Victoria, BC and Vancouver Island

Hi Anne,

I'm sure you're going to get plenty of replies to your post as it seems a large portion of the posters here are from the Pacific Northwest.

Per visiting Olympic National Park (ONP), it's a 5-hour drive from Seattle and you will either need to take a ferry or go the long way around through Aberdeen. Mt. Rainier is closer, but it's at least three hours each way. Also note that it's not a given that the roads, except for the one to Paradise, will be open in mid-April.

As far as getting to Victoria from Seattle, you have four options: Kenmore Air (sea plane from Lake Union in Seattle); Alaska Air (jet from Sea-Tac); ferry (slow, from Anacortes); or the Victoria Clipper (fast, from Seattle). Of the four, I would choose Alaska from Sea-Tac to Victoria and rent a car there if you plan to explore the island, otherwise grab a taxi.

Enjoy your trip!

-- Mike Beebe

If you have never been on a ferry, I can say that every ferry that I have traveled on was no bound to create sea sickness.

Thank you both! I didn't realize the national parks were so far from Seattle. I guess I need to rethink my plans.

UPDATE: We decided to take Alaska Air to get to Victoria. I think this will be good as it will give us more time to explore Victoria and Vancouver Island and possibly get to Vancouver or maybe even Whistler. Again, I appreciate your help!

There is very little risk of any seasickness between Seattle and Victoria as those are sheltered, inland waters that are almost always quite calm.

Hi Anne! I would rent a car at SeaTac and drive up the Olympic peninsula via 101 from Olympia. There is a very nice resort The Alderbrook on the way. The drive on 101 is gorgeous right on the water most of the way with oyster farms and little towns. From Port Angeles you can visit the Olympic National Park. I would stay in the park. Then take the Blackball car ferry to Victoria. It’s a fun experience to take the car ferry. I always go up top for the fresh air! Make sure you make reservations. We like to stay at the Inn at Laurel Point right next to the ferry in Victoria. They have parking. Victoria is lovely. You could easily spend a few days. Suggest the Wind Cries Mary for dinner. It’s a drive to get to other parts of the island worth visiting. About 4 hours to Ucluelet on the west coast where our son lives! It’s very beautiful and would be worth it if you have time! Hope you have a good trip!

Sorry I didn’t see your last post about flying!

give us more time to explore Victoria and Vancouver Island and
possibly get to Vancouver or maybe even Whistler.

With only 9 nights, that doesn't give you much time to get to Vancouver and Whistler too. How much time are you giving to Seattle? Are you flying home from there, too? If you went to Vancouver you'd need to plan a solid 3 hour drive (more if you hit rush hour or a backlog at border crossing). As noted the national parks are a slog from Seattle and in April you're not likely to have supreme outdoor enjoyment weather (though we here in the PNW will probably be wearing shorts).

Note that flying to Victoria will eat up a good chunk of your day - depending on where you stay in Seattle and departure time for flight, you need 30-45 min just to get to SeaTac, arriving at least 2 hours early for security (which can be horrible), fly, arrive in Victoria, go through immigration, get from airport to accommodations, etc.

Hope you enjoy your visit, there is plenty of beautiful scenery to be had without venturing too far.

UPDATE: We will NOT spend time in Seattle on this trip. We will land at SeaTac and then fly directly to Victoria. We plan to rent a car in Victoria and book a hotel there. Then, we were hoping to explore Vancouver Island. We were considering going to Vancouver or Whistler but perhaps this is too much. Thoughts?

Anne,
Three things...
1. In Victoria do not miss the Royal BC Museum...outstanding, with many indigenous displays, including totem poles. The best thing to see/do in Victoria IMO. In Seattle the Seattle Art Museum is also a must-see.

2. If you rent a car in Washington state, be sure to see if you can take it into Canada. If yes, you will probably have to return and drop it back in Seattle. Dropping in a foreign country is not cheap or easy. (It has to be returned to the US where it is registered.)
3. As mentioned, 9 days isn't enough time to explore much outside Seattle or Victoria. Figurre on a good chunk of one day given to getting from Seattle to Victoria, whatever your method. 4 nights in each place is good, or even a 3/5 split.

The Northwest part of the US, combined with any part of British Columbia are absolutely gorgeous and worth anyone's time!

I'll recommend one of my favorite drives, from Seattle take I5 to Olympia, then head to Aberdeen on 12. Then go north up 101 to Forks and then over to La Push. Stay there a night or two. Hike out to Second Beach! Then 101 to Lake Crescent, to Port Townsend, and take the ferry back into Seattle. You can easy add a day to hike Hurricane Ridge out of Port Angeles. This is a great long weekend trip.

Anne,
I see you are flying to Victoria and renting a car there. Good decision, IMO!

By the way, if by any chance you do get to Vancouver, when we were there we went to Stanley Park and enjoyed watching part of a cricket game. What fun, even though we didn't understand the rules!

As mojo mentioned, there is a car ferry between Victoria and Port Angeles, which would give you access to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. You'd only want to go on a very clear day and check road conditions in advance. The ferry schedule isn't conducive to doing this in one day, though, so you'd need to stay over. Also, the ferry is expensive ($100+ each way).

I'm surprised to see the slow WSF ferry from Anacortes to Sidney (Victoria) mentioned above as a potential route, as it hasn't run since Covid and isn't expected to run again until at least 2030. One of those routes I wanted to do and missed when I had the chance.

https://vancouverisland.travel/

https://www.destinationvancouver.com/visitor-bureau/tourism-vancouver-island

Have a look at some of the Vancouver Island tourism websites.
When are you going?
If it’s warmer weather, there are lots of lovely places to see just on the Island alone.
Many small towns and waterfront places.
Look up wineries, craft breweries, specialty food shops and restaurants.

Hi Anne,
Victoria airport is great, pick up the car there, it is a small enough airport that you can easily pick up and drop off. I don' t think you have enough time to do justice to both Vancouver Island and Vancouver and Whistler. I would stick to the Island.

Victoria is a great place to walk and explore. Try to find a hotel in the Inner Harbour area and just leave your car for a couple of days. Fishermans wharf is fun to walk around and see the houseboats. There are little water taxis that go around the inner harbour, they are kind of pricy, but worth it maybe one way. Try to plot out your route ahead of time to get the most bang for your buck.

Beacon Hill Park is very lovely and a nice long walk down to the ocean.

Butchart gardens is a ways out of town, it can be very busy depending on time of year and if a cruise ship in in. You might want to look more into best times to vist.
We like some of the hikes down past Sooke, to Mystic beach etc, but i don't know about your level of hiking.

You could consider a few days in Tofino/ Ucluet, but that is a fairly long drive, however it is lovely. I think it is about 5 hours from Victoria.

For general information, the Anacortes ferry no longer runs to Victoria (terminal is in Sidney), One day we hope it will return!

The airport at Victoria is 22 kms north of the city and the airport has the usual car rental companies. The drive into the city is quite straightforward but can get complicated within the city itself….one way streets, bike lanes etc. depends where your hotel is located.

Victoria is a walkable city, especially along the harbour. There are some areas which are best avoided, particularly Pandora Street, off Blanchard Street.

Things to do in Victoria. Walk through the Empress Hotel, fascinating history and Edwardian opulence. Afternoon tea is available at the Empress but ridiculously expensive - there are other, better places in town or at Butchart Gardens, Visit the Legislative Building, same architect as the Empress. Free tours are available. Book breakfast or lunch at the Legislative Dining Room, reservations are essential. Good food, great prices, lovely atmosphere. There is security clearance to enter the building - very easy and friendly. Take a walking tour of Chinatown. Drive along the coast to Cattle Point. Lovely drive with views across the Strait, interesting architecture and some lovely homes. Abkhazi Gardens a beautiful garden tucked away in a quiet area of Victoria. The tea house offers lunch or tea, reservations required for meals.

Lots to see and do up-Island……take two or three days and head up to Tofino or Uculet. Or take a ferry from Schwartz Bay to some of the Gulf Islands, Salt Spring with its very active arts community; Saturna - wineries and a great location for land-based whale watching. Investigate some of Victoria’s “suburbs”, small towns located on the Saanich Peninsula such as Brentwood Bay and Sidney. Explore some of the wineries, cideries and distilleries on the Peninsula. Get hold of the AAA Vancouver Island Guide or contact Tourism Vancouver Island to get ideas of what to see and do.

UPDATE: We will NOT spend time in Seattle on this trip. We will land
at SeaTac and then fly directly to Victoria. We plan to rent a car in
Victoria and book a hotel there. Then, we were hoping to explore
Vancouver Island. We were considering going to Vancouver or Whistler
but perhaps this is too much. Thoughts?

You mentioned you are worried about ferries, but to get to Vancouver you're going to have to take a ferry or fly which will take more time away from sightseeing. I personally wouldn't want to drive in Vancouver proper but I hate big city driving. Whistler is a trek from Vancouver (1-2 hours depending on weather). Hopefully some of the locals in this forum will weigh in on ideas to fill your whole time on Vancouver Island.

Lisa and Lesley have given some very good advice. We are fond of up-island and spent a week there last year. Also spent several days between Uculet and Tofino a couple of years ago.

One of our favorite cideries is Sea Cider in Saanichton. They also have a short food menu which makes for a good lunch stop. Also it’s on the way from the airport to Victoria and close to Brentwood Bay and Butchart Gardens. It would also make an easy day trip from Victoria by car.

While we didn’t have tea at The Empress, we did sit in their bar and have a glass of wine. And as mentioned earlier, the Royal BC Museum is a must see.

We’ll be on the island again this year.

Enjoy your trip!

We love Victoria - visit often. Butchart Gardens a must. In Victoria, halibut at Red Fish, Blue Fish on Wharf St and great Greek food at Ithika restaurant. Check out the Empress Hotel. Don't even think of Vancouver with your time. You don't need a car for Victoria. The city is very walkable and has good bus service. Bus 75 (I think) will get you to Butchart and back. There is bus to/from the airport and downtown. Even buses between the main towns on the island.

Thanks for the timely post, Anne! I am turning 70 this year, and my kids are thinking about celebrating there since I haven’t been up to Victoria for several years.

I don’t know which state you’re from, but Whistler and the road leading there are gorgeous in case you’re usually not around mountains. And Vancouver is a beautiful city. With that amount of time, I’d spend some of it in Vancouver unless the Whistler scenery is a priority.

Thanks to everyone for your advice !

Anne, I think it’s a great idea to fly to Victoria, spend some time there, rent a car and explore up Island.

There are some lovely towns to visit. Sydney by the Sea is right by the airport. A nice place to explore. You end up on the magnificent Malahat to get to the mid Island. Chemainus is famous for its murals and live theatre. Just up the highway, you’ll come across Ladysmith, the home of The Old Town Bakery where you can get their famous cinnamon buns. The line up is always long, but worth it. People drive up from Victoria to get their treats. Pamela Anderson lives in her grandmother’s house on the side of the highway in Ladysmith

My home town Qualicum Beach, is a quaint English Tudor style walkable village. Check out the rhododendrons at Milner Gardens, a woodlands garden very different from Bucharest gardens. and stop in the tea room for lunch. I’m a volunteer in the tea room, so I might just meet you there! Visitors come there from around the world.

Just out of Qualicum Beach is the highway that goes to Tofino and Ucluelet. That is the real wild West Coast. On the way there, you can go to the Coombs Marketplace that is famous for the goats on the grass roof. A tourist trap for sure, but quite the sight. You’ll beat the crowds in April. There’s a great Italian restaurant in Coombs.

Even if you don’t end up going the distance to the west coast, the “Old Island highway” from Qualicum to Courtenay is a lovely seaside drive.

If coming this way, check the websites for all these places to see what days they are open. Wherever you go in BC, you’ll have a great time, and will be welcome with open arms.

Oh my, Susie just covered our last trip to the island. We stayed just outside of Ladysmith at Kiwi Cove Lodge (2nd time) and always go to the Old Town Bakery in Ladysmith. Also a bit further is Crow & Gate Pub between Ladysmith and Nanaimo.

Last summer we spent three nights at Qualicum Beach and highly recommend it. We plan on going back this summer and then heading further north to Coutenay or Campbell River.

We visited the Old Country Market in Coombs, home of goats on the roof. In the time we lived in BC and visited the island, we had never bothered. It is kind of a tourist trap, but also a shopping experience. We also stopped at Butterfly World as we hadn’t in the past. We had time and thought, why not. It is fairly small but we saw an amazing number of butterflies and I found it to be a pleasant surprise.

You can easily fill all your time on the island. BC is great!

We decided to split our time between Victoria and Ucluelet or Tofino. We are looking for a special place to stay in Ucluelet or Tofino since this is a special occasion trip as we will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. We have a booking in Victoria. Thanks to everyone for all of your help!

I just came across this thread. And I must admit, that I didn't read all the long answers. But as we have been on VI and BC so often, at different times of the year, driving either a car or an RV, I want to give you an itinerary:
After your first night at Seattle rent a car and go by ferry to Victoria. 2 nights (one full day) there would be fine, because you don't have a lot of time.
Then drive the western coast to Port Renfrew. Not much to see there, but you could make a detour to Sooke Potholes PP, there are some other detours on that road which are very scenic.
From there take the road to Lake Cowichan and either stay there in the lodge (with an afternoon detour on the northern side of the lake. We saw lots of Wapitis there), or drive on to the coast, whatever village you maybe want.
Drive via Chemainus ( looking the beautfill wall-paintings all around the town) to Nanaimo.
Then to Ucluelet or Tofino for 2 nights.
Up to Courtenay for the ferry to Powell River. Then down the Sunshine Coast via Saltery Bay and Langdale back to Vancouver and Seattle.
I haven't looked up the dayly driving time. Last time had 2 weeks for that trip in an out of Vancouver.
.

Hi Anne - check out Long Beach Lodge Resort in Tofino, both the accommodation and restaurant are good. Also Wickanninish Inn - a bit pricey for accommodation, but The Pointe Restaurant is excellent. If you opt for Ucluelet, the Black Rock Resort is great, and there is a lovely oceanside walk right next to it; Pluvio Restaurant in town is excellent. These are special occasion choices. Be sure to check that Sutton Pass is clear before leaving Victoria. You can do the drive in a day, just make a lot of stops - check out Cathedral Grove. The drive is very scenic past Port Alberni. April weather should be decent, though always be prepared for rain.