Short answer
The Bula Pass (from $399) is the boat only: you book and pay for every bed yourself. The Yasawa Pass (from $633) is the same boat plus a bed every night at the island resorts you choose. A set package such as Fiji 7 Days, 4 Islands (from $1,279) fixes the route and adds the paid activities. Choose the Bula Pass if your beds are already sorted or you’re staying at one or two resorts, the Yasawa Pass if you want freedom without arriving at an island with no bed, and a package if you want the caves, mantas and sharks paid for in one booking.
All three use the same boat: the Yasawa Flyer, which leaves Port Denarau at 8.45am daily and runs through the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands. Prices are per person in AUD and update from our live listings.
What each one includes
Bula Passfrom $399
Yasawa Passfrom $633| Bula Pass | Yasawa Pass | Set package | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 5 to 15 days | 5 to 15 days | Fixed: 3 to 12 days |
| Boat | One island hop per day for the life of the pass | Every leg between your islands | Every leg on the route |
| Hotel coach to Port Denarau | Included | Included | Included |
| Island beds | Not included | A bed every night, dorm or private room for two | A bed every night on a set route, dorm or private |
| Who picks the islands | You, as you go | You (up to four nights at each resort) | Set route |
| When beds are booked | Before you go, or on board as you travel | First island before you fly; the rest up front or on board, 24 hours ahead | All before you fly |
| Activities | Pay as you go | Pay as you go | Included (varies: caves, village visit, manta swim in season, reef-shark snorkel) |
| Island meal plans | Extra | Extra | Extra (except the Seabreeze Island Hop) |
| Fuel surcharge (FJ$20, Oct 2026) | Extra | Extra | Extra |
| From | $399 | $633 | $472 (3 days) |
The meal plans are the big cost every option shares: most island resorts make them compulsory, at FJ$135 to FJ$209 per person per day, paid on the island. The resort-by-resort table and a full week’s cost are in our Bula Pass prices guide.
The same week, three ways
Seven days in the Yasawas, booked three ways:
| 7 days | Bula Pass | Yasawa Pass | Fiji 7 Days, 4 Islands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $419 | $759 | $1,279 |
| Island nights included | 0 | 6 dorm nights | 6 dorm nights |
| Your route | Yours | Yours | Blue Lagoon, manta country, Kuata or Octopus, South Sea Island |
| Activities included | None | None | Sawa-i-Lau caves, village visit, manta swim in season, reef-shark snorkel, tube ride, summit hike |
| Still to pay | 6 nights of beds, meal plans, activities, fuel surcharge | Meal plans, activities, fuel surcharge | Meal plans, fuel surcharge |
How to read it: the gap between the Bula Pass and the Yasawa Pass is what six dorm nights cost when they’re booked for you before you fly. The gap between the Yasawa Pass and the package is the paid activities plus a route someone else has planned. If you’d do the caves, the manta swim and the shark snorkel anyway, the package is the simpler booking.
Choose the Bula Pass if…
- You already have beds booked, or you’re staying at one or two resorts.
- You want to change plans every morning and don’t mind booking beds on board.
Know before you buy: the pass covers one island hop per day; extra sectors on the same day are charged at the normal fare. You can extend it on board before it runs out by paying the difference. Pass holders get discounted rates on a Malamala Beach Club day or a sailing day trip. Prices for every length, 5 to 15 days, are on the Bula Pass page.
Choose the Yasawa Pass if…
- You want to pick your own islands but don’t want to step off the boat at a resort with no bed free.
- You’re travelling in the dry season or the school holidays, when dorms fill.
- You’d rather pay only for the activities you actually do.
- You’re travelling as a couple: the pass comes as a private room for two at every length, as well as a dorm bed.
Know before you buy: you can stay up to four nights at any one resort. Only your first island has to be booked before you fly; book later stops with us up front, or on board through the tour desk at least 24 hours before each move. The 7-day pass with 6 dorm nights is $759 and the 10-day pass with 9 is $976. Every length is on the Yasawa Pass page.
Choose a set package if…
- You want the Sawa-i-Lau caves, the manta swim and the Kuata reef sharks without booking each one.
- You’d rather not plan a route at all.
- You want everything confirmed before you leave home.
Our packages run from 3 to 12 days. Popular picks:
- Fiji 5 Days, 3 Islands, from $927: South Sea Island, manta country and Kuata.
- Fiji 7 Days, 4 Islands, from $1,279: the whole chain, Blue Lagoon included.
- Seabreeze Island Hop, from $2,199: nine days with every island meal included.
- Fiji 12-Day Island Explorer, from $1,709: five stays at island pace.
All nine are side by side in Fiji island-hopping packages compared.
The in-between: a pass with the mainland sorted
The Fiji 7-Day Island Escape, from $769, is built on the Yasawa Pass: four island nights (manta country, Kuata or Octopus, South Sea Island) plus a Nadi night at each end and return airport transfers. It starts any day, and the concierge can change the islands to suit you before you pay. Activities are add-ons, as on the pass.
Building it yourself? Our welcome packs (from $68 at Smugglers Cove) cover the airport pickup, the first night and the coach to the boat. Departure packs (from $68 at Smugglers Cove) cover the coach from the boat, the last night and the airport transfer. Sample routes are in Fiji itineraries for 5, 7, 10 and 14 days.
New to Fiji? Start with Fiji for first-timers and the best time to visit Fiji. The islands themselves are in our Fiji travel guide, and every trip we sell, sorted by price, is on Fiji tour prices.
FAQs
What’s the difference between the Bula Pass and the Yasawa Pass?
The Bula Pass is the Yasawa Flyer only, and you pay for every bed separately. The Yasawa Pass is the same boat plus a bed every night at the island resorts you choose, for 5 to 15 days. For 7 days it’s $419 against $759.
Is a Fiji island package better than a pass?
It depends on how you travel. A package fixes the route and includes the paid activities (caves, manta swim in season, shark snorkel), so it’s one booking. A pass lets you choose islands and pay only for the activities you do.
Are meals included on the Bula Pass or the Yasawa Pass?
No. Most island resorts charge a compulsory meal plan of FJ$135 to FJ$209 per person per day, paid on the island. The same goes for most packages; the Seabreeze Island Hop is the exception, with island meals included.
Can I change islands on the Yasawa Pass?
Yes. Only your first night needs booking before you go. Book later stops with us or on board at least 24 hours before each move, and stay up to four nights at any one resort.
Do I have to book beds in advance on the Bula Pass?
No, you can book on board through the tour desk as you go. In the busy months (the dry season and school holidays), booking ahead is safer, which is what the Yasawa Pass does for you.
Which is best for a couple?
The Yasawa Pass has a private room for two at every length from 5 to 15 days, and every set package has a private twin or double room option. Prices are on each tour page.
Is the fuel surcharge included?
No. The ferry operator sets it monthly, FJ$20 per person in October 2026, and you pay it at check-in or online on all three options.
Plan your Fiji trip
Still torn? Tell us your dates and how you like to travel, and we’ll put the boat, the islands, your beds and your Nadi nights together as one package price. It’s free, there’s no obligation, and your personalised quote comes within hours: plan your Fiji trip.
Bundle your Fiji trip and save up to 8%. On trips that combine 2 or more parts (5% for 2, up to 8% for 3+), quoted in one package price.
Our free Island Hopping Fiji guide explains the boat, the passes and the costs on the ground, with a packing list, as a page or a printable PDF.
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