Aerial view of the Tofino coastline

Tofino, BC

Getting to Tofino

Getting Here

Options for Getting Here:

From Vancouver you have three choices.

1. Rent a car and travel to Vancouver Island via BC Ferries

BC Ferries offers service from the mainland (Vancouver) to Vancouver Island at two points: the Horseshoe Bay Terminal in North Vancouver and the Tsawwassen Terminal, south of Vancouver.  Ferry service from Horseshoe Bay arrives at Departure Bay Nanaimo, whereas service from Tsawwassen arrives in Swartz Bay near Victoria, or at Duke Point, south Nanaimo.  Nanaimo is closest to Ucluelet.

You can find detailed driving directions to BC Ferry terminals on their website. For more information or to make a reservation, visit BC Ferries: www.bcferries.com, 1-888-769-3766.

2. Arrange a connecting flight to Vancouver Island

  • For Canadians,, WestJet offers direct flights from Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton to Comox, BC.
  • International tourists may want to fly into Vancouver International Airport before connecting to one of the airports listed above.

Tip

  • United Airlines offers direct flights from San Francisco to Victoria, BC.

*See the Vancouver Island airports listed above. All airports have car rentals available.

3. Take a commuter flight to Tofino
Commuter flights from Vancouver to Tofino (the closest airport to Ucluelet) are available through KD Air.

This is the closest you can fly to Tofino or Ucluelet. KD Air offers flights directly from Vancouver to Tofino, and Ucluelet is a short drive away (aprox. 30 min.).

Driving to Tofino or Ucluelet

From the #1 Hwy in Vancouver – take the Horseshoe Bay ferry out of North Vancouver. This will take you to Departure Bay, in Nanaimo.

Driving directions from Departure Bay, Nanaimo to Ucluelet:

  1. Take highway 19 and travel north for 43 km (26 miles)
  2. Take Exit 60 onto Highway 4 also known as the Pacific Rim Highway (traveling west) for 156 km (97 miles).
  3. At Port Alberni continue going straight down the hill, and turn right at the T-junction. From there, follow Pacific Rim Highway.
  4. At the T-junction for Ucluelet and Tofino, turn left to Ucluelet (aprox. 7 minutes to town) or right to Tofino (approx 25 mins)

From the US you can travel through Port Angeles and take the ferry to Victoria, or you can drive across the USA/Canada border to Tsawwassen (South of Vancouver) and take the ferry to Duke Point (south of Nanaimo).

Driving directions from Duke Point, Nanaimo to Ucluelet:

  1. Take highway 19 and travel north for 43 km (26 miles)
  2. Take Exit 60 onto Highway 4 also known as the Pacific Rim Highway (traveling west) for 156 km (97 miles).
  3. At Port Alberni continue going straight down the hill, and turn right at the T-junction. From there, follow Pacific Rim Highway.
  4. At the T-junction for Ucluelet and Tofino, turn left to Ucluelet (aprox. 7 minutes to town)

Here are some approx driving times to Ucluelet including the ferry ride, border wait, and waiting for the ferries. During July and August the border wait can be around 30-45 minutes. If you drive through Port Angeles the border waits are much less.

  • from Vancouver 5.5  hours
  • from Seattle 7 hours
  • from Portland 9 hours