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Plan your trip to Vancouver Island, a land of extremes with diverse landscapes, wildlife and culture. Find out how to get here, where to go, and how to travel mindfully and sustainably.
- Places to Go
Places to Go. The exposed top of a submerged mountain range,...
- Blog
Learn from those who live here! Our Vancouver Island blog...
- South Island
For those already on Vancouver Island, you can access the...
- Cowichan
Getting to Cowichan. Cowichan is most easily accessed by...
- Nanaimo to Campbell River
Both ferries bring you to Nanaimo, where you can travel...
- Pacific Rim
International travellers and urban escapees from Vancouver,...
- North Island
Drivers on Vancouver Island can head north via Highways 19...
- Places to Go
Fill your days on Vancouver Island with adventure, relaxation, and new experiences. From outdoor activities to wildlife viewing and cultural exploration to festivals – the Vancouver Island region boasts so much to see and do!
- Go Mountain Biking in Cumberland
- Take Afternoon Tea in Victoria
- Discover The Malahat Skywalk
- Cycle The ʔapsčiik T̓ašii
- Surf in Tofino
- Ski Mount Washington
- Hike The North Coast Trail
- Admire Indigenous Culture in Alert Bay
- Hit The Nanaimo Bar Trail
- Set Sail from Port Hardy
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A once industrious coal-mining settlement, Cumberland was in danger of becoming a ghost town in the 1960s when the mines closed, and its population almost evaporated. Reclassifying itself as a village, it was rejuvenated in the early 21st century by a group of entrepreneurial mountain bikers. Under the umbrella of a registered non-profit organizati...
While provincial capital Victoria supports a trendy consortium of craft-brewers, wine sommeliers and third-wave coffee baristas, it also harbors a religious devotion to afternoon tea, a custom bequeathed by caffeine-fuelled British colonists. The tradition prevails in an array of refined tearooms where dainty cakes mounted on three-tier silver tray...
Vancouver Island’s newest and most novel attraction is a multi-tiered spiraltowerwith a lofty lookout and – we kid you not – a giant trampoline on top. Located 30km (18.6 miles) northwest of Victoria by road it offers 360-degree views over forest, sea, islands, and the glaciated hump of Mount Baker in the US. A 600m (1969ft) elevated walkway leads ...
Earmarked to be fully operational by 2022, this newly built cycling path stretches for 25km (15.5 miles) along the Pacific coast linking the two diminutive surfing towns of Tofino and Ucluelet. Its name (pronounced: ups-cheek ta-shee) means "going in the right direction on the trail" in the local Indigenous language. The unchallenging paved path cu...
Canada’s surfingcapitalmeets the tempestuous waves of the Pacific Ocean with a jagged spectrum of stormy beaches. There are sheltered Mackenzie Beach (good for beginners); two-pronged Chesterman Beach, separated by a wave-breaking sandbar and islet; legendary Cox Bay, host of numerous surfing competitions; and the expansive sands of 16km (10-mile) ...
In BC, all winter roads lead to Whistler, one of the largest and most comprehensive ski resorts in the world. But savvy islanders, wary of slow-moving lift lines and bulging apres-ski bars, often prefer to stick to the cheaper, less crowded runs ofMt Washingtonnear Courtenay. Inhabiting the mountain’s southwestern slopes adjacent to the craggy wild...
Conceived as a muddier, swampier alternative to the island’s perennially popular West Coast Trail, this five- to eight-day wilderness extravaganza tracks the extreme north coast for 58km (36ft) between Shushartie Bay and Cape Scott. Along its course it dips into sandy coves, empty beaches and thick, wind-contorted rainforest following a rough, unke...
Ancestral home to the Namgis First Nation, tiny Cormorant Island and its affiliated village, Alert Bay, is one of the best places in BC to absorb Indigenous culture. The island is awash with totem poles, including the world's tallest, a 173m (568ft) carving depicting whales, wolves and two-headed serpents held up by taut cables. There is also a cla...
Named after the island’s so-called "Harbour City," the Nanaimo bar is one of Canada’s most iconic food products. Comprising a three-layered slab of wafer topped with cream and icing, it combines coconut, vanilla custard, and chocolate in a rich explosion of densely packed calories. Despite its relatively recent invention, the Nanaimo bar’s history ...
Port Hardy is a small Alaskan look-alike town on Vancouver Island’s northeast shore and a primary embarkation point for carferriesnavigating the narrow channels of the Inside Passage on BC’s fjord-indented west coast. Book a cabin for overnight excursions (winter) or day trips (summer) and wave goodbye to civilization until you reach the isolated f...
Discover the island's natural beauty, outdoor activities, culture and history with this guide from Lonely Planet. Whether you want to bike, surf, ski, hike, or enjoy afternoon tea, Vancouver Island has something for everyone.
Things to Do in Vancouver Island, British Columbia: See Tripadvisor's 618,674 traveler reviews and photos of Vancouver Island tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in May. We have reviews of the best places to see in Vancouver Island. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
May 8, 2024 · Canada. British Columbia. Vancouver Island. A first-timer’s guide to Vancouver Island. Brendan Sainsbury. May 8, 2024 • 11 min read. Explore stately Victoria (pictured), hike long-distance trails, catch a wave in Tofino and much more besides on Vancouver Island © Aaron Black / Getty Images RFC.
British Columbia, Canada, North America. Vancouver Island is studded with colorful, quirky communities, many founded on logging or fishing and featuring the word 'Port' in their names. Best Things to Do.
