Getting to Daufuskie

Your ride to Daufuskie will be comfortable and enjoyable.   Every vessel in our fleet includes a  climate-controlled cabin, rest room, and a comfortable outside deck.  We provide personal assistance with boarding for handicapped travelers is available.  Restrooms are located at the landing, and on board the ferries.

Transit time is 45 min.  Overnight visitors, please plan to arrive at the landing at least 30 minutes early.  Single-day visitors to Daufuskie, please plan to arrive at the Visitor Center 45 minutes early for free parking and  free shuttle service to the ferry.

SINGLE-DAY VISITORS

If you are only visiting Daufuskie for the day, there is FREE day-time parking at the ferry’s Visitor Center. Located at 1536 Fording Island Road (Hwy 278) , Suite 102, Building A, the visitor center includes a gift shop, refreshments and a free shuttle that will take you to and from the ferry landing for departures at 10AM, 1PM and 4PM.  For 7AM departures, please go to the landing and they will help you.

Parking at any of the other ferry parking areas must be assigned by a crew member if space available.  Since daytime parking at the landing, fruit stand or service station is scarce and is $20 per day per car if available, please use the Visitor Center.  Same-day round trip tickets are $35 per person.  Children 6 and under are free.

OVERNIGHT VISITORS

The Daufuskie Island Ferry’s Embarkation Center, which operates exclusively from Buckingham Landing, is open all year long. It is located at 55 Fording Island Road Extension (which is just off Hwy 278 at the foot of the Hilton Head Bridge on the Bluffton side).  For overnight visitors to Daufuskie, parking at the Landing (including parking spaces at the fruit stand or service station) is $10 per night not to exceed $100 per month.  Multiple-day tickets are $45 per person.  Children 6 year old or younger are free.  Single-day  visitors to Daufuskie should use the visitor center since daytime parking at the landing, fruit stand or service station is scarce and is $20 per day per car.

PRIVATE WATER TAXI

If our schedule doesn’t work for you or if you prefer the privacy of your own boat, a custom water taxi can be scheduled to pick you up at a time that fits your schedule. Available to or from Daufuskie when you want it. Reservations required: 843-940-7704. ALSO SERVES SAVANNAH, BEAUFORT and more.  Call 843-940-7704.

Ferry and Shuttle Schedule

The Daufuskie Island Ferry is running its full schedule.  Please be aware that when you purchase your ferry ticket you are entering a contractual agreement with the Daufuskie Island Ferry to follow its policies.

Following SC’s DHEC requirements regarding the COVID- 19 virus, all ferry passengers must wear face coverings in accordance with the directives below.

• All passengers are required to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout the entire passage, including while loading/unloading luggage and cargo, while in the waiting areas, on the docks and while on board the ferry inside the cabin or on open decks.
• Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from this requirement.  Face covering guidance is provided on  the CDC website.
• The application of hand sanitizer prior to boarding will continue as usual.

The Daufuskie Island Visitors Center, Suite 102, Building A, 1536 Fording Island Road, Bluffton, 29915, is open and provides FREE day-time parking and shuttle service to the ferry.  Day-time parking at the Landing (including spaces at the fruit stand or service station) is $20 per day.

The daily ferry schedule, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day, is as follows:

• To Daufuskie:  7 AM, 10 AM, 1  PM and 4 PM (on Fridays only 9 PM)
• From Daufuskie:  8:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 2:30 PM and 5:30 PM (on Fridays only 10:15 PM)

On Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, the ferry departs for Daufuskie at 7AM and again at 4PM and the ferry returns from Daufuskie at 8:30AM and again at 5:30PM.

From the Visitor Center

There are two shuttles per ferry departure except for the 7AM departure to Daufuskie.  Shuttles leave the Visitor Center for Buckingham Landing 30 minutes and 10 minutes before each ferry’s departure time.

Shuttle Leaves From the Visitor Center	Ferry Departure to Daufuskie
No shuttle	7:00 AM
9:30 AM 9:50 AM	10:00 AM
12:30 PM 12:50 PM	1:00 PM
3:30 PM 3:50 PM	4:00 PM

From Buckingham Landing

There are two shuttles to take you back to the Visitors Center per ferry arrival from Daufuskie.

Ferry Arrival From Daufuskie	Shuttle From Buckingham Landing back to Visitor Center
9:15	9:20 AM 9:40 AM
12:15	12:20 AM 12:40 PM
3:15	3:20 PM 3:40 PM
6:15	6:20 PM

On Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day, the ferry departs for Daufuskie at 7AM and again at 4PM and the ferry returns from Daufuskie at 8:30AM and again at 5:30PM.

For directions to Buckingham Landing or the Visitor Center, click here.

Luggage and Carry-Ons

There is NO charge for items which you carry or roll on board yourself. This includes things like groceries, small household items, luggage, and sports equipment – even a well-mannered dog.  Bicycles are $8 per seat i.e., tandem bicycles are $16. Please be prepared to pay the crew for their luggage handling service for items which you can not carry on by yourself upon boarding.

Transit time is 45 min.

Arrive at the landing 30 minutes early if you are staying OVERNIGHT on Daufuskie.

Arrive at the Visitor Center 45 minutes early if you are only visiting Daufuskie for the day.  The visitor center has free parking and shuttle service to the ferry and has a comfortable waiting area, gift shop, and refreshments.

Any luggage or other items that you cannot carry on by yourself should be tagged with your name and cell phone number. These may be left on the loading platform and the crew will load them into the ferry’s large blue baggage carts.

A luggage handling service charge (similar to the gratuity that you would give a valet for equal service) will be due and payable to the crew at the time that they load your luggage into the blue baggage carts.

Make sure all your bags are closed or zippered to avoid spillage. Boxes to hold open bags such as grocery bags and satchels can be purchased at the dock.

There is a $20 charge for transporting any unaccompanied items (items belonging to passengers who are not on board).

Freight

There is a charge for shipping freight on the ferry (larger items which require special handling such as furniture, appliances, grills, moving boxes, landscape material, golf carts, lawn mowers, building materials, mattresses, box springs, and oversized items). Freight using up to 1/2 of a the ferry’s blue transport bins is $20; using 1/2 to a full bin is $40. For large freight, call 843-247-5378 to reserve barge transportation.

Click here for directions to the ferry.