Getting to
Salmon Eye Charters

Getting to Ucluelet or Victoria  is easier than you might think!
Along with some of the best salmon fishing in the world, we are easy to get to and have less boat traffic than many “remote” fly-in resorts. Unlike some of the “remote” resorts, that may have five other lodges within a short distance and up to a hundred boats fishing the same small area, in Ucluelet you can enjoy small town hospitality and uncrowded fishing grounds.

Coming from
Canada

Getting to Ucluelet by Air

There are three airports on Vancouver Island within a scenic 3 hour drive* to Ucluelet. Rental cars are available at all airports listed below.
  • Comox 208 km (112 mi) 2.75 hours driving
  • Nanaimo 180 km (112 mi) 2.5 hours driving
  • Tofino 26 km (16 mi) 30 minutes driving
*driving times are approximate
Tips
  • For our Alberta guests, WestJet offers direct flights from Calgary and Edmonton to Comox, BC.
  • East Coast guests may want to fly into Vancouver International Airport before connecting to one of the airports listed above.
  • Commuter flights from Vancouver to Tofino (the closest airport to Ucluelet) are available through KD Air.

 

Coming from
the USA

Getting to Ucluelet by Air

You have a few options.

Fly to Vancouver Island – Flights to Vancouver Island are sometimes not much more expensive, and can save you driving time, compared with flights to the mainland (Vancouver). Regardless of your choice, you’ll enjoy a beautiful drive to Ucluelet*.

The shorest option is flying info either Comox or Nanaimo and renting a car from there. Flights into Nanaimo from the US are often not much more expensive than just flying into Vancouver and this will save you quite a bit of time.

The largest Vancouver Island airports are:
  • Victoria 288 km (179 mi) 4.5 hours
  • Comox 208 km (112 mi) 2.75 hours driving
  • Nanaimo 180 km (112 mi) 2.5 hours driving
*driving times are approximate


Tips

  • United Airlines offers direct flights from San Francisco to Victoria, BC.

Fly to Vancouver – Most of our US guests fly into Vancouver International Airport
From there you have three choices.

1. Rent a car and travel to Vancouver Island via BC Ferries
BC Ferries offers service from the mainland (Vancouver) to Vancouver Island at two points: the Horseshoe Bay Terminal in North Vancouver and the Tsawwassen Terminal, south of Vancouver. Ferry service from Horseshoe Bay arrives at Departure Bay Nanaimo, whereas service from Tsawwassen arrives in Swartz Bay near Victoria, or at Duke Point, south Nanaimo. Nanaimo is closest to Ucluelet.

You can find www.bcferries.com, 1-888-769-3766.

2. Arrange a connecting flight to Vancouver Island
*See the Vancouver Island airports listed above. All airports have car rentals available.

3. Take a commuter flight to Tofino
This is the closest you can fly to Ucluelet. Pacific Coastal offers flights directly from Vancouver to Tofino, and Ucluelet is a short drive away (aprox. 30 min.).

Driving to 
Ucluelet

From the #1 Hwy in Vancouver – take the Horseshoe Bay ferry out of North Vancouver. This will take you to Departure Bay, in Nanaimo.

Driving directions from Departure Bay, Nanaimo to Ucluelet:

  1. Take highway 19 and travel north for 43 km (26 miles)
  2. Take Exit 60 onto Highway 4 also known as the Pacific Rim Highway (travelling west) for 156 km (97 miles).
  3. At Port Alberni continue going straight down the hill, and turn right at the T-junction. From there, follow Pacific Rim Highway.
  4. At the T-junction for Ucluelet and Tofino, turn left to Ucluelet (approx. 7 minutes to town)
From the US you can travel through Port Angeles and take the ferry to Victoria, or you can drive across the USA/Canada border to Tsawwassen (South of Vancouver) and take the ferry to Duke Point (south of Nanaimo).
Driving directions from Duke Point, Nanaimo to Ucluelet:
  1. Take highway 19 and travel north for 43 km (26 miles)
  2. Take Exit 60 onto Highway 4 also known as the Pacific Rim Highway (travelling west) for 156 km (97 miles).
  3. At Port Alberni continue going straight down the hill, and turn right at the T-junction. From there, follow Pacific Rim Highway.
  4. At the T-junction for Ucluelet and Tofino, (approx. 7 minutes to Ucluelet and 25 mins to Tofino)
Here are some approx driving times to Tofino or Ucluelet including the ferry ride, border wait, and waiting for the ferries. During July and August the border wait can be around 30-45 minutes. If you drive through Port Angeles the border waits are much less.
  • from Vancouver 5.5 hours
  • from Seattle 7 hours
  • from Portland 9 hours

Directions to Boat Basin (Ucluelet, B.C.)

Head north from Nanaimo Ferries, Nanaimo Airport, Victoria Airport or south from Comox Airport. Once you get to Qualicum, exit and take Hwy 4 to Port Alberni. Go through Port Alberni and take a right at the T intersection.
After about an hour you will come to another T intersection. You can go right to Tofino or left to Ucluelet.