Longer Trips From a Nassau Base

October 18, 2026

Travel advisory: The US State Department rates The Bahamas Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, because of crime, and the UK Foreign Office describes the water sports industry as poorly regulated. Both are worth reading before you plan nights away on boats or in unfamiliar islands: the US advisory and the UK safety page .

Nassau does not have overland multi-day tours. New Providence is a flat, compact island that works as a resort and cruise base, and nothing there needs more than a day or two on foot. What exists for longer trips is a short list of real options: a liveaboard dive cruise, island hops by air or ferry, and a hotel base with day excursions. Prices below are in Bahamian dollars, which trade at par with US dollars, and most are listing figures that change by season.

Liveaboard cruise in the Exumas

Aqua Cat Cruises, run by All Star Liveaboards, operates a 102-foot dive catamaran on seven-night Exuma Cays itineraries that depart from Nassau. Listings put the fare at roughly $2,400 to $2,900 per person, plus a government port fee reported at $395 for 2026. These are booking-site figures, so confirm the current total with the operator. Fast boats make open-water crossings to the Exumas, which is one reason many visitors choose a flight instead.

Nassau plus Exuma

Bahamas Air Tours flies from Nassau to Staniel Cay in about 40 minutes, and scheduled flights also make the hop in 30 to 40 minutes. Staying on the cays for a night or two gives more time than the $850 per person day trip that the operator lists. See the Bahamas Air Tours Exuma page for its current schedule. The pig colony at Big Major Cay is roughly 70 to 75 nautical miles from Nassau, and visitor feeding was restricted after a die-off of animals in 2017.

Nassau plus Harbour Island

Harbour Island lies about 60 miles away. Bahamas Ferries sails from Potter’s Cay Dock, and its FAQ describes a Friday to Sunday service leaving Nassau at 8am, with fares listed at $135 one way and $250 return. The FAQ is undated, so confirm both before you plan around it. Flights are the other route. Treat Harbour Island as an overnight, because the ferry timetable does not suit a casual same-day return. See Bahamas Ferries .

A Nassau base with day trips

The simplest multi-day plan is to sleep in Nassau and use the days for separate outings. Good building blocks are Rose Island, Blue Lagoon Island, Clifton Heritage National Park, Fort Charlotte, the downtown walking circuit and an evening at the Arawak Cay Fish Fry. The itineraries page for two days in Nassau and the three-day itinerary show how to sequence them.

Practical notes

Hotels on Paradise Island and Cable Beach sit away from downtown, so decide early whether you want to walk the old town or stay on a resort strip. Jitneys do not serve the airport or Paradise Island, so budget for a taxi on both ends of the trip. Autumn is the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, and storms can strand boats and flights alike.

Compare places to stay with a Nassau hotel search .