Visiting Bermuda: Tickets, Getting Around and What Tours Cover
You do not need a ticket to Bermuda, because there is no gate. If you are pricing Bermuda shore excursions, you pay for the tour itself and, on some days, a paid entry inside it: a cave, the lighthouse climb or a museum.
No gate, and no island ticket
Bermuda is a 21-square-mile island in the North Atlantic, about 600 miles from the nearest mainland, in nine parishes from the Royal Naval Dockyard in the west to St. George's in the east. The beaches, the towns, the Dockyard and the nature reserves are free to walk into.
The paid entries are few, and you know them in advance. Crystal Caves and Fantasy Cave share one site in Hamilton Parish; Gibbs Hill Lighthouse charges for the climb; and the National Museum of Bermuda in the Dockyard charges for entry. Everything else is the fare of the tour you choose.
| What you pay for | What it costs | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The island, the beaches and the towns | Nothing | No gate and no island ticket |
| Crystal Caves, Hamilton Parish | US$24 a cave (child US$10); US$35 for both | Tours from 9am, the last at 5pm; closed 1 January, Good Friday and 24-26 December |
| Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, Southampton | US$2.50 to climb | 185 steps; daily 10am to 4pm; closed all of February |
| The National Museum, Royal Naval Dockyard | US$20 (seniors 65+ US$18) | Last entry 4pm; closed 25 December |
| Tom Moore's Jungle, Hamilton Parish | Free | Open dawn to dusk; rough ground |
| A tour | The fare, set by each operator | What each fare covers differs: read the card |
Arriving by ship, and where the tours meet
Cruise ships berth at King's Wharf and Heritage Wharf, at the Royal Naval Dockyard on the island's western tip. Hamilton and St. George's are the other two ports. Most tours meet you on the Dockyard pier itself, so you walk off the ship and find your sign.
Do not leave the pier or pass the security gates to look for your bus. The snorkel and glass-bottom boats start a short walk away, at the Dockyard Watersports Centre on North Arm Drive. If your ship docks in St. George's or Hamilton, the history walk and the food walk start there. Every meeting point is on the Bermuda map.
| Where you meet | Where it is | Who starts there |
|---|---|---|
| The middle of the cruise pier | Between King's Wharf and Heritage Wharf, Royal Naval Dockyard | The island drives (look for the pink buses, the orange Titan shirts or your operator's sign), the cave days, the beach hop and the Restless Native catamarans at the black-and-white star |
| The Dockyard Watersports Centre | The Island Tour Centre, 4 North Arm Drive | The snorkel boats, the glass-bottom boats, the Rising Son catamaran, the jungle day and the Segway ride |
| The Rainbow Runner | The dock face beside Heritage Wharf, 2 North Arm | The helmet dive; arrive 25 minutes early |
| 4 Camber Road | The Dockyard, for the private boats' cruise passengers | The private sunset cruise and the two private charters |
| St. George's Ferry Terminal | The Town of St. George's | The private history walk |
| Front Street, Hamilton | 49 Front Street, or the ferry terminal at 8 Front Street | The food walk, and the private catamaran (which can also board at King's Wharf) |
Arrive early, because several tours check you in before they walk you to the boat or the bus. Your card names your own meeting point, and the booking asks for your ship's name and all-aboard time on the pier tours. A missed meeting point is the thing the reviews show people most wish they had checked.
What a tour costs
The fares look far apart until you read what each one covers. A cheaper island drive leaves the lighthouse to you; a cave day pays the cave; a private boat is priced for the whole group.
| The tour | What you pay | What the fare covers |
|---|---|---|
| A shared island drive | $66 to $80 per person | The coach or minibus and a driver-guide; on two, the lighthouse climb is extra |
| The private car tour | $100 per person, minimum 7 | A vehicle and a driver-guide for your group only |
| A cave day | $85 to $150 per person | Crystal Cave entry and the drive; the longer ones add a town and a beach |
| A shared boat | $70 to $155 per person | The crew and, on the snorkel trips, the gear; towels and food rarely |
| A private boat | $500 to $1,175 per group | Your own boat and captain for up to 8, 10 or 15 |
| A walk in town | $95 to $134 per person, minimum 2 | A guide, and either the venues' entry or tastings enough for lunch |
Every fare is shown in US dollars, as listed. The Bermuda dollar is pegged one to one to the US dollar, and US dollars are accepted everywhere, so you do not need to change money.
Not sure which kind of day you want?
The whole island by coach, an afternoon on the reefs, a cave, or your own boat: compare them side by side.
Getting around without a car
You cannot rent a car in Bermuda: visitors may not hire standard cars. Your choices are taxis, the ferries, the pink buses, electric two-seater micro-cars, scooters and bicycles. That is the main reason a tour saves time on a ship day: the island drives do the driving from one end to the other.
| How you get around | What it costs | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ferry, Dockyard to Hamilton | A token or a pass; no cash on board | The Blue route, 15 to 20 minutes |
| Ferry, Dockyard to St. George's | A token or a pass | The Orange route, 45 minutes, May to October only |
| Bus | US$3.50 (3 zones) or US$5 (14 zones) in cash | Routes 7 and 8 run between Hamilton and the Dockyard |
| Transportation pass | US$19 for one day, US$44 for three | Unlimited buses and ferries; children half price, under 5 free |
| A tour | The fare | The driving is done for you, timed to your ship |
You cannot ride a bus, a ferry or a taxi wet or sandy, so bring a cover-up for the ride back from the beach. The full chain, from the airport to the ferries, is in how to get here.
When to go
May to October gives you the warmest sea and the fullest tour schedule. The sea averages about 66°F in January and about 83°F in August, on the Bermuda Weather Service's long-term normals. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, so book a refundable tour in those months and watch the forecast. The month-by-month detail is on the Bermuda weather page.
On the day
Bring a towel, sun cover, water and some cash for tips and the lighthouse. Most boats do not supply towels or food. You also need a swimsuit under your clothes if you are snorkeling, and shoes that you can walk the cave steps in.
Boat trips do not sail in heavy rain or thunder, and the snorkel boats ask for competent swimmers. If you do not swim, take the glass-bottom boat, the sunset cruise or the helmet dive, which lets you walk on the sea floor with your head dry.
When a tour is worth paying for
You can do a good deal on your own. The ferry takes you from the Dockyard to Hamilton in 20 minutes, and a bus pass covers the rest. What you cannot reach from the shore are the reefs and the wrecks, and on a single ship day you cannot easily cover both ends of the island by bus.
So a boat buys you the reef line, an island drive buys you the whole island before all-aboard, and a guide buys you St. George's stories. The sights themselves are set out in things to do in Bermuda.
Asked before you go
Do I need tickets for Bermuda's sights?
Is the lighthouse climb included?
Where do Bermuda tours meet cruise passengers?
What if my ship docks in St. George's or Hamilton?
Can I rent a car in Bermuda?
How much are the ferry and bus?
Can I ride the bus in a wet swimsuit?
Next: read the Bermuda facts, see things to do, or compare every tour on Bermuda Tours.