Island Express Ferry Service

This place is always great. You can buy tickets to Cape Lookout and Shackleford Banks. If you have not been there, I recommend you go. The Cdpe Lookout National Seashore is a wonder. There are so many things to do there. And the best thing is you can take you kids of all ages and they will love it!

Super nice staff. Fun ride across to Cape Lookout. Will definitely come again and go to Shackelford Island since they dropped off there as well. Weather was perfect so we had beautiful views the whole time. Be sure to tip them...such a great experience!

This is a wonderful activity of you get the chance to go you absolutely should..we went on the ferry and were dropped off for a few hours..sadly, there were none in the area we were in and walked around to today but they're very cool to check out of you have a chance to see any. The driver and the guide were fantastic and very knowledgeable..it poured while we were there a huge storm came in which was fun..we camped out in the bathroom until it was over..we found a ton of shells and that was really fun and a little piece of drifwood to bring back with us..it was super fun..make sure to wear big spray as tje mosquitoes are horrendous here and some sunscreen for the zero shade on the island.. definitely worth the $20 for the ferry ride. We will definitely be back next time. Hopefully we'll see them then..

I am a frequent flyer to Shackleford Banks with Island Express Ferry Service. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and they can get you home even if a serious fog bank rolls in! Kudos!

Wonderful cruise experience. We saw wild horses, dolphins, and learned unique history. Very reasonable price as well $54 for 2 people for a 90 minute experience. I will definitely do another cruise with this company.

Our captain and crew on the Papa George were so friendly and informative! They even stopped for us to get a better view of a pod of dolphins they spotted, and the dolphins played all around our ferry. We got great, close up pictures. The crewman even sat with our ten year old and helped her identity the shells she found in a pamphlet he had. It was a really great experience.

This is a wonderful experience. I love the ride and the tours they provide to Shackleford and Harkers Island. My only issues with this service is that the park service gave them a monopoly in the ferry, driving many local ferries out of buisness a while ago. The problem with that is that a ferry that you used to be able to take for only five or ten dollars that you could be dropped off anywhere with a KAYAK now costs 30 dollars for having a cooler and fishing gear. Plus they will only drop you off at two set locations, which is dumb because Cape Lookout is 35 miles long.. You should be able to have access to other parts of the seashore and Shackleford.

The sunset tour is a must if you like photography.

Very friendly, timely and a bit humorous. Recommend buying your tickets online before arriving. Arrive 20-30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. There is some parking nearby but starting 22 May 23, it becomes metered parking. (Was free at the time of this post). The website does not tell you but when you pick up your tickets, that is when you book the return trip time. We stayed for 2 hours at Shackleford Banks and saw 1/10th of the island...however we saw two wild horses and didn't feel rushed and camped at the beach for about 20-30 minutes of our time. The sand can be a bit rough to walk on. But it is relaxing and a wonderful experience. The wife and I plan on camping overnight there the next time we visit.

The captain and his co captain were phenomenal! They keep you laughing and inform you of some pretty interesting facts along the way! We visited shackleford banks and it did not disappoint!

I have taken my family twice over the years to Shackelford Island. We love the wild horses, shell searching, and, of course, the amazing sunsets . Island Express Ferry will get you there safely after navigating some difficult waters. You may get wet. Heck, I can see where some could even get seasick if they were unaccustomed to boats. The captain and his mate were highly professional, pleasant, engaging, and genuinely wanted us to have a great time.
Till next time

Everyone was so nice and made my first boat ride less scary.
The horses were absolutley beautiful and I got wonderful photos within distance. TONS of shells where you go absolute beautiful shells, and if you are walking the island be careful as some of the sand is slippery

Enjoyed a great trip on the ferry. Wish we had come for the earlier (and longer) trip to have more time on the island. We saw wild horses (and two islands) and a beautiful sunset. We ended up bringing back several seashell treasures and spending some good time on the beach. The ferry boat captain was knowledgeable of both the history of the area and the current culture, pointing out many relevant details along the way and even giving dining recommendations. We would like to use the service again for a future trip.

The staff on the boat were both fun and friendly, getting us over to Shakleford Island.

Loved the whole experience. Easily booked online and found no problem with gps. Checkin was easy and everything was explained to us. We picked an hour and a half out for a pickup time. Wish I had set it for longer. Time seemed to go by really fast once you got to Shackleford island. Our Capt told us where to find the shells and the horses. Saw horses, lots of shells and a ton of birds. Saw dolphins on the way out. Loved everything, just wish I would've given myself more time to explore.

Great ferry experience! Smooth ride out to Shackelford and back. Cost was within budget, and availability was good. If I need to go out again, I will use this service

Great service and on time to Shackelford banks. The quick 20 minute ride was fun and the crew shared details on the area and interesting facts about Beaufort

Very knowledgeable and welcoming, loved our trip.

The captain took us out to Carrot Island. We hiked for about an hour and then just looked across the water at open ocean. It is such a relaxing view. On the way back to drop off point we passed by 5 wild ponies. A total great adventure.

Great experience! The staff at the dock ticket sales were fabulous and the Captain and boatman went the extra mile to take us past a wild horse on the bank...

The Caoe Lookout lighthouse was a great day trip.

Really great experience riding with them! Took a ride to Shackelford banks. The captain even got the boat to sing happy birthday to my 10yo son.