The Best 3 Day Sunshine Coast Itinerary: BC, Canada

British Columbia’s sunny coastline has been attracting locals for years with its relaxing way of life, uncrowded beaches and small quirky towns. 3 days on the Sunshine Coast is a perfect weekend getaway from Vancouver and even though it’s so close, you’ll feel like you’re on holiday.

On this 3 day Sunshine Coast itinerary, we will be focusing on the Lower Sunshine Coast in this itinerary as the island. You may need more days to visit all of the spots on both coasts.

The Sunshine Coast is a nature heaven waiting to be explored. If you’re living in Vancouver, you must visit! It’s only a 40-minute ferry from Vancouver to the coast and it’s so easy to explore this beautiful coastline with a car.

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Planning a 3 Day Sunshine Coast Itinerary

We’re all visitors to the traditional territories of the Tla’amin, Klahoose, shíshálh, and Skwxwú7mesh nations. You will see a few Totem Poles in the city of Sechelt (shíshálh). We should always be respectful.

Before we get into the 3-day itinerary, there are a few helpful tips and tricks to know before exploring the coastline.

Need to find accommodation? We use Booking.com to find the best rates.

Need a rental car? Check out Discover Cars to compare prices!

How to get to the Sunshine Coast, Canada

From Vancouver, make your way to Horseshoe Bay to catch a BC Ferry to Langdale. The journey takes around 40 minutes, with breathtaking views of the Howe Sound and the many islands nearby.

Double-check the times of the ferries before you go and make sure to get there early or pay to reserve one online.

You only pay for a one-way journey from Horseshoe Bay – Langdale. It’s free to come back to Vancouver!

How to get around the Sunshine Coast, Canada

The easiest way to get around the Sunshine Coast is by car, there are many stopovers and spots to visit that may not be accessible by bus. This itinerary is also guided for those who are bringing their vehicle to the coast.

If you want to spend 3 days on the Sunshine Coast, a car can help you reach amazing trails and lakes.

Public Transport, such as BC Transit buses are an option however you can only go as far as Halfmoon Bay. This location will make more sense once we talk about the Sunshine Coast trip itinerary.

It is worth noting that if you don’t have a vehicle, you can rent cars, scooters, and e-bikes to ride on the coastline.

Cycling is a very popular route on the Sunshine Coast although you need to be prepared with the right gear. You can read more about cycling on the Sunshine Coast here.

Where to stay on the Sunshine Coast, Canada

There are multiple different places to stay on the Sunshine Coast from guesthouses to campsites. We recommend booking your place to stay in advance.

Hotels, Resorts and Bed & Breakfasts on the Sunshine Coast

• The Spot at Porpoise Bay $$ – A great location close to Porpoise Bay Provincial Park – Find on Booking.com here!
• Madeira Park Oceanview Suites $$ – Located near Madeira Park, with a hot tub! Find on Booking.com here!
• Moon Dance Perch $$$ – Luxury accommodation, located near Madeira Park – Find on Booking.com here!

Campgrounds on the Sunshine Coast

For campsite reservations, you will have to visit the website and book in advance. Some campsites book up months in advance, especially through BC Parks. Reserve your spot, so you don’t miss out on your 3 day Sunshine Coast itinerary.

• Porpoise Bay Campground – Located in Sechelt – $ (10/10)
• Bayside Campground – Located in Sechelt – $
• Katherines Lake Campground – Located in Garden Bay – $

The Best 3 Day Sunshine Coast Itinerary

Here’s our tried and tested 3 day Sunshine Coast itinerary! There are so many amazing activities and trails that you’ll want to add more days to your trip! Let’s explore the Sunshine Coast!

Day 1 – Gibsons, Roberts Creek and Porpoise Bay 

After taking the ferry from Horseshoe Bay, you’ll arrive at Langdale. Aim to arrive in the morning so you make the most out of your 3 days on the Sunshine Coast from Vancouver.

Explore Gibsons

When you reach Langdale, follow the signs for Gibsons and find a parking spot.

If you want to kick start your day, head to Soames Hill Park to admire the incredible views of the Howe Sound and Bowen Island. This hike is a 1-hour loop and it’s on the way to the next destination.

Make your way to Gibsons Landing, the main area of Gibsons. You will be greeted with views of the ocean and harbour area! If you’re driving, find a space for your car, there is free parking everywhere here, but it can get busy.

From here you can browse around the many unique shops, and even grab some breakfast or lunch.

• Shopping and bakeries in Gibsons Landing – it’s a great place to look around and get a real vibe of this coastal community.
• Gibsons Public Market – a short walk away either by road or following the seafront.
• Gibsons Tapworks – a place to have a drink and admire the surroundings.

Gibsons is a popular area for kayaking, there are many rentals for both kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. You can explore the marina by water or simply walk around on foot.

Best Restaurants in Gibsons

• Drift Cafe & Bistro – With a very cute patio area they serve amazing brunch food, including vegan waffles.
• Smoke on the Water BBQ Shack – They smoke all of their products on-site and even do BBQ Jackfruit for the veggies out there!

Walk around Roberts Creek Pier

Moving onto the next very small town only 15 minutes down the road, you will find Roberts Creek. There is free parking but it’s very limited.

Unless you’re stopping for lunch, you won’t need very long here although it does have a beautiful pebbly beach if you want to relax.

Take a stroll down Roberts Creek Pier and admire the wide views of the calm ocean.

Best Restaurants in Roberts Creek

You can’t go to Roberts Creek without passing by Gumboot on your Sunshine Coast trip. There is Gumboot Cafe and Gumboot Restaurant, the main food choices in town!

• Gumboot Cafe – Delicious bakery items (vegan options!) and small lunch choices such as soup!
• Gumboot Restaurant – An amazing restaurant with a full menu, you will definitely find great food here.

If you fancy seeing a waterfall nearby, Roberts Creek has a few hiking trails. Roberts Creek Falls takes around 45 minutes there and back. – Make sure to follow All Trails as the markings aren’t the best to follow!

Porpoise Bay 

Now at this point, you may want to start heading towards your accommodation. We listed a few great places to stay above, but if you’re interested in a campsite, Porpoise Bay is an amazing choice!

Just next to Sechelt is Porpoise Bay Provincial Park, a beautiful inlet with forest, ocean and mountain views. There is a great day-use area on the beach and also a campground.

You will pass Burnett Falls Park on the way if you are interested in a few short trails.

Porpoise Bay Campground

We highly recommend this Porpoise Bay Campground, we stayed here for 2 nights in our mini-van and the atmosphere is amazing! This is the first campsite we’ve stayed at in Canada that has a beach! There are even hot showers on site to freshen up.

We recommend booking in advance on the BC Parks website. If you’re not camping, make your way to your accommodation and find a local restaurant for dinner. Get ready for the next day of your 3 day Sunshine Coast itinerary.

Alternatively, stay in The Spot at Porpoise Bay if you’re not camping during your 3 days on the Sunshine Coast.

Day 2 – Skookumchuck Narrows & Pender Hill

On the second day of your itinerary, we’ll show you some beautiful places to see further up the Sunshine Coast.

Your plan for the day consists of a lot of walking, so be ready and bring snacks and water!

See the Skookumchuck Narrows 

Head straight up to Egmont to start your first activity of the day. This will be the furthest point you drive and then you’ll work backwards towards your accommodation.

Park in Egmont and make your way to the Skookumchuck Narrows Trailhead to start the walk to the incredible whirlpools.

The Skookumchuck Narrows are whirlpools that make the ocean swirl. Twice a day as the tide changes, the ocean starts to dance! As the tide comes in, the difference in water levels creates huge waves and becomes a thrill-seekers paradise. Extreme kayaking is popular here!

One important thing to note about visiting the Skookumchuck Narrows is that there are perfect times to view the water. Check the tide times before arriving and you can choose whether you want to see big waves or whirlpools.

It’s around 1 hour to reach the viewing points and then 1 hour back, so definitely factor in around 2.5 hours of your day for this nature attraction! If you’d rather see big waves, check out the “Flood Tide”, which is best viewed from the Roland Point viewing area.

The whirlpool activity is found during the “Ebb Tide” and is best viewed at the North Point. It’s such a unique place to find during your 3 days on the Sunshine Coast.

Best Restaurants in Skookumchuck

Skookumchuck Bakery & Cafe is a great spot if you’re feeling hungry. It’s on the trail to the Skookumchuck Narrows. We even noticed a few people bring some of the cafe’s sandwiches as lunch when reaching the viewing area.

Admire Ruby Lake

When driving to Egmont, you will have passed by Ruby Lake, it’s now your opportunity to take a dip in the amazing water!

Ruby Lake is the place to be at sunset. The lake will glow with sunset colours of orange and red, it’s also an amazing place to kayak.

Dan Bosch Park

A small and very cute sandy beach on the side of Ruby Lake! There is limited parking and the locals definitely know it’s the place to go.

Hike Pender Hill

Pender Hill was one of our favourite things to do during our 3 day Sunshine Coast itinerary.

It is an easy-moderate hike and only 1 hour in total. After 30 minutes up a steep trail, you will be so glad you made your way to the top!

There are breathtaking views of Pender Harbour, Hotel Lake and Mount Daniel! Make sure to type this one in on Google Maps as it’s not that easy to find.

Mount Daniel is also an option if you want a larger hike. It’s more of a moderate hike taking 2.5 hours in total to complete. It’s another steep one, but climbing higher than Pender Hill you will be greeted with more amazing views.

We recommend you choose one of these hikes depending on what you like! Pender Hill is lovely, and shorter than the Mount Daniel hike, so it could be a great option for your 3 days on the Sunshine Coast.

Visit Madeira Park

At Madeira Park, you’ll find Pender Harbour. The harbour offers boat trips to the smaller islands off the coast. We stumbled across Oak Tree Market Convenience Store if you need any supplies!

You have completed your second day and you’re probably super tired now. It’s time to head back to your accommodation and grab dinner in the area you’re staying.

Day 3 – Smuggler Cove & Davis Bay

The last day of your 3 days on the Sunshine Coast will be a little more relaxing. As this is only a South Coast itinerary, if you have more days you can head north.

Begin your day with a good breakfast! Once you’ve packed your bags, it’s time to head to the first activity of the day.

Explore Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park

Start your morning on a beautiful walk in Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park. It’s a non-strenuous trail through trees, beaches and nature. There are some lovely viewpoints along the way and it only takes 1.5 hours.

During the walk, you’ll notice many information boards explaining the nature that lives in the area and the cove’s history.

Browse around Sechelt

Sechelt is a lovely village and possibly the biggest one you’ll come across on the south side of the Sunshine Coast. There are many shops to look at, including thrift and outdoor shops.

There’s quite a few cafes and restaurants around the area, with some offering a view of the ocean. This will be the perfect time to have lunch and fuel up for the rest of the day.

Best Restaurants in Sechelt

• Basted Baker – A lovely cafe and very popular! Their pastry dishes looked amazing!
• PKLS Burger – Serving a variety of burgers, shakes and of course fries.
• eb.s. Ice Cream Shop – If you’re looking for ice cream, this is your shop!

Relax at Davis Bay

You would have driven past Davis Bay on the first day, now it’s time to park up and take a dip in the ocean. Honestly, just looking at the beach from the seafront is beautiful.

We spent a few hours just relaxing by the bay on our second day and came back again on our third day! If you manage to see the sunset – you’ll be in for a treat!

It was another one of our favourite spots during our 3 day Sunshine Coast itinerary.

Leaving the Sunshine Coast

After a great 3 days on the Sunshine Coast, make your way back to Langdale to hop on the next ferry. It’s free of charge to get the ferry back to Horseshoe Bay, however, there is a small charge to reserve a ticket online.

Make sure to check the ferry times before getting to the terminal as it can get very busy at peak times!

Our Travel Costs

All of these prices are in Canadian Dollars CAD$. Prices change all the time, especially with costs inflating now. Here’s our costs for 3 days on the Sunshine Coast:

• BC Ferry – $73 for two people and a car (which we also use to camp/sleep in)
• 2 nights camping at Porpoise Bay Campground – $70 (totally worth it! Check iOverlander if you want to find some free camping spots)
• Gumboot Cafe bakery snack x 2 – $8 – A vegan nanaimo bar and vegan salted caramel shortbread bar.
• HooRaw Vegan Cafe (Sadly closed now) – $24 for a wrap and falafel bowl
• Other costs are fuel and food which we bought from a grocery store in Vancouver and prepared back at home.

How many days on the Sunshine Coast, Canada

We highly recommend spending 3 days on the Sunshine Coast, but this trip can be done in 2 days. The top things to see are Gibsons, Skookumchuck Narrows, Pender Hill and Smuggler Cove.

Luckily the ferry times from Vancouver make it easy to visit the Sunshine Coast quickly.

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Thanks for reading The Best 3 Day Sunshine Coast Itinerary: BC, Canada. Have the best trip to the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia! Find us on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers).

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