Bermuda with Kids: What Works for Families on the Water and Ashore
The short answer. Yes, Bermuda works well with children, as long as you match the day to the child. Most snorkel boats want a competent swimmer and set a minimum age of 5 or 7. A child who cannot swim yet can walk the sea floor on the helmet dive from age 5, or watch the reef through a glass bottom with a parent. On land, pick the short days: Bermuda guided tours of five hours suit young children better than seven.
Is Bermuda worth it with kids?
It is, for three reasons. The distances are short, the beaches are calm in summer, and a lot of the island is free: the beaches, the towns and Tom Moore's Jungle cost nothing to walk into. What takes planning is the water. The reefs and wrecks are reached by boat, and each boat has its own age and swimming rule.
Minimum ages, boat by boat
| Trip | Minimum age | Swimming rule | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass-bottom boat | Any age, with a parent | None, you stay dry | $78 |
| Helmet dive | 5 | None, you walk the sea floor | $155 |
| Shipwreck snorkel | 5 | Competent swimmers | $105 |
| Two-stop snorkel | 7 | Competent swimmers | $127 |
| Catamaran sail and snorkel | 3 | Not for non-swimmers | $95 |
| Jungle, lunch and snorkel day | 5 | Snorkel stop included | $203 |
| Cave-and-Hamilton day | 3 | None | $150 |
| Food walk | 12 | None | $134 |
| Segway | 16 | None | $106 |
Every age limit is set by the tour itself and printed on its listing. When a trip says competent swimmer, it means able to swim in water too deep to stand in.
What children love most
Walking the sea floor
The helmet dive is the one to book for a child who cannot swim yet. You climb down a ladder wearing a diving helmet and walk on the sandy bottom for 30 to 40 minutes, breathing normally, with your head dry. It takes children from 5 and it is the one listing that is wheelchair accessible. Taseen S. booked it for a partner who is not a strong swimmer, and the partner loved it.
The reef through the hull
The glass-bottom boat takes an hour and a half over the reef, the seagrass where turtles feed, and the wreck of HMS Vixen. Nobody gets wet, and a minor only needs a parent or guardian aboard. For very young children it is the easiest way to see the reef.
A catamaran with paddleboards
The catamaran sail and snorkel takes children from 3. Amber J. travelled with two boys of 10 and 8, and both snorkeled and took the paddleboards out. Floats are on board for the younger ones, and the juice is included while the adults drink swizzles.
The caves
Crystal Caves suit children, and the entry is cheap for them: US$10 a cave for 12 and under, free under 5. Garrett C.'s family met the guide right off the ship and found the caves an easy visit. Donna W. noted that the steps down and back up come in stages, with breaks. The cave days are compared on Bermuda Crystal Caves tours.
What to prepare for
Three things catch families out, and each has a simple answer:
- Long days. Seven hours is a lot for a small child. Sandra L. enjoyed the jungle day but found young children slowed the group; with under-8s, choose a three-hour boat or a five-hour drive.
- Infant seats. The pink-bus drive has none, so infants sit on a parent's lap. If you need a seat, ask before you book.
- Strollers. Several drives and the St. George's walk take strollers, but Tom Moore's Jungle is rough ground, unsuited to them. Pack a carrier for that day.
The best family options
For a family with confident swimmers aged 7 and up, the two-stop snorkel is the pick: ten guests at most, a reef and a wreck, and a captain who shows first-timers the gear. Diana S. went with sons of 10 and 12 and a mother of 70, and found the reef full of fish, coral and sea fans.
For a whole day, the beach hop gives you two hours at John Smith's Bay and two at Clearwater Beach, with a chair and umbrella provided. Tricia B. found chairs, umbrellas, a cooler and pool noodles laid on, with tips on where to eat. For a family group of eight or more, the private catamaran can cost less a head than a shared boat, and the teenagers get the cliff jumping.
A day in the jungle
For children of 5 and over who like an adventure, the jungle, lunch and snorkel day is the big one. You spend about two hours in Tom Moore's Jungle, exploring its caves and pools with a safety helmet and head lamp, then 45 minutes for lunch and ice cream, then an hour snorkeling at Cooper's Island Nature Reserve. Tammi C. booked it from the ship and called the cave swim and cliff jumping the highlight of the trip.
It lasts seven hours and the walking is over uneven natural ground, so it suits older children with energy to spare. With under-8s, a half-day boat is kinder to everyone. The jungle itself is free to visit on your own, dawn to dusk, if you would rather go at your own pace.
Beaches that suit small children
The South Shore beaches are known for pink sand, but they vary in how calm they are. For young children, pick a sheltered one:
- John Smith's Bay: the BTA describes calm, clear water, a lifeguard, and public restrooms and changing rooms.
- Shelly Bay: a shallow, calm beach on the north shore, popular with Bermudian families.
- Horseshoe Bay: the famous crescent of pink sand, where most drives stop for a few minutes only.
A short drive stop is a look, not a swim. If the beach is the point of the day, choose a day that stays two hours, and bring shade. The beaches are ranked in the best beaches in Bermuda.
Practical tips for families
- Buses and ferries: children under 5 ride free, and 5 to 15 pay US$2.75 a trip.
- Calm water: the BTA describes John Smith's Bay as calm and clear, with a lifeguard, and Shelly Bay as shallow and calm.
- Summer: the sea is above 80°F from July to September; pack hats and a cover-up for the boats.
- Winter: the sea is 65 to 66°F from January to March, so choose the glass bottom or the helmet dive, which lends wetsuits.
- Cancellation: nearly every listing refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead; the food walk does not.
What to combine it with
Pair a boat morning with an afternoon at the Dockyard, where the National Museum of Bermuda is a short walk from the ships. On a longer stay, a day at the east end gives you St. George's and a swim at Tobacco Bay. The family questions are answered in the FAQs, the best months for a swim on Bermuda weather, and the sights with their fees on things to do in Bermuda. For the wrecks your children may see, read our post on Bermuda's shipwrecks; for the ferries, how to get around.
Days that work with children
Hartley Helmet Diving in Bermuda
Walk the sea floor for 30 to 40 minutes in a diving helmet, from a glass-bottom boat with a bathroom and shade. From age 5 and wheelchair accessible, with wetsuits and hot chocolate when the water is below 80°F.
From $155 per person
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Bermuda Hidden Gems Summer Excursion
Seven hours with a local guide: caves and pools in Tom Moore's Jungle with a helmet and head lamp, lunch and ice cream, then an hour's snorkel at a nature reserve. From age 5; the walking is over uneven ground.
From $203 per person
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Bermudaful Island Beach Hop
Seven hours of beach time from the cruise pier: two hours at John Smith's Bay, two at a second beach at the east end, and half an hour at Cooper's Island. A chair with an umbrella is yours; bring a towel and lunch.
From $150 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Weigh up the dry option against the wet one in our glass bottom or snorkel comparison. Every fare sits side by side on Bermuda Tours.