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, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Saanich to Gabriola Island.
For scale
As the crow flies88 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car114 km · 1 h 43 m
We found five 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 · three legs
City bus to Duncan, city bus to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, then a ferry into Descanso Bay.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚎BC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressHwy 1 & Tillicum (Saanich) →Duncan49 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Nanaimo Harbour, about 1 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option two · three legs
The same idea as Option one, on different routes.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲Travel the short hop from Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich) to Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria), about 2.5 km.
🚎BC Transit66 CVX Cowichan-Victoria ExpressDouglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) →Duncan46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressDuncan →Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch46 kmRack on the bus, free — 2 bikes · first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚲Travel the short hop from Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch to Nanaimo Harbour, about 1 km.
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option three · two legs
A one-way rental fills in the missing piece.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲Travel the short hop from Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich) to Downtown Victoria, about 3.4 km.
🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Nanaimo – Victoriaor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Nanaimo – Victoria) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Victoria →Downtown Nanaimo93 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Nanaimo Harbour, about 1.2 km.
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option four · two legs📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
Same as Option three, but a carpool instead of the rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲Travel the short hop from Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich) to Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria), about 2.5 km.
🚗PoparideHwy 1 rideshare (Victoria - Duncan - Nanaimo)Douglas St at Pandora Ave (Victoria) →Downtown Nanaimo ExchangeOnly 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).
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Nanaimo Harbour, about 0.6 km.
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island).
Option five · three legs✈ the splurge
The scenic splurge: a floatplane over the water.
CarrierRideYour bike
🚲Travel the short hop from Douglas St at Kelvin Rd (Saanich) to Victoria Harbour, about 3.2 km.
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Victoria HarbourVictoria Harbour →CXH (Vancouver)98 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
🛩️Harbour AirVancouver Harbour – Nanaimo HarbourCXH (Vancouver) →Nanaimo Harbour60 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
⛴️BC FerriesNanaimo Harbour – Descanso Bay (Gabriola)Nanaimo Harbour →Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)5.4 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚲You arrive at Descanso Bay (Gabriola 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: Gabriola Island to Saanich (best: ferry + bus)
Connections from Saanich: Salt Spring Island (best: bus + ferry) · Gibsons (best: bus + ferry) · Port McNeill (best: bus + rental car) · Prince Rupert (best: bus + rental car + ferry)
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)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Saanich and Gabriola Island