Ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola

Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook: which dock to use

Charlotte Amalie is the dock for Road Town, the BVI's capital, and the one to use from the airport. The ferries leave the Edward W. Blyden IV Marine Terminal on the waterfront, 12 minutes by taxi from Cyril E. King Airport as we measured it, and $11 for one rider or $9 each for two or more on the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission's tariff in force since October 2022.

Red Hook is the dock for West End, at the far end of Tortola, and the one to use from the East End of St. Thomas. The boats leave the Urman V. Fredericks Marine Terminal, where the St. John ferry also leaves, 36 minutes from the airport and 28 from the Charlotte Amalie terminal by our measurements; the taxi there from the airport is $23 for one rider, $17 each for two or more.

St. Thomas to Tortola ferry schedule, October 2026

The Charlotte Amalie run is one shared rotation: each sailing belongs to Native Son, Road Town Fast Ferry or Smith's Ferry, and which one changes by the day. The BVI Ports Authority publishes the rotation as a monthly calendar, the place to check which company has your sailing. The Red Hook run is Road Town Fast Ferry's alone.

Times from the BVI Ports Authority's October 2026 calendar and Road Town Fast Ferry's 2026 timetable, checked October 9, 2026. The midday pair does not run on some Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the 5:45 pm from Red Hook goes on to Road Town.

Where the sources part: Road Town Fast Ferry's own site says its Charlotte Amalie service runs Tuesdays, Saturdays and select Sundays; the Ports Authority's October calendar gives it 18 days of the month. Book with the operator the calendar names for your day.

How long is the ferry to Tortola?

50 minutes from Charlotte Amalie to Road Town, Road Town Fast Ferry's own figure as of October 2026. No operator publishes a time for Red Hook to West End, so we print none. Add the check-in on St. Thomas and the customs queue in Tortola.

What the Tortola ferry costs, and the fees on top

The fare is quoted when you book: as of October 9, 2026, Native Son and Smith's Ferry show a price only inside their booking engines, and Road Town Fast Ferry lists its fares as not available yet. The figures that circulate elsewhere have no operator behind them, so we leave them out.

The fees Smith's Ferry lists on top of the fare, as of October 2026:

The tradeoff: a visitor's round trip carries $40 in fees before the fare, $160 for four adults.

Passports, the BVI entry form and coming back

Every visitor to the British Virgin Islands needs a valid passport book or a US passport card for the length of the stay, per the Government of the Virgin Islands in a release of March 20, 2025, and the release names no exception for children. Smith's Ferry asks passengers to fill in the BVI government's online immigration and customs form on a phone before arrival.

Coming back, you clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on arrival. A US citizen re-enters by sea with a US passport or passport card, per CBP, so the card that got you into Tortola brings you home. Other visitors need whatever let them into the US the first time; Smith's Ferry reminds UK passport holders to carry a printed ESTA.

Check-in times, by operator

Be at the counter 45 minutes before the boat. Smith's Ferry's calendar says 35 minutes and its travel policy 45, and it may give your seat to a stand-by passenger 10 minutes before departure; Road Town Fast Ferry's Red Hook timetable says check-in closes 15 minutes before. The 45 minutes covers all three.

Virgin Gorda and the St. John ferry

Virgin Gorda has one scheduled boat from St. Thomas: Speedy's, from Charlotte Amalie to Spanish Town on Saturdays, 90 minutes, $60 one way and $110 round trip on its rates page as of October 2026, paused each autumn by its own notice (September 1 to October 31 this year) and usually back in early November, so check with Speedy's before you plan on it. Inter Island Boat Services lists Red Hook to Virgin Gorda at $200 on its booking calendar, and Smith's Ferry offers the run by private charter. The ferries page puts every route in the territory on one table. The crossing from Red Hook to St. John is domestic and needs no passport.

Questions people ask

Is there a ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola?

Yes, from two docks. Charlotte Amalie has up to three sailings a day to Road Town, run in rotation by Native Son, Road Town Fast Ferry and Smith's Ferry, and Red Hook has three a day to West End with Road Town Fast Ferry, as of October 2026 per the BVI Ports Authority.

How long is the ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola?

50 minutes from Charlotte Amalie to Road Town, per Road Town Fast Ferry as of October 2026. No operator publishes a time for Red Hook to West End. Allow 45 minutes at the counter before the boat, and time for customs in Tortola.

How much is the ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola?

The operators quote the fare only when you book, as of October 2026. On top of it come $40 in government fees for a visitor's round trip: a $10 port fee from St. Thomas, a $10 environmental fee in the BVI and a $20 departure tax leaving it, per Smith's Ferry.

Do you need a passport for the ferry to Tortola?

Yes. The BVI asks every visitor for a valid passport book or a US passport card, per the Government of the Virgin Islands, and names no exception for children. A US citizen returns to St. Thomas on the same passport or card, per U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Should I take the ferry from Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook?

Charlotte Amalie from the airport or for Road Town: the terminal is 12 minutes from Cyril E. King Airport by our measurement. Red Hook from the East End of St. Thomas or for West End, Tortola; it is 36 minutes from the airport.