LANSING — How much money you spend on Mackinac Island has a lot to do with your expectations of the experience.
If your heart is set on staying at the Grand Hotel, taking a private carriage tour of the island and playing a round of golf, you’ll easily spend over $1,000.
And the island is steadily getting more expensive to visit. Some hotel rooms are up by about $100 a night compared to a year ago, and getting to the island is a few dollars more than last year. Even fudge, a mainstay of the island, increased by about a dollar since 2024.
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly experience, including a no-frills same-day departure from and return to the mainland, here are some tips:
Mackinac Island ferry tickets
Getting to the island requires taking a ferry, unless you have your own large boat or fly in on a private charter plane. There are two ferry services: Shepler’s and the Arnold Transit Co. ferry, which both depart from St. Ignace and Mackinaw City and are owned by the Hoffmann Family of Companies. Prices have increased by $2 to $5 for some tickets and services from last year.
In addition to increasing prices, the ferry services also have added more departure times, both for heading to the island and back to the mainland.
Both charge about the same for a basic round-trip ticket. Shepler’s charges $38 for adults and $26 for children ages 5-12. Children 4 and under ride for free. Bikes are $21 each, and $42 for tandem bikes. Prices are the same regardless whether you depart from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.
Arnold Transit Co. charges $36 for adults, $24 for children ages 5-12, kids 4 and under ride for free for a “traditional” ferry ticket, but also offers a “classic” ferry which only departs from St. Ignace. Those tickets cost $22.95 for adults and $17.95 for children ages 5-12. Bikes cost $19 on both the “traditional” and classic ferries.
Both ferry services also offer an “enhanced” ticket for $12 more. According to their websites, the enhanced ticket allows travelers to board the ferry first. There is no other perk to them, so this is an easy skip, unless you want to make sure you get a seat on the top of the ferry.
Shepler’s offers day parking for $10. Overnight parking must be purchased on-site and cost either $45 at the dock or $20 for parking off-site at both the Mackinaw City and St. Ignace ports.
Parking at the Arnold Transit docks cost $10 a day and $20 per night. “Premium” dockside parking is $40 a day and $80 per night. Valet parking is $65 per day and $130 for overnight.
More: Planning a trip to Mackinac Island this summer? Here’s what you need to know
Hotels
Obviously, not every hotel on the island costs upwards of $600 a night. If your family can go without a pool or a restaurant, the options are more budget friendly. The Murray Hotel and Harbour View Inn both have rooms for about $400 a night. Reserving your room in advance and avoiding staying overnight on the weekends makes your stay cheaper almost anywhere on the island. Hotels are also typically cheaper in the offseason ‒ before May and after August ‒ but there might be fewer options to pick from.
Staying off-island is typically also cheaper than staying on the island. The cheapest hotels have rooms for under $100 a night.
Bike ferry costs and rentals
Skipping the carriage tours and exploring the island on your own is another way to save money. Bringing a bike is cheaper than renting one on the island. Ferry tickets for a bike are about $20, while renting a bike for eight hours on the island can run upwards of $90. If you’re staying on the island overnight, bringing a bike gives you the freedom to explore without a time limit.
Fudge, pizza and more
Mackinac Island is known for its award-winning food options ‒ and you should at least get breakfast and dinner on the island if you’re staying overnight. But this high quality often means high prices. For those looking for a slightly less expensive dining option, consider grabbing groceries or a handmade pizza from Doud’s Market, located at the corner of Main and Fort streets, and having a picnic lunch at Marquette Park or any other park on the island.
And speaking of food ‒ save some room in your budget for fudge or any other dessert the island offers. One slice of fudge costs about $13 no matter where you get it from. Samples of fudge are always free, so you can decide exactly what flavor you want to buy.
Fort Mackinac and local museums
Mackinac Island’s Biddle House dates to 1780 or so. It’s one of three very old buildings on the island.
Admission prices for Fort Mackinac this season are $17.35 for adults and $10.46 for children ages 5-12. Fort tickets also give visitors access to other historical sites across the island, including the The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum and Biddle House, featuring the Mackinac Island Native American Museum.
Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com. Follow her on X @sarahmatwood.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Want to visit Mackinac Island? What to expect for costs in 2025