Delta travel guide
Reifel bird sanctuary, Boundary Bay tidal flats and the Tsawwassen ferry
A mostly rural slice of Greater Vancouver south of the Fraser, with a busy bird sanctuary, tidal flats at Boundary Bay, Burns Bog and the ferry terminal for Victoria and the Gulf Islands. Birders come in autumn and winter, beach walkers from April to September. One day is enough unless you are catching a ferry. Prices are very high, and visa-exempt air arrivals need an eTA.
Delta fills the flat farmland south of the Fraser River's south arm, running down to the US border at Boundary Bay. It is really three places: North Delta, the old fishing and farming town of Ladner, and Tsawwassen at the BC Ferries terminal.
Birds are the reason most visitors come. Delta often records the most species in the annual bird count, and the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island puts you close to ducks, herons and sandhill cranes; reservations are required. At Boundary Bay Regional Park the tide drains out so far that you can walk a long way across wet sand into the bay, and the shoreline is a major stop on the Pacific Flyway.
For something stranger, the boardwalk at the Delta Nature Reserve leads into Burns Bog, the largest raised peat bog in Canada and mostly closed to the public. Ladner's small waterfront has a pub on Chisholm Street, and Angel Estate, Delta's first winery, sits on Westham Island near the sanctuary.
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A bird sanctuary, wide tidal flats, a raised peat bog and a couple of small wineries.
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Best time to visit Delta
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Rain drops to about 30mm a month in July and August and highs reach 22C, the window for long walks on the Boundary Bay flats and the Reifel trails.
November alone brings around 145mm of rain, but this is peak time for migrating waterfowl, including flocks of snow geese at Reifel.
Highs of 14C to 17C and shorebirds moving up the Pacific Flyway along Boundary Bay.
In summer BC Ferries adds extra Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay sailings, but car decks still fill on holiday weekends, so reserve a space.
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Getting there
George Massey Tunnel, the Tsawwassen terminal and the 56th Street crossing
Reach Delta from Vancouver International Airport, just north in Richmond, by driving Highway 99 south through the George Massey Tunnel under the Fraser River; Ladner is minutes beyond it. BC Ferries sail from the Tsawwassen terminal, and the 56th Street crossing leads to Point Roberts in Washington State. Without a car, ride the Canada Line SkyTrain from the airport to Bridgeport, then change to TransLink bus 620, which runs down Highway 99 to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Highway 99 also continues south to the US border, where it becomes Interstate 5, and Highway 10 heads east into Surrey.
- Swartz Bay ferry
- About 1 hour 35 minutes to the terminal near Victoria, with sailings through the day and extra departures in summer; check the current BC Ferries timetable
- Duke Point ferry
- About 2 hours to Nanaimo, several sailings a day
- Southern Gulf Islands
- Sailings to Galiano (about 55 minutes), Mayne, Pender, Saturna and Salt Spring, some needing a transfer
- Boundary Bay crossing
- Open 24 hours at 56th Street in Tsawwassen, the only land route into Point Roberts, Washington
- Allow extra time for the Massey Tunnel at rush hour, especially if you are heading for a booked sailing.
Where to stay
Tsawwassen, Beach Grove or Ladner village
Stay in Delta for an early ferry, a dawn session with the birds or quick access to the rest of Metro Vancouver. The few places to stay are low-key: Tsawwassen is closest to the ferry terminal, Beach Grove sits by Boundary Bay, and Ladner village is nearest the Reifel sanctuary.
- Tsawwassen
- The Coast Tsawwassen Inn on 56 Street is a few minutes from the ferry causeway and the Point Roberts border; quiet in the evening
- Beach Grove
- The Beach Grove Motel on 12 Avenue sits near the Boundary Bay shore, with pet-friendly rooms and a coin laundry, but you need a car for meals
- Ladner
- The old village by the river has the pub and restaurants and the shortest drive to Reifel on Westham Island, though beds are scarce
- North Delta
- Suburban, but close to Burns Bog and to SkyTrain in neighbouring Surrey for trips into Vancouver
Getting around
Massey Tunnel, Alex Fraser Bridge and TransLink buses
Drive in Delta, a flat, spread-out city built around three highways. The George Massey Tunnel links Ladner with Richmond, the Alex Fraser Bridge connects North Delta with New Westminster and Richmond, and TransLink buses cover all three communities more slowly. TransLink buses cover all three communities, but there is no rapid transit in Delta itself; the SkyTrain in Surrey comes within about 3 km of the city line. Fares work across the whole TransLink network: tap a Compass Card, a Compass Ticket, or a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Amex or a phone wallet at the reader.
- Car
- The practical way between Ladner, Westham Island, Boundary Bay and the Burns Bog boardwalk
- TransLink buses
- Serve North Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen, with connections to SkyTrain at Bridgeport and in Surrey
- Bike
- The roads and dykes are pancake-flat, good riding around Ladner and Boundary Bay, but bikes are not allowed inside Reifel
- Tap your fare card at the reader when you board each bus.
Know before you go
What makes Delta worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Sandhill cranes at the Reifel sanctuary, wandering the paths among the ducks.
- Low tide at Centennial Beach, when Boundary Bay drains and you can walk far out on wet sand.
- The Burns Bog boardwalk, a rare walk into Canada's largest raised peat bog.
Good to know
- Book Reifel ahead: the sanctuary needs reservations and does not allow dogs or bicycles.
- Point Roberts is in the United States, so carry a passport even for a short drive across the 56th Street crossing.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Delta, month by month
Delta is one of the sunnier corners of Metro Vancouver, though winters are still wet.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Delta (Environment and Climate Change Canada, via Wikipedia).
The Reifel sanctuary, Centennial Beach and Burns Bog for birdwatchers
Birds and bog fill a Delta day. Book a slot at the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island, closed on Mondays and bookable three days ahead, and walk its slough and dyke loop in the morning. In the afternoon walk the tidal flats at Centennial Beach and the Burns Bog boardwalk.
Morning is for birds. Book a slot at the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, which is closed on Mondays and takes bookings from three days ahead, and drive through Ladner and over the little bridge onto Westham Island. Bring binoculars and walk the loop along the sloughs and dykes: ducks crowd the ponds, herons stand in the shallows, and sandhill cranes often wander right up to the paths. From October the snow geese arrive in their thousands. Dogs and bikes stay outside.
On the way back, stop at Angel Estate on Westham Island Road for a tasting, then have lunch in Ladner village by the river.
Afternoon: cross to Boundary Bay Regional Park and check the tide table before you go. At low water the bay empties so far that you can walk out from Centennial Beach across ribbed sand and shallow pools, with the Pacific Flyway shorebirds working the edges. Late in the day, drive north to the Delta Nature Reserve, entered from the east side of the Planet Ice complex at the end of Nordel Court, and follow the raised boardwalk into Burns Bog, among the stunted pines and sphagnum of the one corner of Canada's largest raised bog open to visitors. If you have an evening ferry, Tsawwassen is about half an hour south.
Burgers beside the Boundary Bay apron and pints on Chisholm Street
Delta has a handful of places with character. The SkyHawk Restaurant inside the Boundary Bay Airport terminal looks straight onto the apron, so you watch small planes taxi past over breakfast, a burger or steak, and the pubs on Chisholm Street in Ladner village pour local beer.
The oddest is the SkyHawk Restaurant inside the terminal at Boundary Bay Airport, a busy general-aviation field. Tables look straight onto the apron, so you watch small planes taxi past while you eat breakfast, a burger, steak, pasta or one of the Asian dishes; the patio is the place to be on a sunny day. Pilots fly in for lunch, and local families book it for birthdays.
In Ladner, Speed's Neighborhood Pub on Chisholm Street sits on the water and serves straightforward pub food at fair prices, a good stop after Reifel. Primrose, a Mediterranean restaurant on Highway 17A at the edge of Ladner, is the alternative for a sit-down dinner. Down in Tsawwassen, Pat Quinn's on Springs Boulevard does pizza, pasta, steak and seafood.
Wine is the local surprise. Angel Estate on Westham Island was Delta's first winery and pours tastings, and Wellbrook Winery on 88th Street keeps an old-farm feel from around 1900. In summer, look out for the farm stands that open along the lowland roads between them.
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How we research our Delta travel guide
Reifel booking rules, BC Ferries schedules and Massey Tunnel works are checked against the City of Delta and the operators; Destination Canada and the eTA page cover entry.
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Checked against trusted sources:
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Delta.
Booking
Yes. All visitors need a reservation, bookable from three days ahead until 8am on the day. The sanctuary is closed on Mondays, and dogs are not allowed, even left in the car park.
Timing & weather
In autumn, usually from October, and large flocks stay through the winter. Spring migration in April and May brings a second wave of birds along Boundary Bay.
The best time to visit Delta is Apr to Sep. Dry weather for Boundary Bay's tidal flats and the sanctuary trails, with spring migration in April and May.
- Best overall: April - September (Rain drops to about 30mm a month in July and August and highs reach 22C, the window for long walks on the Boundary Bay flats and the Reifel trails)
- Autumn and winter: October - March (November alone brings around 145mm of rain, but this is peak time for migrating waterfowl, including flocks of snow geese at Reifel)
- Spring migration: April - May (Highs of 14C to 17C and shorebirds moving up the Pacific Flyway along Boundary Bay)
July is the warmest month in Delta, with average highs of 22°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 3°C. November is the wettest month, at about 145 mm of rain; August is the driest. Delta is one of the sunnier corners of Metro Vancouver, though winters are still wet.
Getting there
About 1 hour 35 minutes to Swartz Bay, north of Victoria. Sailings run through the day, with more departures in summer; check the BC Ferries timetable for your date.
The Expo Line stations just over the line in Surrey, within about 3 km of the boundary. Delta has no rapid transit of its own, so connect by TransLink bus.
Through the Boundary Bay border crossing at 56th Street in Tsawwassen, open 24 hours. Point Roberts is a tip of Washington State normally reached only through Canada.
Take the Canada Line to Bridgeport station and change to TransLink bus 620, which runs to the terminal. Allow over an hour in total.
General
At low tide, yes. The water retreats a long way from Centennial Beach, leaving wet sand and ankle-deep pools to wade through.
The largest raised peat bog in Canada. Most of it is protected and closed, but the Delta Nature Reserve boardwalk lets you walk into one section.
North Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen. Ladner is the old village centre, and Tsawwassen has the ferry terminal.
At Angel Estate on Westham Island Road, Delta's first winery, a few minutes from the bird sanctuary. Wellbrook Winery on 88th Street is the other local tasting room.
Drive in Delta, a flat, spread-out city built around three highways. The George Massey Tunnel links Ladner with Richmond, the Alex Fraser Bridge connects North Delta with New Westminster and Richmond, and TransLink buses cover all three communities more slowly. TransLink buses cover all three communities, but there is no rapid transit in Delta itself; the SkyTrain in Surrey comes within about 3 km of the city line.
Visa & documents
Visa-exempt travelers, including citizens of the UK, the EU and Australia, need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or through Canada. US citizens need only a passport. Other nationalities need a visitor visa.
Health & safety
Canada's main risks are natural: wildlife, summer wildfires and extreme winter cold. Store food properly in bear country, check wildfire and road conditions before summer drives, and carry winter gear when driving in snow. Call 911 for police, fire or ambulance anywhere in the country.
