Whatever your route, include the San Juan Islands in your journeys! Travel between the islands and Canada as you explore the great Pacific Northwest!
NOTE: The Washington State Ferries international service between Anacortes/Friday Harbor and Sidney, BC continues to be suspended in 2023 until further notice. Updates can be found on the Washington State Transportation website.
Drive from Vancouver to Blaine, WA to cross the border - about an hour and fifteen-minute drive. From Blaine, drive south on Interstate 5 (I-5), then take Highway 20 to make your way to the Anacortes Washington State Ferries Terminal - about another hour and fifteen-minute drive. From there, you can take the Washington State Ferries to Lopez, Orcas, Shaw or San Juan Island. Reservations for vehicles are highly recommended.
Please see the note in red above. For an easy connection from Victoria (on Vancouver Island) to Friday Harbor (on San Juan Island), drive or walk onto the Washington State ferry from Sidney, BC, about a 30-minute drive north of Victoria. The ferry ride from Sidney BC to Friday Harbor is just over an hour. Ferries run one or two sailings per day from about April through December; check the Washington State Ferries schedule for travel times and more information about how to make your trip go more smoothly. Vehicle reservations are recommended for ferry travel to and from Canada. International trips to Sidney BC are one-way fares. You need a valid passport to travel between the U.S. and Canada.
Drive from Vancouver to Tsawwassen (about an hour from downtown Vancouver) to catch the Tsawwassen/BC ferry to Sidney BC on Vancouver Island. Then drive south to Victoria (about a 40-minute drive). For more information, check out the BC Ferries website.
To travel between Victoria (on Vancouver Island) and the city of Vancouver (on the mainland), drive from Victoria Swartz Bay, north of Sidney, about a 40-minute drive, where you can get on the ferry to Tsawwassen. The Tsawwassen ferry landing is about an hour drive to or from downtown Vancouver. For more information, check out the BC Ferries website.
After your visit to the San Juan Islands, Vancouver and Victoria, consider taking your car onto the Black Ball Ferry Line that runs from Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington, located on the Olympic Peninsula. From there, a scenic 47-mile drive east takes you to the historic town of Port Townsend, where you can catch a Washington State Ferry to Coupeville on Whidbey Island. From Coupeville, drive south to the Clinton/Mukilteo Washington State Ferry terminal, return to Interstate 5 (I-5), and continue to Seattle to explore the Emerald City and other wonderful cities and towns in Washington.
