Seattle Ferry Guide for Families: Tickets, Timing, and Photo Sessions

The quintessential experience when you’re visiting Seattle? Riding the ferry! The ferry system can feel a little confusing and overwhelming especially when you’re coming from out of state, so I put together this easy reference guide for your trip.

Seattle Ferry Routes

There are two ferry routes from Downtown Seattle: the Seattle/Bainbridge Ferry and the Seattle/Bremerton Ferry. The Bainbridge crossing time is about 30 minutes, while the Seattle crossing time is just about an hour. I shoot all of my ferry sessions on the Bremerton route because it allows for plenty of time to explore and enjoy the views. You can view other routes HERE if you’re interested in checking out north Seattle and other areas and islands!

Seattle Ferry Tickets and Walk On vs. Drive On

When riding the Seattle ferry, you can either purchase your ferry tickets at the terminal or online.

If you’re walking on to the ferry, you’ll first need to pay to park your car at the terminal parking lot. From there, it is FREE to walk on the ferry when departing from Bremerton or Bainbridge. You will be required to purchase a passenger ticket for departure from Seattle, which is $11.05 for adults (free for children 18 and under).

If you’re driving on the ferry, you’ll pay according to vehicle height when departing from Bremerton or Bainbridge, around $15-20. When departing from Seattle, you will pay for the vehicle (which includes the driver), plus passengers at the standard passenger ticket rate ($11.05).

So, as a recap:

Route and Drive vs Walk	SEATTLE > BREMERTON OR BAINBRIDGE	BREMERTON OR BAINBRIDGE > SEATTLE
WALK ON	$11.05/adult	FREE + Parking $10-20
DRIVE ON	$15-20 vehicle, plus $11.05/adult passenger	$15-20/vehicle

If everything you want to see is within walking distance of the ferry, I recommend walking on to simplify your trip! When going into Bainbridge and Bremerton, you will likely be able to walk around the downtown area fairly easily, and the Link light rail is also an option for getting around once you’ve made it to the Seattle side.

Seattle Ferry Timing

Over the last couple of years, our ferry terminals have been undergoing construction which has led to limited service and some confusing schedules. As of the time of this post, everything looks to be running normally! You can view the Sailing Schedule for all ferries HERE.

I highly recommend sailing at golden hour for absolutely gorgeous views, or in the late morning on weekdays if you want to avoid crowds. Keep in mind that many commuters use the ferries to get to and from their jobs, so the ferries do experience their own sort of rush right before and after business hours. Lumen Field is within walking distance of the Seattle Ferry Terminal, so the weekend ferries also tend to be packed with people headed to various concerts, games, and events; keep that in mind if you choose to ride on a weekend.

I schedule my family ferry sessions for Tuesday and Wednesdays around golden hour–typically opting for a sailing time around 7 or 8 pm–to avoid the after-work and weekend crowds.

If you’re worried about a sailing being full, you can always view the WSDOT Wait Time page here.

What to Bring on the Seattle Ferry

Some of the boats have food and drinks in a dining area, but options are limited, so I always recommend bringing your own snacks. There are plenty of booths with tables on the ferry, and I have fond memories as a kid of eating lunch on our sailing into the city. There are plenty of bathroom stalls and a changing table available in the bathrooms, so no need to worry about accidents or timing potty breaks. It can be VERY windy, even on warm days, so remember to bring layers for everybody, and lean into the fact that your hair is probably going to be crazy by the time you get to the other side.

Family Photos on the Seattle Ferry

I’m a Seattle Family Photographer specializing in Ferry Photo Sessions, and I would LOVEEEE to document your time in the beautiful PNW with the people you love! Your ferry session includes a client guide with logistics, outfit ideas, and an itinerary of fun things to do in Bremerton and Seattle, plus same-day sneak peeks and a roll of 35mm film imagery scanned into your gallery–with the prints mailed straight to your doorstep. You can view ferry session availability by clicking the link below, and if you don’t see anything that works, feel free to reach out.

Don’t want to lose this post while planning your trip to Seattle with kids? Use these pinnable images: