The Ultimate Weekend Itinerary for Tofino, BC

The Best 2 Day Tofino Itinerary

Tofino is the sort of place where there is something for everyone. You don’t have to be crazy about surfing to go to Tofino. There are some pretty awesome hikes you can do, or you can chill on the beach or even go on a whale watching or bear spotting tour!

I have put this itinerary together with a mix of different activities so that you get to see a bit of everything. It is perfect for first time visitors to Tofino and for people who love the outdoors and a bit of adventure.

Day 1

If you’re coming from Vancouver like me, you’ll need to catch the ferry to Nanaimo. On the way from the Nanaimo Ferry Terminal to Tofino, make sure you stop at:

• Goats on the Roof – they have literal goats on a roof plus a bunch of yummy food. Here you can grab a Nanaimo bar from the bakery or an ice cream from Billy Gruff Creamery which has a whopping 70 flavours!
• Cathedral Grove – Walk one of the forest loops to see beautiful and very large old growth trees.

Once you arrive in Tofino, if you feel like hiking, I recommend the Canso Plane Crash hike. Alternatively, you could explore town and the shops and get the feel of Tofino.

Canso Plane Crash Site Hike

Distance: 5.2km | Elevation Gain: 35metres | Time: 1.5 – 2hrs | Dog Friendly: Yes

The Canso Plane Crash hike is a really unique trail which ends at the site of an old plane crash from 1945. The hike is extremely muddy so make sure you wear your hiking boots or something that you don’t mind getting dirty.

Along the way, you will have the opportunity to walk through an abandoned building which definitely has some creepy vibes going on. However, if you don’t want to walk through the building, there is an alternative trail that takes you around instead of through the building.

Reward yourself with beers and dinner in town

Once you’ve finished the hike, head into town and check out Tofino Brewery and find a spot in the sun to enjoy a beer or if you want something a little unique and different, you could head over to Ucluelet Brewing Company, which is located in Tofino’s neighbouring town, Ucluelet. This brewery is located inside an old renovated church.

Day 2

On day tour, I personally think that the tours from Tofino are really worth it because you get to see the wild side of Tofino. I recently did the Hot Springs Cove Tour and saw bald eagles, whales, loads of sea otters and harbour seals, not to mention the hot springs themselves were unreal!

There are also other tours you can do in Tofino such as bear watching which is pretty high up on my list or whale watching. Another option is to try out surfing!

My Top Pick for Tofino Tours!

Explore Hot Springs Cove

• Take a 90 minute boat ride from Tofino to Hot Springs Cove
• See harbour seals, sea otters, whales, bald eagles and more along the way!
• Relax in some of the most scenic hot springs in British Columbia

Book your Hot Springs Cove Tour early so that you don’t miss out!

If you do the Hot Springs Cove tour, this takes up most of your day. Afterwards, you can relax at a café or brewery or just wander around town. After my tour, my friend and I had some drinks at the MAQ pub which wasn’t too far from the wharf where our tour started.

Watch the sunset from Cox Bay Lookout

Distance: 1.2km | Elevation Gain: 115metres | Time: 2hrs | Dog Friendly: Yes, however your dog may struggle to climb up some sections.

The best way to end your trip in Tofino is to catch sunset at Cox Bay Lookout. It is a short but steep scrambly hike but the views from the top are so worth it! Bring some snacks and drinks up to the top and soak up those gorgeous Tofino views.

If you don’t feel like hiking, you could also just head to Cox Bay Beach and watch the sunset from there. Both of these are great options!

Things to Know Before You Go

Where is Tofino

Tofino is located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is around a 2 hour 50 minutes drive from Nanaimo to Tofino and from Vancouver it is around a 5.5 hour trip.

Click here to open the map in Google Maps!

How to get to Tofino

How to get from Vancouver to Tofino (with a car)

Renting a car and driving from Vancouver to Tofino would be my choice, but there are other ways of getting to Tofino which you will find below.

The drive to Tofino is absolutely gorgeous so take your time and enjoy the views! Tofino is around a 5.5hr drive from Vancouver and includes a ferry trip over to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Depending on where you are coming from in Vancouver, there are two different ferry docks in Vancouver that you can choose from. The shortest ferry trip is 1hr 40mins and goes from Horseshoe Bay Terminal on the North side of Vancouver at the beginning of the Sea to Sky Highway.

Alternatively, you can catch the ferry from Tsawwassen to Duke Point. Duke Point terminal is a 20 minute drive south of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and the ferry ride is 2hrs.

You can book your ferry through the BC Ferries website (do this well ahead of time so that you don’t miss out) and also check the website for updates on departure times etc.

How to get from Vancouver to Tofino (without a car)

What if you don’t want to drive?

1. The best way to travel by public transport from Vancouver to Tofino is to get a bus to the ferry terminal and then transfer to the Tofino Express Bus which picks up from Nanaimo Departure Bay Ferry Terminal.

How to get from Nanaimo to Tofino (with a car)

The distance from Nanaimo to Tofino is 207km and will take you around 2 hours 50 minutes. To get from Nanaimo to Tofino you will take Highway 19 followed by Highway 4. Highway 4 then takes you all the way to Tofino. The drive is breathtakingly beautiful so enjoy it and don’t rush.

Once you arrive on the island and begin your drive, the straight highways doesn’t last long. The majority of the drive from the ferry terminal in Nanaimo to Tofino is along incredibly windy roads and the locals like to drive fast! Be extra careful and try your best to pull over to let faster cars pass if you are like me and a bit of a slow driver on these sorts of roads.

How to get from Nanaimo to Tofino (without a car)

If you can do the drive in your own car, we definitely recommend this over a bus so that you can stop whenever you want to take in the views. There is no public bus from Nanaimo to Tofino, however there is the Tofino Express Bus that will pick you up from the Nanaimo Departure Ferry Terminal. One way tickets are from CAD$10 per person.

When is the Best Time to Visit Tofino?

Honestly, any time of the year is beautiful in Tofino!

It really depends what you are visiting Tofino for and whether you care about crowds or not. For example, if you want to visit Tofino and go on a bear watching tour, you are going to want to go any time except Winter as these tours run from end of April to Early May and finish up in October. The whale watching tours are similar in that they run from February until the end of October.

Summer

Tofino in the Summer is absolutely amazing! If you are looking for a Summer Beach holiday then Tofino is a great choice. However, like anywhere and everywhere else in the Summer, Tofino gets extremely busy so you will need to plan ahead and book everything early. It is for this reason that we prefer the off-season.

Fall / Spring

The shoulder seasons of late Fall and early Spring are great choices to visit Tofino as the weather is still not too cold and it will be a way less busy than Summer. It is also peak whale watching season during the Spring. with Grey Whale migration occurs every March during the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. Tofino locals will tell you that Fall is the best time for surfing as the water is at its warmest and the beaches are beginning to get less crowded.

Winter

Winter is the least busiest time in Tofino, so if you want this epic beach town to yourself, this is the time to go! If you love to surf and are experienced, the surf is often better in the Winter, with larger and more consistent waves. The water will be freezing so a thicker wetsuit is definitely required in the Winter. Winter is also the best time for storm watching along the coastline.

Things to Know Before Booking

1. Tofino is not cheap. The restaurants there are pretty nice and although there are some cheaper options, there are lots of higher end restaurants there. The accommodation is also pretty pricey with not really any cheaper options. We camped and spent almost CAD100 a night in a campsite in our own tent.
2. Book early (months in advance) – I cannot stress this enough! Accommodation and ferries from Vancouver to the Island get booked up well in advance and you will end up paying more if there are less options available.

What to Pack for your Weekend Trip

• Hiking Boots – Hiking boots are great for muddy, slippery hikes and some of the hikes in Tofino are quite muddy. My favourite hiking boots are the Oboz Bridger Mid B-Dry Boots.
• Hiking Socks – Good hiking socks are important to make your boots as comfortable as possible! Our favourites for hiking in Spring when the weather is a little colder are the Smartwool Hike Classic Edition Full Cushion Crew socks and for the warmer months we prefer a lighter sock like the Smartwool Hike Classic Edition Light Cushion Crew Sock.
• Merino Top / Tee – Merino is a great material to hike in so we use Merino tops to hike.
• Fleece – When hiking in Winter, Spring and Fall, we like to layer up so we don’t freeze while we are enjoying the view.
• Puffer Jacket – We love our puffer jackets to keep warm at the beginning of a walk and then once we are at the viewpoint and also if it is a little chilly on the beach.
• Rain Jacket – You’re definitely going to want a rain jacket for Tofino! Whether can change very suddenly.
• Beanie – We never go anywhere in Winter, Spring and Fall without our beanies but you can probably leave this behind if you are visiting Tofino in the Summer or even near the end of Spring.
• Leggings – I wear leggings on pretty much every hiking adventure and my favourites are the Lululemon Align pant.
• Swim Suit!

• Day Backpack – Our favourite backpack for day hikes and just getting around on weekend adventures is the Osprey Tempest 20 Backpack.
• Your Camera Gear! We never go anywhere without ours!

Where to Stay

We found accommodation kind of tricky for Tofino as we were trying our best not to spend too much. The campsites turned out to be more expensive than we were used to but we still found it was the cheapest option. There is also a hostel which works out to be even cheaper than camping if you stay in a dorm.

If you are looking to stay somewhere really nice in Tofino and happy to spend the money, there are some really beautiful places you can stay at but we recommend booking far in advance to make sure you don’t miss out. Below is a list of some of the accommodation options separated by expense.

Read on for a few of my favourite stays in Tofino ⬇

Budget Accommodation – Campgrounds and hostels in Tofino

• Surf Grove Campground – located on Cox Bay Beach – This is where we stayed and we can confirm it is a nice campground
• Whalers Guesthouse – A hostel with a view!

Somewhere in-between – Glamping and cabins in Tofino

• WildPod Glamping – Stay in a dome pod with an epic view of the ocean!
• The Shoreline Tofino – Beautiful Cabins within 2 km of Mackenzie Beach and 3 km of Chesterman Beach.
• Tofino Resort + Marina – located right on the Marina, the views from this hotel are awesome!

Luxury Accommodation – hotels and resorts in Tofino

• Pacific Sands Beach Resort – This resort is located on Cox Bay Beach and is absolutely stunning! I’m DYING to stay here!
• Ocean Village Tofino – Cabins located right on the beach front!
• Cox Bay Beach Resort – The resort has a fitness centre, sauna, outdoor hot tub, BBQ’s for guest use, a lounge with a stone fireplace, and a pavilion where guests can sit, read and enjoy the beautiful views of Cox Bay Beach.