Sidney · ~25 km north of downtown Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC · Canada · CAD

Victoria International Airport (YYJ) — Airport Guide 2026

Victoria International is the airport for British Columbia’s provincial capital — a city built around an Inner Harbour, visibly proud of its British heritage, and separated from the airport by a 25 km stretch of the Saanich Peninsula that will test your patience or your budget depending on how you choose to cover it.

Quick Reference

IATA / ICAO
YYJ / CYYJ

Location
Sidney, ~25 km north of downtown Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC

Terminal
One

Bus to downtown
BC Transit 88 → McTavish Exchange, transfer to route 72 → downtown; ~1 hr total; ~CAD $2.50 (transfers included)

Taxi / rideshare
~CAD $55–65; ~30 min

Rail to centre
None — no rail on Vancouver Island

Currency
Canadian dollar (CAD; roughly US$0.73 / €0.68)

Border
Canada — CBSA; eTA required for visa-exempt air arrivals (CAD $7); US citizens exempt

Lounges
None

Dominant carriers
Air Canada, WestJet; also Pacific Coastal, Flair

🏢 The Airport

Victoria International sits in Sidney, not Victoria. That distinction matters because it is 25 km from the Inner Harbour, which makes the taxi expensive and the bus slow — neither outcome is avoidable. The terminal is a single building, calm by the standards of any major Canadian city airport, and genuinely easy to move through. Security lines are short; the concessions are ordinary. The schedule is domestic-heavy: Air Canada and WestJet run Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and seasonal sun routes, while Pacific Coastal and Flair cover regional and Island connections. No single carrier hubs here.

🛂 Border & Entry

Canada runs its own entry system — not American, not European.

⚠️ eTA required for most visa-exempt arrivals
If you hold a British, EU, Japanese, Australian, or similar visa-exempt passport, you need a Canadian Electronic Travel Authorisation before you fly. Cost: CAD $7. Apply online before your trip. US citizens and US permanent residents are exempt. The eTA is only required for air arrivals — not by land or sea.

Clearing into Canada at YYJ goes through the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Most international arrivals now use Primary Inspection Kiosks or the digital pre-clearance declaration via the ArriveCAN-successor app. If you have NEXUS or Global Entry, it applies here. Visa-required nationals need a Canadian visitor visa arranged well in advance — the eTA is not a substitute.

The currency is the Canadian dollar. At current rates that is roughly US$0.73 or €0.68 to the Canadian dollar.

🚌 Getting Into Victoria

🚌 BC Transit — ~CAD $2.50, ~1 hour
Route 88 from the terminal to McTavish Exchange takes about five minutes. Transfer there to route 72, which runs into downtown Victoria in roughly 48 minutes. Standard BC Transit fare covers the transfer within the time limit. A day pass costs more and is only worth it if you plan to keep riding. Cheap but it requires two buses and time you may not have.

🚕 Taxi / Rideshare — ~CAD $55–65, ~30 min
The distance is real: 25 km from Sidney to the Inner Harbour. Expect $55–65 regardless of which option you take. It is not a quick cab hop.

Private door-to-door airport shuttle services also operate to Victoria hotels. Check current operators and verify fares before you rely on one — availability and pricing shift seasonally.

There is no rail on Vancouver Island, so those three options are the entire menu.

🛋️ Lounges

Victoria International has no airport lounges — no Priority Pass lounge, no Plaza Premium, no Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge. If a pre-flight lounge matters to your journey, YYJ cannot help you. The general gate areas are pleasant, with the usual coffee and food concessions before and after security, and that is the full offer.

⚠️ No lounges at YYJ — full stop
Priority Pass no longer covers Plaza Premium lounges anywhere, and Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounges are not on Priority Pass. Both facts are irrelevant here because there are no lounges of any kind at Victoria. Do not book a connection expecting one.

🍽️ Food Before You Fly

The Saanich Peninsula — where the airport sits — leans hard into local produce. Pacific salmon (wild sockeye and spring are the ones worth eating) and spot prawns in season are the regional argument for arriving hungry. The area has a strong farm-to-table scene tied to Peninsula farms, small-batch coffee roasters, and cideries.

Victoria’s British heritage is most visible in its afternoon tea tradition; the Fairmont Empress hotel on the Inner Harbour is the famous venue for it, though you will need to be in the city rather than the airport to find it.

For the carry-home: smoked salmon or Island sea salt.

Prices are in Canadian dollars. Tipping is expected at 15–20%. A 5% federal GST plus BC’s provincial taxes are added at the till on top of menu prices.

💡 Layover Reality: Butchart Gardens vs. Downtown

The layover geography here is counterintuitive, and it’s worth spelling out clearly.

🌷 Butchart Gardens — ~15 min from the airport
The 22-hectare display gardens at Brentwood Bay — built in a former limestone quarry — are the closest notable destination to YYJ. A taxi there takes roughly 15 minutes. A three-to-four-hour layover can accommodate a visit with a return buffer, provided you check the seasonal opening hours and the entry fee before you go.

🏛️ Downtown Victoria — ~1 hour each way
The Inner Harbour, the Fairmont Empress, and the BC Parliament Buildings are about an hour from the airport via two BC Transit buses, or a CAD $55–65 cab ride. Add the return trip, and downtown realistically requires a five-hour-plus layover to be worth attempting.

Under three hours: stay airside. Between three and four hours: Butchart Gardens is the viable move, not the city. Five hours or more: downtown is open.

🧭 Practical Notes

Reduced-mobility assistance is free — arrange it through your airline before you travel, not at the airport.
The eTA costs CAD $7 and must be applied for online before departure — if you are visa-exempt and flying in, sort this first.
The airport is in Sidney, not Victoria. Every ground transport option involves covering that 25 km.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get from Victoria Airport to downtown Victoria? +

BC Transit route 88 runs from the terminal to McTavish Exchange in about five minutes; transfer there to route 72 for the roughly 48-minute run into downtown. Total: about one hour, for a standard fare of around CAD $2.50 (transfers included within the time limit) or a day pass. A taxi or rideshare covers the 25 km in about 30 minutes for approximately CAD $55–65.

Do I need a visa or eTA to fly into Victoria? +

Most visa-exempt nationals — UK, EU, Japan, Australia, and others — need a Canadian eTA (Electronic Travel Authorisation), applied for online before departure. The fee is CAD $7. US citizens and US permanent residents are exempt. Visa-required nationals need a Canadian visitor visa arranged in advance; the eTA does not substitute for it. The eTA is required only for air arrivals, not by land or sea.

Is there a lounge at Victoria Airport? +

No. Victoria International has no airport lounges of any kind — no Priority Pass lounge, no Plaza Premium, no Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge. The gate areas have standard coffee and food concessions.

Is there a train from Victoria Airport to the city? +

No. There is no rail service on Vancouver Island. The options into Victoria are BC Transit (two buses, about one hour), a private airport shuttle, a taxi, or a rideshare.

Can I visit somewhere on a layover at YYJ? +

The Butchart Gardens at Brentwood Bay are about 15 minutes from the airport by taxi — a three-to-four-hour layover can cover a visit with time to return and clear security, provided you check current seasonal hours and the entry fee before you go. The 22-hectare gardens occupy a former limestone quarry. Downtown Victoria is about an hour each way — two buses or a CAD $55–65 cab — and needs a five-hour-plus layover to be realistic. Under three hours, stay airside.

What currency is used in Victoria? +

The Canadian dollar (CAD). At current rates, roughly US$0.73 or €0.68 to the dollar. Tipping 15–20% is expected. A 5% federal GST plus BC’s provincial taxes are added at the till on top of marked prices.

Which airlines fly from Victoria Airport? +

Air Canada and WestJet operate the bulk of the schedule — the short hop to Vancouver, plus Toronto, Calgary, and seasonal sun destinations. Pacific Coastal and Flair cover regional and Island connections. No single carrier hubs at YYJ.

What should I eat in Victoria or at the airport? +

Pacific salmon — wild sockeye and spring — and spot prawns in season are the regional speciality. The Saanich Peninsula around the airport has small-batch coffee roasters and a farm-to-table scene. For a carry-home, smoked salmon or Island sea salt. Downtown Victoria is known for afternoon tea; the Fairmont Empress on the Inner Harbour is the famous venue for it.

How far is Victoria Airport from downtown Victoria? +

About 25 km — the airport is in Sidney, on the Saanich Peninsula, not in the city. That distance is what makes the taxi expensive (~CAD $55–65) and the bus slow (~one hour, two transfers).

What are the CBSA border procedures at YYJ? +

International arrivals clear through the Canada Border Services Agency. Most travellers use Primary Inspection Kiosks or the digital pre-clearance declaration via the ArriveCAN-successor app. NEXUS and Global Entry apply to eligible travellers. Visa-exempt nationals need a CAD $7 eTA; visa-required nationals need a Canadian visitor visa arranged before travel.

📊 At a glance — YYJ 2026

Feature	Current data (2026)
Official name	Victoria International Airport
IATA / ICAO	YYJ / CYYJ
Location	Sidney, ~25 km north of downtown Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC
Terminals	One
Rail to centre	None — no rail on Vancouver Island
Bus to centre	BC Transit 88 → McTavish Exchange + route 72 → downtown; ~1 hr; ~CAD $2.50
Taxi / rideshare	~CAD $55–65; ~30 min
Currency	Canadian dollar (CAD; ~US$0.73 / €0.68)
Entry requirement	Canada — CBSA; eTA (CAD $7) for visa-exempt air arrivals; US citizens exempt
Lounges	None
Dominant carriers	Air Canada, WestJet; also Pacific Coastal, Flair
Best layover move	Taxi to Butchart Gardens at Brentwood Bay (~15 min; 3–4 hr layover); downtown Victoria requires 5 hr+