Vancouver is one of the best road trip start points in the world — and most people who visit it never actually leave the city. Big mistake. You've got rainforest highways, Pacific coastlines, ferry rides to islands with surf beaches, and ski town roads that make your jaw drop. Pick up a Wicked Camper in Vancouver, point it in literally any direction, and something ridiculous is going to happen within an hour.
Vancouver — Pick Up & Get Out of the City
Collect your Wicked Camper in Vancouver and resist the urge to spend three days in the city first — you can always come back. Grab coffee, hit a grocery store, and choose your direction. North gets you mountains in 30 minutes. West gets you ocean. South gets you the border and a whole other country if you're feeling ambitious.
Tip: Fuel up before leaving Metro Vancouver — prices inside the city and on the North Shore are high but drop once you're further out.
Sea-to-Sky Highway — Whistler & Beyond
Head north on Highway 99 and prepare to lose your mind. The Sea-to-Sky Highway runs 120km from Vancouver to Whistler along the edge of Howe Sound — mountains dropping straight into ocean on your left, cliffs and forest on your right. It is genuinely one of the most dramatic coastal drives anywhere.
Stop at Porteau Cove for a waterfront campsite right on the sound. Pull over at Shannon Falls — one of the tallest waterfalls in BC, 10 minutes from the highway. Then push into Squamish, the outdoor capital of Canada, where you can hike the Sea-to-Summit trail or watch climbers on the Stawamus Chief.
Whistler is the obvious end point — a mountain town that runs year-round and gives you world-class skiing in winter, bike trails and hiking in summer, and solid food and craft beer whenever you show up. Spend at least a night.
Vancouver Island — Ferry, Drive, Repeat
Jump on the BC Ferries from Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay and 90 minutes later you're pulling off the boat onto Vancouver Island — and into a completely different vibe. The island is 450km long, covered in old-growth rainforest, fringed with wild beaches, and full of wildlife that doesn't care about your road trip schedule.
Start in Victoria at the south end — a proper city with good food, the inner harbour, and Butchart Gardens if that's your thing. Then drive north up the Island Highway, stopping at Parksville and Qualicum Beach for warm, sandy shores that feel more like summer holidays than Pacific Canada.
From there, cut west across the island toward Tofino — two hours of winding highway through mountain passes and old-growth forest before you hit the Pacific. Tofino is where the island gets properly wild: huge surf breaks, ancient cedar trees, storm watching season in winter, and campfires on beaches that go on forever. It's the kind of place that extends your trip by a week without asking permission.
Book BC Ferries in advance in summer — they fill up fast and the waits can be brutal if you miss your sailing.
The Okanagan — Canada's Warmest Road Trip
Head four hours east of Vancouver through the Fraser Canyon and the landscape transforms from rainforest to scrubby hills and then suddenly to vineyards, lake beaches, and long hot days. Welcome to the Okanagan — Canada's wine region, and one of its best-kept road trip secrets.
Kelowna is the hub of the valley with a buzzing waterfront, good restaurants, and enough wineries within 30 minutes to keep you occupied for days. Drive the Naramata Bench south of Penticton for some of the best winery roads in the country. Swim in Skaha Lake when temperatures push past 35°C — and yes, it gets that hot here in summer.
The Okanagan is a perfect add-on to a Sea-to-Sky or Vancouver Island trip — or a destination in its own right if you want warm weather, big lakes, and a slower pace.
The Sunshine Coast — BC's Hidden Side
Take the short ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale and you're on the Sunshine Coast — a stretch of BC that can only be reached by boat, and is blissfully off the main tourist radar. Quiet fishing villages, rocky coves, dense forest, and hiking trails that feel like you're the first person to use them.
Drive up through Sechelt to Powell River for kayaking, the Sunshine Coast Trail, and small-town BC charm. Another ferry hop gets you to Comox on Vancouver Island, making this a great loop option if you're combining both coasts.
Road Trip Tips from Vancouver
- BC Ferries: Book ahead online for Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay (Vancouver–Victoria) and Horseshoe Bay–Departure Bay (Vancouver–Nanaimo) crossings in summer. Walk-ons are easy; vehicles need reservations.
- Best time to go: June to September for dry weather and long days. July–August is peak season everywhere — campgrounds fill fast. May and October are great shoulder months with fewer crowds.
- Passes: If you're entering national parks (Pacific Rim, Gulf Islands), pick up a Parks Canada Discovery Pass.
- Wildlife: Bears on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, orcas off Victoria and Campbell River, eagles everywhere. Keep food locked up and enjoy from a distance.
- Tofino surf: Water is cold year-round — rent a wetsuit, don't buy one. Lessons are available if you're a first-timer.
- Weather: Metro Vancouver and the coast are wet from October to May. The Okanagan is the exception — it's dry and hot in summer. Pack layers regardless.
Vancouver is the kind of start point that makes it impossible to have a bad road trip. Pick a direction, let the van roll, and let British Columbia do what it does best — which is look absolutely stunning around every corner.