A market where haggling is expected, a staircase cut by hand and a public beach ten minutes from the gangway.
Nassau is one of the easiest port days there is. Ships tie up at Prince George Wharf, and the city centre is about 500 metres away, with Bay Street and Parliament Square within walking distance. The Straw Market, the Queen's Staircase and the closest public beach are all on foot. The only part of the day that needs real planning is Paradise Island, because the ferry and the day pass both run on their own clock.
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from Prince George Wharf to the city centre
on foot along Bay Street to Junkanoo Beach
climbed by the Queen's Staircase, cut from limestone in the 1790s
is the side the traffic drives on. Look right first
Nassau's town sights fit in a morning on foot. The thing you can't do on your own is get out on the water, and a trip from the port handles the boat, the gear and the timing.
Find a snorkel tripYour ship's daily programme tells you.
Walk · 10 min to the centre
Six berths, with room for three Oasis-class ships at once. Taxis wait in the Arrivals Plaza, and scooters and ATVs are rented in the Ground Transportation Area. If your ship anchors instead, tender boats bring you in, so add the queue at both ends of the day.
Time in port, minus the trip into town and back, and 30 minutes' margin before all aboard.
| Quay | 4 h stop | 6 h stop | 8 h stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George Wharf | 3h 10m | 5h 10m | 7h 10m |
Our estimate from the walking times above, with 30 minutes' margin. The time your ship gives you always wins.
About 3 h of sightseeing. Works from every quay.
About 4 h 45 min of sightseeing. Works from every quay.
About 6 h 30 min of sightseeing. Works from every quay.
If it rains
The Bahamas Museum of Junkanoo is inside the cruise port, open every day from 8 am to 4 pm, so a downpour costs you nothing but a dash across the plaza.
Skip this if time is short
Skip Paradise Island on a four-hour stop. The ferry from the port only runs from 9 am to noon, the day pass has to be bought ahead, and the return boats change with the season. Junkanoo Beach is ten minutes away on foot.
Three to five minutes on foot from the port, right among the boutiques on Bay Street. Straw hats, bags, wood carvings and conch-shell jewellery, open daily from 8 am to 8 pm, though hours shift with the season. Bring cash in US or Bahamian dollars. Haggling is expected, and the vendors are good at it.
Inside the cruise port itself. Up-close costumes from the Junkanoo parades, the feathered headpieces and the drums, and how they're made. Open every day from 8 am to 4 pm, last entry half an hour before closing. The tourist board doesn't list a price, so check at the door.
Steps cut from the limestone in 1793 and 1794 and later named after Queen Victoria. They climb about 31 metres from town to Fort Fincastle on Bennet's Hill, built around 1793. The Ministry of Tourism lists guided tours of the fort from 8 am to 4 pm, with donations welcome, but the tourist board says the fort is temporarily closed while the water tower next to it is renovated. The staircase is the point either way.
The closest public beach to the port, about 800 metres along Bay Street, so about ten minutes on foot. Beach shacks, bars, music and chairs for rent, and you can be in the water within half an hour of leaving the ship.
A short walk west of downtown, built in 1789. The tourist board mentions tours through the day but lists no opening hours or price, so treat it as a bonus on a longer stop.
The day pass covers the Aquaventure water park, 14 pools and about five miles of beach. It must be bought in advance, and it can't be refunded within three days of your visit. The ferry leaves from the port's own Ferry Terminal every 30 minutes, but only from 9 am to 12 noon, and the return times change with the season. A taxi takes about 10 to 20 minutes, and many drivers only take cash.
See Atlantis and Paradise Island tripsThe water is the reason many people come. A boat takes you out to the reefs and small islands, with the gear and the timing handled. Pick one that starts and ends at the port, and check the return time against all aboard.
Find a snorkel tripReefs and clear water by boat. Check where it starts and when it's back before you book.
Find a snorkel tripHarbour cruises, beach islands and longer days out. Leave the full-day trips for a long stop.
Find a boat tripSome include the transfer, which takes the ferry timetable out of the equation. You can also buy the day pass straight from Atlantis.
See Atlantis and Paradise Island tripsMade for cruise passengers, so the timing usually fits. Still compare the return time with all aboard.
See the shore excursionsA long list, from swimming-pig trips to jeep tours. Many run three to four hours, which fits a six-hour stop.
Compare more shore tripsYou don't need the ship's excursion for town. The Straw Market, the Queen's Staircase and Junkanoo Beach are all on foot. For Paradise Island and anything on the water, a trip that includes the transfer is the calmer choice, and the ship's own excursion is the safest if the timing is tight.
Last checked November 2026. Sources: Nassau Cruise Port, general information, Nassau Cruise Port, transportation and parking, Nassau Paradise Island, the Straw Market, Nassau Paradise Island, Junkanoo Beach, Nassau Paradise Island, Bahamas Museum of Junkanoo, Nassau Paradise Island, the Queen's Staircase, Nassau Paradise Island, tour the local forts, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Queen's Staircase, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Fort Fincastle, Atlantis, day passes.
