whistler to tofino
 

I am planning an 8 day trip second week of October. I was planning 2 nights in Whistler, driving to Tofino and 2 nights in Tofino, then to Victoria and Vancouver for the balance.

How long will it take to get to Tofino from Whistler? Should I plan an intermediate stop, rather than one day?

You could almost add a third night in Tofino.

The drive from Whistler to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal will likely take just under 2 hours. You have to be at the ferry terminal about 45 minutes before the sailing. From the ferry, it takes just under two hours to get to Nanaimo. After docking, it takes abou 3 hours to drive across Vancouver Island to Tofino.

As long as you leave early Whistler morning, I don't see any reason to split this up. However, I would add on a third night to Tofino, because with only 2 nights, you'll have spent most of your first day in the car travelling, and not seeing Tofino.