Top 13 things to do on Vancouver Island

By Canada specialist Lucy

Mainland Western Canada might conjure images of snow-topped mountains, electric-blue glaciers, and emerald lakes. But, I’d argue that Vancouver Island, off the coast of British Columbia, has just as much allure.

You can walk through dense temperate rainforests of moss-draped trees. Paddle along the rocky coastline and across sheltered bays in a kayak. Take a boat trip for close-up views of orcas and dolphins. Stroll deserted beaches strewn with driftwood in the north of the island. Visit the largest totem pole while you learn about Indigenous culture. Or, spend a relaxing couple of days browsing art galleries and sipping wine.

Inspired by all these opportunities, I’ve narrowed down my 13 top experiences across the island.

(Note that I’ve chosen to exclude the island’s renowned bear lodges, which we felt deserved a guide all of their own.)

Choose your destination

1. History & gardens in Victoria

A short seaplane flight from Vancouver, Victoria is the unassuming provincial capital of British Columbia. The city was named after Queen Victoria by its British settlers, whose influences can still be felt as you wander around today. Grand buildings with ornate turrets and towers line the streets, and I even saw a kilted man playing the bagpipes on the waterfront.

You can tour Victoria’s parliament building for a peek into the government’s workings and history. I also recommend a visit to the Royal BC Museum. With a vast Indigenous collection, ranging from basketry to original Haida masks, it’s a great place to gain an insight into Vancouver Island’s pre-colonial heritage.

For me, though, the best spot in the city is Butchart Gardens. I usually feel once you’ve seen one botanical garden, you’ve seen them all — Butchart is different. The density and variety of the carefully curated foliage make for a vivid display in all seasons. However, I’m most partial to the pearly pinks and deep crimsons of the rose garden in summer, especially when you stick around to watch the season’s fireworks burst over the lawn every Saturday.

Where to stay in downtown Victoria

If you’re excited to be in the thick of things, you can’t get any better than Abigail’s Hotel. Despite being only a 15-minute walk away from practically everywhere in urban Victoria, it doesn’t feel like a city stay. Built in the 1930s in a mock Tudor style, it’s got the quiet, quaint ambience of a bed and breakfast, with none of the loud noises of downtown. I love the pops of ruby red and brown in the bedroom decor — it feels so inviting in a quintessentially Canadian way.

The Parkside Hotel & Spa is another option if you’d prefer somewhere a bit more modern. The bright and spacious apartment-style rooms, complete with kitchen facilities, are ideal for families. There’s also a large swimming pool, and a rooftop patio to enjoy the sunset on.

2. Whale watching from Victoria Harbour

One of the highlights of Vancouver Island is its sea life-rich waters. Year round, you have opportunities to spot sea lions, otters, seals, and even several resident orca pods around its coastline. But, the best time to visit is from spring to early autumn, when throngs of migrating humpback and minke whales pass through, their playful calves in tow in the later months.

For your best chance of encountering some of this aquatic wildlife, you can take a three-hour boat trip from Victoria Harbour. There are plenty of options to choose from here, but my preference (and one of our top-booked tours) is the eight-person rigid inflatable boat tour that leaves from brightly painted Fisherman’s Wharf.

The beauty of this smaller vessel is that it’s not only familiar to the whales (who on my tour breached the waters right next to the boat), but it also leaves less of an impact on their environment. You’ll also get chance to listen out for the sounds of marine life over the onboard hydrophone. And, with fewer people to a guide, you have ample chances to ask questions too.

On my trip out, we saw pelicans and seals lounging on the nearby crags, the dorsal fin of a breaching humpback whale, and two very energetic orcas that fluked and glided through the waves next to us. Our onboard naturalist quickly identified them as Heather and Raptor. “An upright dorsal fin is evidence of a healthy orca,” he explained, “but most orca in captivity have droopy ones.”

I’m an enthusiastic fan of this dedication to animal welfare, as well as the tour’s focus on environmental best practice.

Where to stay near Victoria Harbour

With its location at the edge of the Inner Harbour, The Inn at Laurel Point is my first-choice hotel when I visit Victoria. Almost all the rooms and suites offer unfettered views of the waterfront from their spacious balconies, and I could spend hours there watching seaplanes drifting on and off the waters and up into the Olympic Mountains.

The hotel itself is sleek yet understated, decorated with modern art collected by the owners, and it’s worth a stop for its restaurant alone. AURA offers farm-to-table fusion cuisine with a Pacific Rim twist, right by the lapping waves of the Salish Sea.

Alternatively, if you’re with family, you might consider the Oswego Hotel. Just a few blocks back from the water, this stone-finished stay also commands panoramic views of the city and water from its upper floors. But, what it really affords you is flexibility. Though there’s a bistro on site, you have the option to cook for yourself with a fully equipped kitchen in every room.

3. Hiking, whale spotting & small-town delights in Tofino

Tofino is one of the busiest places to visit on Vancouver Island, but its popularity shouldn’t be a turn off. The town has an artsy, laid-back surfer atmosphere, with sandy beaches, rainforest trails, hot springs, and plenty of water-based activities along the shoreline.

I recommend taking a few hours to wander the town’s main street. In the past few years, it’s gained a reputation for its thriving food scene — thanks to its fresher-than-fresh seafood (from the adjacent Clayoquot Sound), a glut of locally owned coffee shops, and weekly public market. Visit during summer for some of the plumpest, juiciest oysters you’ve ever eaten.

Tofino is replete with beaches, and I like to take the free shuttle bus over to Long Beach. It’s the biggest — and most popular — stretch of shoreline in the area, known for its large ocean swell, but that’s not why I come here.

Part of Pacific Rim National Park, it’s just a stone’s throw from some of British Columbia’s best wilderness trails. I’m a big fan of ʔapsčiik t̓ašii (pronounced Ups-Cheek Ta-Shee) Pathway, a multi-purpose route that weaves through enormous cedar forests and connects you to a dozen or so sightseeing spots — including a rare bogland with stunted-growth flora.

The area is also known for its whale sightings. Every year in March, the week-long Pacific Rim Whale Festival takes place, marking the start of migration season when nearly 20,000 grey whales pass by on their way north. The whales get so close that you can occasionally see them from the coast (I’ve seen a few from Cox Bay lookout). For a more intimate experience, you might consider a boat tour out to sea.

Where to stay in Tofino

Close to Tofino, the Wickaninnish Inn has an exceptional location on wave-battered cliffs, and service levels to match. All rooms look out onto the roaring surf of the Pacific, and the decor of the lodge — warm browns and oranges — embodies the combination of “luxury with local touches” that is subtly woven into your stay.

You’re especially in for a treat if you have dinner down at “the Wick’s” cliffside eatery, The Pointe Restaurant. Picture locally sourced ingredients served with a fine-dining flair, resulting in dishes like sidestripe shrimp tartare, roasted elk striploin, and Tofino-style surf and turf.

Alternatively, you might enjoy the relaxed setting at Long Beach Lodge Resort, which was built to resemble a traditional Canadian coastal home. Perched by the sandy beach of Cox Bay, all rooms here look out to the sea, and the resort even has its own surf school.

4. Bear spotting & sea kayaking on Clayoquot Sound

Tofino lies on Clayoquot Sound, a vast body of water set within thick temperate rainforest and stretching out into deep fjord inlets. It’s a fantastic region for spotting wildlife, with healthy populations of bears, sea lions, seals, and whales — both grey and humpback.

You can get a sense of this complex ecosystem on a bear-watching boat tour along the rocky shorelines. This is an ideal alternative if you can’t fit time at a bear-watching lodge into your trip. With high success rates for sightings, you can still have rewarding encounters with black bears, watching them feast by the riverbanks, for a fraction of the cost.

On my tour, we followed one bear and its cub for about 40 minutes while they meandered down the coastline looking for barnacles and salmon to snatch. Donned in our deeply unfashionable — but surprisingly comfortable — floater suits, we slipped past barely inhabited islets of sheer white sands and slender fir trees, keeping silent to not disturb the quietude of the moment.

Getting onto the water on a sea kayak is another highlight of spending time on Clayoquot Sound. On my tour, the sheltered water had a lake-like calmness as we paddled past bosky islands, the gentle hills and mountains of Vancouver Island’s interior rising in the distance. As we paddled, my guide told us about the region’s flora and fauna. At one point he pulled some kelp from the water and offered us a taste — salty, slimy, but full of nutrients.

Where to stay on Clayoquot Sound

To experience Clayoquot Sound fully, you’ve got to get off-grid. Accessible only by seaplane or a short boat trip from Tofino Harbour, the all-inclusive Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge lies along a secluded part of the Bedwell River.

As a guest here, you’ll stay in a sturdy yet comfortable white-canvas safari tent with a veranda that looks out either onto the waterfront or into the cool reserves of the rainforest. The lodge also offers a range of guided activities, from canyoning to horse riding, that take you out into remote reaches of the wilderness.

All the rooms have a luxury glamping feel, each decked out with bathrooms, propane stoves, and sustainable furnishings from local designers and First Nations artists. Meanwhile, meals are seasonally led and specially prepared by the chefs to showcase the very best of the region’s produce.

5. Exploring rainforests near Ucluelet

A 40-minute drive down the coast from Tofino is the town of Ucluelet, a smaller, quieter alternative, with rocky rather than sandy beaches. From here, you can hike the family-friendly Wild Pacific Trail, which is split into several sections taking in stony bluffs, towering evergreen forest, and pebbled beaches filled with tidepools.

The 2.6-km (1.6-mile) Lighthouse Loop is the most widely used route, taking you through mossy rainforest and around the coastline for views over Barkley Sound. Pause at Amphitrite Point Lighthouse, which was built in 1915, and look down over the Broken Group Islands, a popular spot with more than 300 seabird species.

I also like the 2.75-km (1.7-mile) Artist Loop, which curls around another section of the windswept coastline. Several viewing decks are set directly above surge channels where you can feel the power of the waves. At one, I spotted sea lions bobbing in the water and resting on the rocks.

Farther along the coast, you can stroll a 1-km (0.6-mile) loop through woodlands of western hemlock, old-growth Sitka spruce, and giant red cedar trees, two of which are believed to be over 800 years old. While there, I learned that cedars were traditionally used by some of Vancouver Island’s First Nations people for making sturdy canoes, buildings, and medicines.

Where to stay in Ucluelet

Sitting on a rocky promontory close to the Wild Pacific Trail, Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is my go-to for families exploring the area. A large property, it offers spacious, contemporarily decorated suites with well-equipped kitchens to suit self-caterers.

The pre-eminent feature of Black Rock is its architecture. Built using rock, glass, steel, and wood, it’s designed to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding nature. Floor-to-ceiling windows throughout also allow you to look out onto the crashing waves of the ocean, or into the old-growth forest at the hotel’s rear.

6. Trickier hiking trails in Port Renfrew

Though it’s a little more off-radar than Tofino and Ucluelet, I’m of the opinion that no travel guide about Vancouver Island is complete without mention of Port Renfrew. The atmosphere here is like the Tofino of old — a small, quiet coastal community surrounded by sprawling forests of gargantuan cedar, fir, and spruce trees (including the largest spruce in Canada).

The ultimate way to see the area is on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. Though it’s definitely a more challenging journey than the loops up north, I’d argue its twisting woodlands, misty shorelines, and juts of basalt ridges are worth the trek.

To complete the trail, you’ll need to allot at least three days, especially as great swathes of it are untraversable at high tide. But, if you have only a small amount of time, I suggest walking the shorter section down to Botanical Beach. The area here is full of marine life, especially at low tide, when you can jump between the pools in search of crabs and spiny starfish.

Where to stay in Port Renfrew

Options are limited in a sparsely populated town like Port Renfrew and, if you’re looking for hotel-level accommodation, you might want to stick to somewhere like Tofino or Victoria. However, the rustic, self-contained log cabins at Wild Renfrew Seaside Cottages are among my top stays on the island.

Set in a private section of the shale shoreline, the cottages are a great place to watch the oscillating tides from the comfort of your private balcony. I’d opt for a cabin with a hot tub or fire pit to reap the full benefits of the experience. When hunger strikes, you can swing by the on-site Renfrew Pub for a bowl of creamy seafood chowder that rivals even the New Englanders’.

7. Art & relaxation on Salt Spring Island

Salt Spring Island, a 45-minute ferry or short seaplane journey north from Victoria, is a laid-back, sleepy island that’s become a thriving hotspot for Canadian artists. In the main town, Ganges, there are lots of galleries you can dip in and out of on the self-guided studio tour. And, you’ll often see people from all walks of life painting, weaving, or sculpting in the street.

If you happen to be around on a Saturday, drop by the farmers’ markets at Centennial Park to get a glimpse of how eclectic this place can get. It’s all very bohemian-meets-vintage with vibrant and bedecked knitted items, soaps, and jewels, sold alongside island-brewed cider and homemade cheeses.

Further afield, you might want to try hiking Mount Maxwell for panoramic views of the fir-studded Gulf Islands and their farmlands. You can also visit some of the island’s small wineries for a taste of locally produced wines, take a gentle stroll along the marina, or head out on one of the longer coastal walks.

Where to stay on Salt Spring Island

Not everyone will want or need to stay overnight on Salt Spring Island, but if you do, Hastings House (a Relais & Chateaux property) is by far and away the best option. This waterfront hotel and spa was designed to emulate a traditional country home — complete with manicured gardens, timber-beamed ceilings, and a terraced patio where you can watch the boats slip in and out of Ganges Harbour.

Practically everyone I speak to also gushes about Hasting’s award-winning fine dining room, Manor Dining. Executive Chef Marcel Kauer creates a sensory feast in his seasonally inspired tasting menu, with edible flowers, herbs, and vegetables picked from the gardens every day.

8. Fishing the salmon run at Campbell River

Campbell River is a portal into the far-flung corners of Vancouver Island’s wilderness. Here, waterfalls plunge into moss-draped canyons, looming forests shelter scurrying salamanders, and trickling estuaries are playgrounds for wildlife of all shapes and sizes, from hunting bald eagles to herds of grazing elk and feasting grizzly bears.

But, its biggest claim to fame? Being the “salmon capital of the world”. Every year from July to September, great shoals of pink and giant chinook salmon take a long and arduous journey upstream to spawn the next generation of juveniles. All in all, over a million fish will pass through its waters.

If you’re an avid angler, I can arrange for you to take a privately guided fishing experience down the river. This will be tailored to your interests and can vary depending on conditions, but a typical outing will start from Discovery Harbour Marina and lasts for five to eight hours. Arrive during the peak season (typically July), and you might not even need a rod — the fish swim in congested traffic-like jams in the shallower, narrower sections of the river.

Alternatively, if you’re no fishing afficionado, there are plenty of wildlife tours to try out from Campbell River as well, and you might not only spot rushes of salmon, but porpoises, orcas, and playful white-sided dolphins too.

Where to stay in Campbell River

Visting somewhere as untouched as Campbell River, doesn’t mean you have to skimp on luxury. With a pool, golf course, spa, and fitness room, Naturally Pacific Resort has plenty of amenities to keep you entertained when you’ve returned from nature roaming. And, what I really like about this resort is its spacious, artsy-style rooms.

It’s a different atmosphere from some of the more rustically designed options on Vancouver Island, but who says angling and aroma therapy massages can’t be combined? It’s also a convenient base for accessing activities on the river, just a five-minute drive from the wharf.

9. Wildlife with Indigenous guides in Bute Inlet

Northeast of Campbell River, Bute Inlet is Vancouver Island at its most dramatic. This u-shaped fjord on the edge of the Great Bear Rainforest plunges deep into the depths of the earth, and sheer granite peaks — many of them capped by glaciers — tower beside it.

The inlet is another fantastic spot for catching the many ecosystems this area teems with. In fact, by the numbers, it’s the best spot — I’ve had friends see up to six bears on a day trip here. I might be biased, but I think it’s helped by the quality of wildlife tours in this neck of the woods.

The best tour by a country mile is the high-speed boat tour owned and operated by the Homalco (or, Xwémalhkwu) First Nation, which leaves from Campbell River. Nicknamed the “people of the fast-running waters”, these guides have centuries’ worth of knowledge about the area, and while you cruise the fjord to the various bear-viewing spots, they’ll enthrall you with tales of their ancestry, lands, language, and connection to the wildlife.

What’s more, these naturalists are unmatched in their passion for the animals. While you scan your surroundings from the viewing spots, they’ll show you the various kinds of animal tracks to look out for, the differences in bear habits and ecology, and — if you’re lucky — even show you where a few grizzlies or black bears might be hiding in plainer sight than you think.

It’s also not unusual to find humpback whales, eagles, seals, and orcas on this tour too — although, similar Indigenous-run whale-watching tours are also available.

Where to stay near Bute Inlet

Due to the remote nature of Bute Inlet, there isn’t anywhere to really stay per se. For the closest experience to it, you can spend a few nights at Sonora Resort, a remote island retreat a short boat or seaplane journey from Campbell River.

As well as outstanding resort facilities (such as a world-class spa and one of the best restaurants in BC), Sonora offers a mix of adventure-themed activities — including a helicopter tour of the nearby glaciers. It’s also known for its proliferation of wildlife. You can often spot eagles, orcas, and harbour seals from the shore-side pool or hot tub.

10. Camping in the wilderness near Port McNeill

Port McNeill is a down-to-earth working town, known for its logging. However, it’s also a gateway to some of Vancouver Island’s lesser-known wildlife hotspots.

If you’re hoping to embark on a whale-watching experience that’s more skewed to orca spotting, then you need look no further. The nearby Johnson Straight is a critical habitat for the Northern Resident orca population — and you’re more likely to see them here than anywhere else in the world.

I’m also drawn to this area for its unique multi-day camping and kayaking experiences. Tours will vary, but can be as long as a five-night stay on the maze of islets that make up the Broughton Archipelago.

During the stay, you typically camp — in spacious, platformed tents — across three different wilderness sites, which may include forest, rocky cliffsides, or pebble beaches. Then, in the daytime, your guides lead you over the mist-shrouded waterways of the strait, introducing you to the historical sites of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations people along the way.

It’s more of an odyssey than other wildlife experiences on Vancouver Island, but it also provides a more intimate connection with nature. Only by kayak can you paddle so closely to the shooting blow of a humpback whale, or float so serenely by a pod of gathering orcas.

Where to stay in Port McNeill

You might not be too fond of camping but still want to visit the highlights of Port McNeill — and if that’s the case, I recommend a stopover at Black Bear Resort. This simple cedar property sits on the fringes of the temperate rainforest, and yet is in walking distance of most facilities in the town, including the terminal for the Alert Bay ferry.

11. Indigenous history on Alert Bay

Alert Bay is a quaint fishing village on Cormorant Island, a short ferry ride from Port McNeill. Its claim to fame is its Indigenous heritage museum, the U’mista Cultural Centre, which holds the world’s largest totem pole. The museum is underselling itself — it’s so much more than this.

We spent several hours walking around this small facility, learning all about the history of the Kwakwaka’wakw people and viewing their art.

The term “u’mista” means “the return of something important”, and the entire project began with the return of traditional potlatch (gift-giving feast) relics that had been seized by the Canadian government. Today, the potlatch items have been placed in a special room for the public to view, and throughout summer you can watch traditional potlatch-related performances held by the Tʼsasała Dance Group.

For me, it’s a must-see if you have any interest in Indigenous heritage.

Where to stay on Alert Bay

Thanks to the frequent ferry services, it’s easy to stay in Port McNeill and visit Alert Bay on a day trip. But, if you’re keen to really embrace Cormorant Island, you might stay overnight at the bright-blue, classically clapboard Nimpkish Hotel.

12. Remote beaches & forests in Port Hardy

Usually a brief stopover point en route to a bear lodge, I’d argue Port Hardy is actually worth a two-night stay. This close-knit town is situated on the island’s remote northwest tip, so it’s not hard to find secluded spots where you can soak up the area’s natural beauty.

I joined a small husband-and-wife-owned group tour of San Josef Bay, close to the town, for a chance to stroll deserted beaches and old-growth forests reached only via a logging road inaccessible to cars. Our local guide, Chris, drove us for an hour and a half along the bumpy track, communicating with truck drivers by radio to ensure we could pass.

You then take an hour-long walk through the forest. The tall trees shroud you from all noises save those made by their wildlife inhabitants. Chris pointed out interesting plants, mushrooms, insects, and birds as we walked, along with tracks left by larger animals such as black-tail deer and bears.

Eventually, the forest clears to reveal a huge swathe of empty sand, sheltered in a wide bay. I immediately kicked off my shoes to relish the feel of sand between my toes, the salty wind whipping up my hair. After a picnic of sandwiches and cakes, you’re free to break off and explore on your own.

I entered a cave carved out by the swirling tides, where Chris identified wolf tracks. Offshore, we spotted a sea otter twirling in the shallows. And, peering into slime-coated rock pools, I was greeted with a treasure trove of starfish, limpets, whelks, and timid crabs.

Where to stay in Port Hardy

The Kwa’lilas Hotel has a central location in Port Hardy — making it a great spot for trip-takers, as well as a community hub for locals. Its decor is minimalist and modern yet also focuses on the area’s First Nation heritage (Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations), with masks, crafts, and Indigenous motifs found throughout the hotel. Rooms look over mountains or the ocean.

With homage paid to nature in every feature, I find this is a great last stop on Vancouver Island, especially if you’re moving further north into Prince Rupert (a 15-hour ferry journey) — the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest.

13. Wolf tracking in Tlatlasikwala Nation

Imagine waking up to the gentle howls of the elusive coastal wolf. That’s what you can experience on an exclusive three-day camping experience in the territory of the Tlatlasikwala First Nation.

During the experience, you’ll follow two Tlatlasikwala guides, who’ll teach you how to track these smaller wolves by land and sea. Along the way, you’ll learn about the animal’s fascinating largely water-based lifestyle, and also look out for sea otters, humpbacks, and sea lions as you travel between viewing areas.

At night, you’ll then camp at a safe distance — with further safety features in place — near the wolves’ habitat, where you can fall asleep to a soundtrack of their occasional yips and barks. This private activity caters to a maximum of six guests between the two guides — so it’s a real opportunity to get intimate with the nature here.