From $8.50 per adult

One-way or Return Ferry
OpalPay accepted onboard
Free Wi-Fi onboard
Multi-trip passes available

Circular Quay ferry transport hub

Circular Quay, is the ferry transport hub of Sydney and is situated in Sydney Cove, or Warrane in the Eora language. Sydney Cove is bounded by the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the West and Sydney Opera House to the East. The area is also famous for The Rocks historic precinct, weekend markets, foreshore restaurants and bars. The neighbouring Royal Botanic Gardens is only a short stroll from the Sydney Opera House. Rocket ferries depart Circular Quay regularly for Taronga Zoo, Watsons Bay, Manly, Shark Island, Lane Cove River, Clifton Gardens and Darling Harbour.

Timetables

Commuter & School Services

Watsons Bay - Direct services between Circular Quay and Watsons Bay, Monday to Friday during peak commuter times, excluding public holidays

Lane Cove - commuter and school services between Darling Harbour, Balmain East, Jeffrey St Wharf North Sydney, Circular Quay, Long Nose Point Wharf Birchgrove, Greenwich Point, Bay St Wharf Birchgrove, Northwood Wharf, Longueville Wharf, Alexandra St Wharf Hunters Hill and Riverview College Wharf Lane Cove, Monday to Friday during peak commuter and school times, excluding public holidays

Circular Quay - Wharf 6	Watsons Bay
7:15am^	7:40am^
8:00am^	8:20am^
8:40am^	9:00am^
4:10pm^^	4:30pm^^
5:20pm^	5:40pm^
6:00pm^	6:20pm^
6:40pm^	7:00pm^

Timetable Commencing 22 October 2022 | Issued 06 October 2022

Legend: #Pick-up only | *Set down only | ^ Commuter Service | ^^ Mixed Commuter, Leisure & Tourist service |

Note: Additional Tourist & Leisure Services operate Wednesday to Sunday to 31Mar23 and daily from 01Apr23, aboard the Hop On Hop Off Harbour Explorer. Visit our timetable section for the latest information.

Watsons Bay	Circular Quay - Wharf 6
6:55am^	7:15am^
7:40am^	8:00am^
8:20am^	8:40am^
9:00am^	9:20am^
4:50pm^^	5:20pm^^
5:40pm^	6:00pm^
6:20pm^	6:40pm^
7:00pm^	7:20pm^

Timetable Commencing 14 November 2022 | Issued 14 November 2022

Legend: #Pick-up only | *Set down only | ^ Commuter Service | ^^ Mixed Commuter, Leisure & Tourist service |

Leisure & Tourist Services

Regular services between Taronga Zoo, Shark Island, Watsons Bay, Manly, Clifton Gardens, Darling Harbour and Circular Quay aboard the Hop On Hop Off Harbour Explorer.
Operates daily from 01Apr23
Variations to this schedule are noted on the bottom section of each timetable.
Special timetables may operate on selected dates. Explore our timetable section for the latest information.

Darling Harbour - King St Wharf 1	Circular Quay - Wharf 6	Taronga Zoo	Shark Island	Watsons Bay	Manly - Wharf 3	Watsons Bay	Shark Island	Taronga Zoo	Circular Quay - Wharf 6	Darling Harbour - King St Wharf 1
9:00am#	9:15am	9:30am	9:35am	9:45am	10:00am	10:15am			10:32am
	10:32am	10:50am	10:55am	11:05am	11:20am	11:35am			11:55am
	11:55am	12:10pm		12:25pm	12:40pm	12:55pm		1:10pm	1:25pm	1:40pm*
2:20pm#	2:35pm	2:45pm		2:55pm	3:10pm* allow extra 10 mins		3:30pm	3:35pm	3:50pm
	3:50pm			4:10pm	4:25pm* allow extra 10 mins	4:40pm		4:50pm	5:05pm
	5:05pm				5:35pm	5:50pm			6:10pm	6:25pm*
6:25pm▲	6:40pm▲			7:00pm▲		7:00pm▲			7:20pm▲*

Timetable Commencing 09 December 2023 | Issued 07 December 2023

Hop On Hop Off Weekend Leisure & Tourist Services: Saturday to Sunday and public holidays

Legend: #Pick-up only | *Set down only | ▲ Operates Saturday Nov-Feb

Closed: Mon 25-Dec-23 (Christmas Day), Tue 26-Dec-23 (Boxing Day selected services), Fri 26-Jan-24 (Australia Day)

Special Timetables Operate: Tue 26-Dec-23 (Boxing Day Zoo Express services only), Sun 31-Dec-23 (New Year’s Eve), Mon 01-Jan-24 (New Year’s Day) - to be confirmed

Shark Island Closures: 13-15-Dec-2023, 28-Dec-23 to 03-Jan-2024, 13-Jan-2024, 15-29-Feb-2024, 14-Mar-2024

Circular Quay - Wharf 6	Taronga Zoo	Shark Island	Watsons Bay	Manly - Wharf 3	Watsons Bay	Shark Island	Taronga Zoo	Circular Quay - Wharf 6
					6:55am#^			7:15am^
7:15am^			7:40am^		7:40am^			8:00am^
8:00am^			8:20am^		8:20am^			8:40am^
8:40am^			9:00am^		9:00am^			9:20am^*
9:20am	9:30am	9:35am	9:45am	10:00am	10:15am			10:35am*
11:00am	11:15am	11:20am	11:30am	11:45am (allow extra 10mins)	12:00pm			12:20pm
12:20pm	12:35pm		12:50pm	1:05pm (allow extra 10mins)	1:20pm	1:30pm	1:35pm	1:50pm
2:15pm	2:30pm		2:45pm	3:00pm	3:15pm	3:25pm	3:30pm	3:40pm*

4:10pm^^			4:30pm	4:40pm	4:50pm^^		5:00pm	5:20pm^^
5:20pm^			5:40pm^		5:40pm^			6:00pm^
6:00pm^			6:20pm^		6:20pm^			6:40pm^
6:40pm^			7:00pm^		7:00pm^			7:20pm^*

Timetable Commencing 09 December 2023 | Issued 07 December 2023

Hop On Hop Off Midweek Leisure & Tourist Services: Monday to Friday
Commuter Services: Monday to Friday excluding public holidays

Legend: #Pick-up only | *Set down only | ^ Commuter Services | ^^ Mixed Commuter, Leisure & Tourist service | ▲ Operates Saturday Nov-Feb

Closed: Mon 25-Dec-23 (Christmas Day), Tue 26-Dec-23 (Boxing Day selected services), Fri 26-Jan-24 (Australia Day)

Special Timetables Operate: Tue 26-Dec-23 (Boxing Day Zoo Express services only), Sun 31-Dec-23 (New Year’s Eve), Mon 01-Jan-24 (New Year’s Day) - to be confirmed

Shark Island Closures: 13-15-Dec-2023, 28-Dec-23 to 03-Jan-2024, 13-Jan-2024, 15-29-Feb-2024, 14-Mar-2024

Map

Gadigal Country

Circular Quay lies in Gadigal country. Warrane and Sydney Harbour were integral to the everyday lives of the Eora people. The men speared fish from the shoreline, while the women line-fished from their nowies (canoes). Bennelong Point, on which the Sydney Opera House is located, is name after a local Gadigal man. It was here the British First Fleet first settled in 1788.

Fares

Route	Adult	Child	App (Multi trip)
To/From Watsons Bay	$9.00	$6.00	From $8.40 per trip
To/From Taronga Zoo	$8.50	$6.00	-
To/From Clifton Gardens	$8.50	$6.00	-
To/From Manly	$10.50	$6.30	-
Shark Island (return)	$20.00	$17

View return and concession fares here. Visa/MasterCard/Amex & OpalPay accepted. All ferry services are cashless. All prices are per person and subject to change.

More Information

OpalPay FAQ

Please note, the below information is correct at the time of publishing and subject to change. Visit OpalPay for the latest information and services.

What is Opalpay?	OpalPay is a convenient way to pay for travel using your Opal card on participating privately operated transport services.
Where can I use OpalPay?	You can now tap to pay with your Opal card on selected private ferry services. Look for 'OpalPay accepted here' signs.
Why use OpalPay?	With OpalPay, you can use your Opal card on a wider range of transport services, allowing you to travel to more places more easily. There is no need to buy individual trip tickets, you can just tap to pay with your Opal card for a more convenient way of paying your fare.
How much is an OpalPay fare?	OpalPay fares are not the same as standard Opal fares. Fares are set by the private transport operators and are non-refundable. Concession fares are only available on selected routes and it's best to check with staff before paying with your Opal card, as you could be charged the full adult fare.
How do I use OpalPay?	To pay for your travel using OpalPay, make sure you have sufficient funds on your Opal card to cover the full price of your fare and simply tap to pay on the operator's payment device. The transaction will be declined if you don't not have enough funds to cover the cost of the trip. If you have set auto top up on your Opal card, this will be activated at the payment device if the amount on the card, plus the auto top up value is enough to cover the transaction. If the two values are not enough, the transaction will be declined and the auto top up will not be processed. You can set auto top up, to up online or at an Opal top up and ticket machine. Check opal.com.au for all the options. Do not tap on an Opal card reader. OpalPay fares are deducted from your Opal card when you tap on, so you won't need to tap off at the end of your trip.
Which Opal cards are compatible with OpalPay?	Reloadable Opal cards (cards that can be 'topped up') are compatible with OpalPay. These include: Adult Opal cards Child/Youth Opal cards Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal cards Concession Opal cards Concession fares are only available on selected routes and you may be charged the full adult fare, even when Gold Senior/Pensioner or Concession Opal cards are used. Check with staff to fin out if concession fares are available or you can check our ferry fares here.
Will tapping on with OpalPay contribute to my Opal travel benefits?	No. Unlike trips made with Opal cards on other public transport services, OpalPay trips do not contribute to Opal travel benefits or discounts.
Can two people travel together using the same Opal card?	No, each customer over the age of four must have their own reloadable Opal card with sufficient balance to travel.
What if my Opal card is lost or stolen?	If your card is registered and it's lost or stolen you can report on opal.com.au. Your existing balance can be protected and you can get it transferred to a new Opal card and sent to you.
Can a tap be reversed?	Yes, reversals can be undertaken in two ways: OpalPay reversals can be made directly on the operator's OpalPay payment device. After you have tapped to pay, staff can reverse the transaction. The private ferry fare must be the last recorded action on your Opal card. If you tap on an Opal card reader by mistake, you may be able to reverse it. If possible, you can go back to the Opal reader. To reverse the tap on, you just present your card a second time to the Opal reader within 30 minutes of the original tap on. Alternatively, please use the nearest Sydney Ferries service, if available.
Is there a maximum fare with OpalPay?	The maximum limits for SeaLink/Captain Cook Cruises private ferries on Sydney Harbour are: $25 per transaction, $30 per day and $200 per week.

The Easiest way to purchase your multi-trip ferry tickets with Captain Cook Cruises Sydney. Download the eTravelPass app on your mobile via the App Store or Google Play for access to a range of passes on our most popular ferry routes, valid for up to 365 days. Please visit our prices section for further details.

Still looking? You might find it here

Wheelchair access - Sydney 2000, Captain Cook 3, and both single deck and twin deck rocket catamarans are wheelchair accessible. Please check the Accessibility page for further details and wharf access.
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