Vancouver Island Road Trip | 5 Days by Car: Salt Spring, Tofino, and Ucluelet

This is the story of a trip I took to Vancouver Island, Canada, about ten years ago. At the time, I was living in Vancouver, and I spent five days exploring the island — driving my car onto a BC Ferry at Tsawwassen and heading out to sea.

My first destination was Salt Spring Island. The ferry from the Vancouver terminal takes about two hours. As the boat moves through the water, you can step out onto the deck and take in the ocean breeze and the scenery of the islands. This style of travel may be unfamiliar to those from Japan, but BC Ferries allows you to bring your car on board. As a result, you can travel from island to island entirely at your own pace — and that’s the biggest appeal.

The trip took me from Salt Spring Island to Nanaimo, the Old Country Market, Port Alberni, and finally north to Tofino and Ucluelet, before returning to Vancouver via Parksville. In short, it was five days packed with stunning scenery, unexpected discoveries, and — most memorably — a market with goats on the roof. It was a trip that showed me just how much Vancouver Island has to offer.

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Salt Spring Island | Everything Depends on Where You Stay

When I stepped off the ferry, the island greeted me with a laid-back, unhurried atmosphere. Salt Spring Island is one of the most popular islands near Vancouver, and it’s well known for its artists and organic farms.

As for me, I stayed at a random hostel, watched the river, hiked to the top of the island’s highest mountain, and wandered around the market. That was about it.

Nevertheless, the view from the summit was truly breathtaking. With nothing blocking the horizon in any direction, the ocean and islands stretched out 360 degrees around me. It was the moment I thought, “I’m really in Canada.”

Later, when I heard my parents talk about their own visit to Salt Spring, I felt a little regret. They had stayed at a lovely B&B, and apparently the food was incredibly fresh. A breakfast made with local ingredients, a quiet garden, conversations with the owner — it sounded like a completely different island from the one I had experienced.

Salt Spring Island really does change depending on where you stay. If you make the trip, I strongly recommend booking a good B&B in advance.

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Old Country Market | The Market with Goats on the Roof

After arriving on the main island at Nanaimo and driving for a while, a small market appeared along the road. That was the Old Country Market.

At first, I thought it was just an ordinary farm market and stopped on a whim. However, the moment I looked up at the roof, I did a double take. There were goats on the roof. Furthermore, they were casually walking around and eating grass as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

This market has adopted a fully functional system where goats graze on the grass planted on the roof, effectively mowing it. In other words, it’s not a performance for tourists — it’s simply how things work here, and that’s what makes it so great.

Inside, you’ll find fresh juices, a bakery, local vegetables, and various goods. It’s also an ideal rest stop on a long drive. If you’re heading north through Vancouver Island, this is a place you absolutely have to visit.

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Qualicum Park and Falls | Into a Forest of Ancient Trees

A short drive from the Old Country Market brings you to Qualicum Park. The moment you step into the forest, the air changes.

Ancient trees, some hundreds of years old, stand throughout the park. Looking up, you can’t even see their tops. The whole area feels charged with a kind of natural energy. One enormous fallen tree in particular left a strong impression.

Qualicum Falls is a waterfall a short walk deeper into the forest. The sound of water falling between moss-covered rocks and towering trees was soothing and otherworldly.

Of all the stops on the Vancouver Island drive, this is my top recommendation. Although it involves a longer hike, it’s well worth the effort. Moreover, since it’s close to the Old Country Market, you can easily visit both in the same day. The stillness of this forest also makes a wonderful contrast to the wide-open feeling of Tofino that comes next.

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Port Alberni | An Overnight Stop Before Tofino

I chose Port Alberni as my overnight stop on the way to Tofino. The town sits along a long, narrow inlet that resembles a fjord, and the scenery was more beautiful than I expected.

That said, honestly, it’s not a town you’d visit for sightseeing purposes. I had a casual Chinese dinner and called it a night. The best approach is to treat it simply as a base for the night before heading to Tofino.

Tofino is about an hour and a half away by car. I turned in early that evening and saved my energy for the next day.

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Tofino | Skip the Town — Head Straight to the Beach

The moment I arrived in Tofino, a wave of excitement washed over me. Even so, I didn’t linger in town — I turned right around and drove straight to the beach.

Long Beach was even more vast than I had imagined. The sand stretched on endlessly, Pacific waves rolled in one after another, and there were surprisingly few people around. I lay down on the beach and stared at the sky, and time just slipped away. If there’s a place that embodies the luxury of doing nothing, this is it.

There were a few surfers in the water, but the waves are big and the water is cold. Watching from the shore was more than enough.

Tofino itself is a small town with a handful of cafes and restaurants. It’s not a flashy tourist destination — but that’s precisely what makes it so good.

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Ucluelet | Climbing the Rocks, Watching the Sun Go Down

Ucluelet is about a 30-minute drive from Tofino. In contrast to Tofino, it has little tourist-town feel — instead, it retains the atmosphere of a working fishing village.

The Lighthouse Loop trail I walked here follows a rugged, rocky coastline. Unlike a well-maintained hiking path, there are sections where you need to use your hands to climb. Consequently, I’d recommend wearing sturdy, non-slip shoes rather than sandals.

Then, when I reached the top of the rocky ridge, the Pacific Ocean opened up before me. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks, the smell of salt in the air, an unobstructed view all the way to the horizon. It was a wilder, more untamed sea than the beach at Tofino.

I climbed up before sunset and watched the sun sink below the horizon. Of everything on this trip, that moment stayed with me the most. If you’re coming all the way to Vancouver Island, it would be a shame to stop at Tofino alone. Make sure you stop by Ucluelet as well.

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Parksville | Reflecting on the Journey by the Sea

From Ucluelet, I headed north to Parksville — less a sightseeing destination and more a place to rest before returning to Vancouver the next day.

I had a meal at a restaurant along the beach and looked back on the five days. The goats on the roof, Qualicum Falls, that afternoon lying on Long Beach, the sunset from the rocks at Ucluelet. The trip had gone by quickly, yet it was surprisingly full.

The next morning, I drove to Nanaimo, boarded the ferry, and headed back to Vancouver. Driving my car onto the deck and watching the ocean go by on the return crossing — that, too, felt like part of the journey.

If you’re interested in the northern route — Salt Spring Island, Tofino, and Ucluelet — check out this post: Vancouver Island South Road Trip: Victoria, Sooke & Lake Cowichan in 4 Days

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Summary | How to Do the Northern Vancouver Island Route

Head north from Vancouver via Salt Spring Island all the way to Tofino, stop at Ucluelet, then loop back south to Vancouver. In five days on this route, what struck me most was how much raw, unspoiled nature Vancouver Island holds — a world apart from the mainland.