Vancouver Island » The Traveling

Travel to and from Vancouver Island is fast, convenient and relaxing. Ferry service is available from several mainland British Columbia and Washington departure points as well as between locations on Vancouver Island. BC Ferries runs several ferry connections to the mainland, leaving from Victoria to Tsawassen and Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay. Telephone (250) 386-3431. This vehicle and passenger fleet of over 40 vessels serves Vancouver Island and the BC coast. From the lower mainland, ships depart from Tswaassen to Schwartz Bay (located near Victoria on the island), a stunning journey of 20 miles and to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) from a second terminal located in Horseshoe Bay.

Ferry traffic from Tswassen is approximately 30 minutes from downtown Victoria. From Horseshoe Bay arrival is in Nanaimo, mid-island on the eastern coast. During peak summer periods waits can be long for boarding so arrive well in advance. The trip from Seattle is just over 4 hours and from Vancouver, 1 hour and 35 minutes. It can take the better part of a day during the summer getting to the ferry, crossing the strait and arriving at your accommodations in Victoria. You can also park and ride as secure parking is available in Seattle, Vancouver and Port Angeles.

The Victoria Clipper provides ferry service from Victoria to Seattle's Pier 69 with passenger only vessels. The voyage is 3+ hours and costs $128 return. The Victoria Clipper is located in Victoria's Inner Harbour at 254 Belleville Street, just passed the Parliament buildings. Make your way downtown and head south on Government Street, then turn onto Belleville Street. Telephone 1-800-888-2535

VIA Rail operates a Dayliner service between Victoria and Courtenay and stops in Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill, Cowichan Station, Duncan, Chemainus, Ladysmith and Nanaimo where it’s possible to get off and stay overnight. Make sure you pack a lunch as there is no food service onboard. The one-way trip between Victoria and Courtenay costs $26 with one departure per day in each direction. The journey time to Courtenay is approximately 4½ hours 1-800-385-8630 (Canada) 1-800-561-3949 (USA)

From Vancouver International Airport, connections to all transportation services operating to the Island and in and out of the Province are available. Several airlines operate daily connector flights to/from Victoria international Airport. 604.207.7077. Air service includes scheduled flights by major airlines to Victoria International airport and harbour to harbour helicopter and float plane service as well as chartered flights to various Island locations. The airport is approximately 10 miles north of the city proper so expect a $35 - $40 taxi fare. There is a hotel shuttle bus that leaves periodically throughout the day that will drop you at selected sites within the downtown area for around $13 CA. Limousine service is also available.

Harbour Air has Daily Regularly scheduled Float Plane service to Victoria Inner harbour from Vancouver Harbour.1.800.665.0212. Helijet Airways Telephone Vancouver: (604) 273-1414; Victoria (250) 382-6222 - 22 flights daily between Vancouver and Victoria Downtown to Downtown. Flights are available to and from Boeing Field in Seattle as well.

Victoria has an excellent public transit system service. Each sailing from Vancouver also has motor coach service by Pacific Coach Lines available for downtown Vancouver terminal boarding , connections from Vancouver International Airport or for walk on traffic to get into Victoria. Victoria Terminal can be reached at 604-385-4411 and Vancouver at 604-662-8074.

The self-guided drive tours can be started at the B.C Ferry Terminals in either Tswassen or Horseshoe Bay with the magnificent totem poles greeting visitors from the Route of the Totems project. The guide follows the east coast of Vancouver Island ending in Campbell River with a ten minute ferry ride over to Quadra Island.

Brentwood Bay

Located on the west coast of the Saanich Peninsula, the Tsartlip First Nation hosts The Yellow Wolf Intertribal Pow Wow in the community of Brentwood Bay. The area has agricultural activity ranging from dairy, hay, and vegetable farms, plus there are some wineries in the area. Near the village is an interesting collection of butterflies and moths as well as shopping, dining, fishing and marinas. The peninsula boasts parks, beaches, a marine science center, observatory, arts and crafts, a major ferry terminal, and the Butchart Gardens.

Follow the signs as you enter the village off of the Patricia Bay Highway where it leaves to travel on Brentwood Bay Road to Brentwood Bay. From here, a ferry can be taken across the scenic Saanich Inlet to Mill Bay north of Victoria, instead of driving along Highway 17. The route after arriving in Mill Bay will join the Trans- Canada Highway to Duncan.

Campbell River

At the mid-point on Vancouver Island's east coast, Campbell River is a natural distribution centre as well as gateway destination for northern coastal regions. Campbell River is 167 miles and a three and half hours drive north of Victoria. Traveling north from Nanaimo it is 95 miles or just under a two hour drive. It is served by BC Ferries from Campbell River to Quadra Island, regional and national air lines plus local and BC bus transportation.

An integral part of the history and culture of Campbell River lies in the native arts. Pieces of native art work are visible throughout the town with some excellent examples of totem poles on display outside the Discovery Inn in Tyee plaza, outside the tourist information office and in the form of a mural on the wall of the impressive Big House in the First Nations community, just up from the Discovery Harbour Mall. This "salmon-fishing capital of the world" is famous for its fighting Chinook salmon and each July a salmon festival is held with First Nations war canoe races, fishing derby and a parade. Charters come regularly from Vancouver and Seattle bringing international celebrities to this famed fishing spot.

Campbell River's waterfront is the sight of the world's first public fishing pier. The Campbell River municipal airport is 20 minutes from the heart of downtown.

Chemainus

Chemainus is located one hour north of Victoria (48 miles) just off of the Trans-Canada Highway on Stuart Channel on Vancouver Island's east shore. It is known world-wide as the world's largest outdoor art gallery with thirty-five murals created by local artists illustrating the history of the area.

The Little Town That Did" earned its nickname after Chemainus residents decided to expand their forest industry past into a vibrant tourism-driven future. Through the dreams, imagination and energy of the community, the little town of Chemainus found a new life by putting on a new face. The town transformed itself - capturing and expressing its history, its people and its future. Artists from around the globe were invited to paint huge heritage murals on the sides of buildings, transforming a small coastal mill town into the world's largest outdoor art gallery. Visitors can also take the scenic Via Rail from Victoria and stop here.

Cowichan Bay

Cowichan Bay, in the Cowichan Valley is a 30-minute scenic drive from both Victoria in the south and Nanaimo in the north. At the bottom of the Malahat Highway is the scenic Seaside Route to the small, working waterfront village of Cowichan Bay. The seaside town has well-used houses, shops & cafes along the water. Stop for Fish and Chips or a coffee and follow the signs back to Highway 1.

The Cowichan Bay area and much of the southern Strait of Georgia is the traditional land of the Cowichan First Nation. Over 6,000 acres of steep mountainside, isolated rock peninsula and excellent farmland between the rivers makes up the home of the Cowichan people. The Annual Cowichan Bay War Canoe Races are held here the third week-end in June and the Thunder in the Valley Pow Wow Island Thunder drum & dance is held the third week-end in August.

Cowichan Bay draws its name from an Island Halkomelem word meaning warm country or land warmed by the sun. The name originated because of a large rock formation on the side of Mount Tzuhalem that resembled a frog basking in the sun.

Today, the village of Cowichan Bay and the surrounding area is home to a host of artists, craftspeople, and cottage industries - including some fine local wineries. VIA Rail travels from Victoria and stops at the Cowichan Station in Duncan.

Esquimalt

Esquimalt is a colourful progressive community located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, only 1.2 miles west of downtown Victoria. Esquimalt’s name is derived from a native Indian expression "Es-whoy-malth"which means the place of gradually shoaling water. Water figures prominently in Esquimalt’s history, location and residents’ lifestyles. The Songhees First Nation is host to the Songhees Pow wow Celebration, held the second week-end in August in Esquimalt.

Esquimalt is the home of Canada’s naval presence on the West Coast and was first used by the Royal Navy as early as 1837. The original Esquimalt town site has long since disappeared inside the boundaries of the Canadian Forces Base which is now the community’s largest employer. The VIA Rail station is located here and where the Victoria-Courtenay train ride begins.

Duncan

Located in the Cowichan Valley of southern Vancouver Island, 36 miles north of Victoria, the city of totems can be found just off the Trans Canada Highway. After a breath-taking drive over the Malahat Highway visitors arrive in a unique urban forest of distinctive hand-carved cedar poles on public display in parks and downtown streets. Duncan is the ancestral home of the Cowichan First Nation and the traditional home of the Coast Salish Indians.

Duncan's cityscape is a fine example of an old tradition infused with contemporary relevance and life. Inspired by the tenacity of Rick Hansen and his incredible wheel journey to raise money for cancer, the Cowichan First Nations community erected a pole to honour Rick’s accomplishment. It is located near the train station Museum. Duncan is ideal for walking and a people-friendly community.

Quadra Island

Quadra Island is the heart and hub of the Discovery Islands and a quick ferry ride from Campbell River. The 10 minute ferry ride across Discovery Passage arrives in Quathiaski Cove, the picturesque main community of the Discovery Islands. The majority of Quadra's residents live on the southern peninsula in an idyllic rural setting. To the north the terrain is more rugged culminating in the high point of Mt Seymour which gives commanding views of the surrounding islands and mountains at 2,000 ft. At Cape Mudge visitors can tour the lighthouse, built in 1898 and also find ancient petroglyphs at low tide, in this area and at Francisco point. There are also hiking, picnicking, swimming, windsurfing and beachcombing areas on the island. A bicycle is an excellent way to tour the island.

From Quadra Island you can also take another ferry to Cortes Island and visit the lakes, lagoons, beaches and bays.

Nanaimo

Centrally located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Nanaimo is 68 miles north of Victoria on Highway 1. Known as the Harbour City, it is Vancouver Island's second largest city. It is served by BC Ferries in Vancouver from Horseshoe Bay with a crossing time of 1 hour and 35 minutes and from Tswaassen with a crossing time of 2 hours. Regional airlines and bus service are available as is Via Rail.

There is a Greyhound Bus line that leaves Vancouver International Airort & goes to Nanaimo every 2 hours, starting at 5:30 a.m., 7:30 am, etc - 5:30 pm. It is about a 3 hour drive including the ferry and costs $35 canadian, plus $10 or so for the ferry ride.
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When you arrive in Nanaimo you will be able to go the bus station downtown or at the Ferry terminal there are public buses that will take you downtown for about $3 or a taxi for about $10.

The city is now the island's largest export centre and major ferry terminal with connections to the mainland. In recent years waterfront walkways, gardens, lawns and beaches have replaced the industrial ports. The tourist infocentre at 266 Bryden Street has guidebooks and information on the area.

Victoria

Located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia and is the Island's largest metropolitan area. The city is rated as one of the top ten to visit in the world with its natural harbour and the Olympic Mountains of Washington State on the horizon. Here, protected from the elements, stand some of the oldest totem poles ever collected and preserved, carved in the styles of aboriginal people throughout British Columbia. One of the finest collections of totem poles in the world is found here in Thunderbird Park, at the Royal British Columbia Museum. Beacon Hill Park is home to the world’s tallest, free-standing totem pole carved from a single log.

The park is in downtown Victoria and within easy walking distance from most hotels, motels and the inner harbour. The southern edge of the park overlooks the ocean which you can reach from the steps down to the beach across Dallas Road. Main entrances to the park are located east of Douglas Street between Southgate Street and Dallas Road.

The picture-perfect Inner Harbour is surrounded by many of Victoria's beautiful character buildings and premier attractions with the stately Empress Hotel, provincial Legislative Buildings, museums and galleries. Three resident pods of killer whales frequent the waters here. Enjoying one of Canada's mildest climates, Victoria is also known as Canada's "Best Bloomin' City". In Spring the streets are lined with blossoming trees, and in summer baskets brimming with flowers are hung on the 19th-century street lamps. Spring comes early here because of the warm climate. The famous Empress Hotel is located in the downtown waterfront next door to the totem poles in Mungo Martin Park which makes for a spectacular photo of contrast with the car traffic slowly moving by, along with the many horse driven carriages and London style double-decker buses that line the water front streets.

Car and passenger ferry service to Seattle is provided by Victoria Clipper in the Inner Harbour. The Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal near Sydney is a 30 minute drive to downtown. Highway 17 from the ferry terminal at Schwartz Bay is a busy paved highway that passes the farmlands of the Saanich Peninsula, the Victoria Airport and several communities on it's way to the province's capital city.The drive is very well marked to downtown and there are sufficient public parking lots within 2 blocks, off of Douglas Street, one of the main streets. The bus station is right downtown, close to the totem poles. The Via Rail station is 5 miles west of downtown in the community of Esquimalt.