How to Get to Victoria, BC: 7 Different Ways (2024)

With knock-your-socks-off seaside scenery, gorgeous gardens and oodles of charming hotels and B&Bs, Victoria – the capital of British Columbia – is well worth adding to any trip to Canada’s west coast. 

We’re Victoria locals.

And we could wax lyrical for hours about why it’s one of the prettiest places in Canada and how much we love living here!

But before you start looking into the city’s parks, beaches, museums, scenic walks and all the other great things you can do in Victoria, you need to know: How do you get to Victoria, BC?

After all, Victoria is located on an island, the southern tip of Vancouver Island to be precise. (Note that the city of Vancouver is not on Vancouver Island but on the lower mainland of B.C.)

As you’ll discover, getting here is part of the fun!

How to get to Victoria, BC

There are at least seven different ways to get to Victoria – depending on your budget and whether you’re interested in just a day trip or you’re coming for a longer visit.

Most visitors come to Victoria via Vancouver or Seattle. We’re fairly close to both cities.

Both Vancouver and Seattle have large international airports, so you can fly into either airport and then transfer to a plane or ferry to Victoria.

1) Ferry from Vancouver to Victoria

Let’s start with the first option: How do you get from Vancouver to Victoria?

The most popular way is to take a ferry with BC ferries from Vancouver (Tsawwassen ferry terminal) to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. Swartz Bay is located 20 miles (32 km) north of Victoria.

In the meantime, here’s a summary of some key points.

The Vancouver ferry to Victoria

BC Ferries offers frequent daily service throughout the year. (In fact, the ferries are considered part of BC’s highway system.)

Still, taking the ferry often ends up being quicker than flying commercially when you factor in checking in for your flight and travel time to and from the airport.

What’s the ferry like?

The ferry has plenty of space to stretch your legs and relax.

It has lots of comfy seats, a restaurant, café, gift shop, play area for children and outdoor spaces where you can watch the passing island scenery.

In the summer, there’s usually even a coastal naturalist who gives 20-minute talks about local marine life.

Driving your car on the ferry

Taking the ferry has the added bonus of being able to bring your car – ideal if you’re visiting Victoria as part of a longer road trip up Vancouver Island (or a western Canada road trip). 

There’s a supplementary cost for additional passengers (including children).

We always reserve our ferry tickets in advance online; there’s a modest reservation fee for this. 

See BC Ferries’ “fare calculator” for pricing for your proposed dates and times.

Going as a foot passenger (no car)

Getting from Vancouver Airport to ferry by bus

The BC Ferries Connector also offers coach-and-ferry transfers from the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to downtown Victoria.

Alternatively, you can take public transit from the Vancouver Airport to the ferry – the Canada Line then the TransLink 620 Bus.

Two ferry routes from Vancouver

Most people who use the ferries to Victoria from Vancouver opt for the Tsawwassen ferry terminal to Swartz Bay terminal route.

But if you’re coming from North Vancouver or West Vancouver, you can take a ferry from the BC Ferries terminal at Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo (on Vancouver Island), and then drive south from there to Victoria. 

2) Seattle to Victoria ferry (no car)

There’s also a Seattle to Canada ferry.

So if you’re wondering how to get to Victoria from Seattle in Washington, U.S., check out the Victoria Clipper service.

This high-speed catamaran (Victoria Clipper V) takes around 3 hours. It connects the downtown areas of both cities, making it an effortless way of traveling between Seattle and Victoria. 

The Victoria Clipper V fast ferry offers just passenger service (it doesn’t take cars). 

Seats are comfortable, and there’s an onboard café (selling handmade sandwiches and the like) plus a gift shop. Alcoholic and other beverages are also sold onboard.

Basic return economy class (non-refundable) fares start at about $124 USD p.p. in winter and go up to $169 p.p. in summer (if you book in advance).

As you’ll be crossing an international border, don’t forget to carry a valid passport or other acceptable documentation for the U.S./ Canada border.

You’ll go through customs and passport control, but generally the lines are much quicker than at the airport or land border. 

For a weekend getaway, this passenger ferry is the least expensive and best way to get from Seattle to Victoria.

3) Car ferry from Seattle to Victoria, BC

There isn’t a direct Seattle to Victoria car ferry. But the Black Ball Ferry Line operates the MV Coho car ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria year-round.

This is a good option if you have a vehicle.

Or you could take a ferry from Seattle across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island or Bremerton (or from Edmonds to Kingston) and drive from there to Port Angeles. 

Once you get to Port Angeles, the 90-minute ferry to Victoria from Port Angeles is the shortest sea connection from Washington state to British Columbia.

You sail through the beautiful Strait of Juan de Fuca, taking in craggy Pacific coastline views on both the U.S. and Canadian sides. 

This is the best way to get to Victoria, BC, from Seattle or the U.S. if you’re exploring Olympic National Park.

The park, by the way, is one of the most magical places to visit in the Pacific Northwest. It’s known for its dramatic beaches, Crescent Lake and Sol Duc River.

So using this option, drive up through the park to Port Angeles for your next stop – beautiful Vancouver Island! 

4) Flying to Victoria from Vancouver

You can fly to Victoria from Vancouver by seaplane. The incredibly scenic flight to Victoria takes just 35 minutes.

The beauty of this seaplane transfer is that you fly direct from downtown Vancouver (Coal Harbour) and glide right into the Victoria Inner Harbour (downtown Victoria).

Harbour Air, which operates the planes, has the largest all-seaplane fleet in North America.

It’s a much quicker transfer from Vancouver to Victoria than a regular flight or the ferry.

Taking the float plane is a great option if you’re visiting the Vancouver area first, then want to visit Victoria for two or three nights afterward without renting a car.

Commercial flights

This is probably the easiest option if you’re flying into Vancouver (with a connecting flight to Victoria), as you’ll already be at the airport. And if you’ve booked your flight to Victoria on the same ticket, you’ll already be checked in.

Just confirm if you need to re-check your bags and ensure that you’re at the right terminal for your flight.

5) Flying to Victoria from Seattle

Now, if you’re wondering how to get from Seattle to Victoria without taking the ferry, there are a few daily direct flights from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Victoria.

Alaska Airlines and Delta are two options. You should find a flight that’ll suit your schedule. 

Mind you, we have to warn you that the flights between Seattle and Victoria are often delayed. (Every time we’ve flown from Victoria to Seattle, our flight has been delayed, so we’ve given up flying internationally from Victoria via Seattle.)

Still, this is probably the best way of getting to Victoria if you’re already flying into the Seattle Airport.

The planes to Victoria are small, and the flight time is about 50 to 55 minutes.

When booking, ensure that your flight is direct and doesn’t stop in Vancouver enroute, as this can add a considerable amount of travel time. 

If you want to fly from downtown Seattle, consider taking a Kenmore Air floatplane.

This 45-minute flight leaves from Seattle city center, offering panoramic vistas on the way, before splashing down in Victoria, right in the harbor. 

To mix it up, you could choose a floatplane ride one way and the Victoria Clipper ferry the other.

7) Day trip to Victoria from Seattle

It’s possible to take a day trip from Seattle to Victoria too – perfect if you’re visiting or living in this U.S. city.

Now you know how to get to Victoria, Canada!

Although our city is located on an island, it’s not too difficult to travel to Victoria, BC, once you know the best ways.

Maybe you fancy a ferry to Victoria from Seattle or Vancouver? (You might spot whales and other wildlife on the way!) Or perhaps you’d prefer to take to the skies on a seaplane?

However you decide to come here, Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbor, old world architecture, museums, parks, fun pubs and great restaurants make it well worth visiting, even if only for a day.

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Photo credits: 4 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase

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