Vancouver Island road trip was on the agenda of my click for the longest time ever. We finally found time, after our exams and before we parted our ways, to embark on this adventure.
The agenda was simple: Take BC Ferries from West Vancouver to Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. Next, rent a car and set off for Tofino, popping by Little Qualicum Falls, Port Alberni, Sproat Lake, Wally Creek and Ucluelet enroute. We will then sprint back after sunset to take the last ferry back to Vancouver, completing the entire trip in 20 hours.
Vancouver Island is huge and offers plenty of sights and activities. In order to complete the tour in 20 hours (including getting to the island from Metro Vancouver), many spots had to be given up. Additionally, it requires strict time control and fighting the urge to linger at spots more than the schedule can afford. Check out our itinerary for the 20-hour challenge for an overview.
Navigate to the other parts of this post using the links below!
- Exploring Vancouver Island
- Logistics for Road Trip
- Other Preparations
- Itinerary for Vancouver in 20 Hours
Setting Off
The first 5 hours was spent on having breakfast, getting to Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal in West Vancouver, cross the Georgia Strait and getting our hands onto the rental car.
That may sound like a lot of time wasted, especially if you compare the return trip with the itinerary. The extra hour spent in the morning was spent on making sure we reached the ferry terminal in time and were early enough to buy the tickets (in case the ferry was full).
Little Qualicum Falls
While the Little Qualicum Falls aren’t anywhere like Niagara Falls, the series of rapids still carved steep sides into the mountain. The water gushing over the rocks is still a sight to behold.
After parking our car, we had a choice to turn left to the Upper Falls or right to the Lower Falls. As we had limited time, we went left, as the Upper Falls looked near on the map.
Despite the drizzle and the battle for time, we kept pressing on. The wonder of this trail was that each turn presented us with a different view of the river. Just when we thought we saw the waterfall, we came to another majestic scene of falling water. The scene before us was like a minaturised version of a huge water fall – big enough to put us in awe and small enough to take in a wholistic view.
Another good thing about this spot is that there is little hiking to do and the walk was easy. Even then, be it hiking up to Upper Falls or down to Lower Falls, expect some light climbing. A good pair of hiking shoes will help when it rains and the ground gets wet and slippery. We were in and out within 20 minutes, with plenty of pictures and videos taken, making it a great place to do a “been there, done that” sightseeing.
Port Alberni
Our next destination was Sproat Lake, but halfway through the ride, we confessed to each other that we were hungry. After all, our breakfast was 5 hours away!
The nearest stop was a port town that had direct access to the Pacific Ocean via a wide inlet. However, the shopping strip where we had lunch was far from the waters.
Port Alberni proved to be a good halfway rest stop for a road trip. There were plenty of food choices, from fast food to restaurants. We also made use of the washroom inside Walmart (Note: Though the spots may provide washrooms, not all are open or usable).
Sproat Lake
We stopped at a campsite off Sproat Lake. The lake was stone’s throw from the parking lot. When we reached, the afternoon fog was already hanging low from the mountain top.
After witnessing the roaring prowess of Little Qualicum Falls, the tranquility of Sproat Lake stood out in contrast. The light mist hanging over the still lake creates a mystic serendipity in the viewer’s mind.
For those who wanted to do more, there are prehistoric petroglyphs, named K’ak’awin, after a 500m hike. Find out more about the petroglyphs at this link: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/sproat_lk/
Or those tight on schedule can be like us – we stood at the edge of the water enjoying the scene before us, listening to the trickling of water from the nearby stream, breathing fresh air that awakens the mind.
We did try a little hike to see the petroglyphs, but we gave up as it proved to be too far a distance. However, the trail along the bank was easy on the feet.
Wally Creek
Our next destination was Ucluelet on the eastern seaboard of Vancouver Island. However, we spotted a spectacular river-rock formation along the way. The view was so awesome that we came to a consensus to stop by the highway in a split second. And that was how we ended up with a surprise visit to Wally Creek.
We hopped off the road curb and climbed onto the rock bordering the river, thinking the bedrock was exposed due to low tide / winter drought. Lo and behold! When we reached the centre, we found ourselves peering into a deep gorge carved by the peaceful looking stream!
Getting to the centre of the creek was exhilarating. Although it requires striding across crevices and climbing up and down rock steps, traversing across the rocks is possible as long as you are not afraid of getting your hands dirty and can hoist yourself up steps that are knee high. The rock surface is also slippery, which therefore requires a good pair of shoes.
However, having a friend who can’t go onto the rocks means there’s someone who can help take videos and pictures of those who were climbing around – proof of your adventurous personna!
Ucluelet (Wild Pacific Trail at Ucluelet Lighthouse Loop)
Upon reaching the eastern part of Vancouver Island, the Pacific RIm Highway split into 2: Left to Ucluelet and right to Tofino. Both are resort towns, and Ucluelet is known for its pristine and rugged coastline. In fact, we chose to detour to Ucluelet to be close to Pacific Ocean!
By the time we reached Ucluelet (I pronounce as Yew-Clue-Ley, but it seems like no one really knows how to pronounce it properly), a slight drizzle had set in. It was both a dread and blessing. Nobody wanted to explore nature in the rain! However, the rain also came with strong winds that gave us a front row seat to Pacific Ocean’s prowess.
The Ucluelet Lighthouse Loop is a rocky outcrop on the southwestern tip of the town. They have a trail that runs around the whole peninsula, but since we were on a “Vancouver Island in 20 Hours” challenge, we drove straight up to the parking lot just off the coastline where the lighthouse stood.
A sign warned us that there could be unexpected big waves – which was harrowing, since the rain had already set in. We trudged through a fence of trees and emerged face to face with the strong winds of the Pacific Ocean!
On a calm day, one can walk onto the rocky outcrop surrounding the lighthouse. But the day we were there was not the day. Just by standing on the trail behind the lighthouse, we could feel the wind and water on our faces! Even though the trail was elevated and still a distance from where the thunderous waves crashed onto the rocky coastline, we could still feel the power of nature!
We found a spot about 20m away from the lighthouse that was slightly away from the trail (so we wouldn’t be in the way of the hikers). Standing on top of the bench, we absorbed the scenery before us. I lived on the Pacific rim all my life, but I believe that was the closest I was to the pulse of the ocean.
Ucluelet, though small, is a great spot to explore the mountain and ocean from. Read more about it here: https://www.discoverucluelet.com/discover-ucluelet
Tofino – Chesterman Beach and Long Beach
Compared to the thunderous Ucluelet Lighthouse Loop, Chesterman Beach in Tofino, about 40 minutes away, was peaceful. Perhaps it was because the waves were like 100m away due to low tide.
However, in comparison, Long Beach seemed like a better spot for scenery than Chesterman Beach. Despite walking a distance towards the ocean, we never seemed to reach the water. Instead, we treaded on the waterlogged sand, as though we were wandering around a mystical land shrouded in light mist.
The sand was milky. The sky was milky. The islands in the distance was milky. Even the soft crashing of the waves was milky. It was hard to believe that this was the place where surfers would chase the big waves.
Tofino – Town Centre
Tofino, being a resort town, was not really what we were after. We expected the restaurant prices to be exorbitant, so we never planned to eat in Tofino. Instead, we found a quiet spot on the northern end of the town, off Wharf Street, to take in the sights of the harbour.
Staring into the mountain side of the islands across the waters, admiring the mist draped loosely within the fir trees, I was reminded of the scenes in “Snow Falling on Cedars”, which was set in a fictional harbour town in Puget Sound, Washington, USA. In the novel, the town was always rainy and cold – exactly how I felt when standing off the street in Tofino.
Shuttling Back to Nanaimo
In fact, we visited Long Beach after we reached Tofino. Thereafter, we set off for the almost 3-hour ride back to Nanaimo to return the car and catch the last ferry back to Vancouver. By then, the sun had set and we were riding in the dark. Unlike driving on the Sea to Sky Highway, most parts of the Pacific Rim Highways was pitch dark, perhaps due to the fact that we were driving through the mountain and there were little street lighting.
Therefore, even though the drive could be as quick as 2.5 hours as shown by Google, more buffer time is needed for driving in the dark.
Logistics for a Vancouver Island Road Trip
Renting a Car
We rented a car from National Car Rental, which was a 30-min (and uphill) walk from Departure Bay Ferry Terminal. Most of the car rental options were at least a 30-min walk from the ferry terminal. Most have pick-up services (online reviews said only Budget Car Rental had the service, but when we were at National, the pamphlet said they also provide such services, provided prior reservation was made online).
Interestingly, the bus services at the ferry terminal were not synchronised to the ferry timings. Therefore, it will be wiser to walk to National, as we would have reached the place before the next bus arrived at the terminal.
However, there is no bus service between National Car Rental and Departure Bay Ferry Terminal at night (point of reference, from 7pm onwards). This applies to all car rentals north to National Car Rental, like Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Budget Car Rental off Hayes Road.
On the other hand, there are still bus services plying from downtown Nanaimo, which means that if you don’t want to walk 30 minutes, Budget Car Rental at Terminal Avenue will be a better choice. Unfortunately, the bus services are not synchronised to the ferry timings. Therefore, the hourly-bus leaving downtown Nanaimo will always reach Departure Bay Ferry Terminal 10 minutes after the ferry departs. Which means that if you choose to take a bus, you will definitely have to spend 50 minutes at the ferry terminal.
Therefore, we still settled for National Car Rental – walking for 30 minutes was not an issue for us. National also offered the cheapest rental rates, together with key-drop service for return after hours.
National Car Rental was also across the highway from a shopping strip where Save on Foods, Staples, Tim Horton’s and several restaurants could be found. This means one can do a quick shopping (perhaps for food on the road trip) or have breakfast before setting off. Across the parking lot from Staples, there is a tunnel under the highway that leads to National Car Rental.
The table below summarised the research I did for considering all the car rental options in Nanaimo.
Ferry Timing
From Greater Vancouver, there are 2 options to Vancouver Island, via Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver (goes to Departure Bay, Nanaimo) or Tsawassen, south of Vancouver (goes to Duke Point, Nanaimo).
We chose to depart from Horseshoe Bay, as its first ferry departing at 6.15am was a more reasonable timing for us. However, that also meat that we would reach Nanaimo at Departure Bay Ferry Terminal. On the other hand, Duke Point is at downtown Nanaimo, but would mean having to leave Vancouver either at the deathly hours of 5.15am or at a much later timing of 7.45am.
Another downside of our option was that the last ferry leaves at 8.45pm from Departure Bay (except on weekends, which will be at 10.10pm). Due to our constraints, we only had one single day to go on our Vancouver Island road trip, which happened to be on a Tuesday, so we ended up having to catch the 8.45pm ferry.
Therefore, to catch the morning ferry out of Vancouver, we set off at 4am (RS drove around Vancouver to pick us up), had breakfast (we didn’t know National Car Rental was so near Tim Horton’s), and reached Horseshoe Bay at 5.30pm. That left us with enough time to figure out how to get to the parking lot (the road near the ferry terminal became a maze of sort), figure out how to pay for parking, and bought the ferry tickets (we had assumed there would be a crowd).
The ferry timings essentially ring fenced the “20 hours” in our “Vancouver Island in 20 Hours” challenge.
Note: We borrowed a car to settle commute between Horseshoe Bay and Greater Vancouver (where we lived). This meant we need not try to catch a bus at 4am or 11pm. For this option, we paid for full-day parking at $17. This compares to paying for individual cab fares or paying $57.50 one way to bring the car to Vancouver Island and back.
Use the following link to research on the BC Ferry Timings between Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island: https://www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/
Priorities
For us, we allocated around 20 minutes per destination, excluding time for parking. The spots we chose to stop at were conveniently located at the start of the trails or on camping grounds. It would only take us less than 5 minutes from the parking lot to see the sights.
However, that does not mean these are only spots for “superficial junkies” like us! 😅 Like I said, some were start of trails, so anyone can also plan to spend an hour or 2 exploring the same spots mentioned here.
In fact, I still recommend allocating more time for Vancouver Island if your schedule permits!
Other Preparations for Vancouver Island Road Trip
Despite “checking in” at so many spots, the fact remains that we spent a good deal of time, more than 5 hours in fact, driving. Here are some of the preparations for dealing with long car rides.
Buffer for Extra Time
Google Maps is a great way to estimate the time taken to drive in between spots. However, we still buffered extra 10% time. For example, at night, we have to drive slower.
For compulsive, young punks like us, we got off the car at Wally Creek simply because we thought we saw a beautiful sight and wanted to spend more time being in the moment with it!
Or even worse, we came across road works in the mountains – because the road was narrow and it was raining, the workers closed the stretch of the road controlled the traffic so that only one direction was in effect at any one time. We spent around 30 minutes waiting to pass each time we went by the road works, which comes up to 1 hour wasted on the car! It was really lucky that we buffered extra time!
No Mobile Connection for 1 Hour
It might seem ridiculous that there would be no mobile connection in this world. However, I was more surprised that we had connection for most of the time we were traversing in the mountains.
Some time after Wally Creek, on the stretch along the banks of Kennedy Lake till some way before reaching the junction leading to Tofino and Ucluelet, we were totally disconnected from the outside world.
Do take note of this and download an offline map from Google Maps if you need the map for navigation! (Though, considering there was just one road and no exits, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t have navigation assistance)
Download Playlist
The more important takeaway on knowing there would be no mobile connection, is for those who are depending on streaming services like Spotify to spice up boring atmosphere on long rides.
If you didn’t download your playlist like we did, you would be depending on what little number of songs you have stored on your phones. For us, we listened to the same 5 Punjabi jazz for over an hour!
Rent Car Early and Request for Pick Up
Another thing that we would have done had we known earlier, was to reserve our rented car online. In this way, not only can you make sure you get the car of your choice, you can also request for them to pick you up from the ferry terminal.
Itinerary for Vancouver Island Road Trip
For the benefits of Sing in Can readers, the itinerary of our road trip can be found below.
| Start | End | Duration | Description | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00 AM | 4:30 AM | 0:30 | Pick up everyone | |
| 4:30 AM | 5:00 AM | 0:30 | Breakfast (Downtown Vancouver) | |
| 5:00 AM | 5:30 AM | 0:30 | Driving | |
| 5:30 AM | 5:45 AM | 0:15 | Reach Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, Parking, Pay for parking | 6750 Keith Rd, West Vancouver, BC V7W 2V1 |
| 5:45 AM | 6:00 AM | 0:15 | Buy Ticket and Board Ferry | |
| 6:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 2:00 | On ferry | |
| 8:00 AM | 8:40 AM | 0:40 | Proceed to National Car Rental | |
| 8:40 AM | 9:10 AM | 0:30 | Rent car and set off | 1602 Northfield Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9S 3A7 |
| 9:10 AM | 9:50 AM | 0:40 | Driving | |
| 9:50 AM | 10:10 AM | 0:20 | Little Qualicum Falls | 4001 Alberni Hwy, Qualicum Beach, BC B9K 1X7 |
| 10:10 AM | 10:35 AM | 0:25 | Driving | |
| 10:35 AM | 12:05 PM | 1:30 | Port Alberni | Burger King, 3355 Johnston Rd, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 8K1 |
| 12:05 PM | 12:25 PM | 0:20 | Driving | |
| 12:25 PM | 12:40 PM | 0:15 | Sproat Lake | 73VC+5P Kleecoot, Alberni-Clayoquot D, BC |
| 12:40 PM | 1:15 PM | 0:35 | Driving | |
| 1:15 PM | 1:35 PM | 0:20 | Wally Creek | 84XP6J8J+4X |
| 1:35 PM | 2:29 PM | 0:54 | Driving | |
| 2:29 PM | 3:09 PM | 0:40 | Ucluelet | Wild Pacific Trail (Ucluelet Lighthouse Loop), 250 Coast Guard Dr, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0 |
| 3:09 PM | 3:49 PM | 0:40 | Driving | |
| 3:49 PM | 3:59 PM | 0:10 | Chesterman Beach | Chesterman Beach, Tofino, BC |
| 3:59 PM | 4:07 PM | 0:08 | Driving | |
| 4:07 PM | 4:17 PM | 0:10 | Wharf Street | 51 Wharf St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0 |
| 4:17 PM | 4:37 PM | 0:20 | Driving | |
| 4:37 PM | 4:52 PM | 0:15 | Long Beach | Long Beach, British Columbia |
| 4:52 PM | 7:40 PM | 2:48 | Driving | |
| 7:40 PM | 8:00 PM | 0:20 | Dinner | Burger King, Terminal Avenue North, Nanaimo, BC |
| 8:00 PM | 8:05 PM | 0:05 | National Car Rental – Return Car | 1602 Northfield Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9S 3A7 |
| 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 0:30 | Walk to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) Ferry Terminal | |
| 8:35 PM | 8:45 PM | 0:10 | Buy Ticket and Board Ferry | |
| 8:45 PM | 10:45 PM | 2:00 | On ferry | |
| 10:45 PM | 11:45 PM | 1:00 | Send everyone home |
Please message me privately if you would like to have the Google Sheets (the Excel of Google) format, where you can make adjustments to your itinerary and the timing is automatically updated. It’s really good for planning, I must say!
If you enjoyed our road trip adventure to Vancouver Island in 20 hours, do remember to Like and Share this post to your friends! Follow Sing in Can for more adventures in Canada, from the perspective of a Singaporean!
Till then, sing while you can!
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