Miami Nassau Ferry: What Sails and What Doesn't

Route: Miami Nassau ferry vs Fort Lauderdale to Bimini

No ferry sails from Miami to Nassau, and the only Bahamas ferry in South Florida leaves from Fort Lauderdale. Baleària Caribbean's route pages list Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) to Bimini and Fort Lauderdale to Freeport, on Grand Bahama. They list no Miami departure and no Nassau route. So there is no Miami to Nassau crossing time to give.

Nassau is hard to reach by ferry because it sits on New Providence Island, farther from Florida than Bimini. Most visitors get there by cruise ship or by plane, and we found no ferry company that sails there from South Florida.

If you only have a day, think of the Bahamas trip like an everglades national park day trip: you leave early, you come back late, and you plan the whole day around one stop. Port Everglades is in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami, so the ferry day trip starts with a drive or a hotel pickup.

Key Takeaway If a site sells you a Miami to Nassau ferry ticket, be careful, because the ferry company itself lists only Fort Lauderdale to Bimini and Freeport.

Time: Bimini by ferry vs Nassau by ship or plane

Bimini by ferry takes about 2 hours each way from Fort Lauderdale, and a full day trip from Miami takes about 15 hours. No ferry leaves from Miami itself, so add the drive north to Port Everglades. That time comes from the Bimini tour listing, which says the high-speed ferry crosses in about 2 hours. The same listing gives you 6 hours of free time on the island.

Here is how the day goes for the Bahamas ferry from Miami that leaves with hotel pickup. A bus takes you from your hotel in Miami Beach to the ferry. You cross, spend the middle of the day on Bimini, then cross back and ride the bus to your hotel.

The Bimini ferry day trip with hotel transfers is run by Admiral Tours Miami. It costs from €276 per person and has free cancellation. It is rated 4.2 from 705 reviews. We checked the price and rating on GetYourGuide on 23 October 2026. There is no meeting point to find, because the bus picks you up at your hotel. The group size is not listed. It includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Miami Beach, landing and facility fees and 6 hours of free time. Food, drinks and tips are not included. The page says it is not suited to pregnant women.

Nassau by plane or cruise ship is a different kind of trip. A cruise stop gives you a few hours in port, and a flight means a hotel night. We did not find an official page with flight times, so we leave them out.

Passport and customs: Bimini day trip vs Key West

A Bimini day trip needs a passport, and a Key West day trip does not. The ferry company says US citizens need a valid US passport book or passport card to board. A birth certificate, a photo ID and an enhanced driver's license are not accepted, according to the company's help page for US citizens.

The company also asks that your passport stay valid for more than 6 months after your trip. Visitors who are not US citizens need a valid passport and a valid US visa or ESTA that lets them come back in. A child who travels with one parent needs a notarized consent letter from the other parent. The tour uses the same ferry, so the same papers apply. The company's help pages are the place to check your own case, because we could only read parts of them.

When you return, you clear US customs at the port. Customs and Border Protection says every traveler must declare what they bought abroad, so keep your receipts in your carry-on bag. It lists a duty-free allowance of $200, $800 or $1,600, depending on the countries you visited. You qualify only if you were abroad for at least 48 hours, so a day trip usually means no allowance.

Pro Tip Check your passport's date a week before the trip, because a passport that expires within 6 months of your travel date can stop you at the ferry check-in.

Cost: Bimini ferry vs Key West day trip

The Bimini ferry costs more than any other day trip we list, and a Key West day trip costs about a fifth as much. Best Things to Do in Miami's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 1 Bahamas tour among 285, the Bimini ferry with hotel transfers, from €276 per person. It found none to Nassau or Freeport. For that price you get hotel pickup in Miami Beach, the round-trip ferry, landing and facility fees and about 6 hours on Bimini. We checked the price on 23 October 2026.

The ferry company's routes page shows one-way fares from $180 for its Fort Lauderdale ferries to Bimini and Freeport, without a split by route. Its day-trip offer page shows a higher round-trip price, and the two pages do not always agree, so check the date you want before you plan around a number.

The Key West day trip with dolphin spotting or snorkeling is run by US2U Tours. It costs from €59 per person, lasts 15 to 16 hours and is rated 4.5 from 556 reviews. It has free cancellation and hotel pickup, and it travels by bus. Snorkel gear is included only if you pick that option. Tips are not included. For the full plan, read our Key West day trip from Miami page.

The Bimini trip is the wrong choice if money is tight or you do not have a passport. Most of the price pays for the ferry, and you still pay for food and drinks on the island.

A day trip is only as good as the hours you actually spend at the place.

Which Miami to Bahamas trip fits you

Pick Bimini if you want a Bahamas stamp and a beach day, and pick Key West if you want an island day without paperwork. Pick a cruise or a flight if Nassau is the place you want, because no ferry goes there.

Read the route page of the ferry company before you pay anyone. A ferry listing that names Miami and Nassau together does not match what the company itself publishes.