Salt Spring Island sits in the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland, and getting here is part of the experience — a scenic ferry crossing through island-dotted waters, a seaplane banking over the Gulf Islands, or a boat gliding into Ganges Harbour with the village spread out before you. Here's everything you need to know about getting to Salt Spring Island, no matter where you're coming from.
Salt Spring Island is served by three BC Ferries routes. Here's a quick overview before we go into detail on each:
| Departing From | Arrives At | Crossing Time | Reservations? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Victoria (Swartz Bay) | Fulford Harbour | ~35 min | No | Most frequent. Walk-on friendly. |
| From Vancouver/Mainland (Tsawwassen) | Long Harbour | ~1 hr 45 min | Yes (vehicles) | Fewer sailings. Book vehicle early. |
| From Mid-Vancouver Island (Crofton) | Vesuvius Bay | ~20 min | No | Shortest crossing. North end of island. |
Schedules and fares change seasonally. Always verify at bcferries.com before you travel.
Best for: Visitors from Victoria, the Saanich Peninsula, and anywhere on the south end of Vancouver Island
This is the most popular and most frequent route to Salt Spring Island, and the one most visitors use. The BC Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay is located at the northern tip of the Saanich Peninsula, about 32km north of downtown Victoria on Highway 17. From there, the ferry crosses to Fulford Harbour on the southern end of Salt Spring Island.
Fulford Harbour is the island's southern ferry terminal, at the end of Fulford-Ganges Road. From there it's about 9km north to Ganges, the island's main village. The Salt Spring Island bus service (Route 1) connects Fulford Harbour with Ganges — check current schedules at bctransit.com. The trip takes roughly 20–25 minutes.
From downtown Victoria, take Douglas Street north, which becomes Highway 17 (the Pat Bay Highway). Follow it straight to the Swartz Bay terminal — the drive takes about 30–40 minutes depending on traffic. Parking at the terminal is independently operated; short-term and long-term options are available (pay by licence plate).
BC Transit Route 70 runs between downtown Victoria (Bay Street) and Swartz Bay ferry terminal. The bus journey takes approximately 45–55 minutes and connects directly with the ferry terminal. This is a great option for foot passengers — you can take the bus from Victoria, walk onto the ferry, and be in Ganges within a couple of hours of leaving downtown.
Tip: If you're planning the Salt Spring Hop On Hop Off Artisan Trail tour, the Swartz Bay to Fulford route is your best option from Victoria. Catch an early ferry, take the island bus to Ganges, and you can make the 11am or 12pm tour departure with time to spare.
In July and August, Swartz Bay can be very busy on Friday evenings (Vancouver Island residents heading to the islands for the weekend) and Sunday afternoons (returning). If you're travelling with a vehicle during peak times, arrive well ahead of your intended sailing. Foot passengers generally have an easier time and rarely miss a sailing.
Note: This route does not take vehicle reservations. Vehicles travel in order of arrival. During peak summer weekends, you may wait for one or two sailings. Foot passengers typically board every sailing.
Best for: Visitors coming from Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, or anywhere on the BC mainland
The Route
The direct mainland route runs from Tsawwassen (39km south of downtown Vancouver) to Long Harbour on the east side of Salt Spring Island. This sailing winds beautifully through the Southern Gulf Islands, often stopping at Galiano, Mayne, and Pender Islands en route.
Long Harbour terminal is on the island's east side, about 7km from Ganges. The island bus service connects Long Harbour with Ganges — check current bctransit.com schedules. Taxis are also available if the bus timing doesn't work for you.
From downtown Vancouver, take Highway 99 south through the Massey Tunnel (or the new Massey Tunnel replacement when open) and follow signs to the BC Ferries Tsawwassen terminal. The drive is typically 45–60 minutes from downtown, longer during rush hour. Long-term and short-term parking is available at the terminal.
The 620 bus runs between Bridgeport Station (Richmond, on the Canada Line SkyTrain) and Tsawwassen ferry terminal. From downtown Vancouver, take the Canada Line to Bridgeport and transfer. Total journey from downtown Vancouver to the ferry terminal is approximately 60–75 minutes by transit.
If the Tsawwassen–Long Harbour direct sailing times don't work for your travel plans, there's an alternative: take the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay ferry (1 hour 35 minutes), then transfer at Swartz Bay to the Swartz Bay–Fulford Harbour sailing (35 minutes). When you buy your ticket at Tsawwassen, ask for a Thru Fare — this gives you a discounted combined fare for both crossings, cheaper than buying two separate tickets.
Note: BC Ferries does not offer a Thru Fare on the final two sailings of the day from Tsawwassen, in case delays mean the last Fulford sailing has already departed.
Vehicle reservations on this route are free of charge and open up to 6 months in advance. In summer, popular sailings sell out weeks ahead — book as early as possible at bcferries.com. Foot passenger travel is walk-on, no reservation needed.
Tip: The scenery on the Tsawwassen to Long Harbour crossing is genuinely spectacular — the ferry threads through the Gulf Islands, often passing close to Galiano and Mayne Islands. Stay on deck for the views.
Best for: Visitors from Nanaimo, Duncan, the Cowichan Valley, or anywhere north of Victoria on Vancouver Island
The Crofton–Vesuvius Bay route is the shortest and most frequent ferry crossing to Salt Spring Island. Crofton is a small community on Vancouver Island between Duncan and Nanaimo (roughly 60km north of Victoria). Vesuvius Bay is on the northwest side of Salt Spring Island — a quiet, scenic arrival point with a small café right at the terminal.
Vesuvius Bay is on the north end of Salt Spring Island, about 12km from Ganges by road. The Salt Spring Island bus serves this route — check current schedules at bctransit.com. There's also a lovely small café at Vesuvius that's a favourite spot for travellers to pause before heading south toward Ganges.
From Nanaimo, head south on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada) to Duncan, then follow signs to Crofton on Herd Road and Chaplin Street to the terminal. The drive is approximately 45 minutes from Nanaimo and 25 minutes from Duncan. From Victoria, head north on Highway 1 and take the Crofton turn-off — about 50 minutes.
Crofton is served by BC Transit in the Cowichan Valley. From the Nanaimo Bus Depot or the Duncan Bus Exchange, check current schedules at bctransit.com for connections to Crofton. This option requires some planning but works well for foot passengers.
Note: There is currently Terminal Project Work underway at Crofton through 2026–2027, which may affect some sailings. Check bcferries.com for current service notices before travelling this route.
You absolutely do not need a car to enjoy Salt Spring Island — and in many ways, arriving as a foot passenger is the better experience. Here's what you need to know:
The Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour route is the easiest foot passenger option from Victoria. Take BC Transit Route 70 from downtown Victoria to Swartz Bay, board the ferry as a foot passenger, and you'll arrive at Fulford Harbour in 35 minutes. From there, the island bus takes you to Ganges.
This is a popular way to visit Salt Spring Island for a day trip or weekend from Victoria, and works very well — particularly if you book the Salt Spring Hop On Hop Off tour in advance.
Tip: For a day trip from Victoria: take an early Route 70 bus to Swartz Bay, board the 7am or 8am ferry, arrive at Fulford Harbour, take the island bus to Ganges, join the 10am or 11am Hop On Hop Off departure, and catch a late afternoon sailing back. It's a full, excellent day.
Walk-on passengers from Vancouver have two good options: the Tsawwassen–Long Harbour direct sailing, or the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay sailing with a transfer at Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour (using a Thru Fare ticket). The direct Long Harbour route is the simpler option when the timing works.
If you want to make a dramatic entrance — and you don't mind the premium — arriving by seaplane is an unforgettable experience. The approach over the Southern Gulf Islands, banking down toward Ganges Harbour with the village laid out below, is one of those moments that makes BC feel impossibly beautiful.
Salt Spring Air, now part of the Harbour Air Group, offers scheduled seaplane service between downtown Vancouver (Coal Harbour) or Vancouver International Airport (South Terminal, YVR) and Ganges Harbour on Salt Spring Island. This is the most direct air connection to the island — you land right in the heart of Ganges.
Seair Seaplanes also offers scheduled service between Vancouver Harbour (downtown) and Salt Spring Island, as well as from Richmond (YVR). Check seairseaplanes.com for current routes, schedules, and pricing. Seair is known for its modern Cessna Caravan fleet and free parking at its YVR terminal.
Seaplanes are ideal for visitors who want to maximize time on the island, are travelling light, or simply want the experience of arriving by floatplane. They're less practical for those with bikes, large luggage, or groups. Prices are significantly higher than ferry travel but the experience more than justifies it for the right traveller.
Tip: Combine a seaplane flight one way with a BC Ferry the other — arrive by air into Ganges Harbour and depart by ferry from Fulford Harbour back to Victoria. Seair even offers a Fly & Sail package for some routes.
For boaters, Salt Spring Island is one of the finest destinations in the Southern Gulf Islands — and Ganges Harbour is a world-class cruising destination. Arriving by private boat puts you in excellent company; the harbour fills with vessels from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond every summer.
Ganges Harbour is the hub for boaters visiting Salt Spring Island. It's well-protected, easy to navigate, and puts you a short walk from the village, restaurants, the Saturday Market, and all of Ganges' shops and galleries.
Moorage options in and around Ganges Harbour include:
Beyond Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island offers several other anchorage options for those exploring the Gulf Islands by boat:
Boaters arriving from the United States must clear Canadian customs. Contact the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for current requirements and procedures — phone reporting is typically required and must be done immediately upon arrival in Canadian waters. Call 1-888-226-7277 (CBSA) before departing the US.
The Southern Gulf Islands offer some of BC's most enjoyable cruising, but also require attention. Tidal currents can be significant in the passes — particularly Active Pass, Porlier Pass, and Sansum Narrows near Salt Spring. Current tide tables and up-to-date charts are essential. The BC Coast Pilot and Waggoner Cruising Guide are standard references for this region.
If you're bringing a vehicle and using the Tsawwassen–Long Harbour route, book as early as possible — this route fills up weeks ahead in peak season. The Swartz Bay–Fulford and Crofton–Vesuvius routes don't take reservations, so vehicle travellers on those routes need to arrive early during busy periods.
Foot passengers on all three routes travel first-come, first-served and rarely miss a sailing, even on busy summer days. If you're combining the ferry with the Salt Spring Hop On Hop Off tour, walking on is the stress-free choice.
BC Ferries schedules change seasonally. Always confirm departure times at bcferries.com before your trip — do not rely on printed timetables or third-party apps for exact times.
Salt Spring Island's public bus is operated by BC Transit and connects the ferry terminals with Ganges and other communities. Schedules are available at bctransit.com. Service is reasonably frequent during the day but does not run late at night — plan your return ferry accordingly.
The journey to Salt Spring Island — whether it's a 35-minute ferry glide from Swartz Bay, a scenic mainland crossing through the Gulf Islands from Tsawwassen, a 20-minute hop from Crofton, a seaplane banking into Ganges Harbour, or a sailboat making the harbour at dusk — sets the tone for everything that follows.
Salt Spring Island rewards the effort of getting here. Once you've arrived, the Salt Spring Hop On Hop Off Artisan Trail, the island's beaches, its wineries, its markets, and its unhurried pace will do the rest.
Check current BC Ferries schedules at bcferries.com, and book the Artisan Trail tour in advance at saltspringhopon.com.
BC Ferries information: bcferries.com | Salt Spring Hop On Hop Off: saltspringhopon.com | Harbour Air / Salt Spring Air: harbourair.com | Seair Seaplanes: seairseaplanes.com | Ganges Marina: gangesmarina.com | Salt Spring Marina: saltspringmarina.com | Harbour Authority of Salt Spring Island: saltspringharbours.com
