Mersing to Tioman Ferry: Schedule & Jetty Guide

Ferries to Tioman Island leave from two places on the mainland: Mersing jetty in Mersing town, Johor, and the Tanjung Gemok terminal about 40 minutes’ drive further up the coast in Pahang. There is no fixed daily timetable. Departure times shift from day to day with the tide, operators usually publish the next month’s schedule around the middle of the month before, and sailings are cut back sharply during the northeast monsoon from about November to February. Book your ferry first, note which jetty is printed on the ticket, then plan the drive from Singapore around the check-in time.

Which jetty: Mersing or Tanjung Gemok?

	Mersing jetty	Tanjung Gemok terminal
Location	Mersing town, by the river mouth	Coast north of Mersing, in Pahang’s Rompin district
Drive from Singapore	About 2 hr 45 min – 3 hr 30 min	About 3 hr 15 min – 4 hr
Sailings	The main departure point, with the most operators	Fewer, more seasonal sailings
Tide	Departures depend heavily on the tide	Generally less affected by the tide, according to travel guides
Nearby	Town with restaurants, shops and hotels	Terminal only, little else around

At time of writing, the regular ferry operators for Tioman are Bluewater Express and Cataferry, which both sail from Mersing. Tanjung Gemok has had more limited and seasonal service, including a speedboat service launched in May 2026 by Tioman Speedboat, which says its crossing takes about an hour. Which jetty you use depends on your operator and date, so always go by the ticket, not by what a friend used last year. Ferries also run from Mersing to other islands such as Rawa and Besar, so make sure you join the right queue.

How the Tioman ferry schedule works

If you are used to Singapore’s fixed timetables, Tioman ferries take some getting used to.

• Times follow the tide. Cataferry states on its website that its schedule depends on the tide level, and the river mouth at Mersing can be too shallow at certain times of day. A sailing at 7am one day may leave at noon the next.
• Schedules come out month by month. Travel guides report that the next month’s timetable is usually released around the middle of the previous month, and tickets go on sale then.
• Typical pattern in season: one to three departures a day per operator, mostly between early morning and early afternoon, with return sailings from the island at similar times.
• Times can change at short notice because of weather or sea conditions. Check the operator’s website or your booking the day before and again on the morning you travel.

Check the latest timetable directly with the operators: Cataferry, Tioman Speedboat, and Bluewater Express through its jetty counter or authorised online booking agents. Weekend and school-holiday sailings sell out, so book early.

Where the ferry stops on Tioman

Tioman has no single ferry terminal. Boats work their way up the west coast and call at village jetties in this usual order:

1. Genting
2. Paya
3. Tekek, the island’s main village
4. Air Batang, better known as ABC
5. Salang

Return boats call at the same jetties in reverse, starting from Salang. Juara, on the east coast, is not served by the regular ferries: get off at Tekek and take a 4x4 taxi across the island. Smaller villages such as Nipah and Mukut are only served on special runs, so tell the crew or your resort in advance. Check which jetty is closest to your accommodation before you book, because the ticket is for a specific stop.

From Mersing, the crossing usually takes around one and a half to two hours depending on your stop and the sea, longer to the jetties further north.

Check-in and fees at the jetty

• Arrive 60–90 minutes before departure, longer on weekends and holidays. Boarding-pass collection and luggage handling take time.
• Online tickets for Mersing departures are usually exchanged for a boarding pass at the Mersing Harbour Centre, across the road from the jetty. Follow the instructions on your booking.
• Marine park fee: Tioman is part of a protected marine park, and a conservation fee is collected separately at the terminal, with a higher rate for foreign visitors than for Malaysians. Bring ringgit cash.
• Luggage usually goes into a hold or a rack on deck, so keep passports, medication, water and anything fragile in a small bag with you.
• Seasickness: the crossing can be bumpy on open water. Take tablets before you board if you need them.

Monsoon season: November to February

The east coast of Peninsular Malaysia faces the northeast monsoon from roughly November to February, bringing rough seas and strong winds. During these months:

• Ferry sailings are reduced, and travel guides report that Mersing sailings can drop to around one a day, with cancellations or long delays on bad days.
• Tioman Speedboat says on its website that it suspends service during peak monsoon, typically from 1 November to 28 February, resuming daily service in March.
• Many island resorts and dive centres close for part of the season.

The calmer months from about March to October are the main island season. If you do travel during the monsoon, confirm both your ferry and your accommodation a few days before, keep your plans flexible, and avoid booking a tight connection to a flight home.

Planning the drive from Singapore

A missed ferry can cost you half a day, or a night in Mersing, so work out your departure time backwards:

1. Start with the check-in time on your ticket, not the sailing time.
2. Subtract the drive: about 2¾ to 3½ hours to Mersing, or 3¼ to 4 hours to Tanjung Gemok.
3. Add a margin for the checkpoints. Friday evenings, weekend mornings and the eve of public holidays are the busiest. Our guide to border travel timing shows when queues build up.

Example: for a 9am sailing from Mersing with check-in by 7.30am, plan to leave Singapore around 3.30 to 4am. For the earliest ferries, some travellers drive up the evening before and stay a night in Mersing. If anyone in your group travels on a non-Malaysian, non-Singapore passport, check whether they need the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card before the trip.

Door to door to the jetty with Luxway SGMY

Early starts, heavy bags and dive gear are where a private car earns its keep. Luxway SGMY collects you from your home in Singapore at the time you need, keeps everyone seated through immigration at both checkpoints, and drops you at the jetty on your ticket. On the way back, send us a message when you board on the island, as return ferries often run late, and your driver will be waiting when you land.

Fares to both Mersing and Tanjung Gemok start from SGD 220 one way for a Toyota Innova, per car, with tolls, checkpoint fees, fuel and parking included. The price is the same in both directions, there is no deposit and you pay the driver on arrival. Ferry tickets and marine park fees are paid separately to the operators.

Book your car to the Tioman ferry

Once your ferry is booked, send us the jetty, sailing time, check-in time, pick-up address and the number of passengers and bags. Read how booking works or Whatsapp us, and we will suggest a pick-up time and confirm everything in writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 14 October 2026