The quickest and easiest way to get to Telegraph Cove is to fly into Port Hardy airport (YZT) and take a taxi to Telegraph Cove. Pacific Coastal Airlines has scheduled flights leaving from the South Terminal at Vancouver International airport (YVR). If you book early you can get a round trip flight for around $300 CAD. This scenic flight is certainly part of the adventure in getting to Orca Dreams!
Pacific Coastal Airlines offers an extended summer schedule in addition to their regular flights. Contact their website to book, or call 1-800-663-2872 for more information.Rainbow taxi: Call 250-956-8294
Town taxi: Call 250-949-7877
Travelling by car from Vancouver to Telegraph Cove takes the better part of a day. It’s a wonderful trip beginning with a scenic ferry ride from Tsawassen or Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo. Driving from Nanaimo to Telegraph Cove takes about 4.5 hours via the Inland Island Highway 19. An alternate route from Nanaimo to Campbell River is the two lane Oceanside Highway 19a. Highway 19a joins with 19 at Campbell River and continues as the North Island Route.
Go to the BC Ferries website for Tsawassen and Horseshoe Bay schedules. As summer is BCF’s busiest season you may want to reserve your sailing online.
Most major car rental companies offer onsite rentals at the Vancouver airport.
To get to Telegraph Cove from Vancouver Airport by public transit, your trip begins early on the Canada Line train from the airport to the downtown Vancouver Greyhound Terminal At the Greyhound Terminal, you board the Nanaimo bus which takes you on the Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) ferry, a trip of about 1.5 hours. You debark the ferry on the bus and transfer to a northbound bus at the Nanaimo Bus Terminal and continue up to Port McNeill, arriving around 4:30pm. From Port McNeill a 20-minute taxi ride (about $40) gets you to Telegraph Cove and the start of your trip with Orca Dreams.
You may want to split your travel into two days by going to Campbell River on the first day, then from Campbell River to Port McNeill on the second. There is only one bus daily from Campbell River to Port McNeill, so be sure to check the schedule!
Rainbow taxi: Call 250-956-8294
Greyhound
Website www.greyhound.ca
Grey Hound Call 1-800-661-8747
Grey Hound Vancouver Call 1-604-482-8742
There are no direct flights to Port Hardy from Victoria or Nanaimo. Air travel is via Vancouver International Airport.
The drive from Victoria to Nanaimo takes about 1.5 hrs on Trans Canada Highway 1, and from Nanaimo to Telegraph Cove a further 4.5 hrs on Island Highway 19. The stretch from Campbell River to Port Hardy is known as the North Island Route. This double lane highway is especially scenic, featuring jagged mountains, expansive forests, and frequent wildlife sightings.
About 72 km north of Woss and 10 km south of Port McNeill, turn right onto Beaver Cove Road and then left onto Telegraph Cove Road. After about 15 km you’ll come to the Telegraph Cove boardwalk and our kiosk. Secure parking is close by.
Greyhound offers service from Victoria and Nanaimo to Port McNeill on Vancouver Island. One bus a day makes the full trip to Port McNeill, so be sure of your connections! From Port McNeill a 20-minute taxi ride (about $40) will get you to Telegraph Cove and our kiosk at the end of the boardwalk.
GreyhoundRainbow taxi: Call 250-956-8294
There are two sea plane companies offering scheduled service from the Seattle area directly to Port McNeill. This is by far the most spectacular way to get to our camp. It does cost more, but for many of our visitors it’s a once in a lifetime experience.
Kenmore Air (Lake Washinton location) runs scheduled flights from Kenmore (just north of Seattle) to Port McNeill regularly throughout the summer. Call 866-435-9524 or 425-486-1257
Northwest Seaplanes runs scheduled flights from Kenmore (just north of Seattle) to Port McNeill regularly throughout the summer. Call 1-800-690-0086 or 1-425-277-1590
From Port McNeill a 20-minute taxi ride (about $40) will get you to Telegraph Cove./p>
Rainbow taxi: Call 250-956-8294
Option 1: Driving from Seattle to Telegraph Cove takes about 10 hrs, so you may want to make it a two day trip. Spending your first day in Victoria is time well spent. A visit to the Royal Victoria museum is a great way to learn more about First Nations culture and the natural history of British Columbia.
For the shortest route from Seattle to Telegraph Cove, drive north to the Canadian border and then to the Tsawassen Ferry Terminal, bypassing the city of Vancouver. Take BC Ferries to Duke Point in Nanaimo, then drive north about 4.5 hrs to Telegraph Cove. If you want to visit Victoria, take BC Ferries to Swartz Bay instead. (This adds several hours to the trip, of course, and you’ll drive from Victoria north on Trans Canada 1 and Island Highway 19 to Telegraph Cove.)
Option 2: Drive from Seattle to Anacortes and take Washington State Ferries through the San Juan Islands to Victoria.
Option 3: Drive to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula and take the Coho ferry to Victoria.
A passenger-only ferry, the Victoria Clipper, also runs between Seattle and Victoria.
BC ferries
Web site: http://www.bcferries.com
Call: 1-250-753-1261
Washinton state ferries
Web site: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/
Call: 1-888-808-7977
Coho ferry
Web site: www.cohoferry.com
Quick Shuttle Service Provides regular transportation between Seattle Airport and downtown Vancouver, from airports to city centres. 1-800-665-2122.
Grayline of Seattle From Seattle Airport to downtown Seattle (to meet ferry to Victoria). 1-206-624-507.
US Greyhound Service between downtown Seattle and downtown Vancouver. 1-800-231-2222
Bellingham Airporter Service
Service between Seattle Airport and Anacortes Ferry (to Victoria). 1-800-423-4219.
We meet in the small town of Telegraph Cove. If you are flying in from overseas you’ll need to get a connecting flight from Vancouver to Port Hardy, BC.
How to get to Telegraph Cove:
Fly to Vancouver, BC (Canada).
Fly from Vancouver to Port Hardy, BC on the north end of Vancouver Island. Pacific Coastal Airlines offers service between Vancouver airport (YVR) and Port Hardy airport (YZT).
From Port Hardy take a taxi to Telegraph Cove, about 45 minutes from the airport.
We recommend you allow at least two hours between connecting flights in Vancouver.
Pacific Coastal Airlines Pacific Coastal offers an extended summer schedule, featuring many more flights to and from Port Hardy than they do in the off-season. Contact them directly for more information. Call 1-800-663-2872Rainbow taxi: Call 250-956-8294
Town taxi: Call 250-949-7877
