Victoria Express

Our scenic Cruise to San Juan Island is a great way to spend the day sailing to San Juan Island, enjoying the intimate Friday Harbor and sailing back to Victoria and then Port Angeles for dinner.......Or...spend the night in Victoria or Friday Harbor and make it a weekend adventure. We leave from Port Angeles in the morning, stop at Victoria, BC to pick up more passengers, and then head east around Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island and up to Friday Harbor. Along the way, passengers are treated to stunning views of the Olympic Mountains rising above Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, Mount Baker and the Cascade Mountains on the mainland, and the islands.

$85 San Juan Island Adventure Cruise

Our San Juan Island Adventure Cruise includes free passage to Victoria for those departing from and returning to Port Angeles as they travel to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Travelers can make this a day cruise or a weekend adventure by adding an overnight hotel reservation for Victoria or Friday Harbor.

Many passengers bring binoculars and scan the horizon for interesting birds, porpoises, seals and whales. When whales are spotted, our captain makes a point to announce to the passengers the location and type of whales and is even known to slow down to allow a better view before continuing to Friday Harbor.

There is great coffee and delicious snacks on board, making the experience that much better. Sit back, take in the views, and enjoy the company of friends and family during our Scenic Day Cruise to San Juan Island - the best possible way to travel there.

We dock in Friday Harbor just in time for lunch. Passengers have a good three hours in which to explore the island before heading back to Victoria and Port Angeles. Some choose to have a* leisurely lunch at one of Friday Harbor's restaurants just across the street from the ferry landing and then explore the shops of town. Others head to the Whale Museum and the San Juan Historical Museum. Still others crave more movement and fresh air - and they head to Susie's Mopeds.

Susie's Mopeds has been helping visitors transport themselves around San Juan Island for nearly 25 years. These days, they offer mopeds, cars, and unique scootcars - which allow the mobility and freedom of a moped but seat two. All of their vehicles are fun to drive.

With this type of transportation, it is easy to explore the island. Take a tour around it, stopping in Roche Harbor for a bit of refreshment before looping around and heading back to Friday Harbor. There are numerous country roads just waiting for you.

The Scenic Day Cruise to San Juan Island is just that - a day cruise. We'll have you back in time for dinner in Victoria or Port Angeles. There are a variety of ways you can explore both Victoria and Friday Harbor with our San Juan Island Cruise.

Residents of Vancouver Island traveling to San Juan Island may take advantage of our 2010 Sidekick Special - buy one ticket and get one at half price. Call or email for more information: 360-452-8088 from the US, 250-361-9144 from Canada - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it    Be sure to bring proper ID.

Photo compliments of Susie's Mopeds.

The Pacific Northwest is known for many things; Microsoft and Starbucks. Salmon. Kurt Cobain and Grunge. Rain. Most people who have never visited the region can tell you this much.

Ah, but anyone who has ever been to the Pacific Northwest will also speak of mirroring mountain ranges, snow capped volcanoes, large bodies of water, islands and ferries. They'll tell you that when it was gray they felt downcast and compelled to drink espresso, and when the skies cleared, they were floored by the mountain views.

It is practically an obligation for travelers to the Pacific Northwest to hop on a boat and head to an island. It's fun for residents, as well.

With this in mind, we heartily suggest a Scenic Day Cruise to San Juan Island aboard the Victoria Express ferry to Friday Harbor.

Our Friday Harbor sailings start next week. Be among the first to leave the car behind and enjoy a relaxing, scenic trip across the Salish Sea.

Friday, June 25, 2010, we depart from Victoria at 9:30. Ride up for the day, just for the island views. If you can resist having too many snacks on board the passenger ferry to Friday Harbor, you'll have a good appetite when you arrive. Stretch your legs a bit in town and visit the museum, art galleries and shops, then pick a spot for lunch in Friday Harbor.

Try the San Juan Brewing Company, just steps from the passenger ferry. The food is good and the beer is great. Take in great views of the harbor while lunching at The Place. Tuck into a plate of tasty lamb at Mahoula Restaurant.

Make your reservation for the passenger ferry to Friday Harbor today. If you are a resident of Vancouver Island you can take advantage of our 2010 "SideKick Special" - buy one ticket, and get a second ticket at half price.

For more information about travel between Victoria and Friday Harbor, call Victoria Express at 360-452-8088 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Travel between the United States and Canada requires a passport or enhanced driver's license.

Victoria Dragon Boat Festival

Each year, on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese year, Chinese communities all over the world celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. The exact origins of the festival are vague. One theory is that it was to somehow ward off evil on the most evil day of the most evil month of the calendar in ancient Chinese society. At some point during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), the festival became a commemoration of Qu Yuan, a wise man who served the Emperor Huai and fought against corruption. The wise Qu Yuan flung himself into the Miluo River upon learning that his country, the Chu State, had been defeated by the Qin State. Legend has it that fisherman took to their boats in an effort to find him, and then threw zongzi (wrapped rice dumplings) and other food into the river so that the fish would not touch his body. According to the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival website, “in the centuries since his suicide, people have commemorated Qu Yuan by recreating the circumstances of his tragic death. They race dragon boats and eat zongzi every year on the anniversary of his death – the fifth day of the fifth month.”

This year, the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival will be August 14 – 16. The festival will start in the Inner Harbor on Friday the 14th with the “awakening of the dragon” ceremony, performed by priests from the Ching Chung Taoist Church. This is an essential part of the festival, for the dragons cannot race unless their spirits are awakened. All people are welcome to watch the priests cleanse and bless the arena and ultimately awaken the spirits of the dragons by painting on red “eyes.”

Races will take place Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm in Victoria’s Inner Harbor. Ninety teams from across North America will race 500-metres, from Laurel Point to the Royal London Wax Museum. If you have never seen dragon boat races before, you will be delighted and amazed by the colorful boats and the skill of the paddlers. In addition to the races, a variety of vendors and all sorts of entertainment will be on land, including a Kids Tent. This is definitely an event that is fun for the whole family.

Taking the passenger ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, or the passenger ferry from Friday Harbor to Victoria, is a great way to travel to see the festival. You may be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the races while on board the Victoria Express.

“Dragon boat races are now held worldwide, and the ideals of Qu Yuan are still honoured – through Taoist ceremonies, the spirit of the paddlers, and the invitation and involvement of the local community. Through the festival’s many activities, people are reminded of the importance of loyalty and commitment to the community.” (Festival website)