A Magnetic Island Day Trip from Townsville
Can you do a day trip to Magnetic Island? Yes: the 20-minute ferry, first and last sailings, three ways to spend the day, what it costs and whether to stay a night.
Yes, a day trip to Magnetic Island works well. SeaLink’s ferry crosses from Townsville’s Breakwater terminal to Nelly Bay in about 20 minutes, the first one leaves at 5:30 am from Monday to Saturday (6:30 am on Sunday), and the last one back leaves the island at 10:00 pm, or 11:00 pm from Wednesday to Saturday (checked October 2026). That is enough for a morning tour, lunch at Horseshoe Bay and the Forts walk before an evening ferry.
The calendar below is Aquascene’s Discovery Tour on GetYourGuide, the morning on the water that most day-trippers pick; the same tour is on Viator from US$128 (checked October 2026).
The ferry times that matter
| Townsville to the island | Island to Townsville | |
|---|---|---|
| Early (Monday to Saturday only) | 5:30 am, 7:00 am | 6:00 am, 7:45 am |
| Morning, every day | 6:30, 7:45, 8:45, 9:30, 10:30, 11:40 | 7:00, 8:25, 9:30, 10:05, 11:05 |
| Afternoon, every day | 1:00 pm, 2:15, 3:50, 4:30 | 12:15 pm, 1:35, 3:00, 4:30, 5:10 |
| Evening, every day | 6:00 pm, 7:30, 9:20 | 6:35 pm, 8:00, 10:00 |
| Weekdays only | 5:25 pm | 6:00 pm |
| Wednesday to Saturday | 10:30 pm | 11:00 pm |
SeaLink’s standard timetable, checked October 2026. Some early and late sailings do not run on public holidays; SeaLink can change the timetable without notice.
An adult return costs AUD 44 at the counter, or AUD 41.50 on the SeaLink app, plus a fuel surcharge of AUD 2 on a return (checked October 2026). The ticket is not tied to a sailing, so you can come back on whichever ferry suits. The ferry guide has the full fare table and the car ferry.
Three ways to spend the day
On the water. Meet Aquascene on Peppers Resort’s deck beside the terminal and spend about five hours snorkelling the fringing reefs and paddle boarding in bays you cannot drive to. Aquascene’s booking page says the boat leaves at 8:15 and is back at 1:15 pm, its website 8:30; be on Peppers’ deck by 8:15. From Townsville take the 7:00 am ferry (Monday to Saturday) or the 6:30; the 7:45 lands at about 8:05 and only works if the boat leaves at 8:30. Back at Nelly Bay you have the afternoon for bus 250 to Horseshoe Bay or the Forts.
On a guided bus. Magnetic Island Tours’ Maggie Comprehensive leaves the courtesy-vehicle lane at the terminal at 9:15 and drives the island for five hours, with the rock wallabies at Geoffrey Bay, the lookouts and an hour in Horseshoe Bay for lunch, from US$72 (checked October 2026). The same company’s History, Beaches and Wildlife Tour on GetYourGuide is from US$67 (checked October 2026).
On your own. Take bus 250 from the terminal to the Forts stop, walk the Forts track (4 km return, about 2 hours), and carry on to Horseshoe Bay for lunch and a swim. The bus costs AUD 1 for the day, paid on board by card or cash (checked October 2026).
Other Tours with Open Dates
More Magnetic Island and Townsville Tours with Open Dates
Bus tours, sailing, the reef and wildlife, with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Pick your day
Magnetic Island Discovery Tour: Snorkelling and Paddle Boarding
Aquascene's five hours on the water from Nelly Bay: snorkelling with gear and suits, paddle boards, morning tea. Back in time for an afternoon on the island.
Check dates →Magnetic Island Tour: Maggie Comprehensive
Five hours with a local guide on the island's roads and lookouts, rock wallabies and an hour in Horseshoe Bay. Nobody gets wet.
See the bus tour →Return Ferry from Townsville to Magnetic Island (SeaLink)
SeaLink's return ferry on GetYourGuide, open-dated for 180 days, for a day on foot and bus 250.
See the ferry ticket →Prices, ratings and review counts from the Viator and GetYourGuide listings (checked October 2026). Operators price by season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
What a day trip costs
For one adult, a day with the Discovery Tour comes to the ferry plus the tour: AUD 44 and the AUD 2 surcharge for SeaLink’s walk-up return, and AUD 175 on Aquascene’s own page, or AUD 220 if you buy Aquascene’s tour-and-ferry ticket (all checked October 2026). On Viator the tour alone is from US$128 (checked October 2026). A day on your own costs the ferry, AUD 1 for the bus and lunch.
One day or more?
One day covers a tour and one more thing: the Forts walk, a swim at Horseshoe Bay or a long lunch. Two or three days let you do the walks to Florence and Arthur bays, a sunset sail with Pilgrim and the West Point sunset trip, which brings you back for the 8:00 pm ferry. Pilgrim’s Sip and Sail sets out between about 4:30 and 5:45 pm depending on the season, so a day-tripper can do it and still catch an evening ferry.
Is Magnetic Island worth visiting?
For bush, beaches and wildlife close to a city, yes. Queensland’s parks service counts 78% of the island as national or conservation park, and wild koalas and allied rock-wallabies live beside the Forts walk and the settlements. It is not the outer Great Barrier Reef: the reefs here are fringing reefs close to shore, and the outer reef is a full day by boat from Townsville. If the outer reef is the point of your trip, Adrenalin Snorkel and Dive’s reef day to John Brewer Reef picks up at Nelly Bay at 7:50.
Before you go
- Stingers: from 1 November to 31 May swim inside the nets at Horseshoe Bay or Picnic Bay, or in a lycra suit. See the best time to visit.
- Luggage: SeaLink has lockers at the Townsville terminal from AUD 10 for 24 hours (checked October 2026).
- Parking: the Breakwater car park costs AUD 10.50 for 24 hours and is not fenced.
- Koalas: the Forts walk is the best place to look; the koalas guide covers the walk and the koala park.
Spend the Morning on the Water
Aquascene's Discovery Tour leaves beside the Nelly Bay ferry terminal and is back by early afternoon: snorkelling, paddle boards, secluded bays and morning tea.
Check dates