The three options at a glance
Kangaroo Island is 14 km off the South Australian coast. There is no bridge, no causeway, and no airport big enough for jets. That leaves three routes: the SeaLink car ferry, a Rex flight, or a packaged day tour that handles the transport for you.
Most visitors take the ferry because they want their own car on the island. KI is a BIG place, 155 km long, and once you are over, you will drive a lot. If you are not bringing a car and you are travelling solo, Rex is usually the better option.
Option 1: the SeaLink ferry
Cape Jervis to Penneshaw, 45 minutes across Backstairs Passage. The ferry is the only car crossing and it runs multiple times a day. Be warned though, it is the most expensive 45 minutes you will spend on this trip. A two-adults-and-a-car return at peak is around $440. The full breakdown lives on the ferry guide.
Option 2: Rex flights to Kingscote
Regional Express runs multiple daily flights from Adelaide Airport to Kingscote (KGC) on a Saab 340 turboprop. Forty minutes in the air, fares from $169 one-way. No car gets across, so you will need to hire one on arrival. More on the route on the flights page.
Option 3: guided day tour
If you cannot commit to an overnight stay, a day tour from Adelaide is the most efficient way to see the headline sights. The operator handles the bus to Cape Jervis, the ferry, and a same-day return. It is a HECK of a long day, about 14 hours door to door, and you will skip a lot. See the breakdown on day tours from Adelaide.
Where you are starting from
We have written separate guides for each major origin city, because the right route changes depending on where you are flying from.
- From Adelaide, the ferry and Rex both work. Adelaide is the obvious launch pad.
- From Melbourne, you fly to Adelaide first, then take Rex or the ferry.
- From Sydney, same drill: Sydney to Adelaide, then over.
The honest summary
Two of you with a car and three nights or more: ferry. Solo or a couple with two nights and no car: fly Rex. One day only and no flexibility: day tour. Bring a jumper either way, the crossings get cold even in summer.