Departure Bay – Horseshoe Bay
Ferry to Canada
Departure Bay – Horseshoe Bay
Ferry to Canada
Depending on the season their are usually 8 daily and 53 weekly sailings between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay.BC Ferries provides the ferry from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay. Departure Bay Horseshoe Bay ferries take around 1 hour 40 minutes. The ferry costs between $177.85 and $453.46, depending on ticket details. Prices exclude any service fees. Ferry timetables change seasonally, use our Deal Finder to get live pricing and availability for ferries from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay.
The earliest Departure Bay Horseshoe Bay ferry typically departs Departure Bay at about 06:15 and the last ferry usually leaves at 22:40.
Ferries from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay sail in around 1 hour 40 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 53 weekly sailings from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay provided by BC Ferries. Timetables can change from season to season.
The price of a ferry from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay typically range between $177.85* and $453.46*. On average the Departure Bay Horseshoe Bay ferry is $348.89*. The cheapest Departure Bay Horseshoe Bay ferry prices start from $177.85*. The average price for a car is $349.21*.
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 1 April 2025.
The distance between Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay is approximately 48 miles (77km) or 41 nautical miles.
Yes, Departure Bay Horseshoe Bay ferries allow cars onboard with BC Ferries between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay. To view car ferry tickets and prices between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay use our Deal Finder.
Currently foot passengers can not sail between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay. Passengers must be travelling with a car.
Currently, are not permitted to board ferries from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay.
More routes than anyone else.
Compare fares, times & routes in one place.
Change plans easily with flexi tickets.
Book e-tickets & manage trips in-app.
Live ship tracking & real-time updates.
Top-rated customer support when you need it.
| Departure Bay - Horseshoe Bay Ferry Route summary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Departure Destination | Vancouver Island | |
| Destination | Canada | |
| No. of Operators | 1 | |
| Operators | BC Ferries | |
| Average Price | $349 | |
| Average Daily Sailings | 8 | |
| Average Weekly Sailings | 53 | |
| Average Sailing Duration | 1 h 40 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 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.
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.
