This was a great experience out to the lighthouse. We were able to catch the ferry and the driver was friendly, and gave a little informal lessons about the area. Overall it was great. Just make sure you don't miss the last ferry ride. 2025-07 #558 read more

The official ferry of the National Park at Harkers Island provides access to the Lihjt-House and Shankleford Island. Reasonable fare prices with ferries running throughout the day. You can reserve (suggest you do), and you pick your return time. You can return earlier if space is available, so pick the latest time if not sure. The ride was smooth, and Capt. Jordan & Crew made it fun and informative. We were lucky to see horses from the ferry while passing by, Capt Jordan slowed down so we could capture some photos. Our return trip was as smooth as our trip out and added to our amazing visit to this beautiful National Seashore. read more

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We always feel safe on island express ferry going from Harkers Island to Cape Lookout. We had a great captain named Michael Jordan and wonderful crew making sure that we were boarding and traveling safely . They also had amazing staff on the island to do tours and take you across to the point, and this was the best part of our trip! read more

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This is the only way to travel to Shackleford Banks. Very affordable rates, friendly on boat service, safe boats in an area known for sunken ships, and they are running all day for drop off and pick up. Look forward to our next trip. Till next time... read more

Island Express Ferry Services LLC - Shackleford Banks - Ferries Near Me - Harkers Island, North Carolina

The Island Express Ferry was an easy 15 minute passenger ride to Cape Lookout Lighthouse. You are tightly packed on the catamaran and I'd suggest bringing something to tie your hair back as otherwise it will be blowing like crazy. The service doesn't run on Wednesdays so keep that in mind when planning your adventure. The ferries run about every 30 minutes. Reservations are also required. I didn't see any dolphins or the Shackleford horses on the way but both ways were efficient transportation. read more

Island Express Ferry Services LLC - Ferries Near Me - Harkers Island, North Carolina

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(This visit was made during the times of Covidious back in late October. When things return to a look of normality - your experience likely will vary.) A brief update for the road. We were lucky enough to visit Cape Lookout two times this year during Covid and each time the crews and service of Island Express made things very easy. My original review explains the basics of the trip over and that their website is very easy to use but this time let's add two other changes. One was that I was interested to see if people would play ball with wearing masks while on board (you can be packed in fairly tight as our returning boat was sold out) but thankfully that was not a problem and this time we chose to rent one of their 4X4 Kubotas to better take in more of the island. For the rental you book it on their site the same as the tickets for the trip and availability is in real time so there will be no guess work or surprises. When you get to the island you walk to the NPS visitors center (closed currently of course) and they keep the rentals next to the building. After that it's pretty easy. You get a brief instruction of how to use it, the gear to keep it in and a small map of where you are allowed to go and not allowed to go (we disregarded this sort of by going a few miles off the map to the north where the beach was 100% deserted, but whatever) and then you're off. Rentals are either 1/2 day AM/PM or full day. We did the full day and it was amazing. 1/2 day rentals unless you're crunched for time don't let you see everything fully. No doubt we'll be back in the future (hopefully next year) and while a little pricy, it's truly a great way to get to Cape Lookout and the Kubotas that they offer are fantastic so that you can see/experience more. Still A+ read more

Island Express Ferry Services LLC - Kubota that you can rent while on the island. A hell of a lot of fun and a great way to explore. - Ferries Near Me - Harkers Island, North Carolina

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Very nice ride out to Cape Lookout. The driver of the boat was interesting and friendly. Kind of funny too. They stopped to pick up people from Shackleford Island and we got to see a few horses. Very interesting information. Everyone should take this trip and stop on the island. Well worth it. read more

Loved the ferry service to go see Cape Lookout. We didn't do the option to stop at Shackleford Banks to see the horses, but lucky for us there were some near the waters edge so our ferry captain detoured the boat so we could all see. Exceptional ride. Got us there and back safely. Worth the money. read more

This was an excellent ferry service. We reserved the combo trip to Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout from Harkers Island. Ferries leave from both the Harkers Island and Beaufort visitors centers, but there are more options from the Harkers Island visitor center. Reserving our trip online was easy. At Harkers Island there is a spacious waiting area with benches. You go to the ticket booth to specify when you want to be picked up for your return trip. We spent an hour on Shackleford Banks and two hours on Cape Lookout. I could have spent more time on Cape Lookout, but we were traveling with a small child. The ferry moved quickly, arriving at the island in only 15 minutes. The customer service was great. read more

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Having sailed from Beaufort and from Harkers Island, I find the latter notably better. It is a long drive from most of civilization (3+ hours from the tri-cities area at least), but worth the trip. Departing from Harkers lets you do a dual tour and stop on Shackleford Island and Cape Lookout in a day. The Shackleford stop here is better than the spot I got to from Beaufort. I was treated to the sight of wild horses almost immediately upon disembarking. Of course, wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but here there were tons of hoofprints and manure and it seems like they must frequent this spot on the island. I walked a bit farther and saw another group, paying for my inland hike with the occasional spiking from its nasty round cacti. Dress accordingly. The Shackleford horses are referred to as "ponies", it seems, because they are small due to the relative lack of nutrition available on the island. But while they are not as well-built or as well-groomed as domestic horses (or even as much as the Assateague horses to my eyes), the fact that they survive on a desert island at all is rather impressive and certainly a sight worth seeing. They are certainly large enough that I would not mess with them, though they seemed used to being photographed. They seem to be doing okay for themselves, and the occasional neighing juxtaposed against the usual sounds of wind and waves is a bit of a trip. The beach on the Cape Lookout side of the island is blocked from open ocean by the cape, which makes for fewer waves but a fair amount of seaweed and other wildlife. Amusingly, horseshoe crabs are abundant, and though I can imagine the horses stepping on one, there is no apparent connection between the species despite the crab's coincidental name. The trip to Cape Lookout is quite impressive (and reviewed separately). I recommend leaving more time for the cape than the island, though both are worth a trip. You are asked to pick times when you buy a ticket, but if they're not full, you can flex a bit. The boat runs on an hour loop between Harkers, Shackleford, and Cape Lookout, and is a bit faster and more efficient than I remember the Beaufort one as being. I continue to be a bit miffed that their status as a "National Parks concessioner" means that my park pass doesn't give me anything here, but the cost is well worth it. read more

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My wife, my almost 2 year old, and my 4 month old puppy did the wild horse and dolphin sunset cruise. It was incredible. Do not miss this on your trip. The captain and first mate were great. The first mate passed out binoculars to let us see the horses as we ferried to the island. He even helped comfort our nervous toddler. But the real highlight was the hike on Shackleford Banks. Wild horses. Rolling dunes. Giant seashells. We couldn't have had a better time (unless our toddler and puppy had been better behaved!) You'll want to bring some cash to tip these guys, trust me. read more

The Island Ferry was an amazing experience! We decided to check it out on our way back from vacation. We boared the ferry to the Shackleford Banks. The ride there and back was beautiful. The ferry departs every 30 minutes which is very convenient. We found some awesome shells, saw a few horses, took pictures in the dunes, and learned a bit about the Banks and the town of Beaufort. We'll have to come back and stay a lot longer. We paid $20 for an awesome experience, took home pretty shells and left Beaufort on a great note! Highly recommend doing this if near Atlantic Beach, Morehead City, or Beaufort. Can't wait to be back. read more

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Great service and price! My family and I had a great time at Cape Lookout! The ferry ride was amazing, and when we got to the island, we took the shuttle down to the point, and I found a whole sand dollar! Definitely recommend! read more

Island Express Ferry Services LLC - Ferries Near Me - Harkers Island, North Carolina

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The lady there today was incredibly sweet and helpful. And let us know that we shouldn't order 4 massive things if water there since there's water at the other location which was so helpful not having to haul it all around all day lol. We bought shirts and hoodies all a great price. They sell boogie boards too. read more

We took the ferry ride from Beaufort to Shackleford Banks on a beautiful October afternoon. The ride was fun, the service was good and we had a great time on the island. Only issue was that the speakers on the boat didn't work, so we couldn't hear anything the skipper was saying, including the safety briefing. When we commented on this as we left, he said they've been broken all season and no one has fixed them. That doesn't sound like a commitment to quality or safety. read more

We took the Harkers Island Sunset Cruise to Cape Lookout. Our Captain and his First Mate were so friendly and knowledgeable. They were eager to chat with everyone and answer our questions. They made the cruise so fun for us all. They also added some historical knowledge of the area, made sure to point out the wild horses in the distance, and even came around to take photos of each group. All the extra touches truly made this experience perfect! The lighthouse is truly stunning and so impressive to see. Even though we only had an hour on the island, we managed to find a few larger and unique shells as well. Our only wish was that we had more time on the island to explore! The cruise back was at sunset and was spectacular! Easily the best sunset I've ever seen! We'll definitely book this again on our next trip, but we'll be sure to plan more time for exploring the Island as well as rent a UTV for that adventure! read more

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We had a lovely time on our short 20 minute ferry ride to Shackleford island. The captains were friendly and gave us some local tips. We enjoyed walking on the beach and collecting shells and wading in the water. We went hunting for the wild horses and found 3! Climbing the dunes was not for the faint of heart. Pro tip if you plan to head inland for the horses, bring BUG SPRAY. On the way back we saw dolphins swimming near our boat. A nice half day adventure! Buy your tickets online to reserve your ferry time. read more

Island Express Ferry Services LLC - Wild horses of Shackelford Island - Ferries Near Me - Harkers Island, North Carolina

Awesome day. Never have been to this part of NC. Met George the owner and he was very informative. His staff was extremely professional and helped in making this a memorable day for my wife and I. Lots of whelks!!! Can't wait to make another trip!!! read more

I've used ferry services in lots of places but this one is the best! Nicest captain and crew, reasonable fares and overall a great way to see lighthouse, beaches or just see new areas! Highly recommend! read more

Amazing crew and captain! We had William as our first mate and was wonderful! We had the best time and found tons of seashells.

Excellent experience! If you want to go to both the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Shackleford Banks, this is the way to go. The trip to Harkers Island was well worth it. Service was on time, friendly, and the boat was clean and in perfect working order. The Captain was very knowledgeable about the area. We left Harkers island, went to Shackleford first where the captain took us close to the salt marsh to see the horses before dropping us off on the island. You get off the boat by way of a short ladder directly onto the dry beach. There is a dock at Cape Lookout. The experience with this outfit could not have been any more perfect. I can highly recommend them. read more

We had an amazing experience with Island Express Ferry this past weekend. Captain George and first mate Zach did a great job and went out of their way to make sure our experience was memorable. We were able to see a pod of dolphins when he took a detour as well as a couple of ponies that were out past land. He gave my kids a thrill in letting them drive the ferry back in to dock. We highly recommend them and will use them again! read more

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The highlight of our week at The outer banks. Capt. took us right up to the beach at Shackleford Island so we got great sightings and pictures of the wild horses. He was a wealth of knowledge and you could set your watch buy his punctuality. Great experience. read more

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Beach shuttle made a major impact on our enjoy-ability and ease of our trip. Thank you!

This was my second time going on the Island Express Ferry. Both times we went out of Harker's Island to Shackleford Banks. The second time, we wanted to go out of Beaufort but the winds were too rough so we went to Harker's Island. They were very organized and accommodated the flow of people by introducing more ferry times (every 15 minutes). While on the ferry ride, the captain provided a brief background on some of the islands and the wildlife we would see. There was also a staff member on the boat offering to take pictures of every couple/family aboard. I thought this was really nice! He also showed us a picture of a 7.5 foot leatherback turtle that was spotted near Shackleford last week! Super cool to share that with us, definitely enhanced our experience. read more

First time using the service. The water was REALLY choppy and I was very nervous. The Captains both ways were great and skilled. No problems. Captain Dave and mate Henry were very helpful on local restaurants and helping folks with big wagons etc read more

Everyone we met from the nice woman in the ticket booth to the fellas helping passengers on and off the ferry and the captain were incredibly nice and helpful. The convenience of the ferries as well as the excellent employees made our trip to Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout that much more amazing and we thank everyone! Fair prices and a memorable experience. Highly recommend!!! read more

Looked around prior to booking at the different options. From the booking booth to the captain and the mates, everyone was very professional and nice. Boat captain explained a number of places that we passed by and even stopped a few times to take a look at dolphins that were right next to the boat. The entire family absolutely loved the boat ride and shelling at the beach! Would totally book again and recommend to anyone visiting. read more

What started as a fun mother-daughter day trip ended in a soaking wet and unhappy group of people. When we were taking the ferry to Shackleford, there were some dark clouds in the distance but the captain of the boat said that they were watching the weather and that the clouds were not on path to go over us. My mother and I got dropped off along with another mother and son (roughly 10 years old). We went out separate ways and started exploring the island. Not even 40 minutes went by before the sky started to darken and the lightning and thunder got closer. My mother and I headed back to the pick-up point. We meet up with the two others that got off of the boat with us. We waited and waited, after ten minutes past the time the boat was supposed to be at the island, we called the service and they said a boat was on its way. More time went by and light rain turned into a heavy downpour with lightning striking way to close for comfort. There is absolutely no shelter on the island so all four of us get away from the water but stayed close enough to the pickup point so we could see if the boat came to get us. We ended up squatting down, I had a dslr camera and some expensive lenses in my bag that I didn't want to get ruined by water. It was raining so hard, my back was starting to sting. I couldn't feel my feet or hands and, not knowing how long it was going to last, I was scared. The storm lasted roughly 30 minutes and we were all relieved that it was over. The sky was blue with all clouds gone and it looked like nothing had even happened. Except for all of us being soaking wet and cold. Even when the storm was over, the ferry STILL didn't come to get us. We arrived on the island right before 12 PM and it wasn't until after 2 PM that they came to get us. The captains first thing he said to us was "Sorry folks, but there was a storm" like, NO CRAP there was a storm. I get it, sometimes things like this happen, but still not coming to get us an hour after the fact we were stranded on an island during a storm, that is unacceptable. Not to mention, they had time to get us before the storm hit when we called the office and they said that the boat was on its way to get us. Which, was just a bunch of BS. They were completely unprofessional and the apology we received was followed with a "it's not our faults." Lets just say, if there is any chance of rain or a storm on the day you want to explore the island, just reschedule because they won't come and get you. read more

My family and I drove out to Harkers Island and hopped the Island Express to Cape Lookout today. The ferry staff at the visitor center, the ferry itself and the kubota rental center were all so friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back. Already planning our trip for next year! read more

We were delighted with this ferry service while visiting Harker's Island for our first time. Staff was friendly and helpful. The boats were nice and clean and a requirement of masks worn while on the boat was enforced. It was so nice we did it twice. We just had to go out for one more ride before heading home on our last day. Thank you so much for the top notch experience. read more

First of all while the sunset tour was lovely,one thing that is NOT clear is that the tickets for it may be bought in two places but you actually get the ferry far away. Don't plan on eating anywhere near that location. Alllll the other tours start at the Location you buy the tickets at. The sunset cruise around shakelford island does not. Don't expect to see any dolphins, horses or even a sunset. We got none a shark and clouds. The snack you can order for like 2.00 is a tiny bag of peanuts or chips. So be forwarned. It's way away from everything and the locals who live there and should know better will tell you the last ferry runs at 5. It does. EXCEPT Friday and Saturday from June 1 to Labor Day. It will be pitch black driving back on a little road waaaaay out in the boonies. With the locals passing you illegally. The tour itself is lovely, it is a good value for the money, it is perfect for those who want to sightsee and do not want to walk around the island. It is two hours long and there is NO bathroom or bilge on that boat, again be forwarned. Other companies have sunset cruises with food and probably bathrooms. I'm so sorry I had my sister's drive so far out there, we were scrambling to get there on time, there was construction on the way back, and I'm still kind of grouchy. I give it a ONE star for the not clear brochure and where you pick the tour up. I give a 5 star for the actual guide and crew read more

Bought tickets to see the island and horses for my father on Father's Day. Walked to the boat where we boarded. Once we sat down the person we bought the tickets from at the booth, came and asked how many was in my group. Then stated we only bought about 5 people.I replied with our group number. Amy our boat captain then inquiries how many there truly is. The person who sold the tickets asked again. I restated the number and showed our tickets yet again. A member of our group then says can we please just go to the island we paid.. all of us paid. The captain told her there's no reason to have an attitude. I think it is absolutely absurd of her to tell our group member she's got an attitude after being falsely accused of not paying for everyone. This is highly unacceptable. As someone who works in a large company. I know that organization, and the way you present an issue is everything. I cannot fathom doing something this unprofessional to a family on a holiday dedicated to family. Not only did this hurt our moods for the rest of the trip it damper my Father's Holiday. You'd think they'd take better care of veterans than this. However I suppose if you don't look like everyone else on the boat it simple doesn't matter that you fought for their freedom. read more