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, trains and flights can carry you and your bike from Nanaimo to Kelowna.
For scale
As the crow flies331 km
Biking whole way487 km · 32 h 41 m
By car470 km · 5 h 59 m
We found five 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 · three legs
SkyTrain helps connect the dots.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️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
🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall)331 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall).
Option two · four legs
Grab a window seat, the scenery's included.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesTsawwassen – Duke PointDuke Point (Nanaimo) →Tsawwassen (Delta)58 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎TransLink620 Bridgeport Station / Tsawwassen Ferryor the 900 Bike Bus (seasonal)Tsawwassen (Delta) →Bridgeport (Richmond)22 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
The 620 is year-round, roughly hourly, timed to sailings, with two bike-rack spots. On busy summer ferry days the seasonal 900 Bike Bus can carry an extra 10 bikes.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkBridgeport (Richmond) →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall)331 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall).
Option three · four legs📅 seasonal
Same as Option two, but a coach bus instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Horseshoe Bay53 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.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaPacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall)331 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall).
Option four · four legs
Same as Option two, but a coach bus instead of the SkyTrain.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Horseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Surrey21 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚌EbusVancouver – KelownaSurrey →Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall)310 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
🚲You arrive at Kelowna (Orchard Park Mall).
Option five · one leg✈ the splurge
The scenic splurge: hop a flight.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲First, get from Central Nanaimo to YCD (Nanaimo), about 13 km. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesNanaimo – KelownaYCD (Nanaimo) →Kelowna Airport341 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
🚲At the far end, Kelowna is about 11 km from Kelowna Airport. Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Apple Cabs, Checkmate Cabs Ltd. might help.
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: Kelowna to Nanaimo (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry)
Connections from Nanaimo: North Cowichan (Chemainus & Crofton) (best: bus) · Saanich (best: bus) · Vernon (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + SkyTrain + bus)
Connections from Kelowna: Summerland (best: bus) · Port Coquitlam (best: bus + SkyTrain + train) · Duncan (Cowichan Valley) (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)