How to get from Vancouver to Nanaimo
3 ways, 60 km apart. Times come from today's timetables (Wednesday, planned from 08:00). Prices are marked live, operator fare or estimated. We add nothing to the fare.
3 ways to travel
| Way | Door to door | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ferrybest | 2h 38m | C$19.5–78 estimated |
| Drivecheapest | 5h 4m | C$16–21 estimated |
| Taxi | 5h 4m | C$105–155 estimated |
Departures today
- 08:00 → 10:382h 38m · directHullo Ferries Nanaimo Harbour ↔ Coal HarbourC$19.5–55.5
- 08:00 → 12:104h 10m · directBC Ferries Departure Bay ↔ Horseshoe BayC$36–78
Timetable data via Transitous and the operators' own GTFS feeds. Live delays arrive when an operator publishes a real-time feed.
Questions people ask
- How long does it take to get from Vancouver to Nanaimo?
- The fastest way is by ferry: about 2h 38m door to door. The straight-line distance is 60 km.
- What is the cheapest way from Vancouver to Nanaimo?
- Drive is the cheapest, from C$16. That figure is an estimate from the operator's fare bands, not a live quote.
- How far is Nanaimo from Vancouver by road?
- About 127 km, roughly 5h 4m of driving in normal traffic. Fuel alone costs around C$16–21; tolls and parking are extra.