getting to Tofino

Did you know:
That you can fly to these airports on Vancouver island’s east coast? Both Nanaimo (YCD) and Comox (YQQ) are approximately a 3-3.5 hour drive to Tofino and are both served by a few vehicle rental companies.

No matter what time of year you are travelling our way, keep up to date on road conditions, including events or delays that may affect your travel plans, by checking your route on DriveBC.

Vancouver Island – and Tofino – can be accessed by vehicle from the British Columbia mainland in three ways:

1. By driving your own or a rented vehicle
2. Custom shuttle with Pacific Rim Navigators
3. Aboard daily scheduled trips with Tofino Bus

If driving from the British Columbia mainland, you’ll first need to sail with BC Ferries from one of two points near Vancouver to Vancouver Island:

1. Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay:  The Horseshoe Bay terminal is north of Vancouver and this ferry route takes just under 2 hours, arriving at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay.
2. Tsawwassen to Duke Point:  The Tsawwassen terminal is south of the city, closer to the USA border. This ferry route takes approximately 2.5 hours, arriving at the Duke Point terminal, about 15 minutes south of Nanaimo.
3. Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay:  The Tsawwassen terminal is south of the city, closer to the USA border. This ferry route takes approximately 2 hours, arriving at the Swartz Bay terminal, about 30 minutes north of Victoria.

Click here for more information on BC Ferries.
Please note that advance ferry reservations are highly recommended on all routes during weekends, holiday periods and summer months.

Vancouver Island can also be accessed by three ferry lines originating in Washington State:

1. The Clipper Ferry:  year-round, daily passenger ferry service between Seattle and Victoria.
2. Black Ball Ferry Line:  year-round, daily vehicle and passenger ferry service between Port Angeles and Victoria.
3. Washington State Ferry:  seasonal vehicle and passenger ferry service between Anacortes or the San Juan Islands and Sidney (30 minutes north of Victoria).

Detailed Driving Directions:

Driving from Victoria to Tofino: 

• Travel north along Douglas Street, which turns into the Trans Canada Highway/BC-1 for 105 kilometres (65 miles).
• Turn left at Nanaimo Parkway/Highway 19 (signs for Parksville/Campbell River) and continue north for another 43 kilometres (26 miles).
• Take Exit 60 onto Highway 4 ( also known as the Pacific Rim Highway ), heading west for 156 kilometres (97 miles). You will drive through spectacular Cathedral Grove, historic Port Alberni (drive straight downhill and turn right at the junction), and on the winding road around Sproat and Kennedy Lakes. You will also drive through scenic Sutton Pass, at an altitude of 250 metres (850 feet) – where we especially recommend heeding to the speed limit. Travel westward until you come to the junction between Tofino and Ucluelet.
• Turn right at the Tofino/Ucluelet junction and drive north towards Tofino for 28 kilometres (17 miles). You will drive right through Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.  Take a break and get your first view of the ocean at the Incinerator Rock parking lot at Long Beach (watch for the green sign signaling the turnoff), or continue toward Tofino.
• Once you exit the Park, pass Long Beach Lodge Resort and Cox Bay Beach Resort. Look for our Visitor Centre on the right side of the road and stop in to say hello!
• Your overall travel time from Nanaimo to Tofino will range between 2.5 and 3 hours.  Safe travels!

Driving from Nanaimo to Tofino:

• Travel north on Highway 19 for 43 kilometres (26 miles),
• Take Exit 60 onto Highway 4 ( also known as the Pacific Rim Highway ) heading west for 156 kilometres (97 miles). You will drive through spectacular Cathedral Grove, historic Port Alberni (drive straight downhill and turn right at the junction), and on the winding road around Sproat and Kennedy Lakes. You will also drive through scenic Sutton Pass, at an altitude of 250 metres (850 feet) – where we especially recommend heeding to the speed limit. Travel westward until you come to the junction between Tofino and Ucluelet.
• Turn right at the Tofino/Ucluelet junction and drive north towards Tofino for 28 kilometres (17 miles). You will drive right through Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.  Take a break and get your first view of the ocean at the Incinerator Rock parking lot at Long Beach (watch for the green sign signaling the turnoff), or continue toward Tofino.
• Once you exit the Park, pass Long Beach Lodge Resort and Cox Bay Beach Resort. Look for our Visitor Centre on the right side of the road and stop in to say hello!
• Your overall travel time from Nanaimo to Tofino will range between 2.5 and 3 hours.  Safe travels!

Driving from the Comox Valley Airport to Tofino:

• Turn right at the airport entrance onto Knight Road.
• Turn right at the intersection onto Military Row (drive approximately 2 kilometres / 1.25 miles).
• At the next stop sign, turn left onto Ryan Road.
• Continue on Ryan Road (past Home Depot and drive down the hill), watching for signs indicating Nanaimo.
• Turn left just past the Superstore complex, following the road to the 17th St bridge, where you will turn right.
• While on the bridge, get into the left hand turning lanes.
• Turn left onto Cliffe Avenue, and continue to follow signage that will direct you to turn right onto the 29th St connector.
• After turning right onto the connector, continue until you see signs that direct you to Highway 19 southbound toward Nanaimo.
• Once on Highway 19 South, watch for signs pointing you to Highway 4 West toward Port Alberni/Pacific Rim National Park Reserve/Tofino, and exit in this direction.
• Once on Highway 4, you will drive through spectacular Cathedral Grove, historic Port Alberni (drive straight downhill and turn right at the junction), and around Sproat and Kennedy Lakes. You will also drive through scenic Sutton Pass, at an altitude of 250 metres (850 feet) – where we especially recommend heeding to the speed limit. Travel westward until you come to the junction between Tofino and Ucluelet.
• Turn right at the Tofino/Ucluelet junction and drive north towards Tofino for 28 kilometres (17 miles). You will drive right through Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.  Take a break and get your first view of the ocean at the Incinerator Rock parking lot at Long Beach (watch for the green sign signaling the turnoff), or continue toward Tofino.
• Once you exit the Park, pass Long Beach Lodge Resort and Cox Bay Beach Resort.  Look for our Visitor Centre on the right side of the road and stop in to say hello!
• Your overall travel time from the Comox Valley Airport to Tofino will be approximately 3 hours.  Safe travels!

If you’re driving to Tofino from November through April, you may want to check the Sutton Pass webcam.  This stretch of road between Port Alberni and Tofino can become a snowy winter wonderland before you see Tofino’s greenery and beaches. Winter tires or/and chains are required by law from October 1 through March 31.

The BC Ministry of Transportation is conducting a significant upgrade to Highway 4 near Kennedy Lake, with completion expected for Summer 2020.

Please consult this detailed, hourly roadwork schedule.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Visitors are encouraged to check current road conditions and travel delay information before setting out on the drive between Port Alberni and the West Coast (126 kilometers/78 miles along Highway 4) in order to plan travel accordingly.

Current information can be found on these two British Columbia Ministry of Transportation websites:  Drive BC and WWW2.gov

Download the Printable FAQ Version