Bintan Ferry Schedule Singapore & How to Choose Best Timing
If you’re planning travel from Singapore to Bintan crossing on Bintan Resort Ferries, here’s the short answer:
ferries run from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore to Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal in Bintan, the crossing takes about 70 minutes, and there are 4 to 5 sailings a day depending on which day of the week you travel.
Bintan time is one hour behind Singapore time, so a ferry that leaves Singapore at 08:10 actually lands in Bintan at 08:20 local time.
Based on our experience handling guests who book a hotel stay package with us as well as guests booking tours and activities with pickup arranged directly at the ferry terminal,
what they usually get stuck on isn’t whether a ferry exists at a certain time, it’s figuring out which departure time actually suits them.
The right choice really comes down to personal preference: your hotel check-in time, and what you want to do on arrival day.
That’s exactly what we’ll walk through after the timetable below.
Daily Ferry Schedule: Singapore to Bintan
This is the current published timetable operated by Bintan Resort Ferries (BRF). Departure times are in Singapore time; arrival times are already adjusted to Bintan time.
Monday to Thursday
|
Depart Singapore
|
Arrive Bintan
|
|---|---|
|
08:10
|
08:20
|
|
11:10
|
11:20
|
|
14:00
|
14:10
|
|
17:00
|
17:10
|
Friday and Saturday
|
Depart Singapore
|
Arrive Bintan
|
|---|---|
|
08:10
|
08:20
|
|
09:10
|
09:20
|
|
11:10
|
11:20
|
|
14:00
|
14:10
|
|
17:00
|
17:10
|
Sunday
|
Depart Singapore
|
Arrive Bintan
|
|---|---|
|
08:10
|
08:20
|
|
11:10
|
11:20
|
|
14:00
|
14:10
|
|
17:00
|
17:10
|
During peak season, public holidays, and school holiday periods, BRF sometimes adds extra sailings on top of this regular timetable.
The most current version is always on the official Bintan Resort Ferries website
How to Choose the Best Ferry Time for Your Trip
This is one of the most common questions we receive from travelers booking their first trip to Bintan: “What time should I take the ferry to Bintan?”
There’s no single right answer, it depends mainly on two things: your hotel’s check-in time, and whether you want to start activities on arrival day.
1. Match the Ferry to Your Hotel Check-In Time
Most resorts in Bintan set check-in between 14:00 and 15:00. Knowing that, here’s what we usually recommend:
- 11:10 ferry (arrives 11:20)
The most booked option among our guests. You land mid-morning, clear immigration, transfer to the resort, and have time to register,
grab lunch, or relax by the pool while the room is being prepared. - 14:00 ferry (arrives 14:10):
A good fit if you’d rather sleep in or have a slower morning in Singapore. By the time you’ve cleared immigration and reached the resort, check-in time has usually already arrived, in many cases, the room is ready the moment you walk in
From Our Team
We’ve found that travelers who take the earliest ferry (08:10) without an activity already planned often end up waiting around the lobby for three to five hours before their room is ready.
If you’re not doing a tour on arrival day, the 11:10 or 14:00 ferry almost always makes for a smoother first afternoon.
2. Match the Ferry to Your First-Day Plans
If you want to make use of arrival day rather than just checking in and resting, the earlier sailings, 08:10 and, on Friday/Saturday, the additional 09:10, give you enough daylight hours for a half-day or full-day activity.
These early departures work well for:
- Bintan Full Day Tour — roughly 7 to 8 hours, so you need the morning ferry to fit it in comfortably.
- Snorkeling Tour — around 5 to 8 hours depending on which part of the island your hotel is in.
For both, many of our guests arrange direct pick-up from Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal.
If your itinerary is more open-ended, or you want to combine a few stops in one day, a custom trip in Bintan tends to work better than a fixed tour.
For a lighter first day, these two options are easier to combine with a normal check-in time:
- Blue Lake Bintan & Sand Dunes — a short sightseeing stop, good for photos, without taking up the whole day.
- Bintan Half Day Tour — covers a few key spots without committing your entire arrival day
Frequently Asked Questions
About 70 minutes from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal.
Four sailings a day from Monday to Thursday and on Sunday, and five sailings on Friday and Saturday (with an added 09:10 departure).
No. Bintan is one hour behind Singapore, so a ferry's arrival time always shows one hour earlier than what the Singapore departure time would suggest at face value.
The 11:10 or 14:00 departure usually lines up best with standard 14:00–15:00 resort check-in times.
Yes, if you take the 08:10 (or 09:10 on Friday/Saturday) ferry and arrange direct pick-up from the ferry terminal, a half-day or full-day tour is realistic
