Is there anyone who doesn’t want to vacation in a dreamy travel destination? Whenever you think about a dreamy little paradise on earth for enjoying your trip, the Bahamas comes to mind. This vacation destination must be one of your top choices due to its idyllic setting with pink and white sandy beaches.
Going to an island is always the best demand for honeymooners, babymooners, or girls’ trips. Vacationing on an island is expensive in most cases, but you must want to know how much is a trip to the Bahamas. Here is a complete travel guide to arranging a budget for this beautiful Caribbean gateway.
Factors that Affect Total Cost to Visit the Bahamas
No Caribbean sandy bliss comes cheap, and the Bahamas are the same as well. The Bahamas trip requires an expensive budget, but there are ways to minimize it. However, you should know how much you can spend and what factors affect the cost of visiting the Bahamas.
- Mode of travel
- Food items and restaurant types of having foods
- Transportation
- Activities
- Accommodations
- Time to visit
The above factors will affect your budget while staying in the Bahamas. How to get around this place is a crucial consideration for visitors. You can make a list of your choices about things to do and get from the trip, which will help you to keep an approximate budget.
It is a good fact that visitors sometimes get great fluctuation in the prices of the services, activities, flights, and accommodations depending on the type of vacation they want. Mid-range vacations will surely cost a way different from a luxury vacation. Plus, couples will spend time and take services differently from a family group. So, the cost will vary greatly.
Things to Consider to Plan the Costs for Vacationing in the Bahamas
The budget for a trip to the Bahamas varies depending on the type of accommodation, flights, activities, foods, and services you like to get. Plus, the number of tourists with you in a group is also a significant factor in considering the total cost of a trip. There are some factors to consider while planning to visit this beautiful island gateway.
1. Traveling Methods
The first thing you have to know before flying to a country is the cost of the flight transportation to get there. Though the flight is the cheapest and most popular option to get around the Bahamas, the boat is also a convenient alternative for some people. Check out the details about the costs of traveling by flight and boat.
Flights
If you are looking for an average round-trip budget from the US to the Bahamas, you should keep a budget of around $600, but the amount may vary depending on the airport and the trip date. A significant airport during a shoulder season offers good deals.
However, you may get the lowest prices if you fly into Nassau. When the departure city is Miami, Chicago, New York, Denver, and Dallas and the arrival city is Nassau, the flight cost is respectably $260, $550, $390, $630, and $590. On the other hand, keeping the departure cities in due order when the arrival city is Freeport, the flight cost will be $340, $740, $600, $760, and $710.
Boat
Visitors from Florida to the Bahamas mostly like to travel by Boat. The average round-trip ticket costs around $135 for a child and $260 for an adult. A cruise is also an excellent option for some visitors, where you can spend three nights roughly at $100.
Also Read: Different Ways to Get From Nassau to Exuma
2. Accommodations
Luxury
The Bahamas is undoubtedly a luxury destination for travel-seekers. So, you might want to get luxury accommodations there. Luxury hotel costs range starting with a reasonable $550 and may go up to $2000 each night. On average, you may keep $650 for a single night at a luxury hotel.
The benefits of booking a four or five-star luxury hotel are incredible amenities like beach-front views from the balcony, swim-up bars, special activities, sporting opportunities, and less-crowded beaches. The luxurious hotel management offers the best services to visitors. However, it is optional to book luxury accommodation to get the best feeling of the island. There are many options to choose to stay and enjoy in the place.
Mid-range
Though there are few chances of penny-pinching while vacationing in the Bahamas, you have to find mid-range accommodations to fit your budget best. There are some less expensive accommodation systems on the island, like paying only $60 for a night stay at a mid-range hostel, a three-star hotel room, or a comfortable private room rental through Airbnb.
The average cost of spending a night at a mid-range hotel costs around $300. To save the maximum amount possible, you can stay with the locals, who will also let you know vividly about the island’s culture.
3. Transportation System
Car
Usual rental cars in the Bahamas are a very cheap and convenient means of public transportation. Renting a car is a convenient way of getting around anywhere and everywhere on the islands. A small rental car will cost about $70 a day.
Taxi
In addition to rental cars, taxis are a popular choice for traveling on larger islands such as Nassau and Grand Bahama Island. You will see taxis on the road of the Bahamas very commonly. The official taxis are government-regulated. You can detect them by figuring out the orange plates with black letters. The base rate to pay the taxis can be $4.50. You will have to pay an additional $2.30 per kilometer.
Jitney
Getting around the Bahamas is easy by riding on Jitney and local buses. This is common public transportation on major islands like Grand Bahama and New Providence. You can go here and there by Jitney from 6 AM to 6 PM with an average fare of $1.50 in the downtown streets.
Scooter
Renting a scooter in the Bahamas is more accessible, but riding on it might not seem safe when you ride through busy, narrow streets. We recommend you stick to the coasts while renting a scooter. Those areas are less crowded and safe to ride.
Private Boat
Chartering a private boat is interesting because it allows the traveler to captain one’s own journey. The fare rates range from $800 to $2500 each day. There are some more budget-friendly rentals, too, but you have to check out where to get them.
Airplane
Getting around the Bahamas is also possible with the flights offered by Bahamasair. To get the cheapest and most frequent flight to get around the islands, check out from Nassau. A flight fare from Nassau to the Out Islands could be around $210 and takes about an hour. Traveling by airplane might not be a cheap option but the best transport system if you like to save time.
4. Food and Drink
Mid-range Restaurants
If you choose a mid-range restaurant to treat yourself, you may spend around $40 – $80 per day. Within this budget, you can have a good combination of food carts, fine dining, bakeries, etc.
If you prefer to avoid cooking your meal on a holiday destination and like to spend time enjoying and exploring the spots, choosing a mid-range will be a convenient and budget-friendly option for you. Note that most restaurants in the Bahamas charge a 15% gratuity.
Self-made Meals
You can save a significant amount of cost by making your meals. While some visitors don’t like to spend time cooking on holidays, some enjoy cooking for themselves and their partners. Cooking meals can save up to $80 per day in the Bahamas. For an entire week, you can buy things like rice, local seafood, and vegetables from grocery stores for $80-$100.
Alcoholic Beverages
Unfortunately, alcoholic beverages available in the Bahamas aren’t cheap. If you are an alcoholic, keep a budget of around $10 to $12 for a standard drink. You will find beer at $5 for a single bottle and the local drink, rum, within $10 to $20 for a liter.
Also Read: What is the Drinking Age in the Bahamas
5. Activities
People like to spend their holidays on islands for incredible sights and soothing atmospheres and to explore the best activities to perform. Though people may step back from packing for this island, plentiful budget-friendly activities are enough to lower your cost on the trip. The Bahamas islands are famous for being more expensive than many other Caribbean islands, but this great gateway offers world-class beaches for visitors.
The Bahamas offer many unique fun activities that you may experience to make a lifetime memory. Many luxury activities are also available that require an expensive budget. Snorkeling tours at the Clifton Heritage National Park cost $40-$80 per person, and a trip to the famous Pig Beach ranges from $400 to $600.
However, Exploring the breathtakingly beautiful nature of the Bahamas won’t cost you too much. Visiting Lucayan National Park costs around $5 only. You won’t need to pay anything to explore the French Cloister and the Versailles Gardens.
You can have a great time shopping at the Straw market as well. Having fun and performing different activities in the Bahamas are always enjoyable for visitors. Amazingly, you will find mind-blowing and thrilling activities in the Bahamas but at budget-friendly costs. So, why shouldn’t you plan to visit this paradise-like gateway for your next holiday?
6. Time to Travel
Peak Season
Mid-December to mid-April is the peak season in the Bahamas. You can enjoy sunny trip days and the colorful cultural lifestyle of the Bahamians during the peak season. Expectedly, the prices of accommodation and flights are relatively high.
At the same time, you will also need help to book your preferable hotels and flights. The overcrowded spots of the Bahamas are the most troublesome experience for visitors as they have to wait for a long time to enjoy the popular attractions.
Low Season
June to November are the months of low season in the Bahamas when the hurricane belt occurs. During these months, you will find fewer crowds on the islands. Mid-August to mid-October is the worst month when storms attack terribly on the beachfront villas. Surprisingly, these months are still popular for visitors who avoid overcrowded beaches. Bahamas beaches are still good days to be around during the low season for people who search for a calm gateway.
Shoulder Season
The shoulder season of the Bahamas typically runs from October to November and from mid-April to June. These months are the best time to visit the Bahamas to explore the maximum number of activities and less crowded beaches.
Additionally, you will get fantastic weather as there are fewer rain chances in the shoulder season. People looking for lower prices for flights, accommodation, and activities, and fewer crowds, choose to visit the Bahamas during the shoulder season without a second thought. Less threat of hurricanes is the best reason for this season’s popularity among visitors.
FAQs
Q: How far in advance should someone book a vacation to the Bahamas?
We need to find out how far in advance one should book accommodation in the Bahamas. However, booking your vacation place and accommodation as early as possible is always safe. The earlier someone books, the better prices he can spend on the best accommodation.
It will be great if you book your hotel and flights one year before the departure date. The good news is that you don’t need to worry much if you reserve everything at the last minute because some agencies always allow you to bargain the prices.
Q: What is the average cost of visiting the Bahamas?
If you plan to stay in the Bahamas as a couple and want to get friendly flights and accommodation, keep a budget of around $4,300. However, for family retreats, you will have to pay roughly $7,000.
Whatever your budget, you can reduce the cost based on what you want to achieve from the trip and when you travel there. There is no one-size-fits-all budget system for vacationing in the Bahamas.
Q: What can be an all-inclusive Bahamas vacation cost for travelers?
Numerous all-inclusive resorts in the Bahamas have made this place famous for travel-seekers. However, these resorts require such a high cost that you must plan a budget of at least $2000 for a full weeknight stay for two people. The price may seem out of reach, but if you want to enjoy everything starting from having the best foods and alcohol to the luxury accommodations and unique water activities.
Q: What is the cheapest month to visit the Bahamas?
Try to head out to the Bahamas between August and November when your prime concern is visiting the islands at the lowest price. These months fall on the shoulder season of the islands when you will find less crowd and the best rates for accommodations, flights, activities, and so on.
Q: What are the things I must know before booking a Bahamas travel package?
Before booking flights, accommodations, resorts, or hotels, you must ensure you enjoy the best services from the travel package. Many Bahamas vacation packages will help you organize your trip on your escape. In addition, you may get an attractive discount on flights and accommodations. Note that you may enjoy the maximum discounts if you book more bundles.
Conclusion
The Bahamas is a fantastic destination for its pink sandy beaches and turquoise water. It is an authentic tropical paradise that offers great outdoor activities like snorkeling, cave exploring, scuba diving, hiking, and swimming with turtles, pigs, dolphins, etc. If you have a reasonable budget for your next holiday trip, we recommend you visit the Bahamas at least once in a lifetime and bless your memory with the rich culture and history of the place.
When planning to visit the Bahamas, one of the essential considerations you must make is determining the cost. How much a trip to the Bahamas will no longer be a confusing question to you if you have read this article thoroughly.