Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay
Ferries to Vancouver Island
Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay
Ferries to Vancouver Island
Depending on the season their are usually 8 daily and 55 weekly sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay. BC Ferries provides the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay. Horseshoe Bay Departure Bay ferries cost between $150 and $379, depending on ticket details. Prices exclude any service fees. Ferry timetables change seasonally, use our Deal Finder to get tickets, pricing, schedules and availability.
The earliest Horseshoe Bay Departure Bay ferry typically departs Horseshoe Bay at about 06:15 and the last ferry usually leaves at 22:40.
Ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay sail in around 1 hour 42 minutes. The fastest ferry is approximately 1 hour 40 minutes. Ferry duration can vary by ferry provider and can be impacted by weather conditions.
There is 55 weekly sailings from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay provided by BC Ferries. Timetables can change from season to season.
The price of a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay typically range between $149* and $371*. On average the Horseshoe Bay Departure Bay ferry is $293*. The cheapest Horseshoe Bay Departure Bay ferry prices start from $149*. The average price for a car is $292*.
Pricing will vary depending on number of passengers, vehicle type, route and sailing times. Pricing is taken from searches over last 30 days and exclusive of service fees, last updated April 25.
The distance between Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay is approximately 48 miles (77km) or 41 nautical miles.
Yes, Horseshoe Bay Departure Bay ferries allow cars onboard with BC Ferries between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay. To view car ferry tickets and prices between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay use our Deal Finder.
BC Ferries allow foot passengers on Horseshoe Bay Departure Bay ferries.
Currently, are not permitted to board ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay.
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| Horseshoe Bay - Departure Bay Ferry Route Summary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Departure Country | Canada | |
| Destination Country | Vancouver Island | |
| No. of Operators | 1 | |
| Operators | BC Ferries | |
| Average Price | $293 | |
| Average Daily Sailings | 8 | |
| Average Weekly Sailings | 55 | |
| Average Sailing Duration | 1 h 42 m | |
| Fastest Sailing Duration | 1 h 40 m | |
| First Ferry | 06:15 | |
| Last Ferry | 22:40 | |
| Distance | 41 Nautical Miles | |
* Prices subject to change, pricing is taken from last 30 days, last updated 1 April 2025.
Found on the shores of a ragged protrusion at the edge of West Vancouver is the picturesque community of Horseshoe Bay. This rural slice of Canada sits in a niche between heavily-wooded, evergreen hills and surrounds a calm inlet of the Howe Sound; an expanse of sea that cuts a triangular chunk out of the British Columbia mainland. Most of the village stretches along a charming promenade. Here one can take a stroll upon the spring-green lawns of Horseshoe Bay park and watch the yachts bob gently between the jetties of the busy marina. Deeper inland, where the grid of tree-lined streets start to rise towards the rolling heartland, the village is moulded by a mishmash of boutique shops, family-owned restaurants, and an eclectic collection of quaint local households. The port of Horseshoe Bay is found on the eastern edge of the bay, just to one side of Sewell’s Marina. This sprawling facility is located at the end of the extensive Trans-Canada Highway where a trio of departure piers jut into the glistening waters of the inlet. The ferry terminal is found at the foot of these piers. Facilities here include a streamlined check-in service featuring self-service ticket machines, a small car-park and vending machines selling soft drinks. Travelling to and from the port is easy due to its prime location at the end of the Trans-Canada Highway and its close proximity to the central district of Vancouver city. The city centre is less than a half-hour drive south along the highway, a route that is also traversed by buses leaving from the Bay Street terminal located just a few steps outside the port entrance. Route 99, otherwise known as the Sea to Sky Highway, also heads north along the curving Howe Sound shoreline. It’s a stunning route that snakes along the base of the region’s coastal mountains and between the vast swathe of emerald woodland, heading towards the group of small settlements found there.
Found on the coast of the Vancouver Island, a large, wedge-shaped landmass that marks the most south-eastern point of Canada, is the city of Nanaimo and the district of Departure Bay. Once an independent town until it was merged into Nanaimo in 1974, the evergreen tree-lined roads of the Departure Bay neighbourhood are built around an eponymous inlet of the Salish Sea. The port is found on the southern coast of Departure Bay, just opposite the uninhabited Newcastle Island. The passenger terminal here is a large facility consisting of a wide pier separated into lanes and an indoor market area featuring shops, toilets, cafes and restaurants selling hot food and drink. Getting to the harbour is easy due to the lengthy Trans-Canada Highway that leads from the British Columbia capital of Victoria 70-miles to the south, through the heart of Nanaimo, and directly to the entrance of the port. Buses stop a few steps from the ferry terminal too, offering regular services to the downtown areas of Nanaimo.
