Shark Island Sydney Ferry: 5 Harbour Islands to Visit

The Shark Island Sydney ferry is only one of five ways onto a harbour island, and each island has its own rule for getting there. Some have a public ferry, some need a guide, and one is closed. Pick the one that matches how much effort and money you want to spend.

1. Shark Island: the Sydney ferry runs in school holidays

The Shark Island ferry in Sydney is a Captain Cook Cruises service that runs during school holidays, and it does not run when the island is booked for a private event. Access is by watercraft only, says the park, so there is no road and no car park. Private boats may drop you off and pick you up, but they cannot moor at the wharf. The park page names no water taxi or other public ferry.

Shark Island sits about 1 km from the mouth of Rose Bay. Open hours run from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. The landing fee is A$7 per person, children aged 0 to 4 are free, and you need to book ahead. Call 1300 072 757 or book online.

Once there, picnic on the grass, in the shelters or in the gazebo. Swim, look at the tide pools in the old grottos and enjoy views of the harbour. There are flush toilets, but no barbecues and no rubbish bins. Bring your food and take everything home.

If the ferry does not run on your date, a Sydney sunset cruise gives you the harbour from the water instead. A different park page says kayaks are the recommended way to reach Shark Island, and you can hire them from Point Piper.

The wharf for the school-holiday ferry and its timetable are not on the park's pages, so no public source says where the boat leaves. Ask the Nielsen Park office on 02 9337 5511 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) before you set out.

Pro Tip Phone the National Parks Contact Centre on 1300 072 757 (7am to 7pm daily) to confirm the ferry and the landing fee for your day. The island is closed on days when it is booked for a private event.

2. Cockatoo Island: the easy island with a daily ferry

Cockatoo Island is the easiest harbour island to visit, because the F3 and F8 public ferries run there daily and entry is free. According to Cockatoo Island's own trip page, the ferries leave from Circular Quay and Barangaroo, plus wharves along the Parramatta River. The page does not give a trip time and sends you to the Transport for NSW site for timetables, so look at the trip planner for your day. This is the only public ferry on this list that leaves Circular Quay; the other islands need a tour or a water taxi.

You pay the ferry with an Opal card or a contactless bank card. Transport for NSW caps adult fares at A$19.30 a day from Monday to Thursday and A$9.65 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. Our getting around Sydney guide explains how the caps work.

Cockatoo is a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its Convict Precinct. You can also walk through the Dog Leg Tunnel, the Powerhouse and the Docks Precinct. Steam crane demonstrations run on the first Tuesday of each month from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Visitor Centre hours are 10am to 4pm, though the island warns it may not always be open.

Visit plans on the island's page run from a half day to a full day, and it also offers overnight stays. A half day is enough for the convict buildings and a picnic on Biloela Lawn. The FAQ page says the island has wheelchair access and accessible toilets, with some uneven ground.

Key Takeaway Cockatoo Island is free to enter and has a daily public ferry, which makes it the only island on this list you can decide to visit on the morning itself.

3. Clark Island: a short trip with a guide

Clark Island is a small park near Double Bay, and the simplest way to see it is on a guided cruise. A water taxi from Circular Quay takes about 10 minutes. There is no public ferry to Clark Island, and you must buy the landing fee in advance by calling 13000PARKS. The page gives no amount for Clark Island, although the park lists A$7 for Shark, Clark and Rodd Islands.

Tribal Warrior runs tours that include the island aboard the Mari Nawi, a big canoe with Aboriginal hosts and crew. The Aboriginal cultural cruise with a Clark Island tour starts from €51.76 and is run by Tribal Warrior Aboriginal Corporation. It is a guided tour, it lasts 2 hours and it leaves from the Eastern Pontoon at Circular Quay. The listing includes Dreamtime stories, a cultural performance, and tea and coffee. Its rating is 4.1 from only 7 reviews, so the score is a small sample. You can cancel free up to 24 hours before.

On a clear evening, Clark Island is a good place to watch the sunset, with views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

4. Goat Island: guided tours only

You cannot just turn up at Goat Island, because the park says it is not open to the general public. You visit on a guided tour or at a major event. Private boats cannot moor there. No public ferry runs to Goat Island, and the park names no ferry or departure wharf; it says no separate landing fee applies to tours. For other tour operators, call the Nielsen Park office on 02 9337 5511.

Paddling is one way in. The park names Paddle Pirates as a kayak partner, and the kayak tour to Goat Island starts from €89.64. It is run by Paddle Pirates, lasts 3 hours and meets at the Sydney University Boat Shed in Glebe. The group is limited to 6 people. It is rated 5.0 from 30 reviews and has free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Paddling suits some people and not others. The listing says it is not suitable for children under 16, non-swimmers, wheelchair users or people with a low level of fitness. Food and drink are not included.

Things to Do in Sydney's count of GetYourGuide listings on 25 October 2026 found 19 tours with "kayak" in the title, at a median price from €92.86. Our Sydney kayaking guide covers the other paddles on the harbour.

Goat Island has flush toilets but no food or drink, so bring your own. The park lists wheelchair access as possible only "with some difficulty".

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

5. Fort Denison: closed to visitors in 2026

Fort Denison is closed to visitors for all of 2026. It stays shut "to enable the completion of conservation works". It gives no reopening date, so ask the park before you plan a trip for 2027. No ferry goes to the fort this year.

With the fort shut, no Fort Denison tours are on offer this year. It stands on a small island in the middle of the harbour, near the Botanic Gardens and the Opera House, so you can still see it from the water.

A 90-minute harbour sightseeing cruise from Circular Quay Wharf 6 starts from €35.76. Captain Cook Cruises runs it, and it is rated 4.6 from 158 reviews. Commentary comes on your phone, and the cruise has free cancellation up to 24 hours before. It does not land on any island.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.

Every island in the harbour has its own rules, and the rules change more often than the views do.

How to choose the right Shark Island Sydney ferry alternative

Choose Cockatoo Island if you want a free, easy day, and choose Shark Island if you want a quiet picnic and can fit the school-holiday ferry. Choose a guided trip for Clark Island and Goat Island, because those two are hard to reach on your own. Use a cruise if you only want to see the islands from the water.

Doing it yourself works for two of these, and the public ferry from Circular Quay is only the Cockatoo Island one (F3 or F8, paid with an Opal card or contactless bank card, with no trip time published). Cockatoo Island needs only an Opal card, and Shark Island needs a booking and a way across. A tour is worth it for Goat Island and Clark Island, where a guide is the way in. A tour is also useful if you cannot find a ferry on your day.

Shark Island is not wheelchair accessible, and the park says so plainly. If you need step-free access, Cockatoo Island is the better choice.