A day trip, but an international one
Every other excursion on this site starts from Miami and ends in Miami, the same day, without ever leaving the country. A Bahamas day trip is different. Bimini and Grand Bahama (Freeport) sit across open water, and getting there means clearing exit and re-entry formalities like any other international trip — just compressed into a single day. That single fact changes what you need to bring, how you plan the day, and what “day trip” actually means here.
Bimini is the closer option, a short chain of islands roughly 50 miles east of Miami, reached in about 2 to 2.5 hours by fast ferry. Grand Bahama (the island whose main town is Freeport) is farther out and more often visited on a one-day cruise itinerary from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale than on a same-day ferry from Miami. Both are marketed locally as day trips; both require a passport.
The confusion to clear up first
Because the crossing is short and the boats leave from the same docks as local Miami boat tours, it is easy to assume this is just another harbor excursion. It is not.
- You need a passport. Not a driver’s licence, not a birth certificate. A valid, physical passport, checked on departure and on return.
- ESTA or a visa is required to come back into the United States. If your nationality qualifies for the Visa Waiver Program, that means a valid ESTA — the same one you needed to enter the US in the first place, not a separate “day trip” version. If your passport is not from a Visa Waiver country, you need a valid US visa to re-enter, exactly as you did on the way in.
- The Bahamas time does not reset your 90 days. The ESTA allows a maximum stay of 90 days in the United States. Time spent in the Bahamas on this excursion still counts against that total — it does not pause the clock, and it does not give you a fresh 90 days when you come back. If you are near the end of your US stay, do the math before you book.
- This is genuinely a different country. Bahamian immigration and customs staff process the boat, not a tour guide. Bring your passport to the dock, not to your hotel safe.
None of this makes the trip complicated — thousands of people do it every week — but it is not the same category of outing as a Wynwood walking tour or a sunset cruise in Biscayne Bay, and treating it that way is the single most common mistake visitors make.
Bimini: the short-hop option
Bimini is the practical choice for a genuine day trip from Miami. Fast ferries run from the Miami area across the Gulf Stream, docking at Alice Town or the Resorts World Bimini marina. The crossing itself takes roughly 2 to 2.5 hours each way in reasonable conditions — longer if the Gulf Stream is running rough, which it does regularly enough that operators build in flexibility.
Once ashore, a typical Bimini day includes some combination of:
- A beach stop, usually a short walk or shuttle from the marina, with sand that is genuinely pale and water that is genuinely turquoise on a calm day.
- Snorkelling on nearby reefs or wrecks, sold as an add-on or bundled into some day packages.
- A wander through Alice Town, small and low-key rather than built up.
- Lunch, often included or offered as an optional upgrade, featuring conch and other local seafood.
a day trip to Bimini with the crossing, beach time and lunch bundled together is the most straightforward way to do this without arranging the ferry and shore time separately. For a shorter, more scenic route across, a seaplane day trip to Bimini cuts the transfer time drastically and adds an aerial view of the sandbars and shallows — worth considering if seasickness or a tight schedule rules out the boat.
If snorkelling is the main goal rather than the beach, a four-stop snorkelling itinerary around Bimini covers more reef in a day than a standard beach package, at the cost of less time to simply sit on sand. And if food is the draw, an island food tasting tour in Bimini works through several local kitchens rather than a single hotel restaurant — a better read on what people on Bimini actually eat.
Two honest notes on Bimini. First, it is small: this is not Nassau or the resort strip of Paradise Island, and travellers expecting a large, developed destination sometimes come away underwhelmed. What it does offer — clear water, an easy crossing, a slower pace — it does well. Second, a one-night stay changes the trip meaningfully: you get an evening and a sunrise on the water instead of a single squeezed-in afternoon, at the cost of an extra hotel night and a second ferry booking.
Grand Bahama (Freeport): usually a cruise-day stop
Grand Bahama’s main town, Freeport, is farther from South Florida than Bimini and is far more commonly visited as a stop on a one-day cruise itinerary — a round trip that includes overnight sailing time — departing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale rather than a straight fast-ferry crossing from Miami. Onboard, the day typically includes several hours ashore in Freeport for beach time, a casino, duty-free shopping, or an organized shore excursion, before sailing back overnight or the same evening depending on the itinerary.
The same passport and ESTA rules apply here exactly as they do for Bimini: this is still international travel, still counted against your 90 days, still requiring a passport at boarding. Cruise-day paperwork is generally handled at the terminal rather than left to travellers to sort out mid-trip, but the underlying requirement — valid passport, valid ESTA or visa — does not change because the vessel is larger.
What the day actually costs
Bahamas day-trip pricing bundles the crossing, and sometimes lunch or a beach/snorkel stop, into one ticket. Expect a wide range depending on the operator, the season, and whether food and equipment are included:
| Element | Typical range (USD) |
|---|---|
| Fast ferry day trip to Bimini, with beach/lunch bundled | $150 to $250 per person |
| Seaplane day trip to Bimini | $250 to $400 per person |
| Snorkelling-focused Bimini day trip | $170 to $280 per person |
| One-day Grand Bahama cruise (from Fort Lauderdale) | $100 to $220 per person |
| Optional extras (rentals, alcohol, tipping) | $20 to $60 per person |
These are order-of-magnitude figures, not quotes: check the current price and inclusions on the GetYourGuide or Viator listing before booking, since fuel surcharges and seasonal pricing move these numbers around.
Sea conditions and cancellations
The Gulf Stream separating Florida from the Bahamas is a genuine body of open water, not a sheltered bay crossing. On a calm day the ride is smooth; on a day with wind against current, it can be a rough couple of hours each way, and some travellers get seasick regardless of the boat’s size. Operators do cancel or reschedule departures for weather, particularly outside the November-to-April window, and a cancelled crossing usually means a refund or rebooking rather than a modified itinerary — there is no safe way to run a fast ferry through genuinely bad conditions.
Build one buffer day into your Miami itinerary if a Bahamas trip matters to you, rather than scheduling it for your only free day before a flight home. If your ferry is cancelled the day before an international flight, you may simply lose the excursion.
Best season and timing
The Bahamas share Miami’s tropical climate: warm water and air year-round, with a wetter, more storm-prone stretch roughly from May to October and a drier, sunnier stretch roughly from November to April. That drier season is also the calmer one for a Gulf Stream crossing, and it coincides with South Florida’s own high season, so book ferry and any hotel nights ahead rather than assuming a walk-up spot.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with the highest activity from August through October. A storm anywhere in the region can suspend ferry and cruise departures for days, not hours. This is not a reason to avoid the season outright, but it is a reason to keep travel insurance and a flexible booking if you are planning a Bahamas add-on during those months.
Packing and practical notes
- Passport, always. Check its expiry before you book; some entry rules require months of validity beyond your travel dates.
- Printed or digital proof of your ESTA or visa, in case it is requested at the dock.
- Motion sickness medication if you are at all prone to it — the Gulf Stream crossing is the part of the day most likely to test you.
- Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, and a dry bag for phones and passports if a tender or wet landing is involved.
- Comfortable water shoes for beach coral or rocky patches.
- Some cash in US dollars: widely accepted in the Bahamas, so currency exchange is rarely necessary for a one-day visit.
Getting to the dock
Departure points sit near Downtown and Brickell marinas or, for Grand Bahama cruise-day trips, at Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale. Factor in Miami traffic and parking at the marina; most operators ask arrival well before departure for check-in and passport control, and missing that window generally means missing the boat, not a delayed one. If you are staying in Miami Beach, allow extra time to cross the causeways at rush hour.
For travellers weighing this excursion against the rest of a Miami trip, see how it fits into a broader plan in Miami and a Bahamas day trip, or read the blunter case for and against in is a Bahamas day cruise from Miami worth it. General entry and ESTA rules are covered in full on their own page, and the broader travel tips section covers the rest of the practical groundwork for a South Florida trip.
Bahamas day trip FAQ
Do I need a passport for a Bahamas day trip from Miami?
Yes. A valid passport is required for this crossing regardless of how short the trip is — it is international travel, not a domestic boat excursion, and boarding is generally refused without one.
Does visiting the Bahamas reset my 90-day ESTA stay?
No. Time spent in the Bahamas still counts toward the 90-day limit of a Visa Waiver Program stay. The excursion does not pause or reset that count, and you re-enter the United States under the same ESTA or visa you arrived on.
How long does the ferry to Bimini take?
Roughly 2 to 2.5 hours each way in normal conditions. Rougher Gulf Stream conditions can extend the crossing, and operators may delay or cancel departures rather than run into genuinely poor weather.
Is Grand Bahama or Bimini better for a day trip from Miami?
Bimini is the more practical choice for a same-day round trip by fast ferry from Miami. Grand Bahama (Freeport) is more commonly visited as a stop on a one-day cruise departing Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, which involves a longer overall itinerary built around the ship’s schedule rather than a straight ferry crossing.
Can a Bahamas day trip be cancelled?
Yes, and it happens. Rough seas or storm activity, especially outside the November-to-April season, lead operators to cancel or reschedule crossings. Build a buffer day into your trip rather than scheduling this for your last full day in Florida.
Is a Bahamas day trip worth the crossing time?
That depends on what you want from it. For clear water, a genuine change of scenery, and a short taste of another country, most travellers find it worthwhile. For a large, developed resort experience, Bimini in particular will feel small and low-key rather than built up.
What should I bring on a Bahamas day trip?
Your passport and proof of ESTA or visa status, sun protection, water shoes, motion sickness medication if needed, and some US dollars in cash — the currency travellers already use in Miami is accepted in the Bahamas as well.
Do children need their own passport for this trip?
Yes. Every traveller, regardless of age, needs an individual valid passport to cross into the Bahamas and back into the United States on this excursion.
