Family Travel to Nanaimo Canada with Kids

Nanaimo BC, Canada is a wonderful city and ferry port.  During our month stay in Canada we made our home base about 30 minutes south of the city and made frequent day trips.  Nanaimo is more of a daily, working town but I also feel it has some wonderful reasons to stay a few days.

How to get to Nanaimo

Nanaimo can be reached by a ferry from Vancouver or driving up from Victoria.  Victoria can be reached by ferry or plane.  I recommend the direct ferry.  A seaplane may be another great option.  There are 2 main ferry terminals.

Where to Stay in Nanaimo

There are several hotels and resorts near Nanaimo.  We stayed in a more rural area 30 minutes south at Inn of the Sea but I have also had shorter trips and stayed in a hotel near the ferry harbor.  An AirBnB or VRBO is another good option.  There are several located on nearby islands such as Gabriola Island that would be a wonderful experience.

How to get around Nanaimo

A car is the best way to get around this part of Vancouver Island.  We found the rental process to be low stress.  You can rent a car on the island or from your landing point on the mainland and take the car on the ferry.

What to Eat in Nanaimo

There are generally many local restaurants on Victoria Island.  We generally packed a lunch when we visited so we had more time to explore but we loved the experience of Dinghy Dock Pub and really enjoyed a floating Mexican restaurant in the harbor.

Quick Tip:  Look for Nanaimo Bars.  These tasty local treats have a cult following and there is even a Nanaimo Bar Trail. 

Things to Do with Kids in Nanaimo

Nanaimo has a lot of options and variety for activities for families and kids.

Explore the Harbor Front

I just loved walking along the harbor and watching the planes.  There are several restaurants in the area and it’s such a relaxing experience.  You can watch the seaplanes and the smaller ferries that bring people to and from the islands.

Explore the Parks

There are so many parks and lovely hikes in and around town.  Just pick the closest to start, every one that we explored was wonderful.  Pack a picnic or take a break at a nearby restaurant.

Newcastle Island

This island can be reached from a ferry at the main harbor and makes a wonderful 1/2 day trip.  The hike has a waterfront that is easy to stroll, as well as temperate rainforest interior that was perfect for an impromptu science lesson.

After getting back our youngest grabbed a map, was “reading it” and immediately walked off the edge of the pier – I do not recommend that.  We acted fast and got her out of the water and the ferry guides were incredibly helpful but I think all of our hearts stopped.

Stop at a Playground

We loved spending time at the playground near the waterfront.  It had plenty of equiptment for our kids to climb and was a good place to just hang out.

We also love indoor playgrounds and made a took a couple hour break at Jumping Jiminy’s which the kids (and us) really enjoyed.

Wildplay – Adventure Park

Wildplay is an outdoor adventure park that has some high adrenaline activities.  It also has a really good ropes course that was perfect for my little ones.  We loved it so much we went twice.

Watch a Local Game

During our first trip to Nanaimo we were lucky enough to happen across a local indoor field hocky game.  It was such a fun game and one of my favorite travel experienced.  The locals were so in to the game and it was a blast to participate and watch.

Other must do Activities in Nanaimo for Families

• Visit the Nanaimo Museum or Vancouver Island Military Museum
• Airhouse – Freestyle training center with trampolines and course
• Morrell Nature Sancturary
• Romper Room – Climbing Gym
• Nanaimo Aquatic Center
• Splitsville – Bowling
• Breakout – Escape Room
• Petroglyph Provential Park
• Morning Star Bison Ranch
• Harewood Water Park
• Cedar Skate Park
• Westwood Lake
• Benson Regional Park and Ammonite Falls

Our Blog Post from the Trip:

Naniamo is such a great city to spend a lazy afternoon in. This trip we took a ferry to New Castle Island for an afternoon hike on a not so lazy Saturday. We really enjoy the waterfront and the playground. Watching the seaplanes land and take off in the harbor can be very entertaining. There are also a lot of beautiful boats to admire. I think we have just touched the surface of what Naniamo has to offer but so far I like what I’ve seen.

Victoria, Island Family Travel Posts

We’re a family of 5 (Physician Assistant mom, IT project manager dad and 3 kids ages 3,6,10) taking a gap year from normal life to travel.  For blog posts, locations, and more information on how we did it and how you can to click here.