NONSTOP

Direct Flights from Seattle to Nanaimo

Nanaimo · Canada

Nonstop service from LKE to ZNA on Kenmore Air. Here's the schedule at a glance — plus what to do once you land.

Airlines
Kenmore Air
Kenmore Air flies this route May to September
Nonstop flights
Distance
129 mi
Flight time
~45mgate to gate
Days operated
Schedule varies
Season
May to Septemberseasonal service
Great-circle flight path from Seattle (LKE) to Nanaimo (ZNA), 129 miles nonstop.LKEZNA

How rare is this nonstop?

This is a rare nonstop: only 2 cities fly direct to Nanaimo, and Seattle is one of them. From anywhere else you'd be connecting.

How long to go to Nanaimo for, from Seattle

45m in the air, 129 miles: short enough that a single night in Nanaimo is worth it, and a day trip is not absurd.

Note that this route only operates May to September, so the trip has to fit that window.

About Nanaimo

Nanaimo as seen from Newcastle Island, Nanaimo.
Photo by Shannon LaBelle - User: (WT-shared) Minnow at wts wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0

Nanaimo is the central hub city of Vancouver Island in BC, Canada. It is the second largest city on the island and has the second biggest harbour. In many ways it is the smaller cousin of Victoria. Like much of Vancouver Island it has moved from being primarily an industrial town to a tourist city that attracts a large number of retirees from the rest of Canada.

Summary from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA).

Top things to do in Nanaimo

  1. Stanley Park is a 405-hectare (1,001-acre) public park in British Columbia, Canada, that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver's Downtown peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay The park bo…
  2. Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is a national park located on and around the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada.
  3. Cypress Mountain is a ski area in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located in the southern section of Cypress Provincial Park, operated under a BC Parks Park Use Permit.
  4. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada displays world arts and cultures, in particular works by First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.
  5. The Nitobe Memorial Garden is a 2+1⁄2-acre traditional Japanese garden located at the University of British Columbia, just outside the city limits of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
  6. The Vancouver Maritime Museum is a maritime museum devoted to presenting the maritime history of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and the Canadian Arctic.
  7. MacMillan Provincial Park is a 301-hectare (740-acre) provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.
  8. Jericho Beach a Vancouver beach, is located west of the seaside neighbourhood of Kitsilano. It is surrounded by Jericho Beach Park, a grassy area with a pond, which is a picnic destination.
  9. VanDusen Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the Shaughnessy neighborhood. It is located at the northwest corner of 37th Avenue and Oak Street.
  10. The Museum of Vancouver (MOV) is a civic history museum located in Vanier Park, Vancouver, British Columbia. MOV is the largest urban museum in Canada and the oldest museum in Vancouver.
  11. Kitsilano Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Vancouver, especially in the warm summer months. Located at the north edge of the Kitsilano neighbourhood, the beach faces out onto English Bay.
  12. The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is a natural history museum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located on the campus of the University of British Columbia.

Attraction descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); place data from Wikidata (CC0).

Nanaimo weather, compared with Seattle

5° cooler than Seattle on average across the year, on daytime highs:

January
Nanaimo 45°F · Seattle 47°F · 2° colder
April
Nanaimo 53°F · Seattle 58°F · 5° colder
July
Nanaimo 70°F · Seattle 77°F · 7° colder
October
Nanaimo 55°F · Seattle 60°F · 4° colder

January bottoms out near 45°F — a real coat, not a layer.

Average daily highs, 1991–2020 station normals from Meteostat (CC BY 4.0), measured at the nearest weather station to each city.

Planning a trip to Nanaimo

Best time to visit
The best time to visit Nanaimo is June–September, when daytime highs are a comfortable 63–70°F.
How long to stay
Nanaimo rewards a longer visit — a full week lets you explore its many sights, from Stanley Park, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, and Cypress Mountain Ski Area and beyond.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a direct flight from Seattle to Nanaimo?
Yes — you can fly nonstop from Seattle (LKE) to Nanaimo (ZNA) on Kenmore Air.
Which airlines fly nonstop from Seattle to Nanaimo?
Kenmore Air flies nonstop between Seattle (LKE) and Nanaimo (ZNA). Kenmore Air flies it May to September only.
How far is Nanaimo from Seattle?
Nanaimo is about 129 miles from Seattle by air.
Is there a direct flight from Seattle to Canada?
Yes — Nanaimo (ZNA) has nonstop service from Seattle on Kenmore Air, making it a nonstop gateway to Canada.
What is there to do in Nanaimo?
Popular things to do include Stanley Park, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Cypress Mountain Ski Area, Museum of Anthropology at UBC, and more.

More nonstop destinations from Seattle near Nanaimo

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