Getting Here & Around

Ferries to Mackinac Island can be accessed by driving to Mackinaw City (on Michigan’s lower peninsula) or St. Ignace (upper peninsula).

Passage to Mackinac Island is provided by Mackinac Island Ferry Company and Schepler’s Ferry. Each ferry boat line operates from both Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, Michigan. Luggage transfer is simple and convenient, with assistance provided on both the mainland and Mackinac Island. Please allow three hours for luggage transfer from the time you check in with the Front Desk.

Registered guests of Grand Hotel receive a discount by using Shepler’s Ferry and may purchase tickets directly online or may show their confirmation at the ferry dock to receive the registered guest discount. In addition to ferry boat tickets, admission to Grand Hotel (for non-hotel guests) can also be purchased through Shepler’s Ferry.

Parking

Ample parking is available at all mainland ferry docks. Options for parking vary by service and location.

If you arrive by ferry, luggage transfer is simple and convenient. When you check in your luggage with the ferry service on the mainland, it will be tagged and delivered directly to your hotel room. Upon arrival at Grand Hotel, present your luggage tags at the front desk. We invite you to visit the Front Desk as soon as you arrive from the ferry in order to give our team ample time to deliver your luggage.

If you are arriving close to 6:00 PM, you may want to bring your evening wear with you to the hotel as luggage transfer may take up to three hours to get to the hotel from the dock.

For your return trip back to the mainland, follow the in-room instructions. Your luggage will be tagged and transferred from your room to a secure location on the appropriate mainland dock. We request a minimum three-hour window for the transfer. Guests departing by ferry prior to 9:00 AM should transfer their own luggage to the dock.

Please note that an added fee of $15.00 per person, per stay, applies for the round-trip transfer of luggage.

If you are flying into the region, we have compiled some tips and information for the closest airports to Mackinac Island. There are both commercial and private air options, along with shuttle details, to help make your travel as easy as possible.

Grand Hotel is a 15- to 20-minute walk from the boat docks. For your convenience, Grand Hotel operates horse-drawn carriages between the docks and Grand Hotel. As with all taxi services on Mackinac Island, there is an $8.50 per person fee (cash only) and seats are on a first-come, first-served basis. We cannot guarantee Grand Hotel carriages will meet all ferry boats, nor can we guarantee seats for all Grand Hotel guests.