Short answer
For most backpackers the best way to island hop in Fiji is a pass or package on the Yasawa Flyer catamaran, which runs daily from Port Denarau through the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands. If you want your beds sorted before you fly, the Fiji Yasawa Pass from $633 covers the ferry and a bed every night (5 to 15 days, you pick the islands). If you would rather book each island as you go, the Bula Pass from $399 is the ferry only. For a fixed route with activities included, the Fiji 7 Days, 4 Islands from $1,279 runs the whole chain, and the Fiji 3-Day Short Escape from $472 is the quick taste.
Prices are per person in AUD and update from our live listings. The prices below are for a dorm bed; private rooms cost more and are on each tour page.
The shortlist
-
01Our top pick
Bula Pass Fijihop-on hop-off ferry pass5–15 days
from $399
Starts: Port Denarau, 8:45am daily -
02
Fiji Yasawa Pass: Pick Your Islandsferry plus beds pass, ages 18+5–15 days
from $633
Starts: Port Denarau, 8:45am daily -
03
Fiji 3-Day Short Escapeset package, ages 18+3 days, 2 nights
from $472
Starts: Nadi hotels -
04
Fiji 4 Days, 2 Islandsset package, ages 18+4 days, 3 nights
from $808
Starts: Nadi hotels -
05
Fiji 5 Days, 3 Islandsset package, ages 18+5 days, 4 nights
from $927
Starts: Nadi hotels -
06
Fiji 7-Day Island Escapeset package, ages 18+7 days, 6 nights
from $769
Starts: Nadi airport -
07
Fiji 7 Days, 4 Islandsset package, ages 18+7 days, 6 nights
from $1,279
Starts: Nadi hotels -
08
Fiji 12-Day Island Explorerset package, ages 18+12 days, 11 nights
from $1,709
Starts: Nadi hotels -
09
Fiji Shark Snorkel Overnightovernight trip, ages 18+2 days, 1 night
from $356
Starts: Nadi hotels
Compare them side by side
| # | Trip | Format | Length | Where you sleep | Islands | From | Departs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bula Pass Fiji | hop-on hop-off ferry pass | 5 to 15 days | not included, book as you go | your own route | $399 | Port Denarau, 8:45am daily |
| 2 | Fiji Yasawa Pass: Pick Your Islands | ferry plus beds pass, ages 18+ | 5 to 15 days | dorm bed or private room each night | up to 4 nights at each resort | $633 | Port Denarau, 8:45am daily |
| 3 | Fiji 3-Day Short Escape | set package, ages 18+ | 3 days, 2 nights | dorm (private rooms on request) | South Sea Island, Kuata | $472 | Nadi hotels |
| 4 | Fiji 4 Days, 2 Islands | set package, ages 18+ | 4 days, 3 nights | dorm (private rooms on request) | South Sea Island, manta country | $808 | Nadi hotels |
| 5 | Fiji 5 Days, 3 Islands | set package, ages 18+ | 5 days, 4 nights | dorm (private rooms on request) | South Sea Island, manta country, Kuata | $927 | Nadi hotels |
| 6 | Fiji 7-Day Island Escape | set package, ages 18+ | 7 days, 6 nights | dorm or private room | Nadi, manta country, Kuata, South Sea Island | $769 | Nadi airport |
| 7 | Fiji 7 Days, 4 Islands | set package, ages 18+ | 7 days, 6 nights | dorm (private rooms on request) | Blue Lagoon, manta country, Kuata, South Sea Island | $1,279 | Nadi hotels |
| 8 | Fiji 12-Day Island Explorer | set package, ages 18+ | 12 days, 11 nights | dorm (private rooms on request) | five island stays | $1,709 | Nadi hotels |
| 9 | Fiji Shark Snorkel Overnight | overnight trip, ages 18+ | 2 days, 1 night | dorm on Kuata (private rooms on request) | Kuata | $356 | Nadi hotels |
How the formats differ: the Bula Pass is the boat only. The Yasawa Pass is the boat plus a bed every night, booked before you fly. A set package fixes the islands and adds activities. All of them use the same daily catamaran from Port Denarau, which leaves at 8:45am and is back at about 5:45pm.
Fiji Yasawa Pass: Pick Your Islands, from $633. One pass covers the hop-on hop-off catamaran legs and a bed every night at the island resorts you choose, as a dorm bed or a private room for two. You can stay up to four nights at each resort. Only your first night has to be booked before you go. The rest can be booked with us or on board, at least 24 hours before each move.
Included: the catamaran legs for the length of the pass, a bed each night, coach pickup and drop-off at Nadi, Denarau and Wailoaloa hotels, and a booking concierge. Meal plans, activities, flights and the ferry fuel surcharge are not included.
Who it suits Island hoppers who want to choose resorts as they go but do not want to arrive at an island with no bed. A 7-day pass with 6 dorm nights is $759, against $419 for the 7-day Bula Pass with no beds.
Bula Pass Fiji, Yasawa Islands Hop-On Hop-Off, from $399 for 5 days, up to $599 for 15 days. Unlimited travel on the Yasawa Flyer through the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands. The onboard travel desk books your beds as you go, and hotel coach transfers are included. It also comes with a Malamala Beach Club discount.
Not included: accommodation, meals and activities, plus a mandatory ferry fuel surcharge paid to the operator, currently FJ$20 per person and set monthly.
Who it suits Travellers who already have beds sorted, or who want to change islands every morning. The full price breakdown by pass length is in Bula Pass prices and how it works.
Fiji 7-Day Island Escape, from $769. Six nights: one in Nadi, two at Mantaray or Barefoot Manta, one at Kuata or Octopus, one on South Sea Island, and a last night in Nadi, with return Nadi airport transfers and breakfasts mostly included. It starts any day of the week, and the concierge can adjust the resorts to suit you. Booking is on request and confirmed within 48 hours.
Fiji 7 Days, 4 Islands, from $1,279, runs the whole chain: two nights at Blue Lagoon Beach or Boathouse Nanuya, two in manta country, one at Kuata or Octopus and one on South Sea Island. It includes the Sawa-i-Lau caves trip, a village visit, a manta swim in season (May to October, otherwise a guided reef snorkel), the Kuata reef-shark snorkel, a sunset tube ride and the summit hike.
Who they suit The 7-Day Island Escape for a lower-priced set week with a Nadi start and finish and airport transfers; the 4 Islands package if you want the caves, the Blue Lagoon and the activities already paid for.
- Fiji 3-Day Short Escape, from $472. A night on South Sea Island, a night on Kuata with a guided reef-shark snorkel and the summit sunset hike, all ferry legs and Nadi hotel pickups.
- Fiji 4 Days, 2 Islands, from $808. A day of free watersports, semi-submarine and drinks on South Sea Island (9:45am to 4pm), then two nights in manta country with two activities included and a Malamala Beach Club day pass.
- Fiji 5 Days, 3 Islands, from $927. A Mamanuca sand cay, two nights in manta country and a night on Kuata, with the manta swim (in season) or reef snorkel, the reef-shark snorkel, a sunset tube ride and the summit hike.
- Fiji Shark Snorkel Overnight, Kuata Island, from $356. The quickest island trip from Nadi: one night on Kuata with resort meals included and a guided snorkel with black-tip and white-tip reef sharks.
Who they suit Anyone with under a week who wants to island hop, or a stopover before a longer trip.
Fiji 12-Day Island Explorer, from $1,709. Eleven nights across five stays: South Sea Island (2), Kuata or Octopus (2), three nights in manta country, Blue Lagoon Beach or Boathouse Nanuya (2), and Kuata or Octopus again (2). It includes the Sawa-i-Lau caves, a village visit, a manta swim in season, the reef-shark snorkel, a sunset tube ride and the summit hike. Three nights in manta country gives you the best odds of mantas on the route.
Who it suits Travellers with two weeks who want island pace, not a checklist.
Mantas, sharks and the season
Manta rays feed in the Yasawa channels roughly May to October. Sightings are not guaranteed, and outside the season the manta swim becomes a guided reef snorkel. Reef sharks at Kuata are black-tip and white-tip, up to about 1.8 metres, on a reef 4 to 6 metres deep with guides in the water. Sightings are very likely but not promised.
What costs extra on every Yasawa trip
- Meal plans. Most island resorts run a compulsory daily meal plan for lunch and dinner, paid on arrival, because there is nowhere else to eat. Published rates run from FJ$135 to FJ$209 per person per day depending on the resort. The resort-by-resort table is in the Bula Pass guide.
- Fuel surcharge. The ferry operator sets it monthly: currently FJ$20 per person, paid before you board.
- Flights, insurance and drinks.
Every Fiji trip we sell, sorted by price, is on Fiji tour prices. To finish on the mainland, the departure packs (Club Fiji Resort from $85, Aquarius on the Beach from $127) cover a coach from Port Denarau, a night or more, and a shared transfer to Nadi International Airport.
How we ranked them
We sell every tour on this page, and we ranked them on four things:
- Live price from our listings.
- What is included, from each tour’s own inclusions list: ferry, beds, transfers and activities.
- Flexibility: whether you choose the islands, and whether beds are booked before you fly.
- Operator ratings, only where we hold a verified figure for that operator. We hold none for these Fiji trips, so none are shown.
Which one is right for you
- Want total freedomThe Bula Pass, with beds booked on board.
- Want freedom and beds sortedThe Yasawa Pass.
- Under a weekThe 3-Day Short Escape, 4 Days 2 Islands or 5 Days 3 Islands.
- A week, everything includedFiji 7 Days, 4 Islands.
- Two weeksThe 12-Day Island Explorer.
- Just want the sharksThe Kuata overnight.
FAQs
What is the best way to island hop in Fiji as a backpacker?
Use the Yasawa Flyer catamaran, which leaves Port Denarau at 8:45am daily and runs through the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands. Take the Bula Pass from $399 for the ferry only, the Yasawa Pass from $633 for the ferry plus beds, or a set package such as Fiji 7 Days, 4 Islands from $1,279.
How much does Fiji island hopping cost?
Passes start at $399 (Bula Pass, 5 days) and $633 (Yasawa Pass with beds, 5 days). Set packages run from $472 for 3 days to $1,709 for 12 days. Meal plans, the ferry fuel surcharge (currently FJ$20) and drinks are extra on all of them.
What is the difference between the Bula Pass and the Yasawa Pass?
The Bula Pass is the ferry only and you pay for beds separately. The Yasawa Pass includes the ferry and a bed every night for the length of the pass, booked before you fly.
Are meals included on Fiji island trips?
Mostly no. Resorts run compulsory meal plans for lunch and dinner, paid on arrival at FJ$135 to FJ$209 per person per day. The exception on this list is the Fiji Shark Snorkel Overnight, which includes resort meals for your night on Kuata.
Can I swim with manta rays?
In season, roughly May to October, in the Yasawa channels. The 4 Days 2 Islands, 5 Days 3 Islands, 7 Days 4 Islands and 12-Day Explorer packages include a manta swim in season, or a guided reef snorkel outside it. Sightings depend on the day and are not guaranteed.
Is it good for solo travellers?
Yes. The Yasawa resorts are backpacker-social and you travel the same route as other guests. The set packages are for ages 18 and over and come with a booking concierge.
How many days do I need?
Three days is a taste, and the 4-day package already reaches manta country. A week covers four islands, including the Blue Lagoon and the Sawa-i-Lau caves. With 10 days or more you can slow down.
Tagged
