All excursions / On the water

Sail or ferrySnorkel and beach stopLunch includedFerry version fits a cruise call

Nevis Day Trip from St Kitts

A day on Nevis in one of two shapes. The catamaran leaves Port Zante at 10:00, stops to snorkel on the way across, gives you ninety minutes or more off Pinney’s Beach and is back about 17:00, for US$145 an adult and US$89 a child. The land version crosses on the passenger ferry with a guide, takes about four hours, and costs US$189 an adult and US$115 a child.

Pinney's Beach, Nevis
Pinney's Beach, Nevis. Photo Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nevis Peak
Nevis Peak. Photo David Broad, CC BY 3.0.
Heading across to Nevis
Heading across to Nevis. Photo SV Zanshin, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Crew keep count

The crew get in the water at the snorkel stop and keep count of everyone through the beach time.

Ferry runs in rough weather

The ferry is a scheduled service and keeps running in weather that stops a catamaran.

Called off means refunded

If the captain cancels the sail, or your ship is late and the ferry slot is gone, you pay nothing.

What can you do in Nevis for a day?

The sail is for people staying on the island. The ferry version is the one that fits a cruise call.

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    A catamaran at anchor
    A catamaran at anchor. Stock photo.

    The sail across

    You leave the marina at Port Zante around 10:00 and cross the channel under way. The snorkel stop runs about forty five minutes, with gear on board. The sail has no hotel pickup, which catches people out, so you make your own way to the marina. Tell us where you are staying and we will tell you what that taxi run costs before you book.

  2. 2
    Pinney's Beach, Nevis
    Pinney's Beach, Nevis. Photo Gruepig, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Pinney's Beach

    The boat settles off Pinney's Beach and you get ninety minutes or more there, with lunch served on board and the bar open. Pinney's has no lifeguard. Neither does any other beach in St Kitts or Nevis, there are no warning flags anywhere, and Canada's government travel advice says rescue services here may not meet international standards. You are back at Port Zante around 17:00.

  3. 3
    A Nevis ferry
    A Nevis ferry. Photo David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0.

    The ferry crossing

    The land version crosses on the passenger ferry between the pier at Basseterre and the pier at Charlestown. Nevis Tourism puts that crossing at 25 to 45 minutes. A guide meets the boat. Lunch and a drink are included, and the entry fees on the route are already paid.

  4. 4
    Approaching Charlestown, Nevis
    Approaching Charlestown, Nevis. Photo David Broad, CC BY 3.0.

    The stops on Nevis

    We send you the stop list when you pick a date, because the guide sets it around the ferry times. Printing a route we cannot promise is how people end up disappointed. Dietary requirements are handled on request on either version.

How long is the Nevis day trip, and does it fit a cruise day?

The ferry version takes about four hours and fits a normal call with room to spare. Most ships in Basseterre are alongside from about 8am to 5pm or 6pm, and the pier is a short walk from Port Zante. The sail returns around 17:00, the hour your ship starts calling everyone back, and on a 5pm all aboard you would be watching it leave. Take the sail if you are staying on the island, or if your call runs late into the evening and you have checked the time in writing.

  1. 10:00The sail leaves the marina at Port Zante
  2. CrossingThe snorkel stop, about forty five minutes, gear on board
  3. Pinney's BeachNinety minutes or more off the beach, lunch on board, bar open
  4. 17:00Back at Port Zante, around five

How much is a Nevis day trip from St Kitts?

The sail is US$145 an adult and US$89 a child. The ferry version is US$189 an adult and US$115 a child. That is US$44 more an adult, because the crossing, the guide, the lunch and the entry fees are each paid for separately on that version. The US$4 dock departure tax is not in the price. You pay that at the pier when you leave Nevis.

Included

  • Sail: boat and crew, snorkel gear, 45 minutes snorkelling
  • Sail: 90 minutes or more on Pinney's Beach, lunch and open bar
  • Ferry version: return crossing on the passenger ferry, guide, lunch and one drink
  • Ferry version: every entry fee on the route
  • Dietary requirements on request, on either version

Not included

  • The US$4 dock departure tax, paid at the pier leaving Nevis
  • Hotel pickup on the sail
  • The bar for children, who get a soft drink on the ferry version
  • Tips
VersionPriceWhat is in it
Adult, full day sailUS$145Boat and crew, snorkel gear, 45 minutes snorkelling, 90 minutes or more on Pinney's Beach, lunch, open bar
Child, full day sailUS$89The same, without the bar
Adult, ferry versionUS$189Return crossing on the passenger ferry, guide, lunch, one drink, every entry fee on the route
Child, ferry versionUS$115The same, with a soft drink

What to bring

  • A towel. And your swimsuit on under your clothes.
  • Small US notes. You need US$4 for the dock departure tax when you leave Nevis, and the rest for tips. US dollars are accepted on both islands.
  • Sun cover. On the sail you are outdoors from ten in the morning until five in the afternoon, with ninety minutes of that on an open beach.
  • Seasickness tablets if you are prone to it. Take them before you board. Both versions cross open water and the channel can be lively in the afternoon.
  • Closed shoes for the land version. You are in and out of a vehicle all day and on your feet at the stops.

Is it right for you?

  • Very young children. There is no age limit on either version, so nobody will stop you, but seven hours on a boat with one beach stop is a long stretch for a toddler, and the ferry day is not much shorter.
  • Children come with an adult who stays responsible for them.
  • Anyone who gets seasick on an open crossing should take the ferry version and sit near the middle of the boat. It is a short crossing, twenty five to forty five minutes.
  • Cruise passengers should take the ferry version. The sail returns around 17:00, too late for most ship days.

Questions people ask

How much is the ferry from St Kitts to Nevis?
The passenger ferry between Basseterre and Charlestown runs EC$30 to EC$35 one way, about US$11 to US$13, with an EC$1 departure fee added to passenger tickets. Leaving Nevis you pay the US$4 dock departure tax as well. So the crossing comes to roughly US$30 return a head. What that buys is a seat on a boat. No guide, no lunch, no entry fees and no transport waiting at Charlestown, where you will be negotiating with a taxi driver on the pier with your return sailing in mind. A cruise line sells the full day sail from US$129.99 an adult and US$99.99 a child. Our adult price sits about US$15 above that, and our child price about US$11 below it. What the adult difference buys is a smaller boat, forty five minutes of snorkelling and ninety minutes on Pinney's Beach, where the cheaper day is a coach tour with a beach stop in it. An agency sells a Nevis panoramic drive and beach at US$125, which is the figure to weigh the US$189 ferry version against, and ours carries the crossing, a guide, lunch, a drink and every entry fee on the route.
Which version should we pick?
Take the sail if you want the water and you are staying on the island. Take the ferry version if you are on a ship, if seven hours afloat sounds like too much, or if you want somebody talking you through what you are looking at. It costs US$44 more an adult, because the crossing, the guide, the lunch and the entry fees are each paid for separately on that version.
Can we take a hire car over?
Yes, on the car ferry, which is a different crossing. The Sea Bridge runs Major's Bay to Cades Bay in 25 to 30 minutes, six trips each way daily, with nothing on Wednesdays. It is not part of either version of this trip, so if you want to drive Nevis yourself, book that separately and leave us out of it.
Can you deal with a dairy allergy or a vegetarian?
Yes, with notice. Put it on the booking form and we pass it on when we confirm.
Do we tip?
Tips are appreciated and not required. Ten to fifteen percent is normal here, split between the crew or the guide and the driver.
How far is Nevis from St Kitts?
The passenger ferry between the pier at Basseterre and the pier at Charlestown takes 25 to 45 minutes, by Nevis Tourism's figure. The Sea Bridge car ferry runs Major's Bay to Cades Bay in 25 to 30 minutes.

More St Kitts excursions

Send a request. Pay only once it is confirmed.

Tell us which version you want, your date, how many adults and children, where you are staying, and your ship name if you are on one. Put any dietary requirements on the form. We confirm the slot and reply within one working day, and only then do we send a payment link.

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