Tofino’s Unforgettable Floating Sauna Experience
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Tofino is popular for a reason and at this point, I’ve been there too many times to count… but this experience changed my entire perspective of Tofino because it took me away from the touristy areas and out into the wilderness.
If you are looking to get away from the crowds and experience more of the wild side of Tofino, then this might just be the thing you are looking for. Dave and I took my parent’s to Tofino when they were visiting Canada from Australia and we decided to all pitch in on this floating sauna experience in Tofino.
It turned out to be one of their favourite parts of their trip!
So if you are wondering if a floating sauna experience in Tofino is worth it, here are my thoughts, along with everything you need to know about the tour, including what to bring and how to book.
Tofino Floating Sauna: What You Need to Know
Tofino’s Floating Sauna is run by Tofino Resort and Marina and in my opinion, is one of the best things to do in Tofino!
There are 2 different session times to choose from per day, either 8am or 8:30am and a 1:30pm session. We chose the early morning session and went in September but I think next time I would choose the afternoon session and cross my fingers for a bit of sunset light because I love my photography and this place had ENDLESS photo ops.
The base price is for 4 people and then there is an additional fee charged per person on top of that, I think for the boat’s gas. You can have up to 12 people altogether.
The best part about this tour is that when you book, you have the sauna and dock completely to yourselves and you don’t see anyone else around at all. It’s an incredibly peaceful and beautiful experience.
Depending on when you decide to go, your time at the sauna will be slightly different as the winter experiences are 4 hours and the summer experiences are 5 hours. We were there for 5 hours but honestly, by the time you get there and everything is set up and then have to pack up and leave again, the time goes by super fast!
Quick Tips for visiting the Floating Sauna in Tofino
Where to stay: We stay at the Ocean Village Resort and I would stay there again in a heartbeat!
Best time to visit: Outside of summer to avoid the peak season.
Cost: from CAD1,150 depending on the season and number of people
Time needed: Winter Floating Sauna: 1 October – 30 April: 4 hours
Summer Floating Sauna: 1st May – 30 September: 5 hours
What to bring: Water and Lunch / snacks unless yours is included in your tour (you can add this on), swimsuit, sunscreen, hat, downloaded tunes.
Our Experience at the Tofino Floating Sauna
The ride out to the wild side of Tofino
We started our day at the Tofino Resort and Marina office. The outdoor parking lot was free and we were able to park there for the entire day. We didn’t have any issues getting a spot first thing in the morning but I can imagine it might get a little busy for the afternoon session because it is the same parking lot for the Shelter Restaurant which we decided to have a drink and a nibble at after our tour.
The Suze Crispy Calamari was delicious and waitress recommended the Gamay which was so unusual but I absolutely loved it!
Anyways I digress… after parking, we checked in at the marina desk. The had a free coffee station there and there was also public bathrooms that we all used.
One thing to note for the sauna experience is that there is no bathroom on the boat nor on the dock so you kinda have to pee in the ocean and for anything else, well, just make sure there is nothing else. Our guide said, there is an emergency toilet of some kind on the boat that he can bring back in the event of an emergency but it didn’t sound fun.
Once it was time to go, we met our guide and all piled onto the boat, along with all of our bags. He went over some safety information and then we were off. The boat had a bit of space inside which is where we put our bags and we all decided to sit outside. We were given blankets for the trip and it was actually colder than I thought it would be.
Our guide asked us if we wanted to try to spot some wildlife because heading to the sauna so of course we said yes. My parents had been to Canada twice before and still had never seen a bear!
It took a while but we spotted one! A big black bear walking along the shoreline scavenging for food. It was so cool to see a bear in the while from the safety of a boat rather than on the trails when hiking which is where we usually see them. Our guide even gave us some binoculars to see him better.
The bear was the highlight, but the views of the Clayoquot Sound the entire way from Tofino to the Floating Sauna were to die for and the early morning golden light made it even better.
The boat ride takes about 30 minutes with no stops but because we spent time looking for bears, ours probably took close to 50 minutes. You can also choose not to do this and head straight to the sauna if you prefer.
What the floating sauna is actually like
When the floating dock and sauna finally come into view, I could feel my excitement build. We were let off the boat and shown how the sauna worked and what all the rules were. Our guide started the firepit and the sauna for us. You have to constantly feed both wood to keep them going.
Then he left us with a radio in case we needed him for whatever reason and said he would be able 10 minutes away.
He also left us towels, a bluetooth speaker, and a cooler full of water so we could refill our bottles if we needed to.
He told us to be ready to leave 45 minute before the end of our session to allow for enough time to get back.
When he arrived back at the dock to help us pack up, he offered us some prawns that he had caught in the traps during our session. He cooked them by torching them very quickly and believe me when I say that these were the freshest and most delicious prawns I have ever eaten. I believe they also offer crab catches if you are keen.
He also gave us a bunch of the leftover prawns for us to take back to our cabin which we cooked up on the BBQ for dinner. SO GOOD!
The sauna, ocean and cold plunge and relax experience
The sauna took a while to heat up at first so we spent the time explore the dock. There were nets at the front of the dock which you could lie down in to relax and a firepit and steps leading into the ocean at the back, along chairs placed around the firepit and a high top table and cubbies to store some of our bags.
Once the sauna was hot enough, we decided to do rotations, sauna, then cold plunge and then relaxed either by the fire pit or on the nets at the front of the dock.
The paddle boards, rope swing and kayaks
My mum was SUPER keen to try out the paddle boards or kayaks so we all took the kayaks out together. Dave and I shared a 2 person kayak and my parents each had a 1 person kayak. The water was like glass. It was absolutely gorgeous! The only thing we could all hear was birds chirping. Other than that it was pure silence.
There was also a rope swing on the side of the dock which Dave tried out. I’m a little scared of rope swings because I’ve had pretty bad rope burn from them before but Dave loved it.
Why this was one of the highlights of my parents’ visit
The fact that this was such an unusual experience that you aren’t able to do just anywhere made it so special. That and because we had the place to ourselves made this the highlight of my parents trip to British Columbia from Australia.
It was so nice being able to share such an awesome experience with them and I know it is one that all of us will be talking about for years to come.
How to Book the Tofino Floating Sauna
You can book the Floating Sauna Experience either directly through Tofino Resort and Marina or through GetYourGuide which I find is a bit cheaper.
How Much Does the Tofino Floating Sauna Cost?
The sauna costs CAD1,150 during the winter months for groups of up to 4 with any additional people costing extra and during the summer months it is CAD1,300 for up to 4 people.
What Is Included in Your Booking?
- Towels,
- Bluetooth Speaker
- Return boat ride
- Set up of the sauna and fire pit
- Fire Pit
- Hammocks
- Rope swing
- Kayaks
- Paddleboards
- Life jackets
- Wood-fired cedar sauna on a floating dock
- Radio – to radio the guide in case we needed him
Which Session Time Should You Choose?
I don’t think there is any wrong answer here. It really depends what else you have planned for the day.
When I was booking, I really wanted to spot some wildlife along the way on the boat ride to the sauna, which is why I booked the morning session. I think animals tend to be more active in the mornings? I could be wrong?
Plus I really wanted to be able to go back to our cabin and cook up a BBQ together with my parents which was such a nice way to end the day.
If I ever do the floating sauna experience again, however, I think I’ll book the afternoon session to try to get a bit of a sunset because I think that would be really pretty!
What to Bring to the Tofino Floating Sauna
We brought SO MUCH STUFF. We had no idea if there would be towels or not so we brought our own (they provide them so there wasn’t any need).
I do recommend bring the following:
- Water bottles – they provide a cooler full of water to refill your bottles
- Lunch and snacks – if you don’t choose to add this onto your package
- Downloaded music – they provide a Bluetooth speaker.
- A camera – the floating sauna is so so pretty!
- Warm clothes to wear for the boat ride and to change into after – the boat ride can be really cold if you choose to sit outside!
- Swimsuit – obviously
- any extra pool floaties you want to use when cold plunging
- Sunscreen
- Hat
frequently asked questions
Final thoughts: Is the Tofino Floating Sauna Worth It?
This has been one of my all time favourite paid experiences in Tofino, along with the Hot Springs Cove Tour.
The face that you have the entire dock and sauna to yourself, makes this experience feel extra special and if I were going to choose one thing to do in Tofino that was paid, it would be this. So yes, I absolutely think the Floating Sauna in Tofino is worth it and I would do it again in a flash! Maybe once I save up a bit haha.
You might also enjoy:
- Ultimate Tofino Weekend Itinerary
- How to Visit the Magical Hot Springs Cove in Tofino BC
- Hiking to the Canso Plane Crash Site
- The Best Sunset Spot in Tofino: Cox Bay Lookout
- Things to do in Sooke
- Unique Waterfalls on Vancouver Island That You Need to Visit
- Best Views in Vancouver
- Things to do in Tofino (plus what I would skip)
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