//
Largest island in British Columbia, Canada
Photo: Dennis Sylvester Hurd from Minuwangoda, WP, Sri Lanka, Canada, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
Vancouver Island is a large island off the coast of British Columbia. As a region, it includes the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia. It is often referred to by the locals as simply 'The Island'. Vancouver Island is the largest island off the west coast of North America at about 450 km long and up to about 90 km wide. It has a population of over 870,000 people (2019), with a little less than half of those living in the Greater Victoria area.
The least populated area; this remote area offers many recreational opportunities.
A group of many islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia. There's kayaking, the off the beaten path charm of Quadra Island and wildlife ranging from orcas to grizzly bears.
On the east side of the island, it includes the city of Nanaimo, the beaches of Parksville-Qualicum Beach, the Comox Valley towns of Courtenay and Comox, and the salmon fishing town of Campbell River. Heading westwards is Tofino, with surfing, whale watching and storm watching.
The most densely populated region, this area includes Victoria, the stately capital of the province, the rural Saanich Peninsula, home to Buchart Gardens, and other nearby towns.
Group of islands between Victoria and Nanaimo in the Strait of Georgia. Salt Spring Island is the largest of the group.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Sea kayaking tours and vacations. Kayaking the Inside Passage with killer whales, whale watching, grizzly bear viewing, and lodge based kayak adventures.
Hiking, kayaking, and canoeing tours from coastline to the Coast Mountains. Wildlife viewing at the boundaries of land, sea, and sky. Tours on the North Coast Trail and kayaking in both Pacific Rim and Gulf Islands National Parks.
By ferry
By bus
By plane
There are seaplane facilities with scheduled commercial flights on Vancouver Island at Victoria's harbour, at Maple Bay (near Duncan), and at Nanaimo harbour.
By bus
By public transit
BC Transit operates bus routes in cities around Vancouver Island.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Comox · Regional · YQQ
Loading places around the airport…
the capital city of British Columbia that markets itself as a piece of England.
a relaxing city 30 km from downtown Victoria, next to the airport, on the Waterfront with quaint little shops. A tourist vacation and retirement location with waterfront walkways and bicycle paths.
a 110-km scenic drive from Victoria on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, Port Renfrew is a small west coast community that was built by logging and fishing. It is situated along 240 km (150 miles) of rugged uninhabited coastline.
the second largest city, and largest port on Vancouver Island.
popular summer vacation spot with its many sandy beaches and wide range of accommodation. Off the beach, there are fun parks for the kids and some pleasant walking trails. Nearby are a handful of provincial parks where you can see waterfalls, try to wrap your arms around an old growth tree or go caving.
ecotourism centre on the beautiful (if wet) west coast of the island. The main attraction is Long Beach which is part of Pacific Rim National Park. There's also surfing, whale watching and storm watching (in winter).
the gateway to Mount Washington, Strathcona Provincial Park and some spectacular fishing. These two towns are a beautiful place to visit in summer and winter.
small logging town on the north tip of the island, gateway to Cape Scott Provincial Park.
voted one of the ten best "towns" in Canada to visit by travel writers (as published in Harrowsmith Magazine).
Coastal hikes, amazing beaches and wildlife
Established in 2003, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve safeguards a portion of the gorgeous Gulf Islands archipelago. Gulf Islands National Park Reserve offers visitors incredible opportunities for boating, kayaking, hiking, wildlife viewing and picnicking. The larger islands of Saturna, Mayne and Pender can be accessed via BC Ferries, with daily departures from Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island. Please visit the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve website for more information.
park and hiking trail on the southwest coast
alpine skiing, often with the most snow in Canada, and mountain biking
scenic, multi-unit park on the west coast, includes
Strathcona Provincial Park is on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Articles and travel topics about Vancouver Island and Canada.
Travel tipsDiscover how to use AI to find cheap flights. Learn prompt strategies, smart fare engines, open-jaw routings, and error-fare booking techniques.
6 min read
ItinerariesThe Coast-Vancouver Island Circle Tour, also known as the Coast Circle Tour, is a popular way to see visit some areas of southwestern British Columbia that you might otherwise not visit.
Wikivoyage
ItinerariesThe Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) is a series of provincial highways which join all ten provinces of Canada. Following 8,030 km (just under 5,000 miles) of Trans-Canada Highway across all ten provinces is one of the three…
Wikivoyage
Travel tipsGeorge Vancouver was a British officer of the Royal Navy best known for his 1791–95 expedition, to lay formal British claim and start colonization of North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions previously mapped…
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.