Fees · Country Guide
United States Virgin Islands
Three Caribbean island styles: St. Croix walls, St. Thomas wrecks and St. John reef trails
Fees And Permits
Confirm these fees before you book so your operator plan and day budget match what you will pay onsite.
Fees You Can't Skip
- Virgin Islands National Park and Coral Reef National Monument general entry - Free
- Trunk Bay expanded amenity day fee - USD $5 per visitor age 16 and older
- Typical payment pattern: There is no general entrance fee for Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument or Buck Island Reef National Monument.
What people usually pay
There is no general entrance fee for Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument or Buck Island Reef National Monument. Trunk Bay charges USD $5 for visitors 16 and older and has been cashless since October 1, 2026. Park overnight mooring, commercial boats, inter-island transfers and lodging taxes are separate. No universal USVI scuba or snorkeling conservation tag was established in the reviewed authorities. Buck Island NPS pages conflict about permits for private vessels: check with the park before travel rather than relying on either statement alone.
| Fee | Amount | Applies to | Where to pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands National Park and Coral Reef National Monument general entry | Free General access, subject to area restrictions | Park visitors on St. John | No general entrance pass | Separate beach amenity fees, regulated vessel use, activities and park closures still apply. |
| Trunk Bay expanded amenity day fee | USD $5 per visitor age 16 and older Day visit, with fee collection from sunrise to sunset | Visitors to Trunk Bay, St. John | Trunk Bay fee booth or Recreation.gov; card/mobile payment only as of October 1, 2026 | Not waived by general NPS free entrance days. Younger visitors are not charged. Eligible Senior/Access Pass holder discounts are listed by NPS. |
| Buck Island Reef National Monument general entry | Free Daytime park access, normally 7:00 am to 5:00 pm | Visitors to Buck Island, St. Croix | No entrance ticket; authorized boat access required | Commercial tours have their own fare. Fishing and collection are prohibited; scuba is restricted to specified areas, not the underwater trail. |
| Buck Island designated private-vessel anchoring | Permit and fee status requires direct confirmation Only current NPS-authorized areas and operating hours | Private-vessel visitors, not ordinary charter passengers | Confirm with Buck Island NPS at +1 340 773 1460 before using a private boat | NPS permits notice updated May 2025 says no permit required since January 17, 2025 for designated West Beach anchoring, while its basic visitor page still references annual permits. Lagoon anchoring remains prohibited. |
| NPS overnight vessel mooring | USD $26 per night standard; USD $13 for eligible Senior/Access Pass holders Per night; maximum seven nights per bay and 30 nights annually | Overnight boaters in applicable St. John park waters | NPS authorized overnight payment stations or current Recreation.gov instructions | This is not a land vehicle entrance charge. Mooring and anchoring locations are tightly regulated. |
| St. Thomas to St. John passenger ferry | USD $8.15 one-way adult nonresident published fare; luggage may cost extra One crossing, current operator timetable | Ferry passengers | Approved passenger ferry carrier or terminal | Check actual date, final departure, luggage and eligibility before buying; temporary schedules have changed during 2026. |
| St. Croix to St. Thomas QE IV ferry | Published example USD $85 one-way One confirmed operating departure | Passengers connecting St. Croix and St. Thomas | QE IV Ferry operator | Operator advertises a roughly two-hour trip with limited weekly departures; this is a fare snapshot, not guaranteed service. |
| USVI hotel room tax | 12.5% of applicable taxable room charges Per applicable stay under current tax rules | Qualifying hotels and short-term rentals | Collected through lodging provider | Bureau of Internal Revenue guidance applies to short stays under the stated rules. Verify taxes and fees in the full lodging quote. |
| St. Croix East End Marine Park visitor diving | No universal general recreational tag verified Zone-specific access and fishing/boating restrictions | Recreational scuba, snorkel and freedive participants | Check with DPNR for restricted or special activities | Diver-down flag and no-take rules apply in relevant zones. The absence of a published general tag does not waive other permissions. |
| Commercial guiding and boat authorization | Operator-specific; no universal visitor amount Depends on park, vessel and activity | Charters and commercial instructors | Authorized operator and relevant NPS or maritime authority | A paid ticket or Trunk Bay amenity pass does not itself authorize a commercial vessel to operate in federal protected waters. |
Fee
Virgin Islands National Park and Coral Reef National Monument general entry
General access, subject to area restrictions
- Amount
- Free
- Applies to
- Park visitors on St. John
- Where to pay
- No general entrance pass
- Notes
Separate beach amenity fees, regulated vessel use, activities and park closures still apply.
Trunk Bay expanded amenity day fee
Day visit, with fee collection from sunrise to sunset
- Amount
- USD $5 per visitor age 16 and older
- Applies to
- Visitors to Trunk Bay, St. John
- Where to pay
- Trunk Bay fee booth or Recreation.gov; card/mobile payment only as of October 1, 2026
- Notes
Not waived by general NPS free entrance days. Younger visitors are not charged. Eligible Senior/Access Pass holder discounts are listed by NPS.
Buck Island Reef National Monument general entry
Daytime park access, normally 7:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Amount
- Free
- Applies to
- Visitors to Buck Island, St. Croix
- Where to pay
- No entrance ticket; authorized boat access required
- Notes
Commercial tours have their own fare. Fishing and collection are prohibited; scuba is restricted to specified areas, not the underwater trail.
Buck Island designated private-vessel anchoring
Only current NPS-authorized areas and operating hours
- Amount
- Permit and fee status requires direct confirmation
- Applies to
- Private-vessel visitors, not ordinary charter passengers
- Where to pay
- Confirm with Buck Island NPS at +1 340 773 1460 before using a private boat
- Notes
NPS permits notice updated May 2025 says no permit required since January 17, 2025 for designated West Beach anchoring, while its basic visitor page still references annual permits. Lagoon anchoring remains prohibited.
NPS overnight vessel mooring
Per night; maximum seven nights per bay and 30 nights annually
- Amount
- USD $26 per night standard; USD $13 for eligible Senior/Access Pass holders
- Applies to
- Overnight boaters in applicable St. John park waters
- Where to pay
- NPS authorized overnight payment stations or current Recreation.gov instructions
- Notes
This is not a land vehicle entrance charge. Mooring and anchoring locations are tightly regulated.
St. Thomas to St. John passenger ferry
One crossing, current operator timetable
- Amount
- USD $8.15 one-way adult nonresident published fare; luggage may cost extra
- Applies to
- Ferry passengers
- Where to pay
- Approved passenger ferry carrier or terminal
- Notes
Check actual date, final departure, luggage and eligibility before buying; temporary schedules have changed during 2026.
St. Croix to St. Thomas QE IV ferry
One confirmed operating departure
- Amount
- Published example USD $85 one-way
- Applies to
- Passengers connecting St. Croix and St. Thomas
- Where to pay
- QE IV Ferry operator
- Notes
Operator advertises a roughly two-hour trip with limited weekly departures; this is a fare snapshot, not guaranteed service.
USVI hotel room tax
Per applicable stay under current tax rules
- Amount
- 12.5% of applicable taxable room charges
- Applies to
- Qualifying hotels and short-term rentals
- Where to pay
- Collected through lodging provider
- Notes
Bureau of Internal Revenue guidance applies to short stays under the stated rules. Verify taxes and fees in the full lodging quote.
St. Croix East End Marine Park visitor diving
Zone-specific access and fishing/boating restrictions
- Amount
- No universal general recreational tag verified
- Applies to
- Recreational scuba, snorkel and freedive participants
- Where to pay
- Check with DPNR for restricted or special activities
- Notes
Diver-down flag and no-take rules apply in relevant zones. The absence of a published general tag does not waive other permissions.
Commercial guiding and boat authorization
Depends on park, vessel and activity
- Amount
- Operator-specific; no universal visitor amount
- Applies to
- Charters and commercial instructors
- Where to pay
- Authorized operator and relevant NPS or maritime authority
- Notes
A paid ticket or Trunk Bay amenity pass does not itself authorize a commercial vessel to operate in federal protected waters.