Vancouver to Victoria Day Trip 2026: Ferry, Seaplane or Tour

Booking choice: The gardens-first day trip, from $184 per person. Check dates Compare the options below

Vancouver and Victoria look close on a map, but the trip is longer than it seems. The ferry leaves from Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, and lands at Swartz Bay on the northern tip of the Saanich Peninsula, about 32 km from downtown Victoria. Butchart Gardens sits between the two, about 20 km north of the city.

That geography decides your day. Four realistic ways to do it follow, with what each costs you in time.

The quick answer

For one day with Butchart Gardens included, a coach tour is the simplest: 12 to 14 hours door to door, with both ferries and admission in the price. The ferry crossing itself takes about 1 hour 35 minutes each way. The Harbour Air seaplane is faster (about 35 minutes, downtown to downtown) but you then need your own way to the gardens.

A BC Ferries ship sailing through a misty island passage — The ferry route threads through the Gulf Islands.

What are the ways to get from Vancouver to Victoria?

Four: a coach tour that includes the ferry, the ferry on foot with buses, the ferry with your own car, or a seaplane.

There is no bridge, and the ferry does not land in Victoria itself. Here is how the options compare for a same-day return.

Option	Crossing time	Gardens included?	Best for
Coach tour with ferry	About 1 h 35 each way	Yes	First-timers, no planning
Ferry on foot + buses	About 1 h 35 each way	No, buy separately	Flexible travelers on a budget
Ferry with your car	About 1 h 35 each way	No, buy separately	Families, overnight stays
Harbour Air seaplane	About 35 min	No, buy separately	Saving time, one-way scenery

The coach tour handles both ferries, the gardens and Victoria, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Check dates for the gardens-first day trip

How long is the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria?

The Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay crossing takes about 1 hour 35 minutes, and the tour listings call it about 90 minutes.

Add the drive from downtown Vancouver to Tsawwassen at one end and the drive from Swartz Bay at the other. The route passes through the Gulf Islands, and the tour listings suggest looking out from the deck for eagles, whales and sea lions; sightings are possible, not guaranteed.

View from a ferry deck toward a forested island across calm water — Head out on deck for the Gulf Islands stretch.

Is a day trip from Vancouver to Victoria worth it?

Yes, if you accept a long day: guests report 12 to 14 hours door to door, with about three of them on ferries.

Reviews are warm about the gardens and the guides, and honest about the clock. "Fabulous but long tour", wrote one guest; another wished they had known in advance how much bus time there would be. Several Christmas-tour guests suggested an overnight stay in Victoria instead. If you can spare a night, you get far more time in each place; if you cannot, the tour is the easiest way to see both.

Can you fly from Vancouver to Victoria by seaplane?

Yes. Harbour Air flies from Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver to Victoria's Inner Harbour in about 35 minutes.

The seaplane lands in Victoria's Inner Harbour, a short walk from the Parliament Buildings and the Empress, which is its big advantage over the ferry. The Harbour Air packages that bundled the flight with Butchart Gardens on Viator are marked as ending in October 2026, so we do not link them; book flights directly with Harbour Air. One package guest noted the Vancouver terminal is down on the water and hard to see from the street, so allow time to find it.

A Harbour Air floatplane moored in Victoria's Inner Harbour below the Parliament Buildings — Seaplanes land in the Inner Harbour, a short walk from the sights.

How do you get from Victoria to Butchart Gardens without a tour?

By the BC Transit #75 bus from Belleville Street beside the Empress, which the gardens say takes about 50 minutes to an hour, or by taxi or car.

A single ride costs CAD 3, or CAD 6 for a day pass (BC Transit fares). Not every #75 trip goes into the gardens during the afternoon commute, so check the destination sign. If you arrive by seaplane, budget the bus ride both ways into your day; one package guest found the transfer took far longer than planned.

Arriving in Victoria on your own? The island tour picks up downtown and gives you about two and a half hours in the gardens.

★ 4.9 687 reviews · 5 hours · from $105

Explore the tour from Victoria

Should you drive your own car to Victoria?

Only if you are staying overnight or want total flexibility; for a day trip it adds a vehicle fare and you still have the same ferry times.

The car does help on the island: Swartz Bay, the gardens and downtown Victoria are spread along the Saanich Peninsula. The bill adds up, though. A standard car costs CAD 89.00 each way, plus CAD 21.00 for each adult on board (BC Ferries fare guide, June 2026).

Snow-capped mountains above dark forested shores and open water — Coastal mountain views on the way across.

What time do Vancouver to Victoria tours leave?

Early: tour departures are between about 7 and 9:15 AM, and hotel pickups come earlier than the start time.

Gray Line meets at 909 West Cordova at 7:05 AM, Discover Canada at Canada Place at 8:00 AM, Landsea at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver for its 8:00 or 9:00 AM departure, and Pacific Coach starts at 9:15 AM. The combo tour picks up from 6:00 AM between February and April and from 8:30 AM from May. Westcoast asks you to be at your pickup point 30 minutes before departure. Guests report getting back between about 8 and 10 PM.

Downtown hotel pickup and a late-afternoon ferry home: check your date for the Pacific Coach day.

Check dates for the Pacific Coach day trip

Gardens first or Victoria first?

Both work: gardens-first tours reach Butchart while you are fresh, Victoria-first tours give you lunch in town before the gardens.

Gardens first: Westcoast, Pacific Coach, Gray Line and the combo tour. Victoria first: Landsea, STAR and Discover Canada. See how long you need at Butchart Gardens for the time each tour gives you there.