We are happy to help you make travel plans. Please keep in mind our
check-in times of 2-5 p.m. If you will need a pick-up from the ferry at Kootenay Bay, please let us know ahead of time.
If you need help with your travel, please call Registrations (1.800.661.8711) or info@yasodhara.org.
Once you have made your travel arrangements, please forward them to registrations@yasodhara.org so that we can plan for your arrival.
Car
We are:
- 40 km northeast of Nelson by way of the Kootenay Lake ferry (see below)
- 80 km north of Creston
- 300 km north of Spokane, Washington. There is a border crossing at Porthill, ID. You will need a valid passport and depending on the length of your proposed stay, you may need a visa or letter (that we can supply).
You will find us just off Highway 3A, on the road to Riondel. Lighten your footprint by utilizing Kootenay Rideshare or Poparide.
Ferry from Balfour To Kootenay Bay
We will meet foot passengers at the ferry. Please let us know which you will be taking.
Air
The nearest Canadian airports to the Ashram are Kelowna, Castlegar and Cranbrook and in the US, Spokane.
Kelowna
Flights land reliably at Kelowna International Airport all year round.
Silver City Stagelines bus leaves downtown Kelowna at 11 a.m. and arrives in Nelson at 4:20 p.m.
North Shore Route 10 bus will bring you to the free ferry at Balfour. The #10 bus runs between Nelson and Balfour on all days except Sundays and Statutory holidays.
Walk on and we will meet you at Kootenay Bay and drive you to the Ashram. Please make pick-up arrangements in advance.
Cranbrook
In the summer and winter, flightsland reliably in Cranbrook, although travel options from this airport are limited.
Air Canada, West Jet and Pacific Coastal fly into the Canadian Rockies International Airport.
Mountain Man Mike’s shuttle bus travels between Cranbrook and Balfour on Tuesdays. The shuttle leaves downtown Cranbrook at 12:00 p.m. and arrives in Balfour at 4:10 p.m. Walk-on to the free Kootenay Lake ferry at 4:30 p.m. and we will pick you up where it lands in Kootenay Bay and drive you to the Ashram.
Castlegar
From October to March, travellers should anticipate that flights to and from West Kootenay Regional Airport may be cancelled or delayed due to seasonal weather.
The West Kootenay Regional Airport is currently served by Air Canada / Jazz. Air Canada operates a shuttle between Kelowna and Castlegar to transport air travelers between the two airports in case flights into Castlegar are canceled due to poor visibility.
From Castlegar Airport, Taxi and BC Transit (buses #33 and #99) are available to Nelson.
North Shore Route 10 bus will bring you from Nelson to the Kootenay Lake Ferry at Balfour. The bus has two stops in Nelson: at the corner of Ward & Baker Streets and at the Chahko Mika Mall. The bus runs between Nelson and Balfour on all days except Sundays and statutory holidays.
Walk-on to the free ferry and we will meet you where it lands at Kootenay Bay for the 10-minute drive to the Ashram. Please make pick-up arrangements in advance.
Castlegar and Trail Airport Rideshare.
Spokane
Air travel to Spokane is reliable as well in the winter.
Nelson to Balfour, BC Transit:
(The #10 bus runs between Nelson and Balfour on all days except
Sundays and Statutory holidays. The bus has two stops in Nelson: at the
corner of Ward & Baker streets and at the Chahko Mika Mall from Balfour)
We will meet you where the ferry lands in Kootenay Bay and drive you the rest of the way to the Ashram.
Make arrangements with us in advance.
Bus
From Vancouver and Calgary or other western BC locations, bus service is available:
Mountain Man Mike’s offers bus service from Vancouver (Sundays) and Calgary (Tuesdays) to Balfour.
At Balfour, board the free ferry to cross Kootenay Lake.
We will meet you in Kootenay Bay for the 10-minute drive to the Ashram. Please make arrangements in advance.
Other bus travel options from Vancouver:
- From Vancouver to Kelowna, E-Bus
- From Kelowna to Nelson, SilverCity Stagelines bus.
- From Nelson to Balfour, BC Transit #10 North Shore. The #10 bus runs between Nelson and Balfour on all days except Sundays and Statutory holidays. The bus has two stops in Nelson: at the corner of Ward & Baker streets and at the Chahko Mika Mall.
- From Balfour, Kootenay Lake Ferry. We will meet you where the ferry lands in Kootenay Bay and drive you the rest of the way to the Ashram Make arrangements with us in advance.
TAXI from Nelson
It is approximately 30 minutes to Balfour ferry landing. Glacier Cab Company can be reached at 250-354-1111.
FERRY from Balfour to Kootenay Bay
See Kootenay Lake Ferry or check the Selkirk Loop web for additional information.
We will meet foot passengers at the ferry. Please let us know which ferry you will be taking.
Google Map
Other links for useful travel information
Private Charters & Shuttles for the Region
- Kootenay Charters offers chartered local airport shuttles, recreation & event shuttling.
- Kootenay Gateway offers private charters for groups and functions in the area and trips to Spokane Airport.
- West Kootenay Adventure Tours all year round tours and provide airport shuttle service.
- East Shore Transportation Service Dispatch Operator: Garrett (306) 750-0945