Things to do in Tofino and Ucluelet, BC: Surf, hike and more

Playing in the surf, sitting by a beachfront campfire, and slowing down to breathe in the salted ocean air. These are the moments that bring people back to Tofino and Ucluelet time and again. Home to some of British Columbia’s best beaches and Canada’s most direct path to the Pacific Ocean, Tofino and Ucluelet are two of the most beloved destinations on Vancouver Island.

While you’re in Tofino and Ucluelet, you’ll have a chance to connect with the ocean and the spectacular rainforest that traces its shorelines. Hiking, biking, surfing, and learning from the Indigenous communities that call this beautiful area home are just a few of the biggest draws.

Read on to learn more about the many things to do in Tofino and Ucluelet, BC. We gathered the information in this article across multiple visits. One was hosted by Destination British Columbia, and another was hosted by Hyundai Canada for our first drive in the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9. Have questions about exploring the many things to do in Tofino and Ucluelet? Join our Facebook community!

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Things to do in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a jewel on Canada’s west coast. This Parks Canada managed site protects more than 500 square kilometres of pristine beaches and towering rainforests, as well as the Broken Group Islands and the 75-kilometre West Coast Trail. Here are some of the most popular things to do in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Explore the park’s many spectacular beaches

The beaches between Tofino and Ucluelet are often named among the best in British Columbia. Experience the wide-open Pacific Ocean at the many popular beaches within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Spanning 16 kilometres, Long Beach falls entirely within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and is the longest beach on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Several of the park’s named beaches are subdivisions of Long Beach, including Schooners Beach, Combers Beach, and Wickaninnish Beach. South Beach and Florencia Bay are also within the national park reserve.

The most iconic location among the park’s beaches is at Incinerator Rock, where a pair of massive black boulders is set against the expansive ocean landscape.

Surfing and extended walks along the beach are the standard fare here. Dogs are permitted to join you in most areas (except on Combers Beach between April and November), though they must be leashed at all times. Beach fires are also allowed, but only on certain beaches, and they must be within the rules for beach fires within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Beachcombing can be a fun activity on Vancouver Island’s beaches as interesting objects wash onto the shores frequently. While removing natural objects or First Nations artifacts is not permitted, human-made objects are fair game. In fact, you’ll help out even more if you bring an extra bag and pick up any human-created trash for disposal while you hunt for interesting treasures.

Swimming is not recommended at most beaches within the Tofino area as currents can be very strong and the water stays cold year-round. Note that beaches are unsupervised with no lifeguards or surf guards on duty. When entering the water, a wetsuit is highly recommended.

Walk, run, or bike on the ʔapsčiik t̓ašii

The ʔapsčiik t̓ašii is a multi-use trail that extends roughly 25 kilometres between the boundaries of the Long Beach unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. It’s paved for its entire length and roughly follows alongside the Pacific Rim Highway. At either end, the pathway connects with municipal pathways that continue into Tofino and Ucluelet. The trail is maintained from mid-April to mid-October.

Apart from two graded sections, the trail is mostly flat, making it a great way to stay active and travel sustainably while you’re in the area. It’s not unusual to see cyclists traveling along this path with a surfboard under one arm!

ʔapsčiik t̓ašii is a term that means “going the right way on the path” — both literally and metaphorically through life — in Nuu-Chah-Nulth, the language and the Indigenous people of western Vancouver Island. This name can be pronounced as “ups-cheek ta-shee.” The ʔapsčiik t̓ašii passes through the lands of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, one of nine Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nations located within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Take on a hike, from short loops to multi-day epic journeys

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve has hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulties, from easy strolls to one of Canada’s most challenging multi-day treks.

The Nuu-Chah-Nulth Trail is a moderate-difficulty trail that connects the Kwitsis Visitor Centre with Florencia Bay, while a shorter one-way spur offers access to the smaller Lismer Beach and South Beach. Interpretive panels and hand-carved totem poles along this trail explain the connection between the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people and the surrounding land and ocean.

The Rainforest Loops are a pair of 1-kilometre moderate-difficulty trails that wind through the area’s temperate rainforest, including giant western red cedar and western hemlock trees. These trails are mostly made up of wooden boardwalk with many stairs.

There are also a short loop through a bog at the Shorepine Bog Trial and multiple short trails that connect day-use parking lots with beach access, including the Combers Beach Trail and the Willowbrae Trail.

The adventure that draws many serious hikers to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is the West Coast Trail, a very challenging 75-kilometre hike across the wild and untamed west coast of Vancouver Island. The route includes multiple days of backcountry camping as well as steep climbs, river crossings, mud slogs, and potential for extreme weather. Trail reservations, plenty of advance planning, and previous long-distance hiking experience are required to tackle this very difficult hike.

Plan a paddling excursion to the Broken Group Islands

The Broken Group Islands, a group of more than 100 islands in a bay on western Vancouver Island sheltered from the Pacific Ocean, is also part of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. This area is a popular destination for adventurous sea kayakers, and overnight camping is permitted on several of the park’s islands with a reservation.

No services are provided on the islands, including drinking water, so travelers need to be self-sustaining for the duration of a journey. We haven’t tried this yet, but Parks Canada provides information on planning a Broken Group Islands kayaking excursion.

Catch the view from Radar Hill

During World War II, Radar Hill within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve was the site of a radar station. Today, it’s the highest point in the park’s Long Beach sector and provides views of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding territory. Radar Hill is also home to the Kapyong Memorial, a cairn honouring the Canadians who fought in the Battle of Kapyong, one of the fiercest faced by Canadian forces in the Korean War.

Engage with Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nations

Across its three main sections, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is on the traditional territory of nine First Nations of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people. A visit to the park creates an ideal chance to learn more about these First Nations and engage in reconciliation.

In the Nuu-Chah-Nulth language, Kwisitis means “the other end of the beach.” Visit the Kwisitis Visitor Centre — aptly located at the opposite end of Long Beach from Incinerator Rock — to explore exhibits highlighting various aspects of First Nations life on the Vancouver Island coast. You’ll hear stories, examine wildlife tracks, and see a replica longhouse. The Nuu-Chah-Nulth Trail starts behind the visitor centre and offers an interpretive journey into the local First Nations way of life.

Special events take place throughout the year, and youth from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation are often available to share information about their community at the pop-up welcome centre on Long Beach in July and August.

Take a surfing lesson

In Canada, Tofino and Ucluelet are considered surf central! The weather and the ocean are generally cooler than further south, but surfing culture is very much alive here. If you want to see street lined with surf shops and VW microbuses with surf boards strapped to their roofs north of the border, this is the place!

If you’re game to try surfing in Tofino, no experience is required. There are several well-rated surf schools in the area, including Tofino Surf School, Pacific Surf School, Surf Sister Surf School, Tofino Surf Adventures, Swell Tofino, Surf Grove Campground on Cox Bay Beach, and more. In Ucluelet, you’ll find Surf Junction Surf School, Wick’d Surf Camps, Relic Surf Shop and Surf School, Endlessride Surf School, among others.

We haven’t had a chance to try this ourselves yet, but we’ll add some impressions to this article once we do!

Hike Ucluelet’s Wild Pacific Trail

If you’re in Tofino and Ucluelet and you love to hike, a visit to Ucluelet’s Wild Pacific Trail is essential. It runs the entire length of town in two main sections: an 8-kilometre linear trek across rocky bluffs, through ancient cedars, and past beautiful sandy beaches; and a 2.6-kilometre loop at the end of the peninsula that passes the 110-year-old Amphitrite Lighthouse.

All sections on the Wild Pacific Trail are rated at either easy or moderate difficulty. These are wonderfully approachable hikes that provide access to some of the most spectacular seaside views in the area.

Visit the Ucluelet Aquarium

Ucluelet Aquarium is Canada’s first catch-and-release aquarium. Since 2004, the staff have been collecting fish and invertebrates from nearby Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds with oversight from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The creatures are then displayed in the aquarium’s tanks to help visitors learn more about local aquatic environments. At the end of each season, every animal is released back into nature.

The needs of each species are considered when deciding how long they’ll stay at the aquarium. A giant Pacific octopus may stay for only three or four months, for example, while fish and other creatures may stay for nine months to a year. Factors such as migration and growth patterns play a role in these decisions, and habitats replicate the natural environment as much as possible. Even the water used in the Ucluelet Aquarium is pumped in directly from the ocean outside, so its temperature, salinity, and biological make-up is the same inside and out.

The Ucluelet Aquarium is one of the best things to do with kids in the Tofino and Ucluelet area, especially on a rainy day. Admission costs are put toward operating the aquarium and its not-for-profit mission of sustainability and conservation. Be sure to ask plenty of questions during your visit. The staff are very passionate and are happy to help!

Indulge in a luxury stay

If your goal from your Tofino and Ucluelet getaway is to fully relax and unwind, indulging in a high-end luxury stay may be just the ticket. Here are a couple of beautiful spots we’re delighted to recommend. As we have an opportunity to stay at more locations, we’ll add reviews for them here.

From surf to storm-watching at the Wickaninnish Inn

The Wickaninnish Inn is the only fully locally owned hotel in Tofino, and it’s about as local as a business gets. Charles McDiarmid owns the Inn today, and his father was the town’s doctor in the 1950s. Today, the Inn sits on the same land where the McDiarmid family cabin was located, and it’s the only hotel located directly on Tofino’s Chesterman Beach.

While summer beach days are obviously a main draw to Tofino, McDiarmid has fond memories of winter storm-watching at that cabin. The Wickaninnish Inn continues that tradition by offering year-round ocean views in all 75 rooms, which also feature fireplaces and bathrooms filled with natural light.

Art is a central theme throughout this Relais & Chateaux property. Guest rooms, public spaces, a dedicated gallery, and the carving shed on the beach all feature works by Vancouver Island artists. Sustainability is also a key tenet, from furniture crafted with reclaimed wood to local and seasonal ingredients featured in The Pointe Restaurant on site.

Enjoy a great meal and the one of the largest Scotch collections on Vancouver Island with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Follow it up with a treatment at the Ancient Cedars Spa and a hike through the property’s Rainforest Beach Loop. The Wickaninnish Inn invites you to slow your pace, take a breath, and savour these beautiful surroundings in the traditional territory of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation.

Stay at the edge of the world at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

If you’re looking for a hotel with spectacular ocean views in Ucluelet, Black Rock Oceanfront Resort will fit the bill. All premium suites include gas fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows. Who needs a TV when you can lie cozy in bed and watch the waves instead?

Kitchenettes are included if you prefer to prepare your own meals, or you can dine in at Currents, an Ocean Wise restaurant with plenty of delicious options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Grab a drink at the Big Beach Lounge, enjoy a treatment at Drift Spa, and connect directly with Ucluelet’s Wild Pacific Trail at this 133-room hotel on Ucluelet First Nation traditional territory.

Connect to nature through camping

Vancouver Island’s west coast seems ready-made for camping! When you want to connect directly with the area’s temperate rainforests and feel the ocean breeze in your tent or RV, seek out one of the great campgrounds in Tofino and Ucluelet. From the First Nations-owned Tsawaak RV Resort and Campground to Parks Canada’s Green Point Campground and many points in between and beyond, we’ve listed out some options and offered some tips for planning your West Coast camping adventures.

Learn more about camping in Tofino and Ucluelet >

Things to do in Tofino and Ucluelet: What to know before you go

Tofino and Ucluelet, British Columbia, are a pair of communities on the Esowista Peninsula on Vancouver Island’s west coast. They offer BC’s most direct route to the open Pacific Ocean and some of the best beaches on Canada’s west coast.

Many visitors road trip to Tofino and Ucluelet via British Columbia Highway 4, the Pacific Rim Highway. This is the longest east-west route across Vancouver Island. It starts just north of Nanaimo outside Parksville and Qualicum Beach, and it passes through the city of Port Alberni. A drive from Nanaimo to Tofino takes roughly three hours.

We have more about planning a road trip on the Pacific Rim Highway coming soon!

Tofino and Ucluelet can also be accessed by air. Commercial flights arrive at Tofino-Long Beach Airport, while scheduled sea planes fly directly into Tofino from Vancouver and chartered sea plane flights can land in Ucluelet Harbour.

When planning a visit to Tofino and Ucluelet, it’s critical to book accommodation well in advance. Hotels and campgrounds in this area often sell out months ahead, and cancellations are infrequent. Many locations can take reservations up to a year before your arrival date, so take advantage of this and plan ahead. It’s a long trip back across the island if you can’t find a local place to stay!

Explore more British Columbia road trips >