We don’t call ourselves the Best Western "Northgate Inn" for nothing! Being the only hotel located at the popular north end of Nanaimo, we are the gateway for all of your vacation adventures on Vancouver Island. Just look at what you can do when you head North of us!

There is so much waiting for you to discover when you head north on Highway 19 from the Northgate! Within 10 minutes, you will find yourself slowing down to enjoy the views along Nanoose Bay. The Petro-Can service station, which marks the turn-off to the community of Nanoose, is open 24-hours a day for your convenience. Follow the loop around the peninsula for a scenic tour, stopping at local artisans’ studios along the way. Enjoy rounds of golf at Vancouver Island’s finest courses. Visit Golf Getaway for a list of premier golf courses.

If you need transportation to and from the Nanaimo airport or the BC Ferries, contact the Airporter Shuttle service at 1-800-209-7792 for information on service and fares.

Only minutes further on Highway 19, you will come across the oceanside community of Parksville. Parksville is known for its miles of beautiful sandy beaches and is internationally acclaimed for having the best material for building sandcastles!

Take the second exit to Parksville, turn left, and go inland – along the old Alberni Highway (Hwy 4A) to Coombs Old Country Market – where the goats live on the grass covered rooftop! Summertime is when they really like to live it up with a fiddle jamboree, bluegrass festival and rodeo.

A little farther down the road, you will find Butterfly World, where you can enjoy indoor tropical gardens abundant with the fluttering creatures! Butterfly world is also home to many tropical birds and pond life. Enjoy their hummingbird patio and gift shop!

If you pass Parksville, you can take exit 60 and head West on the Alberni Highway (Hwy 4). You’ll come across Englishman River Falls – not more than 30 minutes from the Northgate Inn! You’ll see some of the most beautiful waterfalls on Vancouver Island. Stop at Cameron Lake and visit Little Qualicum Falls for a picnic on your way to Port Alberni.

If you have your sights set on hiking the West Coast Trail, you’ll find affordable transportation to and from the trail heads with the West Coast Trail Bus. If you just want to take a drive out to Bamfield, the Northernmost trail head, follow the signs once you’ve driven over the "Hump" near Mt. Arrowsmith towards Port Alberni. Please be aware that once you leave the Alberni district, the road to Bamfield is gravel, not paved.

Just past Cameron Lake is Cathedral Grove, where you can measure up to some of the largest trees in the world. These 800+ year old trees, set within Vancouver Island’s lush, green forests are the backdrop for many fishing holes and hiking trails.

Port Alberni is an hour’s drive from the Northgate. Maybe you would like to take a day trip to the MV Lady Rose and cruise the Alberni Valley and Barkley Sound by watercourse. The "Lady Rose" is a heritage vessel much like those from times over 60 years ago when the principle means of transportation along the B.C. coasts was by ship. Don’t forget your binoculars, as you will have plenty of opportunity to look for wildlife, and enjoy the scenery!

Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park is world renowned for its amazing surf! and is a 2½ hour drive from the Northgate Inn.

Ucluelet and Tofino are fast becoming a Vancouver Island mecca for tourism and whale watching. Enjoy a round of golf at a 10% discount when you book your tee-time through us at the 9-hole Long Beach Golf Course located at the end of the Pacific Rim National Park, near the Tofino airport.

Back at exit 60, just past Parksville, you could just as easily decide that you’ve driven far enough. Qualicum Beach is just 40 minutes from the Northgate Inn. Qualicum Beach is also the farthest north that you can ride on our Regional Transit System.

Not far from Qualicum, take exit #75 at the Provincial Park signs on highway 19 or 19A, towards Horne Lake. Venture into incredible natural caves with the help of a guided tour for the main cave.

With the recent addition of Vancouver Island’s new inland highway, it now takes only an hour to drive to Courtenay and the Comox Valley from the Northgate Inn. Winter or summer, Mount Washington offers downhill and cross-country skiing as well as mountain biking and hiking trails through pristine alpine meadows. Only another ½ hour from the turn-off near Courtenay!