Yankee Freedom Dry Tortugas Ferry

We have just returned from a trip to Key West and this day long excursion was part of our trip. I’d like to give a special mention to our host and tour guide for the day, Hollywood. Not only did he keep us informed throughout the visit, but his enthusiasm for all things Fort Jefferson was infectious. He’s a great guide, but more than that he’s a terrific storyteller. For history buffs like us, he helped set the scene, taking us back to a time when the Fort was operating at its peak. He provides a broad overview of the day to day running of the Fort and, if encouraged by the group, gets right into the historical details and trivia that aren’t to be missed. You'll see in the pictures I took how animated he was! My partner and I opted for the extended 90 min tour of the Fort, which I would encourage you to do. The waters surrounding it are beautiful and great to swim in; the island itself is fun to explore on your own, but in order to get the full experience I’d recommend taking this extended look at the Fort with your guide. We returned home feeling like it was time well spent. Thank you Hollywood for leading us through the experience, and for keeping us informed, engaged and entertained. From Scotland with love! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The Yankee Freedom ferry excursion to Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson is a well-organized and memorable experience. The journey runs about two hours each way, giving you time to enjoy the open water before arriving at one of the most remote national parks in the United States. Breakfast and lunch are included in the ticket price, which adds solid value and convenience for a full-day outing. Once you arrive, Dry Tortugas National Park, located roughly 70 miles west of Key West, offers a unique blend of history and natural beauty. The centerpiece of the visit is Fort Jefferson, an enormous and impressive coastal fortress that dominates the island. Exploring its massive brick structure is easily the highlight of the trip. Beyond the fort, snorkeling around the moat provides a pleasant way to experience the clear waters, while the presence of nesting seabirds adds a distinctive ecological element to the visit. Facilities on the island itself are limited, so the ferry serves as your main hub for comfort, offering four onboard restrooms and a place to regroup throughout the day. Overall, it’s a well-run excursion that balances history, scenery, and light adventure—just come prepared for a long but rewarding day.

Spectacular Day Aboard the Yankee Freedom visiting Dry Tortugas. This was an amazing experience aboard the Yankee Freedom visiting the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson. To start, the crew were fantastic and very helpful and were available the entire day. Our Tour Guide--Hollywood-- was even more incredible. His love for the Dry Tortugas is overwhelming as is his knowledge of the Fort and its history. He was really into the entire experience. That made for a fabulous trip. He was also very friendly and truly one of a kind. I had thought the trip was very expensive. However after going on this trip...it was definitely worth the price. DON'T MISS THIS WHEN YOU ARE IN KEY WEST.

We had a very enjoyable ferry ride to and from Dry Tortugas National Park on Yankee Freedom. Hollywood was our guide and shepherd, he was outstanding! Check in and boarding was organized and simple. The cruise to the island was smooth and the boat was comfortable. The fare comes with a basic breakfast option with bagels, fruit cup, coffee, and orange juice. A box lunch is included as well with Jersey Mike sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Lunch is open from 11 am to 1 pm, just know if you opt to do the fort tour (which you absolutely should), there may only be one sandwich option left. Hollywood was also our fort tour guide and was phenomenal. Clearly passionate about the fort and its importance to the US and mariners, his storytelling was full of character and enthusiasm. He was a wealth of knowledge and provided a whole education over the 1.5 hours spent with him! You can opt to just listen to his 20 minute intro talk on the history of the fort or continue on to the roughly hour long tour of the three floors of the fort for the full history. After the tour, we then had time to explore the garden key and investigate the bird sanctuary side of the island. It did not disappoint and was teeming with aviaries, incredible. On the return ferry, the bar was open for purchase of a cold one. Our day started at 7:00 am and we were back to the mainland by 5:30 which was enough time to enjoy your day and not feel rushed while also getting enough of a taste to realize, you will likely want to come back for more!

Dry Tortugas was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed the ferry ride over and back. The ferry crew was informative and fun. I'm a US Army veteran and I loved the history of Fort Jefferson. My wife any I brought our own snorkeling gear and swam the north beach area. Saw some fish. I highly recommend this when in the Keys.

If you go to Key West and like history, I cannot recommend this enough. Our tour guide, Thom, was phenomenal and made the experience worthwhile. The 2.5 hour boat ride went quickly and the fact that they provide breakfast, coffee, and lunch as part of your included cost is amazing. When you arrive at Fort Jefferson, I highly recommend signing up for the 45 minute guided tour. The guide takes you through the history of the fort, the island, the purpose of its construction, and it's evolution to a national Park spot today. Following the tour, my family grabbed lunch and ate on the boat then changed into swim gear to snorkel. If you have never snorkeled before, there is a short video on the boat that explains exactly how to do it. As a first time snorkeler I can confirm it was easy to pick up and well worth the try. My husband and I saw corals, bright tropical fish, and abandoned anchors around the moat wall of the fort. Again, I cannot recommend this tour service highly enough. Definitely a must for any vacationers to Key West.

Warning: do not wear any jewelry when snorkeling. There are barracudas in the water and they are attracted to shiny objects. Be careful of bricks and do not stand on the square metal, wooden spots that they have drilled to the ground. The place is falling apart literally. Try to get tickets online in advance. When you get to the terminal walk to the back and there are stairs upstairs to check in. Check-in 7am for ticket holders and to sign a waiver. They will have copies there. You will have to show your ID, get a wristband and a number. They will call people in groups by number to Gate 1. The boat carries around 175 people but they did an excellent job of ushering us onto the boat. There is breakfast and lunch for us. 4 bathrooms on board. The large bathroom is a sliding door. People usually forget to check if people are in it. There are no bathrooms at the fort. Free snorkeling gear, fins, masks and floating buoy. I suggest this even if you’re a strong swimmer because the current can be strong. Hollywood gives a 20 min tour and +1 hour tour. It was very informative and he takes you to the second and third roof area where you can walk to the lighthouse and down the stairs. You cannot swim in the moat. There are two sides to enter for snorkeling. I saw fish on both sides. One side may be more calm and clear depending on the day. You can also see Samuel Mudd’s cell.

Fun boat ride to the Dry Tortugas! THE CREW is all I can say. They were phenomenal. Kind, attentive and accommodating to anything you may need while running a tight ship and providing entertainment. GO! You will not be sorry. It was the highlight of our trip to the Keys.