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 Gabriola Island to Penelakut Island.
For scale
As the crow flies27 km
Biking whole way50 km · 3 h 17 m
By car49 km · 1 h 27 m
We found two ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.
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⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Not far, just fiddly.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) →Nanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Nanaimo Harbour to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 1 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 Transit36 Ladysmith-Duncan ExpressDuncan →Coronation Mall (Ladysmith)24 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit34 Ladysmith-ChemainusCoronation Mall (Ladysmith) →Pine & Daniel (North Cowichan)8.1 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Pine & Daniel (North Cowichan) to Chemainus, about 1.3 km.
⛴️BC FerriesChemainus – Thetis – PenelakutChemainus →Penelakut Island9.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Penelakut Island.
Option two · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
Same as Option one, but a carpool instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) →Nanaimo Harbour5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Nanaimo Harbour to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 0.6 km.
🚗PoparideHwy 1 rideshare (Victoria - Duncan - Nanaimo)Downtown Nanaimo Exchange →DuncanOnly 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).
🚎BC Transit36 Ladysmith-Duncan ExpressDuncan →Coronation Mall (Ladysmith)24 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit34 Ladysmith-ChemainusCoronation Mall (Ladysmith) →Pine & Daniel (North Cowichan)8.1 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Pine & Daniel (North Cowichan) to Chemainus, about 1.3 km.
⛴️BC FerriesChemainus – Thetis – PenelakutChemainus →Penelakut Island9.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Penelakut Island.
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: Penelakut Island to Gabriola Island (best: ferry + bus)
Connections from Gabriola Island: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: ferry + bus) · Langford (best: ferry + bus) · Port Hardy (best: ferry + rental car) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Connections from Penelakut Island: Mill Bay (best: ferry + bus) · Saanich (best: ferry + bus) · Port Renfrew (best: ferry + bus) · Tofino (best: ferry + bus + carpool)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Gabriola Island