Self-Launched Ultimate Adventure in British Columbia and Vancouver Island

Fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Take the Canada Line rapid transit directly to downtown Vancouver — it takes under 30 minutes and costs around CAD $5 (~£3). Check into a well-rated downtown hostel such as HI Vancouver Central or Cambie Hostel Gastown, both centrally located and sociable spots to meet fellow travellers. Spend the evening exploring Gastown, grabbing dinner on Robson Street, and planning your route north for tomorrow.

🚌Canada Line from YVR to downtown (~£3)

🛏HI Vancouver Central Hostel or similar (~£30–35/night in a dorm, or ~£55–65 for a private twin)

• →Explore Gastown and downtown Vancouver on foot
• →Pick up any last-minute gear at MEC (Mountain Equipment Company) on Broadway

Rent a car for the next few days (or book a seat on the Whistler Mountaineer Bus from Vancouver — roughly £20 each way). Drive or ride the spectacular Sea-to-Sky Highway north to Whistler (~2 hours). Purchase a Whistler Blackcomb Peak-to-Peak Gondola ticket (book online via Whistler Blackcomb, ~CAD $60 / ~£35) to ride up Blackcomb and then cross to Whistler Mountain. Hike the Half Note to High Note Trail — around 4 hours of jaw-dropping ridgeline hiking with views over Garibaldi Provincial Park and Cheakamus Lake. Descend and drive ~1 hour south to Squamish. Camp at Stawamus Chief Provincial Park Campground (book via Discover Camping BC, ~CAD $35/night / ~£20). Cook a group meal at the campsite.

🚌Whistler Mountaineer Bus from Vancouver (~£20) or rental car share; local driving

🛏Stawamus Chief Provincial Park Campground, Squamish (~£20/night per tent spot)

• →Ride the Peak-to-Peak Gondola on Whistler Blackcomb (~£35, book via whistlerblackcomb.com)
• →Hike the Half Note to High Note Trail (~4 hours, free — no permit required in summer)
• →Explore Whistler Village for coffee and a beer before heading to Squamish

A full day in Squamish, the self-proclaimed outdoor recreation capital of Canada. Start with a morning sea kayak session in Howe Sound — book a guided 2-hour paddle with Squamish Water Sports or Klahanie Kayaking (around CAD $75 / ~£45), launching from the marina beside the Stawamus Chief with views of Shannon Falls. Keep your eyes out for seals and otters. After lunch at camp, tackle the iconic Stawamus Chief hike — a 2–3 hour return climb up a granite monolith to one of the most spectacular viewpoints in BC. The trail is free and well-marked. Return to camp for another night under canvas.

🚌On foot / local driving

🛏Stawamus Chief Provincial Park Campground, Squamish (~£20/night)

• →Sea kayak guided session in Howe Sound (~£45, book via Squamish Water Sports or GetYourGuide)
• →Hike Stawamus Chief Mountain — 2–3 hours return, free trail
• →Visit Shannon Falls Provincial Park (free, short detour)

Drive back toward Vancouver and head to Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. Book a BC Ferries crossing to Departure Bay, Nanaimo in advance at bcferries.com (foot passenger ~CAD $20 / ~£12; car ~CAD $65 / ~£38). The crossing takes about 1h40m and the views are stunning. Drive south from Nanaimo to Sooke (~1.5 hours), a rugged coastal town on the Juan de Fuca Strait. This afternoon, hike a section of the East Sooke Coast Trail — a wild, rocky shoreline trail (free, no permit required). The Beechey Head circular route is around 3 miles. Finish the day with a pint and dinner at Sooke Brewing Company (pay locally, great food trucks and pop-ups on site). Camp at Sooke Potholes Provincial Park or French Beach Provincial Park (~£20/night, book via Discover Camping BC).

🚌BC Ferries Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (~£12 foot passenger / ~£38 with car, book at bcferries.com)

🛏French Beach Provincial Park Campground or Sooke Potholes Campground (~£20/night)

• →BC Ferries crossing across the Strait of Georgia (scenic, ~1h40m)
• →Hike East Sooke Coast Trail — Beechey Head circular (~3 miles, free)
• →Dinner and drinks at Sooke Brewing Company (pay locally)

Drive into Victoria (~45 minutes from Sooke) in the morning. Book a 3-hour whale watching boat trip directly with a Victoria operator — Prince of Whales Whale Watching or Eagle Wing Tours are both excellent and bookable online (around CAD $130–150 / ~£75–90). The waters off the south coast of Vancouver Island are home to resident and transient orcas, humpback whales, Dall's porpoises, sea lions, and bald eagles — summer is prime season. After the tour, spend a couple of hours exploring Victoria's Inner Harbour, Beacon Hill Park, and the quirky Chinatown. Drive back to camp in Sooke for the evening.

🚌Self-drive Victoria return (~45 min each way)

🛏French Beach or Sooke Potholes Campground (~£20/night)

• →Whale watching boat trip from Victoria (~£80, book direct at princeofwhales.com or eaglewingtours.com)
• →Explore Victoria's Inner Harbour and Beacon Hill Park (free)
• →Visit Fisherman's Wharf for fish and chips (pay locally)

Pack down camp and head north on a classic Vancouver Island road trip to Tofino (~4.5 hours drive). Stop for breakfast at Shirley Delicious café in Shirley (a beloved local institution — cash friendly, worth the detour). En route, stop at MacMillan Provincial Park to walk through Cathedral Grove — a free, unmissable old-growth forest of 800-year-old Douglas firs and red cedars. Don't miss the Old Country Market in Coombs ('Goats on the Roof') to pick up lunch and try candied salmon. Stop at Pacific Rim National Park (day pass ~CAD $10 / ~£6) to hike the Rainforest Trail loop or the Long Beach shoreline. Roll into Tofino by late afternoon. Camp at Green Point Campground inside Pacific Rim National Park (book well in advance at reservation.pc.gc.ca, ~CAD $35 / ~£20) — one of Canada's most scenic campgrounds, steps from the beach.

🚌Self-drive Sooke to Tofino (~4.5 hours)

🛏Green Point Campground, Pacific Rim National Park (~£20/night — book well in advance)

• →Breakfast at Shirley Delicious (~£10, pay locally)
• →Walk Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park (free)
• →Shop at Old Country Market, Coombs — try candied salmon (pay locally)
• →Hike Pacific Rim National Park Rainforest Trail or Long Beach (park day pass ~£6)

Drive 30 minutes south to Ucluelet and hike the Wild Pacific Trail — a stunning 5-mile coastal route through temperate rainforest, past reefs and sea stacks, with views of the open Pacific. The trail is free and well-maintained. Return to Tofino for lunch — grab tacos at Tacofino, the iconic food truck that started it all (around CAD $15–20, pay locally). In the afternoon, book a beginner surf lesson with Tofino Surf School or Pacific Surf Co (around CAD $100 / ~£60, includes wetsuit and board hire). Tofino's sandy beach breaks make it one of Canada's best beginner surf spots. Spend the evening at camp.

🚌Self-drive Tofino–Ucluelet return (~30 min)

🛏Green Point Campground, Pacific Rim National Park (~£20/night)

• →Hike Wild Pacific Trail around Ucluelet (~5 miles, free)
• →Lunch at Tacofino food truck — tacos and burritos (~£12, pay locally)
• →Beginner surf lesson with wetsuit and board in Tofino (~£60, book via tofinosurf.com or Klook)

Today is the adventure highlight. Book a guided 2-day kayak and wild camping experience with Remote Passages or Tofino Kayaking — both offer small-group guided expeditions into Clayoquot Sound that include all camping equipment, meals, and guiding (~CAD $300–350 / ~£175–200 per person for the 2-day experience). Paddle calm inlet waters past ancient coastal rainforest, land on Meares Island to hike the Big Tree Trail through 1,500-year-old red cedars, and paddle past Opitsat village before reaching your overnight wild camp on remote Vargas Island. Fresh salmon on the BBQ under the stars. No light pollution, no noise — just the wilderness.

🚌Kayak (guided, included in package)

🛏Wild camping on Vargas Island (included in guided kayak package)

• →Full-day guided kayak expedition into Clayoquot Sound (~£185 for 2-day package, book via remotepassages.com)
• →Hike the Big Tree Trail on Meares Island (included in kayak package)
• →Wild camp on Vargas Island with campfire salmon dinner (included)

Wake up to birdsong and ocean air on Vargas Island. Pack down the wild camp and paddle back through Clayoquot Sound, stopping to explore Stubbs Island (a former 19th-century trading hub for European and Japanese settlers). Complete the kayak return to Tofino and bid farewell to your guides. Drive east across Vancouver Island to Parksville (~2 hours). After days of camping, treat yourself to a budget-friendly hotel or motel — Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort or a local motel (~£70–90/night for a private room). Head out for a farewell dinner at one of Parksville's excellent breweries — try the Parksville Beach area for waterfront dining.

🚌Self-drive Tofino to Parksville (~2 hours)

🛏Budget hotel or motel in Parksville (~£70–90/night for private room)

• →Morning kayak return through Clayoquot Sound (included in Day 8 package)
• →Explore Stubbs Island history during paddle (guided, included)
• →Farewell dinner at a Parksville brewery — try Craig Street Brew Pub (pay locally, ~£20)

Drive to Nanaimo (~40 minutes) and stop at a bakery or café downtown for the legendary Nanaimo Bar — the city's namesake chocolate-custard-wafer treat (~CAD $3, a must). Catch the BC Ferries sailing from Departure Bay or Duke Point terminal back to Horseshoe Bay or Tsawwassen on the mainland (book in advance at bcferries.com, foot passenger ~CAD $20 / ~£12; car ~CAD $65 / ~£38). The crossing takes under 2 hours. Arrive back in Vancouver and head to the airport or check into a hostel for a final night. What a trip — orcas, ancient forests, surf, wild camping, and one of the world's great road trip coastlines.

🚌BC Ferries Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay/Tsawwassen (~£12 foot / ~£38 with car, book at bcferries.com); Canada Line to YVR (~£3)

🛏Vancouver airport hotel or hostel if needed (~£35–60)

• →Try a Nanaimo Bar in Nanaimo — from any downtown café (~£2)
• →BC Ferries return crossing to Vancouver mainland (scenic, ~1h40m)
• →Optional: final afternoon exploring Vancouver's Stanley Park or Granville Island (free entry)