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Twenty minutes by boat from St Peter Port is all it takes to change worlds. Herm covers about two square kilometres, has seven beaches and bans not only cars but bicycles too: you walk, and that is that. A full circuit of the island is 6.3 kilometres, roughly two hours. Here is how to get there, what it costs in 2026, and why the tide decides where your boat will berth.
Two square kilometres, seven beaches
Herm is a mile and a half long and under eight hundred metres wide, around two square kilometres at high tide and considerably more at low tide when the sandbanks emerge. The official population was 83 as at 31 March 2023, a figure that includes neighbouring Jethou: the island is never counted on its own.
The island belongs to the States of Guernsey, which bought it from the Crown in 1949 for fifteen thousand pounds. Since September 2008 it has been run by Herm Island Ltd, a structure backed by the Starboard Settlement, led by John and Julia Singer and operated on a not-for-profit basis. The lease has been extended to December 2069. In November 2024 the operator said publicly that the island had been running at a loss since the pandemic: spending a few pounds here is not a trivial gesture.
What makes Herm distinctive fits in one line: no cars and no bikes. That is what sets it apart from Sark, its car-free neighbour where the bicycle rules. Here only staff tractors and quads move about, mainly to carry luggage. Everything else is done on foot. The only documented period when cars ran on the island was the tenure of Sir Percival Perry, head of Ford, between 1923 and 1939.
Shell Beach, on the east coast, stretches for close to a kilometre of pale sand made of millions of tiny shells carried in by the Gulf Stream. Belvoir Bay, further south, is a cove sheltered by granite cliffs, ideal for swimming and snorkelling. The other five beaches, on the harbour side, appear at low tide.
The heritage can be covered in a two-hour walk. St Tugual's Chapel dates from the eleventh century, built by Norman monks; its first written mention is from 1251, and its restoration in 2010-2011 uncovered around forty skeletons, half of them children, the oldest from the second half of the tenth century. The Common, to the north, holds Neolithic tombs, and digs in 2022 revealed a prosperous late Bronze Age settlement there. In the nineteenth century as many as four hundred quarrymen cut a granite that went into the upkeep of London Bridge and the steps of St Paul's Cathedral.
April to September, but open all year
Herm can be reached every day of the year except Christmas Day. But the number of sailings changes sharply with the season: five departures a day in April and October, seven in May, June and September, nine in July and August, and from November to March a daily link topped up with extra sailings on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
High season matches the opening of the venues. The White House Hotel takes guests from 24 April to 30 September 2026, The Ship Inn from 1 May to 30 September, the Shell Beach café from 17 April to 30 September and the Belvoir Bay café from 4 May to 1 September. The Mermaid Tavern, the island shop and the self-catering cottages stay open all year: a winter visit is perfectly possible, provided you accept an almost empty island.
Puffins nest on the rocks off Herm and Jethou between mid-March and July, which is also the best window for the kayak trips run from Shell Beach. Around sixty brent geese winter here from October to April, and close to a hundred bird species are recorded regularly.
Getting there, walking, sleeping
There is one regular operator: Travel Trident, out of St Peter Port, a twenty-minute crossing. The 2026 fares are 19 pounds for an adult return at standard rate, 9 pounds for a child and 2.50 pounds for an infant. The Early Bird day return drops to 17 pounds for an adult and 7.50 pounds for a child, and the evening boat from May to September, leaving at 7pm and returning at 10.45pm, costs the same. As with Sark, there is no direct link from France: you go via Guernsey.
One detail nobody anticipates: the landing point depends on the tide. The boat arrives and departs from Rosaire Steps at half tide down and below, and from Herm Harbour at half tide up and above. Check your ticket, because the walk is not the same. Tickets are not sold on the island: buy them in St Peter Port, or on board if the kiosk is closed.
Accommodation comes in three forms. The White House Hotel, converted from a country house in 1949, has kept a famous rule: no clocks, no telephones and no televisions in the rooms, the island's only screen sitting in the garden bar; 2026 rates start at 195 pounds a night. Twenty-one cottages and apartments are let by the week or the weekend, open all year. Finally, the Seagull campsite offers nineteen equipped eight-person tents with kitchen and barbecue, plus bare pitches, with a three-night minimum in high season.
Two cautions. All the island's water comes from boreholes, and the operator warns that a dry summer brings a real risk of running out: do not waste it. And as everywhere in the Bailiwick, banknotes issued by Guernsey are not accepted in the UK.
The essentials
| Jurisdiction | Bailiwick of Guernsey; owned by the States of Guernsey since 1949 |
|---|---|
| Area | About 2 km², 1.5 miles long and under 800 m wide |
| Population | 83 including Jethou (official figure, 31 March 2023) |
| Language | English |
| Currency | Pound sterling and Guernsey pound, at par |
| Getting there | Travel Trident ferry from St Peter Port, 20 min, every day except 25 December |
| Entry | Passport plus a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation for EU nationals |
Your questions answered
How long is the crossing to Herm?
Twenty minutes from St Peter Port on Guernsey, with Travel Trident. It is the only regular service: there is no direct boat from France or from Jersey.
How much does the ferry to Herm cost in 2026?
A standard adult return is 19 pounds, a child 9 pounds and an infant 2.50 pounds. The Early Bird day return works out at 17 pounds for an adult and 7.50 pounds for a child. The evening boat, from May to September, costs the same as the Early Bird.
Can you take a bike to Herm?
No. Unlike Sark, Herm bans bicycles as well as cars. Only staff tractors and quads move about, mainly carrying luggage. The island is covered entirely on foot: a full circuit is 6.3 kilometres, about two hours.
Where does the boat land on Herm?
It depends on the tide. At half tide down and below, the boat arrives and departs from Rosaire Steps; at half tide up and above, it uses Herm Harbour. The landing point is shown on your ticket, and the walk to the beaches is not the same from each.
Can you stay overnight on the island?
Yes, in three ways. The White House Hotel opens from 24 April to 30 September 2026, from 195 pounds a night, with its house rule: no clocks, no telephones and no televisions in the rooms. Twenty-one cottages are let all year. The Seagull campsite has nineteen equipped eight-person tents and bare pitches, with a three-night minimum in high season.
Is Herm worth visiting in winter?
The ferry runs all year except Christmas Day, with a daily link and extra sailings on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. But the hotel, The Ship Inn and both beach cafés are closed. The Mermaid Tavern, the island shop and the self-catering cottages stay open.