Batam is the quickest way off Singapore for a day, with ferries from the Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront through to the evening. This plan takes the first boat out and leaves the middle for seafood and a massage, then heads back well before the last sailings.
Bring your physical passport and check the day's timetable the night before, because sailings change without notice. The three main operators come to about S$76 return once fees are counted, so choose by the departure time you want. Batam times on the timetables are in Indonesian time, so read the column heading before you plan the way back.
Where to start
HarbourFront MRT (NE1)
When to go
Weekday morning, first boat 7.40am
Stop by stop
We'd do these in order, and each linked stop has its price and directions.
7:00 AM
Check in at HarbourFront
The ferries leave from the Singapore Cruise Centre at 5 HarbourFront Avenue, reached from HarbourFront MRT (NE1). Batam Fast checks in at #01-07, Majestic at #01-08 and Sindo at #01-11. The old HarbourFront Passenger Terminal has closed.
7:40 AM
The first boat out
Batam Fast's first boat to Batam Centre leaves at 7.40am, Sindo's at 8am and Majestic's at 8.10am. Batam Fast wants you at the pre-immigration gate with your boarding pass at least 30 minutes before departure. Have your passport out for immigration on both sides.
11:30 AM
Seafood by the harbour
Seafood is the usual day-trip lunch, and it's paid for on the island, as is the spa. Eat early enough to make your boat back, and ask about the price before you order.
1:00 PM
A massage and a wander
The afternoon belongs to a massage, the other reason people cross. Choose a spa near where you ate, ask the price before you sit down, and finish with a gap of at least an hour before you need to be back at the terminal.
5:00 PM
Back with time in hand
Majestic's last boat from Batam Centre to HarbourFront leaves at 8.35pm in the Indonesian time its timetable uses. Aim for a boat a few hours earlier, so that a slow immigration queue doesn't cost you the night.
Save for another day
- Bintan, which is a longer crossing from Tanah Merah and needs its own day
- Horizon's ferry to Nirup Island, which sails once a day and suits a stay
Before you go
Book ahead where you need to, and turn up for the rest.
Batam Day Escape FerryBatam · From S$76Tickets Majestic Fast Ferry to BatamBatam · From S$43Tickets Sindo Ferry to BatamBatam · From S$28Tickets Batam and back questions
What is the last ferry back from Batam Centre?
The last Majestic Fast Ferry from Batam Centre to HarbourFront leaves at 8.35pm, in the Indonesian time its timetable uses. Timetables change without notice, so check the day's schedule before you go, and take an earlier boat if you can.
Do the three Batam ferries cost the same?
Close to it. Batam Fast and Majestic charge S$76 return with the surcharge and fees included. Sindo's S$56 return leaves out a S$10 Singapore departure fee and a Batam terminal fee of Rp100,000 or S$10, so it comes to about S$76 as well.
How early do I need to be at the Batam ferry terminal?
Batam Fast wants you at the pre-immigration gate with your boarding pass at least 30 minutes before departure, and its online check-in closes an hour before. Other operators set their own times, so check yours and bring your passport.
Stories from along the way
Longer reads on the places you'll pass through.
