9 Great Things to Do in Nassau Bahamas Port

If you’re heading to the Nassau Bahamas cruise ship port and looking for things to do, you’re in the right place.

I’ve been to the Nassau Bahamas cruise ship port twice – once in 2018, and the second time in 2024.

The Nassau cruise port had a huge revamp in 2023, so many areas of it look completely different from how they used to.

Some people say its not even worth it to get off of your cruise ship in Nassau, but to be honest – most people never walk very far beyond the port.

Besides walking around the cruise port itself, there’s a ton to do in Nassau if you decide to get off the ship.

So, let’s jump in – best things to do in Nassau Bahamas cruise ship port!

What to Expect When You Get Off Your Cruise Ship

As soon as you get off your cruise ship in Nassau, I can almost guarantee that you will be met with some people trying to sell you group tours.

It wasn’t overwhelming, but there were at least a handful trying to sell tours.

Some of the tours they’re selling are:

• Swimming with pigs. I don’t recommend swimming with pigs based on everything I’ve heard. Check out this blog post from someone who’s done it.
• Boat tours

I cannot say 100% certain that any of these tours are legit. I’m assuming that they are, but they’re just a bit tourist-trappy (you’re going to pay a lot of money for something that may not be the best quality.)

If you’re ok with that, you’ll have no problem finding something to do. Otherwise, scroll below for more ideas of things to do in Nassau near the cruise port!

Things to Do in Nassau Bahamas Port

All of the above ideas are located between a short walk, or up to a 40-minute drive of the Nassau cruise ship port. (But, the further away things come with a transportation option to get you there.)

1. Walk through the cruise terminal shopping area

Distance from cruise port: less than half a mile (5-minute walk)

Just a 5-minute walk from your cruise ship, you will find a lot of shops. The new Nassau cruise port is really nice, and worth checking out in my opinion.

Here are some things to keep in mind about shopping in Nassau:

• This isn’t a place to get ‘good deals.’ (If you want cheap things, then head to the straw market which I’ll describe below.) We found most things are pretty pricey here; and there are a lot of high-end stores.
• Credit card is accepted at most of the stores, but not the drink or ice cream stands from our experience
• There are a couple unique Bahamian souvenirs you can get, such as sea sponges.

I bought a visor that said Nassau on it from Vida Cayo, a beachwear store. I absolutely love the design, and how it has the Bahamas flag on it.

2. Nassau Straw Market

Distance from cruise port: 10-minute walk

The Nassau Straw Market is just past the cruise terminal shopping area with high end stores. You just need to walk an extra 5 minutes or so past the high-end stores to get to the Straw Market.

The name of the market, Straw making, is one of the oldest professions in the Bahamas and dates back hundreds of years.

The market sells a lot more than just straw, but there are many things made of straw, such as woven hats, baskets and jewelry.

Here are some things to keep in mind about the Nassau straw market:

• People can be pushy. The selling can be a bit aggressive at times when you go beyond the cruise terminal area
• Prices are negotiable. I recommend walking around to get an idea of what the price is for the things you’re interested in, and then trying to settle on a price with one of the vendors that sell it
• You can pay with local currency, or US dollars. It’s probably a bit cheaper to pay with Bahamian funds, but you’d have to change money over so probably only do this if you’re very serious about shopping

3. Climb the Queen’s Staircase

Distance from cruise port: 1 km (0.6 miles) 15 minute walk

Queen’s staircase is a limestone staircase with 66 steps. It was built in the 1700s by hundreds of slaves, to provide a way of escape from the fort above.

The fort above Queen’s Staircase leads to is called Fort Fincastle, and it’s an interesting piece of history to discover in itself. (Small, so probably only takes about 20 minutes to check out.)

There’s an amazing PDF guide here that shows you exactly how to walk to Queen’s Staircase from the cruise ship terminal. (I couldn’t say it better.)

I recommend reading the above attachment if this is something you want to do – how to get there, and what the view looks like once you’re at the top, near Fort Fincastle.

If you’re looking for something active and unique to do, that will engage you with Nassau’s history, then climbing the Queen’s Staircase is a great activity that will take less than an hour tops.

4. Hit the beach

Distance from cruise port: 1.8 km (1.1 miles) to Junkanoo Beach – about a 15 minute walk

The closest beach in Nassau from the cruise terminal is Junkanoo Beach (pronounced JOHN-KANOO), its about a 15-minute walk from where you’d get off your ship.

The beach is public, and completely free, and it has the beautiful turquoise water, and soft white sand that you’re probably looking for in a Bahamian beach.

As you can imagine being so close to the port, it can get fairly busy but its a nice beach. You can get food and drinks at Tiki Bikini Hut, swim, and sunbathe.

I recommend watching this YouTube video which walks you though how to get to Junkanoo Beach from the port (you can take a $5 cab ride or walk.)

If you’re not feeling excited about Junkanoo Beach, then there are a few other beaches that you could take a cab to that aren’t too far:

• Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island: (2.6 miles or 4.3 km) $5 cab ride
• Cable Beach (5.7 miles or 9.3 km)

There are a few other other beaches on the Nassau island you can read about here. Any of them besides Junkanoo would require a taxi ride, or a 30-60 muninute walk.

Pro Tip: If you take a taxi ride (to a beach or elsewhere on the island), you should agree on a price with the driver beforehand. Many of the cabs in Nassau aren’t metered, so it’s possible you could end up being charged more than what the ride is typically worth. I also recommend reading this page about taxi fares in Nassau, to get an idea of what you should typically pay.

5. Visit the Ardastra Gardens & Wildlife Conservation Centre

Distance from cruise port: 10-minute drive, or 35 minute walk

Ardastra Wildlife Center is a very popular activity for people visiting off a cruise ship in Nassau.

The wildlife gardens are like a little oasis from the hustle and bustle of Nassau. There are blooming flowers, lots of birds.

Ardastra Wildlife Center was bookable directly through our Disney cruise, as an add-on excursion.

If visiting the wildlife centre isn’t bookable through your cruise, then you can show up and buy admission in person (you can’t directly book it online.)

Pro Tip: To save time, they suggest printing off and signing the required waiver beforehand, which you can find here

6. Experience Pirates of Nassau

Distance from cruise port: 650 metres (10-minute walk)

Pirates of Nassau is a museum and an interactive pirate experience.

There are different exhibits and photo ops, and you can learn about Bahamian history of piracy, which dates back to the 1600s.

It might be something fun to do if you’re into pirates or have kids who are. It’s quite dark inside, but there are a lot of neat visuals.

This YouTube video best shows you what the experience of walking around the Pirate Experience is like.

If you’re interested in visiting, they don’t have a ‘book online’ opinion. You can just show up, but check their Facebook page for updates on any closures. You can also send a message via their website.

7. Go snorkelling or scuba diving

Distance from cruise port (40 minute drive, but transferred are provided by select dive centers)

Nassau is an amazing place to go diving. I’ve been snorkelling and diving in dozens of places worldwide, but a dive I did in Nassau was one of the most memorable places I’ve ever seen.

I dove with Stuart’s Cove, which is about a 40-minute drive from the cruise ports. (However, Stuart’s Cove provides transfers through several cruise lines if you are snorkelling or diving with them.)

Taking the shuttle to Stuart’s Cove was a neat experience in itself because it allowed me to see the island outside of the cruise port area.

Everything about diving with Stuart’s Cove was a great experience. The instructor was amazing, laid back but professional and made everyone feel comfortable.

The dives themselves were some that stand out to me as some of the best dives I’ve done. I dove through a shipwreck surrounded by reef sharks, and I saw a sleeping sea turtle.

If you’re wondering if Stuart’s Cove works with your cruise ship for transfers, click here to read their transfer information and which cruise lines they work with.

8. Take a ferry to the Atlantis Resort

Distance from cruise port: 5-minute drive, or ferry ride

You can get to Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas (sometimes referred to as just “Atlantis” or “Paradise Island”) via cab or a ferry, for less than $10 per person one-way.

Atlantis Resort has an extensive themed waterpark with waterslides, aquariums, and restaurants on-site. It’s great for both adults only, or with kids.

If you want to visit Atlantis, you’ll need to buy a day pass since you’re not a guest there.

Day passes to Atlantis are NOT cheap – it can cost upwards of $500 for a family of 4 (according to their website.)

But I think it’s because they really want to maintain the exclusivity of it, and not have it get over-crowded, especially for their guests who are staying there.

If you get the day pass, you’ll be able to enjoy:

• huge waterpark
• all the resort pools
• open-air marine habitat (largest of its kind in the world)
• the aquarium
• a private beach for guests/visitors of the resort only

Both my cousin and best friend have stayed at Atlantis and they love it. Personally, its not really my thing – but it might worth it if you (or you have older children, ideally) who would enjoy the things that it has to offer.

Day passes to Atlantis can be bought from Atlantis directly, or through your cruise line if Atlantis is affiliated with them.

You can read about their day passes and book them here.

9. Get a tropical-inspired drink

Distance from cruise port:

One thing you can easily get at the cruise ship port in Nassau that you can’t get on your cruise ship is a tropical drink.

We saw people drinking out of coconuts with a straw.

These drinks were not cheap, which is why we personally decided not to cave and get one. (They were about $20 USD each when we asked- I’m not sure if haggling on these is possible.)

If you don’t love this idea, we saw plenty of places and bars where you could sit down and have a drink near the cruise ship port.

Other Things to Do in Nassau Near the Cruise Ship Terminal

Nassau is the largest city in the Bahamas, and there are lots of things to do near the cruise ships terminal. Here are more ideas:

• Junkanoo World – 40 minute walk
• Fort Fincastle (where Queen’s Staircase leads to) 15 minute walk
• National Art Gallery of the Bahamas – 15 minute walk

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to get a photo with your cruise ship before you get back on board!

Exploring Nassau Bahamas Cruise Port FAQ

Here are the most frequently asked questions about things to do near the Nassau Bahamas cruise port,

Can you walk around Nassau, Bahamas from a cruise port?

Yes, you can walk from the cruise port in Nassau to several things to do in the area. Not everything there is to do is within walking distance, but there are certainly quite a few things that you can get to on foot.

Is it worth getting off the ship in Nassau?

If you haven’t been to Nassau recently, then it’s worth getting off the ship at the port because they’ve redone the cruise ship port. There are a lot of things to do in Nassau within walking distance of the cruise ship port

Can you just walk around Nassau Bahamas?

You can absolutely explore Nassau on foot. The area near the cruise port is very walkable, there are few things to do that you can reach within a 10-15 minute walk.

Can I explore Nassau without an excursion?

You can absolutely explore Nassau without an excursion. There are a few activities that you can do on your own, such as climbing Queen’s staircase, shopping in the port or the straw market, or visiting the beach.

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Nassau Bahamas Cruise Ship Port

I hear many people saying to skip getting off the ship at Nassau and enjoy the ship instead.

I think it really depends on how time you have on your ship, and if you’ve seen Nassau recently. Even though I’d been there before, we wanted to see the new port on our most recent trip and I’m glad we did.