Skomer Island Day Trips

A view of South Stream

A View Of South Stream - © Beth Thompson

Skomer Island Day Trips

A mere 20-minute boat trip from the mainland, Skomer is an excellent place for a daytime adventure. Bursting with seabirds including our Atlantic Puffins, Manx Shearwaters, Guillemots and Razorbills, this National Nature Reserve is one of Britain's most important seabird colonies. It is peaceful and wild at all times of year - there's so much to see and explore.

Explore Skomer's Wildlife And History 

How To Book

2024 day visits will be available to book in advance from 1st December.

Skomer is open April-August (Tuesday-Sunday) and in September on a reduced schedule. Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips are the only boat operator who land on Skomer - the link below will take you to their website, where tickets purchased will cover your boat and landing fee.

2024 day visitor tickets are on sale from 1st December. Book here! 

Pre-Visit Information

Already booked? Please see our Pre-Visit Information Booklet below which will help prepare you for a trip to our island (coming soon). Keep an eye on our Skomer Boat Twitter Feed for daily updates on boats and weather.

Price And Boat Information

Please see below for up to date pricing and boat information for day trips in 2024.

How Much Is The Trip?

Confirmed prices for 2024 can be seen below.

Prices for the 2024 season. April - £40 adult (12 years +), £30 child (2-11 years), May and June - £44 adult, £30 child, July - £40 adult, £30 child, August and September - £30 adult, £24 child. Infants always free on lap of adult,

Day visit prices for 2024 - © Dale Sailing

When Are The Trips?

Between April and August, boats depart Martin's Haven every 30 minutes between 10:00 and 12:00. Return boats run from 15:00 onwards and are allocated according to your outward journey. Please note you cannot change the time you wish to return from the island. There are no boats on Mondays, with the exception of the Whitsun Bank Holiday (27.05.2024).

In September, boats to the island run less frequently depending on demand. There are no day boats on Friday in September.

When are the Puffins on Skomer?

The Puffins come and go in April as they establish their breeding areas. They are on island May-July and the first Puffins will start to leave in mid-July. The last ones will have left by the end of July.

FAQs About Visiting Skomer Island Overnight

The above information covers all you need to know about our day trips. Please see below for frequently asked questions.

What Are The Essentials?

Essential Skomer Information - all bags must be closed, stay on the path at all times, take all rubbish home and please bring binoculars, sturdy shoes, waterproofs, suncream and no drones.

Essential day visit information - © WTSWW

Why do we ask you to seal your bags before coming?

Skomer is of international importance due to its populations of breeding seabirds. The absence of rats, mink, stoats and other ground predators allows ground-nesting birds like Manx Shearwaters and Atlantic Puffins to thrive. If rats were introduced to the island, even accidentally, they would decimate our seabird populations. This has happened on islands around the world.

- All luggage must be closed - unsealed luggage, including open bags and carrier bags will not be permitted to land.

- Pack all luggage yourself in a rodent-free environment and please ensure no rodent has accessed to your luggage before boarding.

- Do not leave your luggage unattended in Martin’s Haven to ensure rodents cannot enter your bags. 

- Do not bring anything that might present a threat onto the island. This includes plants with root balls and compost including potted herbs, seeds etc.

Luggage

Where can I park my car?

Please leave your vehicle in the National Trust car park at Martin's Haven (SA62 3BJ, Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bQURLkLeZrkRqgD98, What 3 Words: ///blogging.panoramic.takers).

This car park is managed by the National Trust and costs £6 (NT members go free). It can be paid for on the paybyphone app (car park no. 803527), however we recommend bringing coins as signal in this area can be poor.

Please note that WTSWW has no affiliation with this car park.

How do I get to Skomer?

By Car

Please follow Satnav directions to West Hook Farm or SA62 3BJ From Haverfordwest, follow Dale Road (B4327) for just over 10 miles, before following signs on to Gay Lane in Marloes (20mph). Stay on the main road through the village and continue west for 1.5 miles. Please be aware that this road is windy and uses passing places. West Hook Farm (where we recommend you park - please see page 8) is on the right after 1.5 miles (look for the puffin gate posts). To take your belongings to the jetty, stay on the road (it becomes narrow and steep towards the beach so go as far as you feel comfortable).

By Public Transport

The nearest train stations are Milford Haven and Haverfordwest. Fflecsi Buses run from both towns. Taxis will cost you around £25-£30 for the 11 mile trips. You can find a list of taxi companies here: Taxi Companies.

Coming From Further Afield?

There are good car rental and train connections from Cardiff Airport.

What are the access arrangements?

Whilst we take every care to make Skomer as physically accessible as possible, upon arrival there are 87 steps which must be climbed. These steps are challenging and a level of fitness is required to pass them.

If you are worried about mobility or fitness, a boat trip around the island is an excellent alternative to landing. You can find out more about these trips here.

What facilities are there on Skomer?

  • Food - there is no café or shop on Skomer. You must bring all food you require with you on the day.
  • Water - we are unable to fill up your water bottles on the island as Skomer is not connected to a mainland water supply and water is limited. Please bring enough water with you for your trip. Bottles of water can be purchased for £1.00 at the Sales Point and Visitor Centre.
  • Bins - there are no bins on Skomer. We ask that you take all rubbish home with you at the end of the day. Please note that this includes apple cores, banana skins, etc.
  • Binoculars - binoculars can be hired for £5.00 on the island.
  • Toilets - there are four compost toilets on Skomer. These can be found at the centre of the island at the Farm.

How will the weather affect my visit?

Throughout the season there will be times where the boats to Skomer are cancelled because of adverse weather conditions. 

We will update you as soon as we have information about bad weather - if we have to cancel we will email you and full refunds will be automatically triggered. In the meantime you can keep up to date with whether day boats are running on the Skomer Boat Twitter Feed

Can you recommend local shops/accommodation/taxis?

Please see the below document for useful local contacts.