Rose Island Day Trips: The 12 Best Boats from Nassau

1.Sandy Toes The Original Rose Island and Swimming Pigs Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,232 reviews · from $258Our pick

Spend about six hours sailing from Paradise Island to Rose Island for a beach day with a twist. You can snorkel, swim with vet-checked rescued pigs, visit peacocks and curly-tail lizards, enjoy a Bahamian buffet, and relax with an open bar. Check in by 9:15 a.m. and bring a towel.

“Absolutely wonderful experience and a great way to spend the day. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. Worth the price!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Rose Island Adventure: Snorkel, Sea Turtles, and Private Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 486 reviews · from $139

Take a four-hour speedboat trip from Margaritaville Nassau to Rose Island Reef, Green Cay, and 007 Beach Club. Captain Andy, Captain Kareem, or another crew member may lead the ride. Snorkel with supplied gear, watch for turtles from the boat, enjoy burgers and drinks, and relax on a beach. This is a shared tour, not a private charter.

“This was a great excursion if you're looking to get away from the resort for an afternoon. The snorkeling was AWESOME. A wide variety of fish to check out, just wish we were out there for longer or went to a 2nd spot. Only snorkeled for about Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Swimming Pigs Of Rose Island Water Taxi Nassau Bahamas

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 192 reviews · from $69Best value

Take a shared water taxi from Nassau-Downtown Harbour past Pearl Island, Atlantis, and Ocean Club Estates to Rose Island. Feed friendly, cared-for pigs in shallow water, then enjoy beach time, lounge chairs, Wi-Fi, kayaks, and a restaurant at the Sand Dollar Beach Resort. The ride takes about 30 to 45 minutes each way, but allow extra time for loading and harbor stops.

“This was the most affordable option for the swimming with pigs experience and it was worth every penny. The ferry to the island takes a while, but it was a pleasant ride. The beach where the pigs swim is beautiful and clean, and the size of the crowd is reasonable. Our group was given a generous amount of carrot pieces to feed the pigs and a wooden sleep to keep our hands safe. After the swim we had time to play in the water, lounge on chaises, and eat it drink from the cafe. Out family of six was thrilled with the experience and we'd happily do it again.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Rose Island Tour with Swimming Pigs & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 190 reviews · 6 hours · from $252

Take a 25-minute boat ride from Paradise Island to Sandy Toes on Rose Island. You get a private beach, guided snorkeling, swimming pigs, buffet lunch, open bar, hammocks, and free time for kayaking or beach games. Staff such as Cody and Morgan have earned praise for their care and water safety.

“Sandy Toes spoiled us with a very pleasant trip out and back. They picked us up and returned us directly to our hotel. The layout on Rose Island is exquisitely beautiful and memorably picturesque with beautiful cliffs ascended on picturesque stairways and lounges on top with views out over the waters --- it couldn't have been better!! Toilets and change rooms were clean and appetizing. Snorkeling allowed us to hover over and follow a large scrawled filefish over colorful coral and gorgonians, some bright purple beneath us in clear, turquoise water --- we hovered over a moray eel and allowed a brittle starfish to crawl over our hand!! There were…”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Private Rose Island, Swimming Pigs, Snorkeling and Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 181 reviews

Spend four flexible hours on a private Nassau boat with a captain such as Ramsey, McKinney, Lawren, or Dillon. Snorkel, visit Rose Island, look for sea turtles at Green Cay, and add swimming pigs for an extra fee. Drinks, snacks, gear, and optional private transfers are available.

“What a fantastic day. The skipper was full of information and treated us like special friends. Nothing to was too much trouble and we had a very fulfilling adventure”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Half Day Swimming Pigs on Rose Island, Snorkeling and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 139 reviews · from $279Top rated

From Paradise Island, Born Free Charters takes you by boat to Sandy Cay, Rose Island, and Green Cay in about four hours. You’ll snorkel a coral reef, feed swimming pigs, spot sea turtles, and enjoy lunch with drinks at a beach bar. The trip includes gear, snacks, water, and an onboard restroom.

“Fun day overall. Lunch was great and meeting the pigs was a fun experience. Would recommend this. A little more time snorkeling would have been nice.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Rose Island Half-Day Snorkeling Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 119 reviews

Spend about four hours cruising from Nassau to Rose Island with Captain Stafford Missick and crew member Bullard. You’ll snorkel reefs, swim near green turtles at Green Cay, relax on a quiet beach, and enjoy snacks, soft drinks, water, and rum punch. The private boat carries up to six people, with optional hotel pickup.

“If you’re still wondering if you should book this trip - just do it. You won’t be disappointed. Swimming with the turtles is incredible and we even got to see a sting ray. The snorkling was great too. But the Rose Island beach was also pretty amRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Rose Island Swimming Pigs & Turtles Snorkeling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 112 reviews · 3h 30m · from $127

Set out from Paradise Island with Secret Cays on a 35-foot Donzi boat for a compact island-hopping day. You will visit Green Cay for turtles, snorkel Rose Island, meet swimming pigs, and see Sandy Cay, known for Gilligan’s Island. Captain Jay has led trips praised for friendly service. Drinks and snorkel gear are included.

“Best trip...it was an unforgettable day!! We sah al lotus of turtles and we Visitenkarte a lost Placebo, a lonely Island. I would We were alpne on a lonely island. Book this trip!!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Rose Island’s Sand Dollar Beach Resort

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 80 reviews · 4 hours · from $75

Take a half-day boat trip from Nassau to Rose Island for swimming pigs, turtle spotting, snorkeling, kayaks, paddleboards, a beach, and an island observatory. The resort is Bahamian-owned and about 30 minutes from Nassau, though pickups can make the ride longer. The $75 price covers transport and activities, but lunch and drinks cost extra.

“Since the 4 hours includes the time to/from the island, we barely had any time on the actual island. We were hoping for 4 hours on the island. All the activities felt rushed (pigs, lunch) that we didn't get time to do much else. Also, the lunch at $25/pp was very high, even though the food was delicious, I feel that $15 would have been much more reasonable. Workers inside the bar/restaurant were not friendly. The island itself is beautiful, but they need more lounge chairs in the sun. Many were broken and not set up in a nice way.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Rose Island Private Beach: Swimming with the Pigs

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 78 reviews · from $139

Ride a powerboat from Nassau to Rose Island Reef, Green Cay, and a private 007 Beach Club. Snorkel among fish, look for turtles, feed gentle pigs, then enjoy hammocks, kayaks, lunch, soft drinks, and available rum drinks. Captains Ken and Henny, plus crew members such as Danny and Shawn, help keep the half-day outing lively and organized.

“Perfect tour included 2 separate spots for snorkeling with plenty of fish and sea turtles, followed by a private beach oasis on Rose Island. Unlimited rum punch (delish) and made to order burgers and dogs. Pigs arrive on beach where we feed them. Good music selection and staff was friendly. Highly recommend this tour even if you are not a great swimmer as they provide flotation devices and snorkeling gear. All 4 of us loved it and would go again!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Swimming Pigs Of Rose Island & Beach Day – Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 62 reviews · from $99

You’ll cruise from Nassau past Atlantis and Ocean Club Estates to Rose Island, where a 10 to 25 minute pig encounter is paired with beach time, water toys, hammocks, games, and music. Guides including Theo, Tobie, Orry, and Sedale help run the outing. Bring cash for food and drinks, and wear enclosed shoes for the rocky pig area.

“It isn’t pigs on a beach, it’s pigs on a set of rocks while being splashed with sea water. Wear proper enclosed shoes, the food was $20 a head and it’s good but bring money for food. The bartenders were super cool.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Half-Day Guided Boat Tour of Nassau Harbour and Rose Island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · from $299

Set out from The Royal at Atlantis with a captain and mate for a five-hour Nassau Harbour and Rose Island trip. You’ll see cruise ships, forts, Potter’s Cay, and Ocean Club Estates, then spend about three hours on Rose Island with lunch, beach time, green turtles, and swimming pigs. Beer, mojitos, water, snacks, and towels are included.

“The most perfect day!!!! From the boat ride to the lunch, absolutely everything was perfect. Thank you Meatball, Maddy and Jello!”

Check availability →Read our full review