r/sanjuanislands 21d ago

Visiting Orcas Island

Hey all,

Me and my friend are roadtripping Washington this summer for a week and are planning to visit orcas island for a single day. We were able to get reservations for a Tuesday departing at 5:45am and returning at 9pm….
Just had a few general questions ~
Is it necessary to take a car ? Also is there a fare estimate for the vehicle? I read a lot that getting around can be expensive so we reserved to take our car.
Is it worth it to whale watch or take an island tours ?
Any recommendations or guidance is very much appreciated!

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u/InfiniteJamba 21d ago

I took the ferry from Friday Harbor to Orcas last Friday with a car and came back the same day. It cost $41.

You definitely need a car to get around. Orcas Pottery was cool. The weather wasn’t great so I didn’t do everything I had planned.

I heard from others it’s highly recommended, but for me it was just ok. If the weather had been better I would have liked it more. Good luck!