Kitsap is a peninsula reached almost exclusively by water from the Seattle side, and by Highway 3 from the north (via the Hood Canal Bridge) or south (via the Tacoma Narrows). The four ferry crossings are run by Washington State Ferries:
- Seattle (Colman Dock) → Bremerton — about 60 minutes, several sailings a day, the most scenic of the lot.
- Seattle (Colman Dock) → Bainbridge Island — about 35 minutes, very frequent, then a 20-minute drive across the island to the Kitsap interior.
- Edmonds → Kingston — about 30 minutes, a useful crossing if approaching from the north of Seattle, lands at the north end of the peninsula near Port Gamble.
- Tacoma (Point Defiance) → Tahlequah (Vashon) — a roundabout way that requires a second hop from Vashon to Southworth.
Foot passenger fares are cheap; bringing a car costs several times more and weekend reservations are advisable. By road from Seattle, the drive south via Tacoma and back up Highway 16 takes two to three hours depending on traffic — the ferry is almost always faster and always more enjoyable.
The nearest major airport is Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA), about an hour from downtown Seattle and the ferry terminals.