Island Day Trips from St Helier

October 31, 2026

Jersey is small, so St Helier makes a handy starting point for day trips. Four can be done by bus, one by fast boat and one by ferry to France. Nearly every LibertyBus route leaves from Liberation Station on the Esplanade, and the timetables and fares are on libertybus.je. Prices here are in Jersey pounds.

By bus

East to Gorey, about 7 km. Take route 1, 1A or 2. Above the harbour stands Mont Orgueil, begun in 1204 as a medieval fortress and later given Tudor additions. It is open daily, from 10:00 to 17:30 until 24 October and from 10:00 to 16:00 from 25 October to 31 December. The castle is shut on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January, and the last visitors go in an hour before closing. Tickets are £19.50 for adults and £11.45 for children and students. Finish with seafood by the harbour. See jerseyheritage.org .

South-west to St Brelade’s Bay, about 5 miles. Routes 12 and 14 take about 25 minutes. It is the island’s best-known south-facing sandy beach, with lifeguards in season, and there are water-sports hire stalls. The parish church dates to the 12th century, and the Fisherman’s Chapel sits on the rocks beside it.

La Corbiere Lighthouse. Routes 12A and 22 run to the south-western corner, or you can walk the Railway Walk from St Aubin in about 2 hours. The 1874 lighthouse sits on a tidal rock. A paved causeway reaches it at low water, and a siren sounds 10 to 15 minutes before the water closes the route. Leave at once when you hear it. Tide times are available from ports.je .

Jersey Zoo in Trinity, about 7 km north. Routes 3, 13 and 23 serve it. Founded in 1959 by Gerald Durrell, the 32-acre park concentrates on endangered species, with Andean bears, western lowland gorillas, Sumatran orangutans, aye-ayes and Livingstone’s fruit bats. On-the-day adult entry is £21.00 and children aged 3 to 10 pay £10.50, with online advance booking about 10% cheaper. Visit durrell.org .

By boat to Les Ecrehous

This archipelago of granite rocks and sandbanks lies about 6 miles north-east of Jersey and belongs to the parish of St Martin. Jersey Seafaris sails from St Catherine Breakwater, which you reach by LibertyBus 2 or 2A, and not from the harbour in town. Trips take 1.5 to 3 hours. At low water long sandspits and lagoons show up around a few 19th-century fishermen’s huts, with grey seals, dolphins and nesting terns. Listings give adult prices from about £47.99 to £64.99, so check the price at jerseyseafaris.com .

By ferry to France

DFDS operates Jersey’s ferry links to Poole, Portsmouth and St Malo from the Elizabeth terminal. The fast St Malo sailing suits a day trip, leaving around 09:30 and coming back around 18:00 after a crossing of about 2 hours, but confirm times with DFDS before booking. You need a valid passport. St Malo’s granite walled old town, its ramparts, cathedral, crêperies and oysters fill the day.

Sark and Guernsey

Sark ferries run only from April to September, and Manche Iles Express resumes on 3 April 2027. There is no Jersey to Guernsey ferry operating in 2026 and no direct sailing to Alderney, so neither works as a day out from St Helier. See manche-iles.com .

To compare organised trips, try Viator day trips from St Helier .