Victoria, the old growth of Cathedral Grove and the wild Pacific beaches of Tofino
Vancouver Island in four days is a coast-to-coast crossing: from the gardens and harbour of Victoria, up through the thousand-year-old cedars of Cathedral Grove, over the mountains to the storm-swept surf beaches of Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park.
| Day | Where | Plan | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria | Ferry over, Inner Harbour, Butchart Gardens | Victoria |
| 2 | → Tofino | Chemainus murals, Cathedral Grove old growth, Coombs, the Pacific Rim Highway | Tofino |
| 3 | Tofino | Long Beach, Rainforest Trail, Ucluelet’s Wild Pacific Trail | Tofino |
| 4 | Home | Slow Tofino morning, drive back across the island, evening ferry | — |
Sail over from Tsawwassen and give the capital a day: the Inner Harbour, the Parliament Buildings, and the quarry gardens at Butchart.
North up the island, stopping at the outdoor murals of Chemainus and then Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park — a short boardwalk loop beneath 800-year-old Douglas firs. Lunch at Coombs, where goats graze on the market roof, then winding Highway 4 over the mountains to the coast.
A full day on the open-ocean side: the endless sand of Long Beach, the boardwalks of the Rainforest Trail, and the Wild Pacific Trail at Ucluelet with its lighthouse headland. Surf lessons in summer; storm watching in winter.
A slow Tofino morning — coffee, one last beach walk — then the drive back east and the evening sailing home.
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