MadisonLao

My husband and I along with our 6 month old baby girl will be flying to Seattle on 7/30. Our itinerary is below. Need suggestions on best way to get from one place to the next. We plan to rent a car in Seattle and take the ferry with the car from Seattle to Victoria, then Vancouver back to Seattle. Is the schedule too tight to enjoy all the sites? Any other recommendations on where to go?

7/30 - Arrive in Seattle in the AM, explore Seattle (Pike Place, Space Needle)
7/31 - Explore Seattle (Chinatown) and head to Victoria in the PM
8/1 - Explore Victoria (Butchart Gardens and what else??)
8/2AM - Drive to Richmond/Vancouver area (Kuan Yin Temple, Chinatown/Richmond Night Market)
8/3PM - Ferry/Drive back to Seattle from Vancouver
8/4 - Home sweet home

Thank you.
Madison

April

There is no car ferry from Seattle to Victoria. Either you have to forget the car or drive up to Port Angeles, Anacortes which has a very limited ferry schedule, or cross the border to Tsawwassen.

No ferry is involved in getting from Vancouver to Seattle.

Just to get from downtown Victoria to downtown Vancouver by ferry and car takes several hours. I think you should drop a city or two from this plan.

NWWanderer

Yes, it's at least a 5 hour trip via car ferry traveling from Seattle to Victoria via one of the 3 car ferry routes outlined by April, more like 6-7 hours with ferry waiting time, etc.

taggie

The Richmond Night Market really isn't that great. But I can see you are focussed on Chinese sights while you are here ... so maybe you will find it worthwile. It is interesting to see the food vendors and sample their wares, but the stuff for sale isn't impressive.

Vancouver has so many great things to see and activities it's a shame you aren't allowing more time.

And there's much more to see in Victoria than Butchart Gardens. Strolling the harbour area and the BC Museum are both interesting activities.

rockinrobin

On a recent thread it was noted that Butchart gardens can be viewed in the afternoon and evening when the lights illuminate it, that it's better than spending a whole day seeing it. I'd do the BC Royal Museum in the morning, walk around, and go to the gardens in the late afternoon and evening.