Maps as this is actually private property. 

The hike to the Hole in the Wall Waterfall is easy, and doesn't take very long. It's worth the brief stop.

Stopping in Ueclululet is optional. If you want to head straight to Tofino, you could. However, if you want to do the Ancient Cedars Trail Walk and check out more of Vancouver Island, you'll want to stop in Ueclululet.

Grab lunch at Howler's Family Restaurant. I had a great falafel wrap.

After lunch head to the Ancient Cedars Trail Walk. This whole loop took about half an hour and has more ancient cedar trees. This place is less popular than Cathedral Grove, but Cathedral Grove is more impressive.

Check into your accommodations (you will need them for two nights).

I recommend the airbnb we stayed in near the Tanquin Trail. You could also look into other airbnbs or hotels (I use Booking.com). 

Guest suite in Tofino · ★4.74 · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 private bath

Take a walk and explore the Tonquin Trail in the daytime, before heading back for sunset, when the tide changes.

For dinner, there are a lot of great options in Tofino. For most places you will want to make a reservation.

We went to The Shed and sat on the patio. The burgers are amazing.

Head to the beach at the base of the Tonquin trail for an incredible sunset. The sunsets in Tofino are something else.

After the sunset, head back to your accommodations.

Tofino has incredibly dark skies, so I recommend stepping out later on, and taking a look up at the stars. We went back towards Tonquin Trail since we were staying right there.

Walk to Rhino Coffee for breakfast and a coffee to-go (I recommend a breakfast sandwich and cappuccino). 

Head to Anchor / Third Street Park & Lookout for nice views while you enjoy your breakfast.

There are picnic tables and benches, where you can enjoy the beautiful views of the harbour and mountain views.

There are no shortage of things you can do with a day in Tofino. 

If you choose to hire an outfitter to take you to Hot Springs Cove, this will take the whole day. 

Vancouver Island Highlights - 4 Days - Victoria to Tofino

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