Photo: Ben Giesbrecht / Tourism Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island

Road trips on Vancouver Island

Two-lane roads, one main highway, and distances that take half again as long as the map claims. Plan fewer stops than you want and you will enjoy all of them.

13 places on this page
15 towns
4 upcoming

Plan this with AI

Lookouts and stops we list

Park & Nature

Alberni Valley Lookout

Port Alberni

4.8on Google

Valley lookout with walking trails.

Park & Nature

Ripple Rock Hike Lookout

Campbell River

4.8on Google

Trail to a lookout point, with wildlife along the route.

Park & Nature

Little Mountain Lookout

Parksville

4.8on Google

Scenic lookout accessed by hiking trail.

Park & Nature

Anchor / Third Street Park & Lookout

Tofino

4.6on Google

Park with a lookout and picnic area.

Hotel & Accommodation

Ole's Hakai Pass Fishing Lodge

Campbell River

5.0(5)

Ole's is a fishing lodge floating in Hakai Pass, with guided salmon and halibut fishing.

Hotel & Accommodation

Mariner's Lookout on Comox Bay

Comox Valley

4.9(11)

Tours & Activities

Remote Passages Marine Excursions

Tofino$$

4.8on Google

Whale watching and wildlife tours in Clayoquot Sound.

Tours & Activities

Compass Adventure

Comox Valley

4.7(15)

Attraction

Discovery Passage Aquarium

Campbell River$

4.6on Google

Non-profit aquarium at the base of Discovery Pier with touch tanks displaying local marine species from spring through season's end.

The shape of the road network

One main highway runs the length of the inside coast, with a handful of routes cutting west across the mountains to the exposed side. Almost everything else is two-lane, winding, and interrupted by towns. There is no fast way across, and the cross-island routes are slower, steeper and more beautiful than the highway.

Add half again to whatever a mapping app tells you. It does not know about the logging truck, the town with the four sets of lights, or the fact that you will want to stop.

Fuel, food and phone signal

Fill up in towns rather than between them. On the cross-island and northern routes, the gap between fuel stations can be a hundred kilometres and the last one may close at six. The same applies to food: plan lunch around a town, not around a hunger.

Cell coverage disappears on most of the cross-island stretches and much of the north. Download offline maps before you leave, and tell somebody your route if you are going properly remote.

Make it a trip

On the road

Add 50% to the estimate: Two-lane roads, towns, trucks and the stops you will actually want to make.
Fuel in towns: Gaps of a hundred kilometres are normal on cross-island and northern routes, and stations close early.
Offline maps, always: Signal vanishes on the cross-island stretches. Download before you leave the coast.
Forest service roads are working roads: Loaded logging trucks have right of way. Clearance, a full-size spare, headlights on.

Worth pulling over for

Parks, historic stops and picnic ground close to the main routes.

Tours & Activities

Salt Spring Hop On Hop Off Tours

Salt Spring Island

5.0on Google

Hop-on-hop-off island tour service, rated 5.0.

Park & Nature

Mount Erskine Provincial Park

Salt Spring Island

4.9on Google

Hiking trails including Trustees Trail climb to viewpoints above Salt Spring Island.

Park & Nature

Nymph Falls

Comox Valley

4.8on Google

Waterfall with hiking trails and picnic spots in the Comox Valley.

Park & Nature

Puntledge Park

Comox Valley

4.7on Google

Park trails, picnic areas and wildlife.

Ferries and forest service roads

Any island leg is governed by the sailing timetable, and vehicle space fills on summer weekends and holidays. Check the schedule first and build the day around it rather than the other way round.

Forest service roads are active industrial routes, not shortcuts. They demand clearance, a full-size spare, headlights on, and yielding to loaded trucks. Plenty of the best places here sit at the end of one — go prepared or do not go.

Along the way in the coming weeks

All events

Road trips by town

Places, events and things to do, town by town.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive across Vancouver Island?

Longer than the map suggests. The main inside highway is the fastest route, and the cross-island roads are slower, winding and more scenic. As a planning rule, add about half again to any app estimate and build in stops.

What is a good road trip length?

Three to five days lets you cover the main routes without rushing. A week allows the exposed coast and the north as well. Two days is enough for one region properly and not enough for two.

Do I need to book ferries in advance?

For vehicles in summer and on holiday weekends, yes — sailings fill and a missed crossing can cost hours. Foot passengers rarely need to book. Check the current schedule the morning you travel.

Is fuel easy to find?

In towns, yes. Between them, not always — gaps of a hundred kilometres occur on cross-island and northern routes and some stations close in the early evening. Fill up when you pass one rather than when you need one.

Can I drive the forest service roads?

Only with the right vehicle and the right attitude. These are active industrial roads: loaded trucks have right of way, surfaces are rough, and there is no signal. Clearance, a full-size spare and daylight, or take the paved route.

After road trips

Day tripsHow far you can get from the city and still be back for dinner.PhotographyLookouts, lighthouses and shorelines — with the light and tide that make them.CampingOceanfront sites, forest loops and the booking window that decides your summer.Hidden gemsQuiet places most visitors drive past.

Every topic on one page