Sailing the Inside Passage Ferry Route in BC
Every year, hundreds of tourist take this famous trip through the remote fjords of British Columbia. The Inside Passage Ferry trip is a long ferry trip, which takes you from the remote Northern town of Port Hardy (on Vancouver Island) to Prince Rupert. The trip takes you through wild, narrow fjords, were you can view marine wildlife such as whales, seals and more, lighthouses and first Nations settlements.
Early morning in Port Hardy
The main draw of this trip is the wildlife and remoteness of the area which the ship sails through, and access to the Northerly port of Prince Rupert which is a gateway to Alaska and the Canadian North. Prince Rupert is a busy port and fishing and tourist town, and itself is serviced by several Alaskan ferry and cruise ships.
The ferry route from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert shown.
Great wildlife viewing, at your leisure, enjoyed in the sunshine (hopefully!) on the deck of the ship.
A pod of orcas (killer whales)
It’s not a cheap trip. With the vehicle, a truck or car, two passengers the trip cost around $800. You can reserve a cabin as well for an additional $120, which is well worth the additional cost. Once you’ve already spent so much – why not just go all the way and splurge on the cabin?
You’re on the ferry for a full 17 hours, and vehicle access is restricted during most of the voyage. It’s very convenient to have this cabin, as you may want to sleep in the morning, and it’s nice to have a place to put your things for the day. Also, the room comes with a full bathroom with a shower, and it’s very convenient.
The view from the cabin.
What to do on the ship
Aside from enjoying the view, there is also an outdoor BBQ around lunchtime, weather permitting. You can lounge on the chairs in the sun and read a book, or go indoors and watch a movie. They usually play two movies during the voyage.
There is a gift shop with a great book selection and there are a couple of restaurants. We tried the buffet for the evening dinner, and were really impressed with the quality of food available. It was a bit pricey but the food was excellent, and well worth it.
A common sight on the trip. We believe this is a humpback whale.
Stops
The ship only stops once at Bella Bella. This is remote Native village that is on an island. You can choose to take the ferry to Bella Bella, it’s a great base for kayaking.
The port of Bella Bella
Go the distance
The trip covers a distance of 274 nautical miles. With a max speed of 20 knots on this big boat (the Northern Expedition) it takes 17 hours to cover this distance. The ship leaves at 7:30 am and docks at around 11:30 pm of the same day. Check in is at 5:30 – they are quite strict about check in – so if you don’t make the check in by 6:00 am they can give your reservation to someone else and/or cancel your sailing, and keeping your money!
The inside passage route takes you from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert.
The check-in process seems rather inefficient and time consuming. Once you arrive, they sign you in after which you have to stand in a line up of cars going up to the final booth, idling your car, as you struggle not to fall back asleep. This usually lasts over an hour. It looks like this process is being analyzed and will be replaced by a more efficient check in process. You’re on the ferry before 7 am.
About to go in the mouth of the ship.
Why go?
Taking the inside passage is a great way to see much of Canada’s remote western coastline, and is also a great way to see wildlife such as whales, dolphins and seals. It can also be a more interesting way of traveling up the coast if you’re headed north. If you’re headed to Alaska or the Yukon, you can save some driving by taking this ferry to Prince Rupert, and head north from there on the Cassiar highway or Alaska highway. Or, you can catch a ferry to Alaska from Prince Rupert, as the port is serviced by all of the cruise and Alaskan ferry companies.
When to go
Ferry service runs year round, but he day trip is offered only in the summer, and usually runs through until mid September. It starts in mid-June. Fall and winter service is only on Saturdays, and runs overnight. The best time to take the ferry would be in the summer, as days are longest and the sea is the most calm. Occasional swell on the Hecate Strait can be quite nauseating – and we even found this in August to be a bit much at times. The day we took the ferry the seas were high and heavy – big enough to toss the gigantic Northern Expedition ship around, and for the captain to close the outside deck until it settled down!
The rolling swell over the Hecate Strait made for a little bit of seasickness. This quickly went away once we crossed the strait.
But as you enter the passage, the ocean calms down and becomes amazingly still and flat.
Where to book
This trip is run by BC Ferries only. You can book this trip by calling BC Ferries to reserve your spot.
Where to stay prior to sailing or when you arrive
Use below links to find best deals on hotels in Port Hard and / or Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert Hotel Deals Finder
What to bring
Bring plenty of sunscreen and a hat. The reflection of the sun from the ocean can get you sunburnt quickly. Also bring a windbreaker or some sort of shell (such as gore-tex) to shield you from the wind. You may also want to bring an insulating layer, like a fleece or a hoody since the mornings can be cool.
Port Hardy has a very wild, remote ‘end of the world’ feel. Great sunsets!
It’s a trip that is definitely worth doing once. Because of the cost, it will be awhile until we make that trip again! It got us up North quickly, saved us a drive and kept us entertained with great scenery. This was a fun way to get to Prince Rupert since we needed to get there to get to Haida Gwaii, our next point of interest. Another 8 hour ferry ride!
Maybe next summer?
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