Getting there is half the fun when you’re traveling by boat! Boston Harbor has year-round ferries and water taxis and warm-weather recreational trips as well.
Boston Harbor Ferry Services in 2023
The MBTA currently offers scheduled ferry service year round to the Charlestown Navy Yard, Hingham, Hull, and Logan Airport operated by Boston Harbor City Cruises. The MBTA is also offering pilot services to East Boston and Lynn. You can buy tickets on board with cash, show a monthly Commuter Rail pass for the proper zone, or buy a ticket on the mTicket app.
- Boston Rowes Wharf to Hingham (Monday through Friday)
- Boston Long Wharf to Logan Airport, Hull, and Hingham
- Boston Long Wharf to Charlestown Navy Yard
- Boston Long Wharf to East Boston at Lewis Mall (daily through November 30, 2023 with service to resume in spring 2024)
- Boston Long Wharf to Lynn at Blossom Street Pier (Monday through Friday through October 31 with service to resume in summer 2024)
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority provides year-round weekday commuter ferry service to Fan Pier in the Seaport from Lovejoy Wharf at North Station and from Lewis Mall in East Boston. You can buy tickets using their app.
There are seasonal ferry services to Salem and Provincetown and some other coastal communities. Tickets can be purchased online for all of them and on board for some of them.
- Provincetown
- Bay State Cruise Company (daily through October 9, weekends through December 3)
- Boston Harbor City Cruises (daily through October 9)
- Salem (daily through October 31)
- Winthrop & Quincy (weekdays through November 30)
In 2023, Long Wharf ferry service to the Boston Harbor Islands includes Spectacle Island (June 15 – September 4) and Georges Island (May 19 – October 9). Ferry schedules, fares, and additional information can be found here.
Thompson Island can be accessed by ferry on Saturdays and Sundays (May 20 – October 9) from the EDIC dock on the Reserved Channel.
Peddocks Island can be accessed by ferry on seven days a week (June 15 – September 4) from Hewitt’s Cove in Hingham.
Little Brewster (home of Boston Light) will have limited ferry access this summer with tours of the Boston Harbor’s lighthouse.
Water Taxis & Shuttles
Boston Water Taxi provides on-call service at over 20 locations around the Inner Harbor. Trips to between most water taxi docks are $20 per passenger. Trips can be booked by calling 617-406-8584 .
Boston Harbor City Cruises offers a water bus service with connections between Long Wharf and Logan Airpor. Ticket are $15 each way for adults.
A water shuttle provides service between the Encore Boston Harbor Casino and Long Wharf seven days a week with longer hours on Saturdays and Sundays (May 1 – September 30). Tickets are currently free. Additional information about the service can be found here.
A complimentary boat shuttle operates seasonally between Pier 6 in Charlestown, the Reel House in East Boston, and Lewis Mall in East Boston.
In the summer, the ICA provides a water shuttle between the East Boston Shipyard and the Seaport’s Fan Pier to connect the museum to their Watershed outpost. Tickets are included with museum admission.
Book Harbor Islands Mooring on Dockwa
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in collaboration with Boston Harbor Now and the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership provide moorings to access the park season. The moorings are located at Spectacle, Georges, and Peddocks Islands and can be reserved on the Dockwa Platform.