Tofino weekend trip
 

I have looked at Whistler, Seattle, Portland, Kelowna, Harrison Hot Springs, and Tofino for a weekend getaway. I have decided on Tofino but I'm open to other suggestions as well. I'm planning to go at the end of this month or at the beginning of June.

I have never been to Tofino before. What is Tofino known for besides surfing? What are the major tourist attractions? What is there to do if it rains?

Should I be driving there from Victoria or Nanaimo for the most scenic route and which route should I take?

Where is a good place to stay for accommodation that is reasonably priced? Sorry for the abundant of questions.

Thanks

tofino is all about outdoors. be sure to be able ot drive long windy roads. there are a few restaurants whic you can ask around to eat and enjoy.

i partcular didn't like tofino cause of the long ass drive but i did enjoy the place there. while i didn't go diving, it was a place to jut chill.

if you're going to do a road trip, try to stop to as much places and see what little towns are all about.

go via nanaimo and maybe drive back down to victoria coming back. oh btw, if u r going to come back, book reservations or be prepare to wait on the ferry.

Stay in your cabin and fuck if it rains :lol
Drive from Nanaimo unless you want to visit Victoria too. What is your budget? Are you looking for a room with kitchen, a hotel room, or a tent? How many people?

not too sure if you're completely locked on tofino but have you considered the oregon coast? After ferry fees (w/ vehicle), food, lodging, etc it would be cheaper to go to the oregon coast.
the drive down hwy 101 is fun if you have a "fun" vehicle. lots of twists and turns, great ocean views. There are many cities and beaches to explore. travel time should be very similar. the only bonus IMO to the tofino trip is that you get to relax during the ferry ride as opposed to driving for 2 hours down the I5.. (nbd really). to each their own but i would weigh the option IMO.

I'm looking for a hotel or a nice place for 2 with shower and tub or jacuzzi. I would say probably around $200 - $400/night. $400 is on the step side and I prefer not to go there unless necessary.

I have looked at Waters Edge Resort at Pacific Rim and Black Rock Resort for accommodation and they are 40mins away from Tofino.

I have looked at Wickaninnish Inn that's located right in Tofino but they require minimum stay. I am only doing 1 night or possibly 2.

read the province today, there is a hidden crashed small plane you can explore, but you'll need some hitching gear cause ur feet will get muddy

Wickaninnish Inn such balla :lol Had breakfast at the restaurant, was so awesome watching the waves roll in with an egg benedict and fresh oj. Its one of those places you want to stay forever.

Black rock looks awesome, was fully booked last time I went over. Uclulet has less beaches so you might need to travel to see a sunset etc. Places near tofino usually have beaches that are linked together so its fun to walk around w/o driving.

You might want to find a place with a kitchen as there are limited places to eat in tofino. I stayed at cox bay for 2 nights, pretty decent but they place is showing its wear and tear. Really no difference between staying at tofino or uclulet (except pricing), you'll eventually drive to see the different beaches/places.

I did water's edge last time I was there. Went through BC Ferries vacation, it was cheaper to go through them because they included a voucher for the ferry for you and your partner.

Water's edge units are pretty nice - vacation condo units, but with a hot tub on the patio.

I suggest staying within Tofino, that way you can rent bikes just outside the town and just bike around the town plus most beaches. Biking to long beach is easily done. The only time I drove was picking up and dropping off the bikes at the rental shop.

If your going to make the trip from vancouver in a day, make sure you get an early ferry. Its still a couple hours drive from Nanaimo (and its on a very windy road). Ucluelet is also a very nice place to see.

bump. planning a trip to tofino in late Feb.

Any must do things during this season? Trying for the "storm watch", planning to stay in a "yurt"

Have you tried Victoria?

I booked a trip for me and the wife in March through BC ferry website that includes hotel and ferry fees, about $500 2 nights at the 5 star Oak bay beach hotel with outside mineral baths.

Plus, it's only a 10 min drive from downtown Victoria.

tips for Tofino.

have to clearly define what you want to do there; been there a few times. It's a slower paced place so you gotta be sure if your group is epic wanting to party, nothing is there. There ain't a lot of places to eat either.
If you're with gf, better be fucking lots.

Surfing is good, just have to be sure you pick a place that hosts lessons that fits your style. Wet suit rental is a must. We had 2 people who didn't want lessons but still tried on their own. Whatever. We LOL outloud as all their pictures when they came back.... all pictures had their wetsuits worn inside out.

Hotels are booked way ahead but for Feb shouldn't be an issue. Decide where you want to stay also; you can drive another 10-20 minutes away from Tofino for a slighly cheaper rate but the driving itself after 5 days got tiring and gas etc...

My X and I also had a dog so we also had a lot of fun just hiking. Bring lots of rain gear.

Did a bunch of geocaching while I was there as well, goes hand-in-hand with hiking.

It's a awesome drive from Nanaimo. Have fun.

I went back in Dec, the drive from Nanaimo to tofino is crazy, single lane, twisty and elevation change plus fog. But the scenery at the cliffs in Ucluelet was epic. And yes it was low season so 2/3rds of the restaurants were closed and it was pretty expensive for everything. Single piece fish and chips at a food truck was like $16. I would go again but I find that the hotels to be super expensive in the summer. And there really isn't anything to do unless you surf besides just walk around and look at scenery.

O and I was planning to book the bc ferry trip packages too but it works out to be the same price as rolling up to the ferry and booking the hotel on Expedia

lol wut
did you go there expecting nightlife, street food or medieval architecture?

thanks guys.

not expecting to party.

she likes the scenic stuff: any outdoor hot springs / nice trails/hikes / etc? going in Feb.

Road conditions - are the roads dangerous? Worse than Sea to Sky?

Sea to sky is nothing compared to Tofino.

Tofino is a longer road trip which there are places to stop for food & jerky. Roads are twisty and definitely not a race to get there. S2S is a place where you can just blast thru.

I recall the highway from Port Alberni to Tofino is single lane plus quite twisty and foggy, there are sections where you are driving between a rock face and the other side is a lake. Super scenic and fun but dangerous also. And remember to top up your windshield fluid and prepare for a dirty car as the roads are extremely muddy and the car in front of you constantly flick mud onto your windshield. And yes s2s is easy, as you pretty much you stay in top gear when you drive VS some sections to tofino I was constantly in between 2 and 3rd gear with 30km blind corners next to a rock cliff.

after port alberni is double lane, single lane part was for a washout before the junction and that is all fixed now.

B.C.Highway Cams

the twisty bit would be before kennedy lake and after sutton pass. Thats where an ambulance crew got killed at night after they missed the turn. Follow the recommended, talking about the yellow signs speed and you will be fine. Also, this is a legit mountain pass, there would be snow and white out conditions during a storm albeit only around 10km long.

+1 to Cox Bay Beach Resort. It's about a 5-10 minute drive from 'downtown' Tofino, but the views outside the cabin are excellent

A lot of tourist like to rent large RV's and drive to Tofino. Most of them are inexperienced and drive real slow. I remember one time I was driving up in my R8 and this RV in front of me was driving real slow. Soon as I see the dotted line I switch to the other lane drop a gear and nail it. It wasn't just one RV it was 2 large RV's. Blew past them like nothing.