Your Sunday-Tuesday in Nanaimo Sorted

Sleepy Sundays? Mundane Mondays? Terrible Tuesdays? As if.

There’s been a rumour going around that there’s nothing to do in Nanaimo from Sunday through Tuesday. And as locals ourselves, we’re here to say: respectfully, no.

The coffee is still brewing. Restaurants are still bumping. Galleries, shops and cultural spots are still very much doing their thing. Because this isn’t a resort town and we don’t just pack it in when the weekend’s over.

So, whether you’ve got all three days to fill or just need proof that Tuesday can actually be fun, we’ve got you.

Here’s your Sunday-to-Tuesday Nanaimo itinerary, sorted.

Day 1 - Sunday

Afternoon

Picture this: it’s a quiet Sunday afternoon. You step off the plane, helicopter or ferry, get hit with that fresh sea breeze, and officially clock into vacation mode.

Once you’re checked into your hotel (psst! If you haven’t booked yet, here’s some inspo), it’s time to head downtown.

Start on Commercial Street, the heart of Nanaimo’s Downtown, where restaurants, cafés, galleries, museums and locally owned shops line the street. And get this: a whole lot of them are open on Sundays.

Yes. Sundays.

Spend the afternoon wandering through local shops, hunting for vintage finds, browsing work from Island artists, flipping through records, refreshing your wardrobe or picking up something you absolutely did not need but will be taking home anyway.

Need proof? Here’s just some of what you’ll find open:

Not exactly giving “nothing to do on a Sunday,” is it?

Evening

Played out from all that wandering? We get it. Shopping is hard work.

Luckily, you’re not going hungry. Downtown Nanaimo has plenty of spots still serving up dinner on a Sunday night. Pick your craving:

• Lighthouse Bistro & Pub
• Top Notch Burgers
• Modern Cafe 
• Melange
• Pizza Pizza
• Firehouse Grill
• Diamond Indian Cuisine
• Gina's Mexican Cafe
• The Old City Station Pub
• Bastion Pizza Company
• Thai Cook
• Bamboo Garden Restaurant
• Bar Luna
• Nanda Chicken
• Penny's Palapa Restaurant (seasonal)
• Troller's Fish & Chips (seasonal)

Burgers? Indian? Mexican? Thai? Pizza? Fresh seafood by the harbour? Sunday dinner is very much still on the table.

And since you spent the afternoon entertaining yourself around downtown, why not let someone else take over for the evening?

Check out what’s happening at The Port Theatre, where the calendar stays busy with live music, comedy, theatre, dance and plenty more throughout the year. Grab a ticket, find your seat and let them handle the rest.

Or, if you’ve still got a little wandering left in you, pop into the Nanaimo Art Gallery to catch the latest exhibition or see what workshops and events are happening during your visit.

Sunday? Sorted.

Day 2 - Monday 

Monday has a bad reputation. We’re not really sure why.

Depending on when you’re visiting, today could involve spotting whales and wildlife, throwing yourself off a bridge (safely, we promise), or hopping on a short boat ride to an island just off Nanaimo’s shores.

Basically, pick your adventure:

WildPlay Nanaimo

Ready to get your heart rate up? Head south of downtown for bungy jumping, ziplines, aerial adventures and a few other activities designed for anyone who thinks a relaxing Monday sounds a little boring.

Saysutshun

Just a short passenger ferry ride from downtown Nanaimo, Saysutshun offers a completely different kind of Monday. Spend the day exploring forested trails, walking the shoreline and discovering Snuneymuxw culture and stories throughout the island.

Vancouver Island Whale Watch

Trade downtown for the Salish Sea and spend your Monday searching for whales and other marine wildlife with a crew that knows these waters. Not exactly your average start to the work week.

Visiting in the Off-Season?

Here in the winter when some of these experiences take a seasonal break? No worries. We planned for that.

Jump ahead to Tuesday’s agenda and spend the day exploring the Old City Quarter, where you’ll still find plenty of local shops, cafés and businesses ready to welcome you.

Day 3 - Tuesday

Morning

You’ve made it to Tuesday. Allegedly the most terrible of the T-days. Let’s see about that.

Start your morning in the Old City Quarter, where heritage buildings, colourful storefronts and plenty of locally owned businesses make wandering around without much of a plan pretty easy.

First order of business: coffee. Or breakfast. Or a cupcake before noon. We’re not judging.

Take your pick:

• A Wee Cupcakery
  • Cupcakes, sweet treats and a very valid argument for having dessert before lunch.
• Bocca Café 
  • A cozy OCQ stop for coffee, breakfast, lunch and something freshly baked for good measure.
• White Rabbit Coffee Co.
  • Specialty coffee, good food and the kind of spot where “just grabbing a coffee” can easily turn into staying awhile.
• Real Food Café 
  • Fresh, wholesome eats for when your body starts asking for something green after two days of vacation dining.
• Misty Pines Café
  • A cozy neighbourhood café for coffee, baked goods and easing your way into Tuesday.

Coffee acquired? Perfect. Now wander.

Unlike Sunday, we don't even need to give you a list of what's open. Pretty much everything is.

Pop into the shops. Browse the boutiques. Poke around somewhere that catches your eye. Stop for another coffee. Buy something you definitely weren't looking for. The Old City Quarter is compact enough to explore on foot and packed with enough independent businesses to keep you busy for the morning.

Well, you’ve done it.

Three whole days in Nanaimo during the supposedly dreaded Sunday-to-Tuesday stretch. Three days when “everything is closed.” Three days when there’s “nothing to do.”

And what did we learn?

The coffee was brewing. The restaurants were bumping. The shops were open. Shows were happening. Adventures were adventuring. And somehow, Tuesday wasn't so terrible after all.

Turns out Nanaimo doesn't wait for the weekend to have a good time.

So next time someone tells you there’s nothing happening here Sunday through Tuesday, you know what to do.

Send them this itinerary.