The east coast is the family side of the Island: sheltered beaches that warm up at low tide, short trails, and towns close enough together that nobody is stuck in the car for long.
7 nights across 3 stops, about 220 km of driving.
The route
Victoria
Museums, the harbour and Beacon Hill.
Places to stay in Victoria
Finding stays in Victoria…
Drive from Victoria: About 150 km, roughly 2 hr
Parksville & Qualicum
The sand flats — the heart of the trip.
Places to stay in Parksville & Qualicum
Finding stays in Parksville…
Drive from Parksville & Qualicum: About 70 km, roughly 55 min
Comox Valley
Rivers, trails and the valley.
- The Comox Valley: ski in the morning, beach in the afternoon
- Vancouver Island in winter: what's open and what's quiet
Places to stay in Comox Valley
Finding stays in Comox Valley…
Day by day
Days 1–2 — Victoria
The Royal BC Museum, the petting farm and playgrounds at Beacon Hill Park, and the little harbour ferries that potter around the Inner Harbour.
Days 3–5 — Parksville and Qualicum
The main event: at low tide the water at Parksville and Rathtrevor runs out for hundreds of metres and comes back warm. Add Englishman River Falls and Coombs for a change of pace.
Days 6–7 — Comox Valley
Riverway trails in Courtenay, the beach and marina at Comox, and easy walks in Cumberland's forest. Mount Washington runs lift-served activities in summer.
Good to know
- Check tide times at Parksville — the warm shallow water is a low-tide thing.
- Distances between these three bases are all under two hours.
Make it yours
Open this itinerary in the planner to change the nights, swap towns or add stops.
Open in the trip plannerOther itineraries
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7 days on Vancouver Island: the classic first trip
3 nights
3 days in and around Victoria
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5 days on the west coast: Tofino and Ucluelet
New to the Island? Start with our visiting Vancouver Island guide.