Monday-Friday pattern from Sydney Ferries' F3 Parramatta River PDF timetable, valid from 14 June 2026 (creation date 13 September 2026, checked live 18 September 2026). The published grid lists every Circular Quay and Parramatta departure together with many short-working services that turn back early at Barangaroo, Drummoyne, Cockatoo Island, Sydney Olympic Park or Rydalmere, so this page publishes only the Parramatta-bound and Circular Quay-bound departures that could be matched with certainty to a same-numbered arrival at the other end; it is a confirmed sample, not the complete Circular Quay-to-Parramatta list. Use Trip Planner at transportnsw.info to confirm any single departure. · Representative services only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~85 min
Operator
Sydney Ferries
Map – Parramatta Ferry
Fare type
Price
Adult, one way (9km+ Opal or contactless fare)
$9.20
Child/Youth 4-15, one way (9km+ Opal fare)
$4.60
Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal daily cap (any number of trips)
Adult Opal weekly travel cap (Monday-Sunday, all Opal modes)
$50.00
This is a standard Sydney public transport ferry, paid the same way as a train or bus: tap on and tap off at the Opal reader on the wharf with an Opal card, a linked contactless credit/debit card or device, or a dearer paper Opal single trip ticket bought at the wharf if you have neither. Fares are set by distance travelled, not by route, and Circular Quay-Parramatta falls in Sydney Ferries' 9km+ band. Unlike train, bus and light rail, Sydney Ferries trips do NOT get the 30% off-peak/weekend discount - transportnsw.info states that discount applies only to metro/train, bus and light rail, so a ferry fare is the same at 8am on a Tuesday as at 2pm on a Sunday. What does change your total cost is the Opal daily and weekly cap: once you hit $19.30 of Opal travel on a weekday (or $9.65 on a Friday, weekend or public holiday), every further tap that day - ferry included - is free, and the whole week caps at $50. Gold Opal (eligible seniors/pensioners) pay at most $2.50 a day across any number of trips. Private ferry operators on other Sydney routes take Opal only through OpalPay, but Sydney Ferries services like the F3 take full Opal cards, contactless and single tickets directly. All fares in Australian dollars (AUD).
The Parramatta ferry is Sydney Ferries' F3 Parramatta River service, running the full length of the harbour and river system from Circular Quay to Parramatta, roughly 24km upstream by water. It is the only Sydney Ferries route that is also a genuine commuter shortcut across the city: the boat calls at Barangaroo, Cockatoo Island, Drummoyne, Huntleys Point, Chiswick, Abbotsford, Cabarita, Kissing Point, Meadowbank, Sydney Olympic Park and Rydalmere along the way, serving inner-west and Parramatta River suburbs that have no direct train line. A single Circular Quay-Parramatta run takes around 85 minutes, longer than the train, which is why most people ride it for the scenery rather than to save time. Because this is a public transport route rather than a tourist charter, it is paid for exactly like a bus or train: tap an Opal card or contactless card on the wharf reader, with the fare set by distance (the full Circular Quay-Parramatta trip sits in the 9km-plus band) rather than by a fixed ticket price, and covered by the same daily and weekly Opal caps as the rest of the network. The one thing that regularly disrupts the timetable is not weather but the tide: the upper Parramatta River above Rydalmere silts up at low tide, and Sydney Ferries runs a replacement bus between Rydalmere and Parramatta on the affected sailings, published a month in advance on transportnsw.info. That means a Parramatta ferry booking can, on some days, actually finish the last stretch by road. The wharf itself sits below Parramatta's CBD on the Escarpment Boardwalk, a short walk from the Parramatta light rail and bus interchange, making the ferry one leg of a longer trip for many riders rather than a door-to-door journey. Cyclists and wheelchair users can travel on every F3 vessel and every new wharf on the route, though older wharves and low-tide ramp gradients can need extra assistance.
Arrive at the terminal a few minutes before departure; vehicle boarding usually closes earlier.
Check the operator's service alerts before travelling — weather, tides and river levels affect services.
Confirm accepted payment methods and whether a booking is required for vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
About 85 minutes end to end, calling at up to ten wharves including Cockatoo Island, Drummoyne and Sydney Olympic Park along the way. It is a scenic trip rather than a fast one - the train covers the same distance in under 30 minutes.
$9.20 one way for an adult tapping on with an Opal card or a linked contactless card or device, since the trip falls in Sydney Ferries' 9km-plus fare band. Child/youth fare is $4.60, and Gold Opal holders never pay more than $2.50 a day across all their trips.
No. Transport for NSW's 30% off-peak/weekend discount applies to metro, train, bus and light rail only - not ferries - so the F3 fare is the same whatever time or day you travel. Your main saving comes from the Opal daily and weekly travel caps instead.
Not always. At low tide the river above Rydalmere gets too shallow, so some sailings terminate at Rydalmere and a replacement bus finishes the trip to Parramatta. Transport for NSW publishes the affected departure times for the coming month on its low-tide notice page; there were none listed for 17-22 September 2026.
Circular Quay, though the exact wharf number can change at short notice - check the indicator boards at the quay. At the other end it uses the Parramatta Ferry Wharf on the Escarpment Boardwalk, next to the Parramatta light rail and bus interchange.
No. Sydney Ferries wharves use Opal readers only - tap an Opal card, a linked contactless bank card or device, or buy a paper Opal single trip ticket at the wharf before boarding if you have none of those. There is no cash fare box on board.
Yes, seven days a week including public holidays, with a slightly reduced departure pattern compared with weekdays - the first Saturday and Sunday sailing from Circular Quay leaves around 07:07, about 20 minutes later than the earliest weekday service.