Last updated: July 31, 2024

Nanaimo, also called “The Harbour City”, is on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. It’s the second largest city on the island and is right next to the Strait of Georgia inside the Salish Sea.

While less popular with tourists than other places on Vancouver Island, you shouldn’t miss Nanaimo. It’s known for its stunning areas of unspoiled nature, artistic vibe, and its growing culinary scene!

I visited Nanaimo for two days in July 2021 and I’m psyched to share the Best Nanaimo Travel Guide with you!

Disclosure: I only recommend products that I’ve used in the past, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of the links throughout the page to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

The Best Things to See and Do in Nanaimo

The Urban Art Gallery

Address: 458 Wallace St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5B5, Canada

Downtown Nanaimo alone has many cool things to see and do, so I recommend you start your tour here. The attraction that striked me most is the amazing Urban Art Gallery at the previously decadent A&B Sound Building.

These murals were launched by Humanity in Art, a local artist initiative, and five local artists in 2018. This organization also hosted the Hub City Walls Mural Festival in 2020, when even more local artists could add their artwork around downtown.

I loved the variety of colours, painting styles, and themes, which I think makes both Nanaimoites and visitors smile, no matter if it’s a rainy or sunny day. You can also walk on rainbow-coloured crosswalks on Bastion & Commercial Street (painted in 2016 by the LGBTQ2+ community)!

Browse around Cool Shops & Boutiques in Downtown Nanaimo

If you’re on a hunt for hidden gems, Nanaimo’s downtown area has awesome stores to offer.

For example, Sound Heritage (33 Victoria Crescent, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5B9) has Nanaimo’s largest selection of used and new CD’s, vinyl, tapes, video games, electronics (like stereos, speakers, and record players), and more!

Another cool store is Literacy Central Vancouver Island (Well Read Books) (19 Commercial St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5G3), which sells all kinds of books that were donated by the local community.

Flying Fish (180 Commercial St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5G6) has many stylish kitchen and cooking accessories, jewelry, body products, furniture, and other home décor.

Next, I bought a cute kitty-themed notebook created by UK artist Hannah Dale at Nanaimo Museum’s Gift Shop (100 Museum Way, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5J8). They also have books about local history, jewelry, crafts, and First Nations merchandise and art.

Downtown Nanaimo has trendy clothing boutiques as well, such as Lucid, Guava Apparel, and Cayo Fashions (all on Commercial St). I loved the drawings of celebrities (including Kurt Cobain!) next to one of the shop’s windows!

You can also find boutiques and specialty shops within the Old City Quarter (Fitzwilliam St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 3A9), only a few minutes of a walk from the downtown core.

The Historic Bastion

Address: 98 Front St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5H7, Canada

Next, stop at the two cannons outside of Nanaimo’s historic Bastion. It’s a three-floor blockhouse built from 1853 to 1854 by the Hudson Bay Company to defend its coal mining operations.

It’s the oldest building in Nanaimo. During the Summer 2024 season, the Bastion is open from June 29 to September 2 on weekends and stat holidays only. Group tours can be booked as well.

Historic photo of the Bastion (photo credit: Nanaimo Museum D1-25) and the two cannons.

The Harbourfront Walkway

Afterwards, go for a stroll on Harbourfront Walkway, a shared and fully accessible 4.5 km (2.7 miles) long path which snakes along downtown waterfront and Newcastle Channel. Breathing in the salty ocean air and watching the boats and seaplanes in the harbour marina made me feel calm and relaxed right away!

One of the best locations to take photos of the Salish Sea is the Swy-A-Lana Lagoon Walking/Fishing Pier, which is also popular for fishing crabs.

Maffeo Sutton Park

Address: 100 Comox Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9R 3H7, Canada

If you keep walking, you’ll get to Maffeo Sutton Park that overlooks Nanaimo Harbour. It’s a great place for picnics and community events and has a swimming area, playground, walking trails, as well as the Nanaimo city sign!

Harbourfront Walkway continues almost all the way to the BC Ferries Departure Bay Terminal.

Swimming area by Maffeo Sutton Park and more cool street art!

Bowen Park

Address: 500 Bowen Road, Nanaimo, BC V9R 1Z7, Canada

If you want to keep exploring, Bowen Park, one of Nanaimo’s 200+ parks, should be on your list. It’s a 36-hectare natural area, and is only 10 minutes from downtown by local bus. Its many interpretive trails are all close to Millstone River inside the park.

Be sure to check out the scenic waterfall and duck ponds, and just enjoy the earthy scent. All of these will surely make you forget that you’re in a city!

Bowen Park has plenty of amenities as well, such as an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, disc golf course, picnic shelters, and amphitheatre. Dogs are welcome, too, but have to be on a leash at all times.

Other Things to See and Do In and Around Nanaimo

Unfortunately, it was impossible to see everything Nanaimo has to offer in just two days.

So here are a few more things that sound pretty awesome:

Gabriola Island. This Gulf island inside the Strait of Georgia has a year-round population of 4,200 people. It’s just a short ferry ride from the Nanaimo Harbour ferry terminal in downtown or accessible by float plane from Vancouver International Airport.

Gabriola Island is also called “The Isle of the Arts” because many artists live here, and it has more than 70 artist studios open to visitors.

Moreover, you can learn how to make cheese, check out a festival, taking it easy at one of the beaches, or have a bite at a restaurant. Gabriola Island is an outdoor person’s paradise, with more than 170 kilometers (105 miles) of hiking trails, kayak and bike rentals, swimming areas, salmon fishing spots, and more!

Gabriola Island. Photo by Olga Iacovlenco on Unsplash.

Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park. Also known as Saysutshun, this island, same as the rest of the Nanaimo region, is traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nations. They lived on Saysutshun throughout the late winter and early spring every year to catch as many herring as possible.

After someone of the community died, people close to them came here to spiritually cleanse their body and soul from the suffering, and letting go of their tears.

Nowadays, attractions include interpretive tours of the island, visiting Snuneymuxw village sites, hiking on trails, eating at Q’uluc’tun Bistro, and admiring the view of the Coastal Mountains.

Newcastle Island is only accessible by passenger ferry from Maffeo Sutton Park from May to mid-October (about 10 minutes, 7 days a week). Afterwards, the ferry will run on a low season schedule, and you can also get there by private boat, stand-up paddleboard, or kayak.

Whale Watching with Vancouver Island Whale Watch. Nanaimo’s only whale watching company is along the downtown seawall (#5, 90 Front St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5H7). They offer three to four-hour whale watching tours inside the Salish Sea.

It’s either on an open vessel or a semi-covered boat, and private tours. There’s a 90% chance to see wildlife on their tours, like Transient (Bigg’s) orca, humpback whales, sea lions, harbour seals, porpoises, and eagles.

Their goal is “to offer BC’s most sustainable whale watching”, as per their website, so their tours don’t focus on the endangered Southern Resident orca whales. C$ 2.00 from every ticket purchase is donated to whale conservation initiatives in BC and they work with the Keta Coastal Conservation organization.

Mighty Orca whales. Photo by Bart on Unsplash.

If you’re looking for more info about Nanaimo, Tourism Nanaimo (2450 Northfield Road, Nanaimo, BC V9S 0B2) is the best place to stop. The Visitor Centre is open year-round.

Where to Eat & Drink in Nanaimo

Like other bigger cities in Canada, Nanaimo offers a large selection of cuisines from around the world.

Here are a few restaurants I recommend you check out in Nanaimo:

New York Style Pizza & Pasta (Downtown) (299 Wallace St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5B4). It’s one of Nanaimo’s oldest restaurants. In 2009, their pizza was proclaimed the best in the city! Their menu features many pizza and pasta dishes, but also salads, like the Manhattan Salad.

I grab their Mushroom Fettuccine for takeout. The sauce is super creamy and the meal size is perfect! Their pizza can be veganized by ordering dairy-free cheese for a small surcharge, and gluten-free pizza crusts are available as well.

If you feel like lunch (or satisfying your sweet tooth), take the bus to Columbia Bakery (2151 Bowen Road, Nanaimo, BC V9S 1H8). They offer many European pastries (e.g. apple strudels and “Bienenstichkuchen” (bee sting cake)), but also savory sandwiches, breads, soups, and pretzels.

I’m having their German cheesecake while sitting in the cute café area. The rich filling is to die for, very similar to my German grandmother’s cheesecake! Moreover, you can find a small selection of imported groceries, like pancake mix, candy, and prepared cooking sauces.

I also had dinner at the Coach & Horses British Pub, which unfortunately, closed its doors for good in January 2022. 🙁

Some of the walls were decorated with beer coasters from around the world and the menu included burgers, savory pies, wings, fish & chips, and many vegan options. They also offered imported and local beers.

The Nanaimo Bar Trail. While visiting Nanaimo, you shouldn’t miss the famous Nanaimo Bar, the city’s major invention! The Visitor Centre staff is happy to give you the Nanaimo Bar Trail Brochure, to learn where you can enjoy this tasty dessert.

There are 39 places all over and close to Nanaimo selling the classic Nanaimo Bar and many variations, such as raw, vegan, gluten-free, deep-fried, fudge, ice-cream, and even spring rolls!

I had my Nanaimo Bar fix at Waffle Magic (101-427 Fitzwilliam St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 3A9), which has a Nanaimo Bar waffle. It’s a perfect combination of hot and cold ingredients! They also have many other kinds of sweet and a few savory waffles, either Brussels (light and crispy) or Liege style (soft and sweet).

Brussels style waffles can be made gluten-free for a small surcharge.

Where to Stay in Nanaimo

I stayed at the HI Nanaimo – Painted Turtle Guesthouse (121 Bastion St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 3A2), a cozy, clean and affordable hostel in a heritage building in downtown. It’s only a few steps to most tourist attractions and is open year-round.

I booked a private queen bedroom this time, which was quite bright and spacious. Besides, although right next to the road, it was very quiet at night. There are also 4-bed dorms (mixed, male, and female) and family rooms, and shared bathrooms are found on each floor.

The hostel has a kitchen, small library, lounge area, laundry facilities, and WI-FI, towels, and linens are included. Of course, the friendly staff is also happy to share insider tips on what to see and do in Nanaimo and its surrounding areas.

How to Get To and Around Nanaimo

Nanaimo has a good local bus system (BC Transit) and buses go pretty much everywhere. But the city is quite spread-out, so it can take some time until you arrive at your destination. Fares start at C$ 2.50 for a one-way ticket.

It’s easy to get to Nanaimo Airport from Kelowna, Vancouver, Fort St. John, and Calgary. Several seaplane airlines (e.g. Harbour Air) and HeliJet Helicopters fly from Vancouver Harbour and Richmond (YVR Airport South) to Nanaimo as well.

Moreover, Nanaimo has two ferry terminals (Departure Bay and Duke Point), and ferries go to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen) many times a day. Ferry service is provided by BC Ferries. Of course, Nanaimo is easily accessible by car, too, via Highways 1, 19, and 19A.

Since August 2023, there’s a new ferry service from/to Nanaimo’s Port Authority (100 Port Way, Nanaimo BC V9R 0C7) to the Harbour Flight Centre in Downtown Vancouver called Hullo.

Buses go to/from Nanaimo every day, such as the Vancouver Island Connector, Tofino Bus, and IslandLink Bus, from many locations (including Victoria, Tofino, and Campbell River). Ticket prices are reasonable and the buses are safe and clean.

In general, Nanaimo is very walkable. It’s also one of Vancouver Island’s most popular mountain biking locations, so there are more than 50 km (31 miles) of trails for all skill levels to ride on and enjoy the scenery! There are also many bike shops in Nanaimo.

While visiting Nanaimo is most popular in the summer, its temperate climate also invites travelers to check it out during the rest of the year, when it’s less busy. With all the great things to see and do and delicious restaurants and cafés, I think it never gets boring here!

So hopefully this post will inspire you to visit Nanaimo someday!

Feel free to check out my posts about other cool places in BC as well:

How to Spend a Weekend in Kelowna, BC

Summer in Blue River, BC

Our Visits to Golden, BC