Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau travel guide

Three hours from New York, forty minutes from Miami

Find flights to Nassau See fares from $96

Airports: NAS Lynden Pindling International Airport
Region: Mexico & Caribbean
Best time to visit: December–April is dry and pleasant with peak prices around holidays and spring break.
Shortest flight: 1h from Miami
Round trips from: $96 (live)
Time zone: America/Nassau

About Nassau

Nassau sits on New Providence Island with Paradise Island connected by two bridges. Downtown has the straw market, colonial Bay Street, the Queen's Staircase and the Pirates museum; Cable Beach has Baha Mar and the big resorts; Paradise Island has Atlantis and Cabbage Beach. The Exumas — swimming pigs, sandbars — are a full-day boat or short flight away.

Getting in: Lynden Pindling International is 20–30 minutes from Cable Beach and Paradise Island. Taxis are regulated with posted zone rates ($22–$40 for two); resort shuttles must be booked ahead. The Bahamas has no rideshare apps. The Bahamian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and US bills are accepted everywhere.

US citizens need a passport (a passport card is not accepted for flights). The Bahamas charges a departure tax included in airfare and a hotel VAT of 10% plus resort levies. Tip 15% where not already added — most restaurants add a service charge. Conch fritters and cracked conch from the Fish Fry at Arawak Cay are the meal to have.

Best time to visit

December–April is dry and pleasant with peak prices around holidays and spring break. May–June and November are good value; August–October is hurricane season with the lowest rates.

Where to stay

Neighborhoods our travelers like: Paradise Island, Cable Beach, Downtown Nassau, West Bay, Arawak Cay.

Flights to Nassau: typical round-trip fares

What economy round trips to NAS usually cost from major US cities, alongside the lowest live fare we can see in the next 90 days. Prices are per traveler and include taxes.

From	Flight time	Typical fare	Lowest live fare	Actions
Miami (MIA)	1h	$168	$96 · Tue, Oct 13	Search dates →
New York (JFK)	3h 5m	$258	$163 · Wed, Oct 7	Search dates →
Atlanta (ATL)	2h 15m	$258	$97 · Wed, Dec 9	Search dates →
Boston (BOS)	3h 25m	$298	$158 · Wed, Nov 18	Search dates →
Chicago (ORD)	3h 25m	$318	$191 · Tue, Oct 6	Search dates →
Dallas (DFW)	2h 55m	$348	$145 · Wed, Oct 14	Search dates →

Typical fares are editorial estimates for economy round trips booked 3–8 weeks out. Live fares refresh several times a day and are shown for the cheapest departure date we found.

Airports in Nassau

Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS)Nassau · Medium airportNAS

What to do in Nassau

The places our editors send first-time visitors.

1
Atlantis Paradise Island
The 141-acre water park, aquariums and marine habitats; day passes are sold when capacity allows.
2
Exuma swimming pigs
Full-day powerboat tours from Nassau to Big Major Cay's pigs, iguanas and sandbars (about $300 per person).
3
Cabbage Beach
Paradise Island's long public beach beside the resorts — bring your own towel and buy a drink from a beach vendor.
4
Arawak Cay Fish Fry
Two dozen shacks serving conch salad, cracked conch and grilled snapper; busiest Friday and Sunday nights.
5
Downtown Nassau
The Queen's Staircase, Fort Fincastle, the John Watling's distillery and the straw market along Bay Street.

Nassau weather by season

Average highs and lows in °F, with what each season means for fares and crowds.

Winter

77° / 64°

Mild, breezy, occasional cold fronts.

Spring

82° / 69°

Warm and dry — spring break in March.

Summer

89° / 76°

Hot and humid; afternoon showers.

Fall

85° / 73°

Hurricane season; quietest and cheapest.

Travel tips for Nassau

Book Exuma boat tours for calm-weather days; cancellations are common in winter winds.
Taxi rates are fixed by zone — confirm the fare before leaving the airport.
Cruise ships crowd downtown on port days; visit Bay Street early or on non-ship days.
Atlantis day passes are limited and sell out on weekends; resort guests get priority.
US dollars work everywhere; there's no need to exchange money.

Nassau flights: frequently asked questions

Do I need a passport for the Bahamas?

Yes. US citizens flying to the Bahamas need a valid passport book. Closed-loop cruises allow a birth certificate and ID, but flights do not.

How long is the flight from Miami to Nassau?

About 50–60 minutes gate to gate — often shorter than the drive to the airport. From New York it's roughly 3 hours.

Is Nassau expensive?

Resort hotels, imported food and Atlantis are pricey by Caribbean standards, but the fish fry, public beaches and downtown sights are inexpensive. Flights from Florida are among the cheapest international fares from the US.