Cockatoo Island ferry, Sydney: Cost & timetable from Circular Quay
The Cockatoo Island ferry in Sydney takes 29 minutes from Circular Quay, and departs roughly every half hour. Fares cost $6.21 using an Opal card or contactless credit card.
The Cockatoo Island ferry is one of several ferries crossing Sydney Harbour. The Manly Ferry, Watsons Bay ferry, Taronga Zoo ferry and Parramatta ferry are better known, but the Cockatoo Island ferry is worth a look for tourists.
Book in advance for the best Sydney hotel deals.
and the most fun experiences and tours.
This is mainly because it goes to Cockatoo Island, the biggest island in Sydney Harbour. The island has many strings to its bow, including camping, bars and tours around convict-era heritage buildings. There are also Cockatoo Island ghost tours.
The ferries to Cockatoo Island depart from Circular Quay, and they’re officially the F8 ferry route.
Cockatoo Island ferry timetable
The F8 ferry in Sydney is essentially a commuter service that Cockatoo Island has been tagged on the end of. This means that the Cockatoo Island ferries depart more regularly than you might reasonably expect. The first F8 service departs at 06.15, and the last ferry to Cockatoo Island departs at 22.45. For most of this period, the ferries depart every half hour, although this switches to every hour later in the evening. The full timetable is available on the Transport NSW website.
After departing Circular Quay, the F8 ferry heads out into Sydney Harbour and crosses under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It then stops at Balmain, Birchgrove, Greenwich Point and Woolwich. The journey from Circular Quay to Cockatoo Island takes 29 minutes.
Cockatoo Island ferry fare cost
The Cockatoo Island ferry costs $6.21, as long as you’re using the Opal card or a contactless debit/ credit card. You can also use mobile devices to pay for the Adult Opal fare. If, for some reason, you’d prefer to pay cash for a single ticket from a machine, rather than tap in and tap out, the single trip fare is $7.60.
If you found this guide useful, please consider booking your accommodation and tours through the links to Wotif and Viator below.
BOOK AUSTRALIAN ACCOMMODATION AND TOURS.
Australia Travel Questions earns a small commission from them at no extra cost to you.
This helps keep the site running and adding more guides.
The companies chosen are those usually used by Australia Travel Questions founder David Whitley when booking travel in Australia.
More Sydney travel
How long does the Wollongong to Sydney train take?
How much does the Rose Bay ferry cost?
Avoid the crowds in Manly at Collins Beach and Little Manly Beach.
Stop at Symbio Wildlife Park on the drive from Sydney to Jervis Bay.