To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia
My bike and I are in
and we’d like to be in
.
We show what transit connections accept bikes. Check with the operator for prices, schedules, and reservations.
Same place twice. You’re already there, so enjoy the ride.
Good news: buses and ferries can carry you and your bike from Bowen Island to Lake Cowichan.
For scale
As the crow flies81 km
Biking whole way147 km · 7 h 37 m
By car138 km · 3 h 02 m
We found two ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.
🎒 Riding a coach? Most BC coach operators want your bike bagged or boxed. Our field note walks through packing it, including an inexpensive packable bike bag we like: How to bike-and-bus in BC ›
Note: Most carriers carry only a handful of bikes, and summer weekends fill up fast. Reserve where you can. Where you can't, go early or have a backup plan.
Option one · five legs
Full house: three city buses and two ferries.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Snug Cove (Bowen Island) →Horseshoe Bay3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayHorseshoe Bay →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎BC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / Doveror the 25 Ferry ShuttleDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange3.3 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch →Duncan46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit7 Cowichan LakeDuncan →South Shore Rd & King George (Lake Cowichan)27 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲You arrive at South Shore Rd & King George (Lake Cowichan).
Option two · five legs📅 seasonal
Two ferries, a coach bus, and two city buses.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Snug Cove (Bowen)Snug Cove (Bowen Island) →Horseshoe Bay3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚌Squamish ConnectorSquamish – VancouverHorseshoe Bay →Vancouver Canada Place16 kmBook aheadMax 2 bikes per tripSome buses have an outside rack — otherwise carried in the luggage hold$15 each wayNo e-bikes
Bikes welcome May to September; check schedule outside that window.
🚲Travel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)CXH (Vancouver) →Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
🚲Travel the short hop from Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 1.4 km.
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch →Duncan46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit7 Cowichan LakeDuncan →South Shore Rd & King George (Lake Cowichan)27 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲You arrive at South Shore Rd & King George (Lake Cowichan).
Route facts last checked July 2026. We check that every leg here carries bikes, but policies and seasons change. Check times and book with the operator. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Explore more
Heading back: Lake Cowichan to Bowen Island (best: bus + ferry)
Connections from Bowen Island: Sechelt (best: ferry + bus) · Pemberton (best: ferry + bus + carpool) · Enderby (best: ferry + bus) · Haida Gwaii (best: ferry + rental car)
Connections from Lake Cowichan: Thetis Island (best: bus + ferry) · Burnaby (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Princeton (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Bowen Island and Lake Cowichan