Cowichan Bay is about 45 minutes south of Victoria and 70 minutes north of the BC Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay. Take Highway 1 (Trans-Canada) north from Victoria or south from Nanaimo, then follow the signs on Cowichan Bay Road west from the highway. There is no regular bus service to the village itself, so a car is essentially required.
The closest town is Duncan (about 6km), which has a bus connection to Victoria via BC Transit. The nearest airport is Victoria International at Sidney, about 45 minutes south.