Inter-island Ferry
How do I get from island to island on the ferry?
Take the Inter-island ferry! The Washington State Ferries Vehicle Reservations Page doesn't show any inter-island connections or provide the option to book travel between islands. This is because inter-island reservations are not available on the inter-island ferry. There are, however, inter-island ferries that run between the islands on a daily basis. Inter-island ferries are loaded on a first-come basis for vehicles.
The Washington State Ferry route to and from Sidney, B.C from Friday Harbor and Anacortes remains suspended until further notice.
Inter-island ferry schedule
To plan a trip to another island, you will need to find the inter-island ferry sailings on the main schedule. The inter-island ferry sailing times are highlighted in gray.
For example, the schedule to the right is showing the westbound sailings. If you wanted to travel west from Orcas to San Juan on the first inter-island ferry available, you would need to catch the 7:20 a.m. sailing. That ferry stops at Shaw Island first, arriving at Friday Harbor at 8:10 a.m.
Find the Current Westbound & Eastbound Sailing Schedules HERE
There are westbound sailings and eastbound sailings. Plan on arriving 30-45 minutes (45-60 in summer) ahead of your departure to get in line. Inter-island ferries are loaded on a first come first serve basis.
Inter-island ferry fees
Walk-on passengers ride free on inter-island ferries, but vehicles are charged a fee if traveling westbound from each island (example: Lopez to Orcas Island or Friday Harbor and Orcas Island to Friday Harbor). Eastbound sailings between the islands are free for both walk-on passengers and vehicles (example: Friday Harbor to Lopez Island and Orcas Island or Orcas Island to Lopez Island).
Calculate your inter-island fee HERE.
Are you planning to visit multiple islands?
Plan on spending a night or two on each island, if you can. This will allow you to maximize your time on each island without having to rush back to catch the ferry or chance a missed connection. You will also get a chance to discover what makes each island so special!
Pro-tip: If you start your stay with a night or two on San Juan Island and travel to Orcas for your next couple of nights, then head Lopez for another night or two, before returning to Anacortes, you will only need one ferry ticket and one ferry reservation, since traveling on the Eastbound sailing schedule is free.
If it is not possible to spend a night or two on each island or if you simply prefer to make one island your home base and take day trips, then please be sure to note the following for traveling on the inter-island ferries:
- During the busy summer season, the mid-morning inter-island boats are the most popular, especially on the weekends. Take the earliest ferry possible to get to the island you want to visit, then be sure to plan on returning no later than the second-to-last ferry of the day.
- If you are taking a vehicle between islands, be sure to show up at the ferry terminal an hour before your ferry departs. The inter-island ferries are first-come, first-served, so you want to be sure to get in line as soon as possible.
- It is best to take any tours from the island you are staying on. If you must take a tour from a different island, plan on taking whichever ferry gets you to that island at least 3 hours in advance of your trip. This will give you a buffer in case of any delays.
If you only have 1 day to visit the islands...
If you really want to see what makes the San Juan Islands such a special place, but you only have one day, plan on visiting a single island. While it is possible to “island hop”, doing so means that most of your time will be spent on a ferry or waiting for a ferry, instead of exploring the many Parks and Shorelines or Scenic Byways or spending time in our wonderful Towns and Villages.
Which island is best for a day trip? The answer is whichever one feels like the best fit for you. You can find information about each island, by clicking here and to learn more about what you can do in a day on each island, please click here.
