A day trip to the Bahamas is the easiest international escape you can do from Florida: the fast ferry leaves Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) at 9:00 AM, lands in Bimini two hours later or in Freeport, Grand Bahama after three, and sails back the same evening. From Miami it is a 45-minute drive to the terminal, so a Bahamas day trip from Miami fits between an early breakfast and a late dinner, with no flight, no cabin and no overnight bag. Day trips start at $199 per person, taxes and port fees included. Below you have every option: island, departure city, timings, prices and what to bring.
| Option | Leaves from | Time on the island | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bimini day trip, Wednesdays | Fort Lauderdale, 9:00 AM | About 7 hours (11:00 AM – 6:00/7:00 PM) | $199 |
| Bimini day trip, Fri · Sat · Sun | Fort Lauderdale, 9:00 AM | About 7 hours (11:00 AM – 6:00/7:00 PM) | $246 |
| Freeport (Grand Bahama) day trip, Tue · Thu · Sat | Fort Lauderdale, 9:00 AM | About 6 hours (12:00 – 6:30 PM) | $246 |
| Day trip from Miami (drive or Brightline + ferry) | Miami, 5:30 AM · ferry 9:00 AM | Same as above | $199 / $246 + transport |
| Overnight instead of a day trip | Fort Lauderdale, 9:00 AM | 1 night or more, return any sailing day | Ferry + hotel packages |
Prices per adult, round trip, Economy fare, taxes and port fees included. Children from 3 to 12 pay a reduced fare, infants from 0 to 2 travel free. Wednesday is the only day with the $199 fare and it exists only on the Bimini route. Extra sailing days are added in Spring Break, summer and Christmas: check the calendar on each route page.
There is no ferry from Miami, but a Miami to Bahamas day trip is easy: the ferry terminal is Port Everglades, Terminal 21, in Fort Lauderdale, 30 miles up I-95. A typical day looks like this:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 5:30 AM | Leave Miami by car or rideshare (45 minutes outside rush hour). Alternative: Brightline from MiamiCentral to Fort Lauderdale and a 15-minute taxi. |
| 6:00 AM | Check-in and US Customs pre-clearance at Terminal 21 (boarding opens 3 hours before departure; check-in closes 60 minutes before). |
| 9:00 AM | The ferry sails. Breakfast and coffee at the cafeteria, open deck over the Gulf Stream. |
| 11:00 AM / 12:00 PM | Arrival in Bimini (11:00 AM) or Freeport (12:00 PM). No queues: you were pre-cleared in Florida. |
| 6:00 – 7:00 PM | Return sailing (6:00 or 7:00 PM from Bimini depending on the season; 6:30 PM from Freeport, 5:30 PM on some dates). |
| 8:00 – 9:30 PM | Back at Port Everglades, US immigration, and about an hour later you are in Miami. |
Parking: the Midport Garage is next to Terminal 21. If you fly into Miami International Airport the morning before, the port is about 35 minutes away. See also ferry to the Bahamas from Miami.
The Bimini day trip is the most popular ticket on the ferry: 50 miles across the Gulf Stream, two hours each way, about seven hours on the island. Bimini is seven miles long, so there is no rush: rent a golf cart at the dock in Alice Town, drive north along the beach road, stop at Radio Beach or Spook Hill, eat conch salad at a shack on the water, and be back at the terminal for the evening sailing. Other easy options for a day: the Resorts World beach club and pool next to the ferry dock, a boat ride to swim with the stingrays at Honeymoon Harbour, or the Dolphin House and the Bimini Big Game Club in Alice Town. Book on the Fort Lauderdale – Bimini route page; the day-trip fare covers both crossings.
People searching for a 1-day Bimini cruise or a Bimini day cruise usually mean exactly this trip: a same-day round trip on a 600-passenger catamaran with reclining seats, a cafeteria, a bar and an open stern deck. The difference with a cruise ship is that you spend your day on the island, not on board, you walk off the moment you dock, and the price is a ferry fare, not a cruise fare with gratuities and port-day surcharges. It is the simplest day cruise to the Bahamas you can book: passport, e-ticket, sunscreen.
For a change from Bimini, the Freeport day trip gives you about six hours on Grand Bahama Island: the ferry arrives at Freeport Harbour at noon and leaves at 6:30 PM. A taxi takes you in 15 minutes to Port Lucaya Marketplace, with shops, restaurants and Lucaya Beach next door, or to Taino Beach; with a rental car you can reach Lucayan National Park and Gold Rock Beach. It sails Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, plus some Sundays, and the day trip starts at $246. Book on the Fort Lauderdale – Freeport route page.
| Day trip | 1 adult | 2 adults |
|---|---|---|
| Bimini, Wednesdays | from $199 | from $398 |
| Bimini, Friday, Saturday or Sunday | from $246 | from $492 |
| Freeport, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday | from $246 | from $492 |
| Upgrade to Economy Premium (round trip) | from $306 | from $612 |
The day-trip fare includes the outbound and return crossings, taxes and port fees. Economy Premium is the upgraded seating area (what it includes is detailed on each route page). Fares are per person and the live price for your date appears in the search results before you pay. See the current deals >>
Among all the day trips from Fort Lauderdale, the ferry to the Bahamas is the only one that takes you to another country and back before bedtime without an airport. It leaves from Port Everglades, ten minutes from the airport and the cruise terminals, which also makes it a popular add-on before or after a cruise or a beach week in Fort Lauderdale. If one day feels too short, the same ferry works for a one- or two-night stay: see Ferry + Hotel.
Balearia Caribbean is the ferry company based in Fort Lauderdale (FL) that connects Port Everglades with Bimini and with Freeport (Grand Bahama). It is the US branch of the Spanish operator Baleària and the only ferry line between Florida and the Bahamas. I Love Ferry is an authorised ticket agent: same fares, real-time availability and support before you travel.
About Balearia Caribbean >>
A 35-knot fast catamaran built by Incat for Baleària, with room for 600 passengers in Economy and Economy Premium, a cafeteria, kids' play area, ADA access and an open stern deck. It runs every Bimini and Freeport sailing.
More about the Jaume II ferry >>Yes. Drive 45 minutes to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale for the 9:00 AM ferry, spend the day in Bimini or Freeport and sail back in the evening; you are back in Miami around 10:00 PM. There is no ferry departing from Miami itself.
From $199 per adult on Wednesdays to Bimini and from $246 on other days and on the Freeport route, round trip, taxes and port fees included. Children from 3 to 12 pay less and infants under 2 travel free.
About seven hours in Bimini (11:00 AM to 6:00 or 7:00 PM) and about six in Freeport (12:00 to 6:30 PM). Be back at the terminal at least 60 minutes before the return sailing.
Yes, every passenger needs a valid passport (US citizens can use a passport card), even for a few hours on the island. Birth certificates and photocopies are not accepted.
Wednesday, on the Bimini route: day trips from $199 instead of $246. There are no Wednesday sailings to Freeport.
Bimini: shorter crossing, more hours on the island, beaches within walking or golf-cart distance of the dock, and the $199 Wednesday fare. Freeport: a bigger island with Port Lucaya and more choice of restaurants and beaches, but a 3-hour crossing and a taxi to get around.
What most people call a "day cruise to the Bahamas" is this ferry: a scheduled same-day round trip on a fast catamaran. Unlike a cruise ship, you spend the day on the island, there are no cabins or gratuities, and you can book a one-way ticket if you decide to stay.
Yes. Book the outbound and return on different sailing days, or take a Ferry + Hotel package that combines the crossing and the hotel in one booking.
