How Much Does It Cost to Swim With Pigs in the Bahamas? (2026 Prices)
How much does it cost to swim with the pigs in the Bahamas? From Nassau, $120 to $155 per person as of August 2026, and considerably more anywhere else in the country. That Nassau range is the number most visitors actually pay, since Nassau is where most of us live and where most tours leave from, but it isn't the only price on the table: Freeport runs cheaper, Exuma runs far more, and a cruise-line private island sits somewhere in between. I checked every current listing myself this month rather than trusting old blog posts, because these prices move and a stale number is worse than no number at all. Below is every real price I could find, what drives the gap between them, and where the extra costs hide that don't show up on the booking page. If you'd rather see the boats themselves first, what each Nassau boat charges is compared on the homepage.
Quick answer
As of August 2026, swimming with the pigs from Nassau costs $120 to $155 per person, with most visitors paying around $125 to $140 for a 4-hour boat that also covers reef snorkeling, Green Cay turtles and lunch. Reaching the original Exuma herd costs far more, from about $715 per person for a day trip by air.
Key takeaways
- Nassau range: $120 to $155 per person, checked August 2026
- The $120 boat includes the pig stop, snorkeling, turtles and lunch, nothing held back
- The biggest extra cost people forget: one catamaran collects $30 to $35 in cash on the island for pig admission
- The cheapest genuine way to do this is the $120 Nassau boat, not a DIY trip; there's no independent way to reach any of these islands without a boat
- Best value sits around $124 to $140, where you get a longer day and a better-rated operator for a small premium
- Freeport is cheaper at about $96, but that's a different island entirely, not a Nassau alternative
Price Overview (2026)
Every figure below is per person, taken from operators' own listings or published rates, checked in August 2026. This table is a snapshot; the live price on the booking page always governs.
| Tour type | Duration | Price per person | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Nassau boat | 4 hours | from $120 | Pig stop, reef snorkel, Green Cay turtles, lunch |
| Most-booked Nassau boat | 4 hours | from $124.80 | Three islands, pigs, snorkel, turtles, lunch |
| Beach club upgrade | 2.5 to 4 hours | from $140 | Pigs, snorkel, private beach, kayaking, lunch |
| Catamaran full day | 5.5 hours | from $154.81 | Longest day, gluten-free/vegan lunch, unlimited drinks; pig admission billed separately in cash |
| Exuma day trip by air | full day | from $715 | Flight, boat, lunch, Nassau transfers to the original Big Major Cay herd |
| Freeport, Grand Bahama | half day | from about $96 | Ground transport included, a separate island from Nassau or Exuma |
Two more worked budgets, so the real total is clear before you book. A couple choosing the catamaran pays $154.81 each, $309.62 total, plus $30 to $35 per person in cash for pig admission on the island, plus tips: call it $370 to $380 all in for two. A family of four on the cheapest $120 boat, assuming no child discount applies on that listing, pays $480 before tips, still the lowest total on this page for four people and a full day on the water.
What It Costs Beyond Nassau
If Nassau isn't your only option, here's the fuller picture I keep for people asking about the original herd. A scheduled Flamingo Air round trip from Nassau to Staniel Cay runs about $150 per person for the seat alone, before you've arranged a boat once you land. Book a boat once you're on the ground in the Exumas and an Exuma-based day out of Staniel Cay or George Town runs roughly $350 per person. Put together, that DIY route can undercut the $715 all-inclusive air day trip, but it takes more planning and more of your trip's days.
CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island, sells its own pig excursion to cruise passengers only, and the price moves with demand: it has sold between about $109 and $200 per person and can sell out before the ship even leaves port. And if you're flying from Florida rather than the Bahamas, day trips straight to the Exuma pigs run $849 to $949 per person, the most expensive way to do this on the whole page.
What Changes the Price
Six things move the number you actually pay, roughly in order of how much they matter.
- Boat type: catamarans and beach-club upgrades run $140 to $155, speedboats run $120 to $128, a real gap for a similar itinerary
- Whether pig admission is inside the ticket: most Nassau boats fold it in; one catamaran adds $30 to $35 per person in cash on the island
- Duration: the 2-hour safari and the 5.5-hour catamaran both cost $140 to $155, so length alone doesn't set the price, inclusions do
- Destination: Nassau is the cheapest launch point at $120 to $155; Exuma by air starts around $715, a difference of hundreds of dollars for the original herd instead of the operator-raised one
- Group size on a private charter: shared boats price per person from $120; private charters run several hundred dollars for the boat, which only makes sense split across a larger group
- Extras bought on the day: rum punch upgrades, photo packages and gift-shop stops on the beach add to the total but aren't part of the ticket price
Budget, Mid-Range and Premium
Three real tiers exist among the Nassau boats, and the gap between them buys duration and comfort more than it buys more pig time.
- Budget, $120 to $128: the Swimming Pigs And Snorkel With Turtles boat at $120 is the floor, a straightforward 4-hour speedboat trip with everything included in the ticket
- Mid-range, $139 to $150: the Rose Island Swimming Pigs & Turtles Snorkeling Tour at $150 caps its group at 15 travelers, which means shorter lines at the pig pen for a modest premium
- Premium, $154.81: the full-day catamaran is the longest day on the water and holds the best rating on this page, 4.8 from 992 reviews, but remember the $30 to $35 cash add-on when you compare it against the cheaper boats
The honest trade-off: the cheap tier gives up group size and a bit of polish, not safety or access. The premium tier buys comfort, a longer day and a flatter ride, not more time with the animals. Pig time itself, 15 to 30 minutes, is roughly the same across every tier.
Where group size actually shows up is at the pig pen itself. A speedboat carrying 30 or more people means a longer wait for your turn to feed and photograph, while the smaller boats capped around 15 travelers get everyone through in a fraction of the time. If patience isn't your strong suit, that's worth more than the dollar difference between tiers.
What to Book at Each Budget
If You want the lowest total and can walk to the dock
The $120 four-hour boat from the Señor Frog's pier. The landing fee is inside the ticket and you skip the pick-up markup.
If You are travelling with children
A boat with the fee included and a beach club behind it, around $139. Cash collected on a beach with a toddler in tow is the part parents regret.
If You have a full day and want the most water time
The 5.5-hour catamaran at $154.81, plus $30 to $35 cash per person on the island. Budget the extra before you compare it with the rest.
If You are off a ship with a short call
The two-hour run at $140. You pay more per hour and buy back the margin you need at the gangway.
If Your heart is set on the original Pig Beach
Budget from $715 per person for the air day trip out of Nassau, not the price of any boat on this page.
Extra Costs to Budget For
The ticket price is rarely the whole story. Here's what to plan for on top of it.
| Extra cost | Typical amount | Which boats |
|---|---|---|
| Pig-island admission | $30 to $35 cash per person | Only the catamaran; everyone else folds it into the ticket |
| Towel | bring your own or rent one | Almost every boat lists towels under what to bring, not what's included |
| Tips for crew | $5 to $10 per person is typical | All boats; cash is easiest |
| Taxi to Montagu Beach or the ferry terminal | $10 to $20 depending on pickup | Boats that don't offer hotel pick-up |
| Lunch on one boat that doesn't include it | $15 to $25 per person for food bought at the stops | The 2-hour safari; check the listing before assuming lunch is covered |
| Drinks beyond what's listed | varies | Alcohol past the included rum punch or soft drinks |
None of these are hidden exactly, they're just easy to miss reading the ticket price alone. Read the inclusions line on any listing before you compare two boats side by side; a $120 all-in ticket can end up cheaper on the day than a $140 one with more add-ons. A family of four skipping the towel line alone, if they rent rather than bring their own, can add another $20 to $40 to the day without noticing until the receipt is in hand.
How to Pay Less
Six ways to keep the total down without giving up the day itself.
- Book the $120 boat rather than the beach-club upgrades; the pig stop, snorkel and lunch are the same
- Walk to a downtown boarding point like Señor Frog's pier instead of paying for a taxi to Montagu Beach
- Skip the catamaran unless the extra hour and the flatter ride matter to you, since its $30 to $35 cash fee erases most of the price gap with cheaper boats
- Book early and lean on free cancellation, which every tour here offers up to 24 hours ahead, so there's no cost to locking in a low price the moment you find one
- Travel as a small group and split a private charter if you have four or more people; per-person cost drops fast past that size
- Bring your own towel and reef-safe sunscreen rather than buying or renting on the beach
None of these tactics cost you anything in experience. The reef, the turtles and the pigs are the same whichever boat you choose, since they're all visiting the same handful of islands off Nassau; what changes with price is comfort, group size and how much of the day you get.
Is It Worth the Price?
At $120 to $155 for a full day that includes reef snorkeling, a turtle stop, a private beach and lunch, the per-hour cost lands around $30 to $40, in line with most half-day boat tours anywhere in the Caribbean. Judged purely on pig time, under half an hour, the price looks steep; judged on the whole day, it holds up. Budget travelers who only want the animals and nothing else should think twice, since there's no cheaper standalone way to see them.
For the fuller honest breakdown of who should book and who should skip it, see the boats that run out of Nassau harbour.
One more way to think about it: a family of four spending a beach day at a resort pool pays nothing extra beyond the room, but a family of four on the $120 Nassau boat pays $480 and gets a reef, a turtle sighting and a pig encounter added to the beach day. Whether that premium is worth it comes down to how much a wildlife story matters to your trip, not whether the boat itself is fairly priced against similar tours in the region.
Common Questions
How much does it cost to swim with the pigs in Nassau?
$120 to $155 per person, checked August 2026. The cheapest boat is a straightforward $120 4-hour tour; the most expensive is the $154.81 catamaran, which then adds $30 to $35 in cash on the island.
Is swimming with the pigs worth it in the Bahamas?
For most visitors, yes, treated as a full day on the water rather than a dedicated pig encounter. The full honest case for and against sits at the boats that run out of Nassau harbour.
What's included in the price?
Snorkel gear, lunch, a drink or two and usually hotel pick-up. Most Nassau boats include the pig-beach landing fee in the ticket; one catamaran bills it separately in cash on the island.
Do I need to tip?
It's customary and not built into the ticket. $5 to $10 per person for the crew is the norm most of us follow here.
What's the cheapest time of year to go?
Ticket prices stay flat year-round; what changes is availability and cancellation risk. Hurricane season, June through November, brings the most weather cancellations. Full detail at morning departures from Nassau.
Is Pig Island worth it at $30 to $35 extra?
It's the price of admission on the one catamaran that doesn't fold the fee into its ticket, not an optional upgrade. If you're on that boat and skip paying it, you stay aboard while the group goes ashore, so budget for it if you book that tour.
Is it safe to swim with pigs in Nassau?
Yes, for nearly everyone. The animals are staff-handled daily. Full safety detail lives at a staffed beach 30 minutes from Nassau.
The real number to budget is $120 to $155 per person if you're doing this from Nassau, and the cheapest full ticket at $120 buys the same pigs, reef and turtles as the pricier boats. Read what each price includes before you compare two tours side by side, keep cash ready if you book the catamaran, and lean on free cancellation to lock in a date without locking in the risk.