How to Get from Vancouver to Victoria: Ferry, Floatplane, or Private Tour
Victoria isn't a suburb of Vancouver, it's a separate city on Vancouver Island, and getting there means crossing water, either by ferry or by air. If you're planning a day trip built around Butchart Gardens or the city's Inner Harbour, the way you cross that water decides how much of your day is left once you arrive.
The 3 Ways to Get There, Compared
| Option | Approx. travel time | Approx. cost | The real trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-drive + BC Ferries | About 1.5 hours on the water (Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay), plus driving on both ends | Vehicle and driver roughly $60 to $80 CAD each way, plus about $19 to $22 CAD per extra adult passenger | Full control over timing, but you're at the mercy of ferry sailing times and possible sailing waits in peak season |
| Floatplane (Harbour Air) | About 35 minutes, downtown to downtown | Fares start around $49 CAD one way on the lowest promotional fares, commonly $100 to $150 CAD or more depending on demand | The fastest option by far, but seats are limited and price swings a lot with how far ahead you book |
| Private day tour (Snow Peak) | 14 hours total, round trip from Vancouver | $280 CAD per person, for a group of 7 to 11 | Someone else handles the ferry booking and every leg of driving, so your hours in Victoria go toward seeing it, not managing logistics |
The ferry and floatplane numbers above are current public fares from BC Ferries and Harbour Air, not a quote from Snow Peak, and both change with season and demand. The Snow Peak figure is the real, current rate for the private Victoria day tour.
The Ferry: Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay
The main route between Vancouver and Vancouver Island is BC Ferries, sailing from Tsawwassen, about 40 minutes south of downtown Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, roughly 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria by road. The crossing itself takes about 1.5 hours, with sailings running several times a day, spaced roughly every 1 to 2 hours depending on the season, so it's worth checking the current schedule at bcferries.com rather than assuming a fixed departure time.
Is Victoria a Day Trip From Vancouver?
Yes, but it's a full day, not a half day. Between the ferry crossing both ways and the driving on each end, round-trip travel alone runs somewhere around 4 to 5 hours, before you've spent a single minute in Victoria itself. That's exactly where a private tour earns its place: with the ferry timing and the driving handled for you, the hours you do have in Victoria go toward the Inner Harbour, Chinatown, or Butchart Gardens, not toward checking a ferry app.
Butchart Gardens: How Much Time and What It Costs
Butchart Gardens sits north of downtown Victoria, about 30 minutes by road, and is large enough to fill 2 hours without feeling rushed. Adult admission runs roughly $32.75 CAD in the cheapest season (fall) up to about $44.25 CAD in peak summer, with rates changing by season and by year, so check current pricing at butchartgardens.com before you go. It's a separate ticket from any transportation you book, ferry, floatplane, or tour.
Ferry, Floatplane, or Private Tour: Which Fits You?
If you enjoy driving and want full control of your schedule, self-drive plus the ferry works, especially outside of peak summer weekends when sailing waits get long. If speed is what matters most and your budget allows it, the floatplane gets you there in well under an hour. And if you'd rather not manage a ferry booking, driving directions in a city you don't know, and the schedule for getting back, on top of visiting Butchart Gardens itself, that's what the Victoria Day Tour from Vancouver is built for.
Snow Peak's Victoria day tour runs $280 CAD per person, for a group of 7 to 11, and covers the bus to Tsawwassen, the BC Ferries crossing, and every leg of transportation inside Victoria, with a guide in Spanish or English for the full 14 hours. The itinerary includes an optional 2-hour stop at Butchart Gardens (admission booked separately), Hatley Castle, Victoria's Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Mile Zero, the Parliament Buildings (interior tours available on weekdays), and free time downtown near the Fairmont Empress. Cancellations get a full refund with 72 hours' notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Victoria on Vancouver Island?
Yes. Despite the name, the city of Vancouver and Vancouver Island are different places, and Victoria sits on the island, reached only by ferry, floatplane, or a much longer land route through the interior.
How do you get from Vancouver to Victoria?
Most visitors take BC Ferries from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, about a 1.5 hour crossing, either driving their own vehicle on board or riding a coach or private tour. A faster option is a 35 minute floatplane flight directly between the two downtowns.
Can you visit Victoria as a day trip from Vancouver?
Yes, but plan for a full day. Round trip travel, including the ferry, typically runs 4 to 5 hours, so the actual time in Victoria is real but limited.
How much does it cost to visit Butchart Gardens?
Adult admission runs roughly $32.75 CAD in the cheapest season (fall) up to about $44.25 CAD in peak summer. It's a separate ticket from transportation.
Is the floatplane faster than the ferry to Victoria?
Yes, about 35 minutes in the air versus roughly 1.5 hours on the water plus driving on both ends, but seats are limited and fares vary more with demand.
Do you need a car to visit Victoria?
No. Downtown Victoria and the Inner Harbour are walkable, and Butchart Gardens and other outlying sights are reachable by tour, taxi, or local transit.
Is there a group size requirement for Snow Peak's Victoria tour?
Yes, it runs for groups of 7 to 11 people, at $280 CAD per person, including the ferry crossing and all transportation inside Victoria.