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15 hr
Ferry from Florida to a Bahamian island for a day of beaches, sun and turquoise water.
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15 hr
Day-trip to the Bahamas from Miami Beach with hotel pickup, high-speed ferry, and beach time.
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15 hr
Hop a fast ferry from Fort Lauderdale to a Bahamian island and back, all in one day.
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The landmarks, rooms, and views travelers on this tour remember — all visible on a single visit.
The terminal is the operational heart of the crossing, with the Bimini office, boarding control, and customs flow concentrated in one place. Baleària Caribbean says embarkation closes 1 hour before departure, so the terminal’s queue timing matters as much as the ride itself.
The included tram connects the terminal with Fisherman's Village and Hilton Resort during ferry arrival and departure hours. That shuttle-style link reduces the need for a separate transfer on the island side and is one of the most useful onboard-to-shore logistics notes for a day trip.
Bimini Bay gives the arrival area its resort-and-marina setting, with water views and a compact visitor zone around the terminal. The bay-side setting is why the crossing can function as a same-day escape rather than an overnight transfer.
This resort complex is part of the day-trip experience because the operator’s summer offer includes a day pass. The appeal is practical as much as scenic: pools, beach access, and on-site circulation create a contained place to spend the island hours.
The arrival side of the trip is shaped by border formalities, not just scenery, because the operator asks passengers to allow time for vessel clearance. That makes the port workflow a real highlight of the journey rather than a background detail.
They complement each other, but the miami to bimini ferry day trip is the tighter island day, while Grand Bahama by ferry gives you a broader, more varied island option. If you want a faster-feeling escape with more beach time, Bimini usually wins; if you want a fuller Bahamas sampler, Grand Bahama fits better.
| Feature | Top pick Bimini day trip | Grand Bahama day trip |
|---|---|---|
Island feel |
Small-island, laid-back | Larger island, more varied |
Time on island |
Up to 8 hours | Up to 7 hours |
What your day tends to emphasize |
Beach time and resort unwind | Beaches, wildlife, snorkeling |
Best for |
Quick escape seekers | Adventure-focused day trippers |
Tradeoffs |
Less variety than Grand Bahama | Shorter island window |
Typical ferry time |
About 2 hours | About 3 hours |
Starting price |
From $250 per passenger | From $250 per passenger |
| See tickets → |
Verdict: Choose Bimini for the tighter, more relaxed island day; choose Grand Bahama if you want the day trip tour to feel broader and more activity-driven.
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Practical details for your visit straight from our verified partners — hours, access, rules, and how to get there.
Dress for a tropical ferry day in light, breathable clothing and sandals or shoes that are easy to remove if needed during security checks. Bring a cover-up or light layer for air-conditioned indoor seating on the ferry and sun protection for the island side.
Each adult passenger is allowed one carry-on item free of charge, up to 26.5 lbs and 22" x 18" x 10", plus a small purse or backpack. Oversized luggage, sports gear, and any extra bags must be registered and can incur additional fees; food and beverages are not allowed in passenger areas.
On-board photography is allowed, and the ferry’s terrace and windows are good for sea views en route to Bimini. Keep your phone and camera secured near the dock and during boarding, because the operator warns that luggage and personal items remain your responsibility.
The ferry fleet is adapted for ADA passengers, with accessible seating and bathrooms, and the Bimini terminal is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair assistance is available from check-in to the ferry, and the operator asks guests to request pier assistance in advance when possible.
Mobile phones work normally for most of the crossing, and onboard Wi‑Fi is listed among the ferry services. Service quality can vary on the water, so download boarding details before you leave and keep a screenshot of your reservation.
Children can travel on the ferry, and the luggage policy specifically allows one additional piece of luggage for passengers traveling with infants or children. The day-trip format is workable for families, but customs clearance and the 1-hour pre-departure cutoff make early arrival important.
No food or beverage is allowed to be brought on board in passenger areas. The ferry has a snack-bar and bar service, and the Bimini day trip offer markets island time for conch salad, Bahamian food, and drinks after arrival.
Small cats and dogs are allowed only with advance reservation, proper documentation, and kennel or carrier use in designated areas. Pets are charged per leg, and the operator also requires the correct Bahamas entry documents for animals.
For a miami to bimini ferry day trip, the practical arrival rule matters more than anything else: terminal check-in starts 3 hours before departure, the office opens at 09:00 on embarkation days, and boarding closes 1 hour before sailing. The official Bimini arrival point is Fisherman's Village in Bimini Bay, North Bimini, and the operator includes a tram between the terminal, Fisherman's Village, and Hilton Resort during ferry arrival and departure hours.
Best time to go, insider tips, nearby landmarks, and the cancellation fine print — flip through to skim what matters to you.
Flexible, no hidden fees.
Reservations submitted for cancellation 7 days before the original sailing date receive a full refund. Daytrip and other promotional fares are marked no-cancellation, and changes are subject to a fee and fare updates.
Bimini lies 53 miles east of Miami — closer to Florida than Florida's own Key West is to Miami. That proximity has shaped the island's entire history. During Prohibition, this thin hook of limestone became the staging post for rum-runners loading Scotch and Bahamian gin onto fast boats bound for Biscayne Bay. Warehouses filled. Fortunes turned over in a season. When repeal came in 1933, the trade collapsed almost overnight, and Bimini reverted to what it had always been beneath the smuggling: a fishing settlement on the edge of the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is the reason anyone came at all. The current runs deep and fast along the island's western drop-off, carrying marlin, tuna and wahoo within sight of shore. Ernest Hemingway arrived in 1935 and stayed, on and off, for three years, writing at the Compleat Angler and losing money at the docks. Much of Islands in the Stream draws directly on those seasons. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., the New York congressman, spent his exile years here in the late 1960s. The island collects people who wanted distance from the mainland — which is precisely what a miami to bimini ferry day trip still delivers, only compressed into a single daylight crossing. Geographically, Bimini is two islands and a scatter of cays. North Bimini holds Alice Town, the King's Highway, and the Fisherman's Village marina complex at Bimini Bay where the fast ferry berths. South Bimini holds the airport and the Healing Hole, a mangrove-fed freshwater spring long attached — on thin evidence — to the Fountain of Youth legend. Offshore, in six feet of water off Paradise Point, lies the Bimini Road: a half-mile arc of rectangular limestone blocks discovered in 1968 and argued over ever since. Geologists call it beachrock, fractured naturally. Others have called it Atlantis. The debate has never quite closed. What gives the island its colour is the water itself. The bank west of the harbour drops from three feet to three thousand within a mile, and the shallow shelf holds a turquoise so saturated it registers from the air. Modern Bimini ferry tours trade on exactly this contrast — the grey Atlantic run out of Miami, then the sudden aquamarine bank on approach. The island remains small: roughly 2,000 residents, seven square miles, one main road. There is no main-gate fee to set foot on it. The miami to bimini ferry day trip exists because the geography allows it — an international border, crossed and recrossed between breakfast and dinner.
"The bank drops from three feet to three thousand within a mile, and the shallow shelf holds a turquoise so saturated it registers from the air."
A step-by-step walkthrough of the visit — what you'll see, how long each stage takes, and the details that matter.
You clear the terminal between 09:00 and 10:00, which leaves room for check-in before departure — passports out, boarding pass scanned, luggage tagged. The vessel pushes off and Miami's skyline flattens behind you within twenty minutes. Then it is open water. You feel the Gulf Stream when you hit it: a long, rolling motion that settles once the hull finds its rhythm. Take the upper deck if the wind allows. Flying fish break ahead of the bow in the middle stretch. The colour change announces the arrival before the island does. You watch the deep indigo give way to milky jade, then to a turquoise shelf so clear you can pick out ripple marks on the sand below. You dock at Fisherman's Village, Bimini Bay, on North Bimini — Bahamian immigration is on the pier, and the queue moves faster if you have filled the card in on the crossing. From the terminal you have choices. Golf carts run the King's Highway south into Alice Town, three minutes and a world away from the marina's polish. Radio Beach sits at the bottom of the hill, a short walk. Or you stay at the resort side, where a miami to bimini ferry day trip package with hotel transfers hands you a pool and a beach chair without further planning. Watch the clock in the afternoon — the return sailing does not wait, and the pier fills fast.
The Bimini office is closed every day under the published schedule, but the operator says the office opens at 09:00 on embarkation days and tickets are available until 14:00. For the miami to bimini ferry day trip, boarding closes 1 hour before departure. Arrive at least 09:00–10:00 if you want the smoothest check-in for the miami to bimini ferry day trip. The official guidance also says the check-in window starts 3 hours before departure. Yes, but the allowance is specific: one free carry-on per adult up to 26.5 lbs and 22" x 18" x 10", plus a small purse or backpack. Extra or oversized items can trigger fees, and luggage must contain personal items only. Yes. Baleària Caribbean states that the ferry fleet is ADA-adapted, with accessible seating and bathrooms, and the Bimini terminal is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair assistance is available from check-in to the ferry. No. The operator says no food or beverage is allowed to be brought onboard in passenger areas. Use the ferry snack-bar and bar instead. Yes, small cats and dogs are allowed with advance reservation, kennel or carrier use, and required documentation. The pet must be added before departure, and additional fees apply per leg. Reservations canceled 7 days before the original sailing date receive a full refund on eligible fares. Daytrip promotional fares state that no cancellations are allowed, so the fare type matters. Yes. The ferry services page lists Wi‑Fi, and the ship also has indoor and outdoor viewing areas for the crossing. Keep devices charged and secured during boarding. Demand is strongest on the weekend departures, especially in summer, when the Bimini day trip is marketed as a high-speed day escape. If you want easier check-in, target the morning arrival window rather than cutting it close. The official departure port is Fort Lauderdale, not Miami, and the route page lists 2021 Eller Drive, Terminal 21, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. For the miami to bimini ferry day trip, the practical connection from Miami is usually a drive or rideshare to the Fort Lauderdale terminal. You can combine the miami to bimini ferry day trip with Alice Town, the SS Sapona area by boat, or a beach/resort pass at Resorts World Bimini. North Bimini is the main visitor base, and the ferry terminal is in Fisherman's Village.
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