When planning a Bahamas day trip from Miami, you must know the small details which can make or break a vacation. Planning a vacation with your family is especially difficult because there is so much information to track down. Allow us to help you make it easy to draw up your Bahamas day trip from Miami itinerary.
Below, we have included information which is key for everyone planning a Bahamas day trip.
Blue as far as the eye can see.
Planning the Best Bahamas Day Trip from Miami
You probably have a list of questions about your Bahamas day trip from Miami. Let us take a shot at answering those questions right here.
How long is the day cruise to Bahamas?
If you are taking a Bahamas day trip from Miami, you will need to check in at the airport in Fort Lauderdale by 7am at Hangar 11. All private flights to Bahamas done by Bahamas Air Tours take off from the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport by 7:30am.
From there, the flight to the Bahamas is approximately one hour before a quick stop at the International Airport on Andros Island in the Bahamas in order for all of our passengers to clear national customs.
After that, it is just a quick 45 minute jaunt to our destination which is our Staniel Cay day trips in the Exuma Cays.
Once at the airport in Staniel Cay, we will have transport arranged to take you to your private boat excursion which will stop at all the popular Bahamas vacation destinations in the Exumas.
When will I return home from my Miami to Bahamas day trip?
After a day on the water and island hopping from white sand beach to white sand beach, your private boat will return you to Staniel Cay where you will board the aircraft and fly back to Fort Lauderdale.
You can expect to arrive back to the United States from your one day cruise to Bahamas around 6:30pm and you will have to clear U.S. customs before being allowed back in.
Enjoy the fresh sea breeze on a sail boat!
Where you go on your day trip to Bahamas
Staniel Cay
There is plenty to do on a Bahamas day trip from Miami in Staniel Cay. To start, sit down for lunch at the famed Staniel Cay Yacht Club where the likes of dozens of celebrities have dropped by. If you are lucky, one might happen to stop by during your visit.
At the yacht club, you can have lunch at the restaurant or get a drink at the bar. There is also a cute boutique hotel and a world-class marina.
You can walk around the cay, ride a bicycle, or rent transportation, however, if you are limited on time, we suggest limiting your time here and moving on to even more beautiful destinations.
Big Major Cay (Pig Beach)
Right across the way from Staniel Cay is the star attraction of the Exumas; Big Major Cay, or, as it has come to be known, Pig Island. It is not more than ten minutes from Staniel Cay and your tour with us will include transportation to the famous island with pigs in the Bahamas. You can feed the pigs, you can go swimming with pigs, and relax on the beach with the pigs.
There is an estimated 20-25 pigs on Big Major Cay ranging in sizes from small piglets to the leader of the pack, Big Momma — the oldest one on the island you will see on your Bahamas day trip from Miami.
It is not entirely sure how they arrived on the island which adds to the character of the place, but it is assumed the pigs were brought there by farmers from Staniel Cay after villagers complained of their stench.
After a while, the pigs picked up on a pattern — when the farmers came over from Staniel Cay by boat, they always brought the daily feed. Soon, these pigs would swim to the farmers before they reached the beach in order to be the first fed.
Pretty soon, an attraction which brought in 6.62 million visitors in 2018 was born. It is the reason a lot of people make the Miami to Bahamas day trip and certainly a tour favorite.
Lovable pig afloat in turquoise waters of the Bahamas day trip from Miami.
Thunderball Grotto
Within swimming distance of Pig Island is Thunderball Grotto — the setting of the 1965 Hollywood film, “Thunderball”, starring Sean Connery.
It is not hard to tell why a James Bond 007 film was shot here. Follow the other adventurers on your Bahamas day trip from Miami through the hidden entrances to this hollow rock formation in the middle of the Caribbean. Inside is crystal clear water, beautiful corals, and natural sun windows allowing for the water to sparkle brightly.
It is an adventure-enthusiasts dream to play in a James Bond movie set and will surely make your day trip to Bahamas from Miami loads more daring.
Compass Cay
Ever dared to swim with sharks? At Compass Cay, Reef and Nurse sharks upwards of ten feet in length dwell on the seafloor, feeding off marine life in the shallow waters of Compass Cay Marina.
You will have the unique opportunity on your Bahamas day trip from Miami to get in the water with these harmless beasts. So, don’t worry — although they are carnivorous animals, they tend to ignore humans unless they are threatened. They are very habituated to their surroundings in Compass Cay as they were brought there as pets long ago.
You can enjoy this sanctuary which is open to the public on any of your day trips from Miami.
Bitter Guana Cay
Bitter Guana Cay is one of your last stops on your day trip to Bahamas from Miami. It is a small island in the Exuma Cays home to a rare species of iguana; the Northern Bahamian Rock Iguana.
The island is the only place in the world where you can spot this endangered species after humans have illegally hunted it to extinction in two other island destinations.
Bitter Guana Cay is quiet, charming, and usually not busy with tourists. Take a hike around the island and end your Miami to Bahamas day trip with a bang.
A Norther Bahamian Rock Iguana on white sand beach.
Useful Tips and Info for your day trip Miami to Bahamas
Remember, in order to book private charter day trips from Miami, you need to have a party size of 6-9 people. If six people have not booked the Bahamas day trips by plane, you will be fully refunded and rescheduled to a later date.
Make sure to bring your passport on your day trip Miami to Bahamas! If you are traveling from Florida to Bahamas, you are crossing international boundaries and must have your passport to clear customs in the Bahamas and to enter back into the United States from your flights to Bahamas day trip from Miami.
You are allowed ten-pounds of luggage aboard the Bahamas air charter for your Bahamas day trip from Miami, so pack a light day bag with only the necessary items. Here is a list to help you out while packing for your day trip to Bahamas:
- Passport & Travel Documentation (visas, etc.)
- Cash for tips ($USD accepted in the Bahamas)
- Camera
- External battery for phone
- Sun protection (shirt, hat, sunglasses, lotion, etc.)
- Swim gear (shorts, bikinis, water shoes if you need)
- Towel
- A change of dry clothes for lunch and hiking
- A jacket if the aircraft is too cold for your liking
- Snacks (snacks are provided but those with specific dietary needs should pack their own)
Book my Florida to Swimming Pigs Day Trip Today!
The Miami to Bahamas day trip of your dreams awaits. Book our Exuma day trips and experience swimming pigs tours to Pig Beach to see the Exuma pigs like you have never imagined.
Allow us to pack your Bahamas vacation with the luxury and excitement it needs and we will let the beauty of the Exuma Cays do the rest of the talking on your Bahamas day trip from Miami.
Get our FREE Bahamas Guidebook
Discover the Bahamas Out Islands
With beautifully illustrated maps and informative destination guides.
Download the Guidebook
