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Victoria · Canada

Getting Around Victoria: BC Transit DayPASS, Pickle Boats & Bike Trails

How a single BC Transit DayPASS covers double-decker buses to both the Ferry Terminal and The Butchart Gardens.

Downtown Victoria is so compact that you can walk from the BC Parliament Buildings to Fisherman's Wharf, Beacon Hill Park or Chinatown in 10 to 15 minutes. When you want to head further out to The Butchart Gardens, Craigdarroch Castle or the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, Victoria's double-decker public bus system is one of the best bargains in Canada.

Upper-deck front-row view from a Victoria BC Transit double-decker bus along Douglas Street
Grab the front-row seat on the upper deck of a BC Transit double-decker bus on Routes #70, #72 or #75 for a sightseeing ride up the Saanich Peninsula at the price of a normal bus fare.

1. The BC Transit 'DayPASS' (Umo App or Cash)

Operated by BC Transit, Victoria's public buses sell a single ride and an unlimited all-day DayPASS, which costs twice the single fare (since April 2025: $3.00 single, $6.00 DayPASS; check bctransit.com for current fares). You can pay through the Umo system, including the free Umo Mobility smartphone app, or with cash on board; check BC Transit's website for the payment options currently accepted.

  • The 4 Most Important Bus Routes for Visitors (All Run Along Douglas Street!):
    1. Route #75 ('Saanichton / Royal Oak' → The Butchart Gardens): board along Douglas Street downtown; drops you right inside the entrance gates of The Butchart Gardens in 45–50 minutes!
    2. Route #70 (Express) & Route #72 (Via Sidney): link downtown Victoria (Douglas St / Legislature Exchange) directly with the Swartz Bay BC Ferries Terminal in 50–60 minutes!
    3. Route #11, #14 or #15 (Along Fort Street): take you from downtown up the hill to Craigdarroch Castle in 8 minutes!
    4. Route #61 ('Sooke'): runs west to Sooke and Whiffin Spit!
Cyclists riding across the trestle bridge of the car-free Galloping Goose Regional Trail in Victoria
Converted from a 1917 railway line, the 55-kilometre car-free Galloping Goose Trail starts right across the blue Johnson Street Bridge in downtown Victoria.

2. Cycling the 55-Kilometre 'Galloping Goose Trail' & Protected Bike Lanes

Victoria is officially the Cycling Capital of Canada (with more bike commuters per capita than any Canadian city and a network of protected downtown bike lanes called AAA). Rent a bicycle or e-bike near the Inner Harbour (at The Pedaler or Sports Rent) to ride the coastal loop around Dallas Road and scenic Oak Bay Beach Drive, or hop onto the car-free 55-kilometre Galloping Goose Regional Trail (and the 29 km Lochside Trail up to Sidney and the ferry)!

Scenic coastal cycle path along Dallas Road and Beach Drive in Oak Bay overlooking the Juan de Fuca Strait
Cycling the 15-kilometre coastal loop from the Inner Harbour along Dallas Road and Oak Bay Beach Drive passes beaches, lighthouses and sea lions.

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