20 of The Best Things To Do on Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is truly one of those rare places where it has it all. Rugged coastlines, charming little towns, ancient rainforests, and world class food and culture. Vancouver Island is the on the far south western portion of British Columbia.

Vancouver Island is home to nearly 1 million people and endless beaches, waterfalls, and outdoor activities! The island is 31,285 square kilometers in size that is over 400 kilometers in length and over 100 kilometers wide, at its widest point.

Vancouver Island also has Canada’s most moderate temperatures, making it an ideal destination for visiting, but also living.

This blog will go over 20 of the best things to do on Vancouver Island, but also some of the island’s hidden gems that only locals typically know.

Table of Contents:

Whale Watching!

Whale Watching on Vancouver Island, is some of the best Whale Watching in North America. The waters around Vancouver Island are home to four different species of whales. The Orcas, Humpbacks, Grey Whales, and Minke Whales. That being said, there are tours all over the island as well as the gulf islands. The whales are usually passing through on their annual migration or just staying here for the long term. The most common whales that Vancouver Island sees are the Orcas and Humpbacks. If you have never done whale watching tours before, the tours on Vancouver Island pretty much guarantee you to see whales. All the tours on Vancouver Island boasts a 95% success rate in seeing whales. Whale watching has a couple of different boats, while our favourite is the Zodiak just becuase you have an undisturbed view of the water, but you are also right in the action too. You can also do tours on covered boats, making the experience less interactive, but still very enjoyable.

Whale watching season goes from May-October!

Some Whale Watching Companies around Vancouver Island. Check them out with our affiliate links through Expedia.

Prince of Whales, Whales Watching

Victoria Highlights and Whale Watching Tour

Campbell River: Salish Sea Whale Watching Tour

Eagle Eye Adventure Whale Watching (we did this tour!)

Scuba Diving!

Vancouver Island is home to some of the best temperate water scuba diving in the world! Scuba Diving near Campbell River brings divers around the world every year to explore the vast ocean realm that offers an immense assortment of amazing marine life. There are many shops on Vancouver Island that will get you PADI certified as well, if you have the time!

What causes the waters near Campbell River to be so good for Scuba Diving?

The powerful tidal currents around Vancouver Island breathe life into an incredible underwater world, where invertebrates blanket the rocky shoreline. Cold, oxygen-rich waters nurture marine life of impressive size — from the Giant Pacific Octopus to the Red Irish Lord.

Whether you’re exploring shipwrecks in Nanaimo and the Comox Valley, the dramatic walls off Campbell River, or the kelp-covered reefs near Victoria, diving on Vancouver Island is your destination for world class scuba diving.

Fishing!

Salmon Fishing. Need we say more? No, but seriously, North Vancouver Island has literally the best and most abundent Salmon Fishing anywhere in the world. Campbell River is self pro-claimed to be the “Salmon Capital of The World” and will see many international tourists from all over the world to try and catch some Salmon.

From Grizzly bears to Orca Whales, and about 137 other species depend on the Pacific Salmon.

in Campbell River you can be fishing off of the Pier to catch some nice Salmon. The pier offers fishing rod rentals and free nets and this is quite a popular place in the summer. If the pier is not for you, you can fish in the Campbell River which is right outside of the Campbellton downtown area. Busy days in the summer, you will be shoulder to shoulder with fellow anglers. Come fall time at the tail end of the Pink Salmon season, you will be fishing alongside the Black Bears. Vancouver Island is home to over 10,000 black bears.. yes you read that right.

Weather you are wanting to fish in Campbell River, or Courtenay or even south in Victoria, everywhere is great!

If you want an even more hands on experience, book a charter and go fishing for the day with an experienced tour guide.

Coombs and Goats on the Roof!

Goats on the Roof might be Vancouver Island most iconic roadtrip stop, and yes, there are actual goats on the roof! Coombs offers a bunhc of little shops for you to walk around and enjoy the atmopshere.

Billy G’s Donuts in Coombs, BC is a local favorite known for its small-batch, made fresh and from scratch dougnuts that taste as good as they look (trust us!). Each dougnut is soft, perfectly sweet, and often topped with creative glazes and fillings that change daily. It’s the kind of place where you’ll want to grab a box to go (like EVERYONE else was doing). Whether you’re road-tripping through Vancouver Island or just stopping by the famous Goats on the Roof Market next door. This is a must.

Enjoy Beach Days!

Vancouver Island’s beaches are some of the most beautiful in Canada (in our unbiased opinion) long stretches of golden sand, hidden coves, and rugged coastal scenery that feels almost tropical in the summer months. Whether you’re walking and enjoying Long Beach in Tofino, swimming in the calm waters of Rathtrevor Beach, or watching the sunset at Sombrio, there’s no shortage of shoreline to explore, and that is what we truly love about Vancouver Island. Majority of the towns and cities on the island are on the water.

What makes beach days here so special is the variety. On the west coast, you’ll find wild, wave-swept beaches perfect for surfing and storm watching, while the east coast offers warmer, family-friendly spots for swimming and picnicking, such as Miracle Beach. Pack a towel, grab some snacks, and spend the day exploring tide pools, collecting shells, or just soaking in sun.

Potholes!

No, it is not what you are thinking. The potholes we are talking about are very well known if you are a local and we will not gatekeep them (sorry, not sorry).

Oyster River Potholes

Tucked away just north of Courtenay and south of Campbell River, the Oyster River Potholes are one of Vancouver Island’s best-kept summer secrets. These naturally carved pools sit along the crystal-clear Oyster River, surrounded by forest and smooth rock ledges perfect for lounging or jumping into the cold water.

To find the Oyster River Potholes, Google Maps exactly that. The coordinates are 49.88567950425536, -125.27045892567186.

Sooke Potholes

Closer to Victoria, the Sooke Potholes are a series of deep, emerald pools formed by thousands of years of glacial erosion. The result is a stunning stretch of river with dramatic rock formations, waterfalls, and calm swimming holes.

The same thing, Google Maps exactly that or find it with coordinates. 48.428079656339136, -123.7126220941171

If you are not from Vancouver Island, these potholes are a little bit tricky to find and know about. But we will share it with our audience.

West Coast Trail!

The West Coast Trail, if you are an avid hiker is one on many people’s buket lists. For this trail and any other camping reservation through Parks Canada or BC Parks, you must book well in advance. For West Coast Trail, the reservations open up in December for the following summer. It is best you are on top of this, cause it does fill up extremely fast!

The West Coast Trail is about a 75 kilometer hike that takes most people about 6 days and 5 nights to complete. Or you can trail run it in a day (we have seen that before). The trail is Canada’s most iconic trail along the beautiful west coast of Vancouver Island. The entire trail is along the ocean, but can take the “forest” path or the “ocean path” throughout the entire hike.

If you want to learn more about this amazing West Coast Trail, we have prepared an entire blog post about it here!

Visit Horne Lake Caves!

If you have never done caving, you need to check out Horne Lake Caves! They have many different expereinces and packages ranging from just $54 CAD to about $199 CAD. With some of the tours offering vertical drops and rappeling. Horne Lake Caves is located about a 30 minute drive from Qualicom Beach.

The team over at Horne Lakes is extremely passionate about the Caves and are very safe in what they do. It makes the trip all that much more enjoyable. We think whether you are short on time or have the full day, to come check out some of the underground world on Vancouver Island with Horne Lake Caves.

Go Camping!

Vancouver Island has some amazing camping spots. You can find campsites that are right on the ocean, or you can find campsites that are tucked away in an ancient rainforest. Every spot is so different than the other. Some of the best campgrounds that we recommend are GreenPoint Campground which is in Tofino and is extremely popular. Another great campground is Goldstream Provincial Park. This campground is minutes from Victoria.

We would recommend booking campgrounds through BC Parks of through Parks Canada. These campgrounds are typically always very well maintained and are a little cheaper than private campgrounds. There is also the option of going Camping on rec sites which are free. These are usually on BC Hydro’s sites or other companies. They usually only have a pit toilet and that’s it.

Skiing and Snowboarding!

Vancouver Island is home to Mount Washington. Where you can go skiing and snowboarding in the morning, golfing in the afternoon and end your day with a beach fire. That really is what a lot of locals do on Vancouver Island. Mount Washington is a great place to ski or snowboard, but they also offer many other experiences such as snow tubing. In the summertime they offer mountain biking and hiking. Mount Washington is about 15-20 minute drive from the Comox Valley, making this mountain accessible to pretty much the entire population of Vancouver Island. It is about a 2 and a half hour drive from Victoria and 30 minutes from Campbell River. Some locals say that the snow on Vancouver Island tends to last a little bit longer than on the mainland.

The other ski resort on Vancouver Island is Mount Cain. Mount Cain is the highest altitude on the island. The ski resort is north island near Port Mcneil.

See Waterfalls!

Yes, Vancouver Island has waterfalls. It is actually home to the tallest waterfall in Canada – Della Falls. The very impressive 440 meter vertical drop can be seen approximately 60 kilometers from Port Alberni.

Aside from the tallest waterfall in Canada, you can see other great falls on Vancouver Island such as Elk Falls, Englishman River Falls, and Myra Falls just to name a select few.

Go Surfing!

Tofino is your place to be for surfing. Whether you want to go surfing in the busy summer time or go surfing in the stormy winter. You can surf year round in Tofino and pretty much anywhere on Vancouver Island. Tofino offers surfing lessons and surf board rentals. Long Beach is for the more experienced surfers, and Cox Bay is for the more beginner surfers.

SeaPlane Tour!

SeaPlanes are one of the main modes of transportation from Vancouver Island to the mainland other than the Ferry. But what many people do not know is that the SeaPlanes offer sightseeing tours.

Seair Seaplanes offers breathtaking aerial tours that showcase the best of British Columbia’s rugged coastline and island scenery. Taking off from the water, you’ll have an undisturbed veiw of the beautful ocean and many islands that are in and around Vancouver Island, forested mountains, and hidden coves. It truly is an unforgettable way to see the West Coast from above. Whether it’s a quick scenic flight or a romantic island getaway, a Seaplane flight gives you that once in a lifetime experience.

The best part? You do not have to arrive a couple hours before these flights, you pretty much show up and depart. It is great!

See Massive Trees! (Sitka Spruce!)

Did you know? Because of Vancouver Island’s mild, wet climate and nutrient-rich soil, trees here grow incredibly fast compared to many other parts of the world. Massive species like Douglas fir, western red cedar, and Sitka spruce can reach impressive sizes in just 50 to 80 years. Growth that might take several centuries elsewhere. While it still takes hundreds of years for true “old-growth” giants to form, the island’s ecosystem allows younger trees to grow tall and thick at a remarkable pace. You will see many of the massive trees along the West Coast Trail.

A great location to visit to see a massive Sitka Spruce is the Harris Creek Spruce.

Visit Tofino!

This is the highlight spot for many tourists coming to Vancouver Island. It probably is on EVERYONE’S bucket list. Tofino is a small surf town, that gathers almost a million tourists every single year. When we talk about surfino, Tofino is the town to do so. Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, nothing but ocean to the west, it truly is a sight to see.

A local’s tip: You have to go to Tacofino. It is a food truck and is highly recommended by anyone who has tried it. If you are going to Tofino, you might be going for surfing, or the beaches, but lots of people also go just for Tacofino.

Visit San Josef Bay!

This is the very northern part of Vancouver Island and within Cape Scott Provincial Park. San Josef bay is truly a beautiful place. It is very under-rated and not many people who do not live on the island will know of this place unless someone told you, that is because all the talk is about Tofino because it is more central and much easier to visit. Visiting San Josef Bay, you have to trek down gravel logging roads for hours and are in the wolf terrirory where BC Parks does not even recommend you bring any pets. If you ever find yourself up in Cape Scott and love hiking, there is a hike called “North Coast Trail” which is pretty similar to the West Coast Trail, just not as known.

Wildlife Tours!

As we mentioned above, Vancouver Island is home to over 10,000 black bears. Aside from the black bears, we will occassionally see some Grizzly Bears, while there is no record of any living on the island, they at times make their way over here. Vancouver Island is home to SO many Eagles, weather it is the Golden Eagle or the Bald Eagle.

Salmon: Vancouver Island gets to see all the different types of Salmon from the Pink Salmon to the big Chinooks.

Vultures: Southern Island in Victoria area is home to the Turkey Vulture. Which is quite a unique and very large bird.

Marmot: Vancouver Island has Marmots that are living at about 1500 meters in elevation. They are also the rarest mammals in the world with a count at just about 30 in 2003. So, if you are able to spot one, consider yourself very lucky.

That being said, there are many different companies around Vancouver Island that offer Wildlife Tours. Whether it is Whale Watching or an amazing Grizzly Bear experience, the island offers it all.

Explore Victoria!

Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is the island’s largest metropolitan area, with so much good food and sights to see. Start your visit at the Fairmont Empress Hotel, a true landmark that’s been welcoming travelers for over a century. Victoria’s inner harbour is probably the most visited area in Victoria due to its location. It is right near the port, where all the cruise ships come in. The inner harbour offers so many places for shopping, a million different places to eat and experiencing the culture in china town and at the iconic Fan Tan Alley.

Aside from the inner harbour, there are other amazing places to see such as Ogden Point Pier and Douglas Park.

Just a short 15-20 minute drive from the Inner Harbour, you will be at the Malahat Skywalk. This is a fun little walk up a spiral structure to have an undisturbed view of all the islands and the ocean. On the way down, you have the option of taking a slide (weeee did it, and it was fun!).

Explore The Comox Valley!

Comox Valley is home to many different little towns/cities, such as Courtenay, Cumberland and Comox. The three C’s. Mount Washington is right on your doorstep if you live in the Comox Valley.

The Comox Valley offers the best of both worlds, ocean views on one side and snow-capped mountains on the other. It’s a region known for its local food scene, charming small towns like Courtenay and Cumberland, and endless outdoor adventures (Mountain Biking and Skiing). You can kayak in calm bays in the morning, hike alpine trails on Mount Washington in the afternoon, and finish your day with a farm-to-table meal at a cozy local restaurant. Whether you’re into hiking, biking, or just exploring markets and beaches, the Comox Valley is where you’ll find it all.

Explore the North Island!

North Island is home to many smaller towns such as Port McNeil and Port Hardy, but the biggest populated City in the northern island is Campbell River (The Salmon Capital of the World).

Heading north, Vancouver Island gets wilder and more rugged and that’s exactly its charm. The North Island is home to endless forests, remote beaches, and coastal communities where nature feels close at every turn. You can watch bears and eagles along the rivers, go whale watching out of Telegraph Cove, or hike through ancient rainforest trails in Cape Scott Provincial Park (San Josef Bay). This part of the island is all about adventure -raw, remote, and incredibly beautiful. Many people coming to Vancouver Island go as far north as the Comox Valley and that’s all. If you want to see what Vancouver Island really has to offer in terms of nature and rugged beauty, drive a little further North if you have the time… You won’t regret it.