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, ferries and flights can carry you and your bike from Duncan (Cowichan Valley) to Tofino.
For scale
As the crow flies166 km
Biking whole way273 km · 17 h 06 m
By car257 km · 3 h 14 m
We found three ways to get you there.
🎒 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 · two legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
A shared ride helps bridge the gap.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 kmFront rack, no fee — 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only — lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 0.5 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
🚗PoparideHwy 4 rideshare (Nanaimo - Port Alberni - Ucluelet - Tofino)Downtown Nanaimo Exchange →Tofino (1st Street)143 kmOnly some rides take bikes — look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable — check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
🚲You arrive at Tofino (1st Street).
Option two · two legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
Same as Option one, but a carpool instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚗PoparideHwy 1 rideshare (Victoria - Duncan - Nanaimo)Duncan →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange47 kmOnly some rides take bikes — look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable — check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
🚗PoparideHwy 4 rideshare (Nanaimo - Port Alberni - Ucluelet - Tofino)Downtown Nanaimo Exchange →Tofino (1st Street)143 kmOnly some rides take bikes — look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable — check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
🚲You arrive at Tofino (1st Street).
Not an option · two legs🚫 not possible with a bike
City bus to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, then a coach bus into Tofino.
🚫 This chain exists, but Island Link does not carry bikes, so it cannot work with yours. We show it so you can see where the connection breaks.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 kmFront rack, no fee — 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only — lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 0.5 km.
🚌Island LinkTofino Express BusDowntown Nanaimo Exchange →Tofino (1st Street)162 kmDoes not carry bikes
🚲You arrive at Tofino (1st Street).
Not an option · three legs🚫 not possible with a bike
City bus to Legislature Exch, coach bus to Nanaimo, then a coach bus into Tofino.
🚫 This chain exists, but Island Link does not carry bikes, so it cannot work with yours. We show it so you can see where the connection breaks.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressHwy 1 & Boys Rd (North Cowichan) →Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria)46 kmFront rack, no fee — 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only — lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) to Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria), about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bluebird Cabs, Sidney Taxi might help.
🚌Island LinkVictoria Express BusDouglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) →Downtown Nanaimo Exchange92 kmDoes not carry bikes
🚌Island LinkTofino Express BusDowntown Nanaimo Exchange →Tofino (1st Street)162 kmDoes not carry bikes
🚲You arrive at Tofino (1st Street).
Option five · three legs✈ the splurge
Treat yourself: wings over the water.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 kmFront rack, no fee — 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only — lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1.4 km.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) →CXH (Vancouver)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
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – TofinoCXH (Vancouver) →Tofino Harbour203 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee — bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter — other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking
🚲You arrive at Tofino Harbour.
Route facts last checked August 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: Tofino to Duncan (Cowichan Valley) (best: carpool + bus)
Connections from Duncan (Cowichan Valley): Galiano Island (best: bus + ferry) · Squamish (best: bus + ferry) · Armstrong (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Prince Rupert (best: bus + rental car + ferry)
Connections from Tofino: Ucluelet (best: bus) · Saanich (best: carpool + bus) · Keremeos (best: carpool + ferry + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: carpool + ferry + SkyTrain)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Duncan (Cowichan Valley) and Tofino