Booking choice: The coach and ferry transfer, from $66 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Victoria sits on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, across the Strait of Georgia. The main crossing is BC Ferries from Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, north of Victoria. The quick alternative is a seaplane between the two harbours.
Which is best depends on whether you are coming back the same day, how many of you there are and how much you want to spend.
The quick answer
The BC Ferries crossing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay takes 1 hour 35 minutes; add about 40 minutes to reach Tsawwassen and about 35 minutes from Swartz Bay into Victoria. In April 2026 the fare at the terminal was C$21 per adult and C$89 per car, each way. The simplest one-way option is a coach and ferry transfer from downtown to downtown (from $66). A seaplane takes about 35 minutes harbour to harbour.
What are the ways to get from Vancouver to Victoria?
Four: the BC Ferries crossing as a foot passenger, the ferry with your own car, a coach that rides the ferry for you, or a seaplane.
| Option | Time, city to city | Cost (one way) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coach and ferry transfer | About 4 hours | From $66 (USD, ferry included) | Staying the night, no car |
| Ferry as a foot passenger | 1 h 35 crossing, plus buses at both ends | C$21 adult (Apr 2026, at terminal) | Budget travelers with time |
| Ferry with a car | 1 h 35 crossing, plus about 75 min of driving | C$89 car + C$21 per adult (Apr 2026) | Groups of three or four, touring the island |
| Seaplane | About 35 minutes in the air | Check with the airline | Speed and the view |
| Day tour with coach and ferry | About 13 hours round trip | From $162 (USD, round trip + gardens) | Seeing Victoria and Butchart in one day |
Staying in Victoria? The transfer runs downtown to downtown with the ferry fare in the price.
Check dates for the coach and ferry transferHow long is the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria?
The crossing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay takes 1 hour 35 minutes, through the Gulf Islands.
Tsawwassen is in Delta, about 40 minutes' drive south of downtown Vancouver, and Swartz Bay is about 35 minutes' drive north of downtown Victoria. So door to door, allow three to four hours each way, including boarding. The ferries are large, with food counters, shops and outside decks.
How much is the ferry to Victoria?
In April 2026 the fare at the terminal was C$21.00 per adult and C$89.00 for a vehicle up to 20 feet, each way; Saver fares can be lower.
Vehicle fares are charged on top of each passenger's fare, and summer sailings are best booked well ahead if you are driving. Fares change during the year, so check BC Ferries before you travel. On every day tour here, the round-trip ferry is already included.
What is the coach and ferry transfer?
A one-way shared coach from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria that drives onto the ferry, with the ferry fare included, from $66 on Viator.
It takes about 4 hours and runs at several times a day, seven days a week. You stay on the coach to the terminal, walk the ferry during the crossing, and get dropped in the city on the other side. One reviewer found it longer than advertised because of stops to load and unload at both ends, but called it very good value.
Staying the night in Victoria? The transfer saves you the buses to and from both terminals.
Explore the coach and ferry transferCan you take a seaplane from Vancouver to Victoria?
Yes: Harbour Air flies from its Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre in Coal Harbour to Victoria's Inner Harbour in about 35 minutes.
It lands in the Inner Harbour, a short walk from the Parliament Buildings and the Empress, which is the big advantage over the ferry. We do not list a seaplane package here: book flights directly with the airline. Guests who flew note the Vancouver terminal is down by the water and hard to spot from the street, so allow time to find it.
Should you drive to Victoria?
Only if you want the car on the island for more than a day; for a day trip, the vehicle fare and the ferry timing make a tour or transfer easier.
A car costs C$89 each way (April 2026) plus each passenger's fare, and you are tied to the sailing you booked. The upside: you can stop at the Butchart Gardens on the way in from Swartz Bay, since they sit between the terminal and the city, and stay for the summer fireworks. For three or four people staying a few days, it can work out well.
Would rather leave the driving to someone else? The day tour includes the ferry both ways and the garden ticket.
Check dates for the Landsea tour by busCan you see whales from the Victoria ferry?
Sometimes: guests on several tours report eagles and, now and then, whales from the deck.
It is a bonus, not a promise. If wildlife is the main goal, a dedicated trip is far more reliable: the half-day whale watch from Vancouver heads into the Salish Sea for about five hours and is the best-reviewed Vancouver tour we found.
Want better odds of whales? The half-day catamaran from Vancouver spends its whole trip looking.
Explore the whale watch from VancouverWhat is the easiest way to see Victoria and Butchart in one day?
A day tour: coach, ferry and gardens in one booking, from $162 to $257 per adult in USD.
Doing the same day on public transport means two long bus rides at each end and tight ferry timing. The tours drive onto the ferry and keep to the schedule for you. See every tour compared or how the day trip works.
One booking for the whole day: coach, both ferries and the garden ticket.
Check dates for the Landsea tour by busFrequently asked questions
Is there a bridge from Vancouver to Victoria?
No. Victoria is on Vancouver Island, and the only ways across are by ferry or by air.
Which ferry goes from Vancouver to Victoria?
BC Ferries sails from Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, north of Victoria. The crossing takes 1 hour 35 minutes.
Can you walk on the ferry to Victoria?
Yes. Foot passengers paid C$21 per adult each way at the terminal in April 2026, but you need buses to and from both terminals, which sit outside the city centres.
How long is the seaplane from Vancouver to Victoria?
About 35 minutes, from Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver to Victoria's Inner Harbour.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Vancouver to Victoria Coach and Ferry Transfer
Staying the night: one-way coach with the ferry fare
Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour by Bus
- Round-trip BC Ferries crossing through the Gulf Islands
- Admission to the Butchart Gardens (about 1.5 hours there)
- About 3 hours of free time in downtown Victoria
