One Day in Bermuda from the Cruise Port

Most visitors meet Bermuda from a cruise ship berthed at the Royal Naval Dockyard, with a day or two ashore. Bermuda tours from the cruise port are built for that day, but you can also do it yourself. This guide works out what fits, which end of the island to aim for, and how to be back at the gangway in time.

How much of Bermuda fits in one ship day?

More than you would think. With seven or eight hours ashore you can see both ends of the island, or spend a long morning on the water and an afternoon in Hamilton. You cannot do all of it: the island is long and thin, the ships berth at its western tip, and St. George's sits at the other end.

Visitors cannot rent a car, so your choices are a tour, the ferry and bus, a taxi, or a rented electric micro-car or scooter. Most people pick one big thing and one small one: a drive and a swim, a snorkel and a stroll, a walk and a museum.

The pass price is the Government of Bermuda's one-day bus and ferry pass. The museum figure is the adult ticket.

West end, east end or both?

The west end is on your doorstep. The Dockyard, Somerset Village and Somerset Bridge, the world's smallest drawbridge, are all in Sandys Parish, and the Great Sound's coves are a short sail away. Horseshoe Bay and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, in Southampton, are the nearest big sights by road.

The east end holds St. George's, the caves, Tobacco Bay and the beaches near Cooper's Island. It is the longer trip. If you want both, take an island drive: the pink buses and the Titan coaches cover the Dockyard to St. George's and back in four to five hours.

Can you do a morning on the water and an afternoon in town?

Yes, and it is the best-balanced ship day. Most snorkel boats and catamarans run two and a half to three and a half hours from the Dockyard, so a morning sail leaves you the afternoon. Walk back to the ship, change, and take the Blue ferry to Hamilton, or stay at the Dockyard for the museum.

Leave a margin between a boat and anything else you book. Boats can run late, and you cannot ride the ferry or bus wet or sandy, so allow time to dry off.

How do you take the ferry to Hamilton?

The Blue ferry runs from the Dockyard to Hamilton in 15 to 20 minutes, landing at the ferry terminal on Front Street. Ferries take no cash: buy a token or a pass first. A one-day pass for unlimited buses and ferries costs US$19, and buses 7 and 8 also run between Hamilton and the Dockyard.

In Hamilton, walk Front Street's arcades and shops, and look into the Visitor Services Centre at the terminal, open daily from 10am to 4pm. The food walk starts at 49 Front Street if you want lunch and history in one.

Can you reach St. George's in a day?

Yes. The Orange ferry runs from the Dockyard to St. George's in 45 minutes, but only from May to October. Outside that season, a tour is the simplest way there and back.

Once there, give it at least two hours. The town was founded in 1612 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. St. Peter's Church and the Unfinished Church are a short walk apart. The private history walk meets ships that berth in St. George's at the ferry terminal, and hotel guests at St. Peter's Church.

Where can you swim near the ship?

Closest of all is Snorkel Park Beach Club, beside the Dockyard, where the Bermuda Tourism Authority suggests you take a dip. Further afield, Horseshoe Bay and John Smith's Bay are the South Shore beaches the drives stop at, usually for ten to fifteen minutes.

For real beach time, book a day tour: the beach hop spends two hours each at John Smith's Bay and Clearwater Beach, and the cave days give you two hours at Horseshoe Bay or Tobacco Bay. Our guide to the beaches compares them.

Where should you eat?

Most tours leave lunch to you, so plan it. Hamilton has the widest choice around Front Street, and the food walk turns lunch into the tour. In the west, Mangrove Bay has family-owned eateries serving fresh seafood. Tobacco Bay has a full-service bar and restaurant on the sand.

At the Dockyard itself you will find places to eat and ice cream by the water. Try a rum swizzle, the national drink; the Swizzle Inn calls itself the island's oldest pub.

What does the Dockyard itself offer?

Enough for a half day if you would rather not travel. The National Museum of Bermuda, in the Keep at the Dockyard, shows shipwreck artifacts among much else, for US$20 an adult; last entry is 4pm. The Bermuda Arts Centre runs glassblowing demonstrations, and there is a craft market.

The Dockyard Visitor Services Centre, at 2 Dockyard Terrace, opens from 8:30am to 4pm. The Segway ride loops the Dockyard in ninety minutes if you want to see it all without the walk.

How do you get back to the ship on time?

Work backwards from all-aboard. On a tour from the pier, the operator builds the return into the day, and several ask for your ship's name and times when you book so they can. The Titan highlights drive even ends with a ferry ticket back to the Dockyard, after free time in Hamilton.

On a day you plan yourself, leave at least an hour of margin. The Blue ferry from Hamilton is quick, but check the last sailing that suits you at the terminal before you set off, and keep the pass in your pocket: ferries take no cash. If you are running late on a tour, tell the operator at once; if you are running late on your own, a taxi from Hamilton is the fallback.

What should you bring ashore?

• US dollars in small notes. They are accepted everywhere on the island, one to one with the Bermuda dollar, and you will want them for tips, drinks and beach chairs.
• Coins for the bus, US$3.50 or US$5 in exact change, or a pass.
• A towel and a cover-up. Most boats list towels as not included, and no bus, ferry or taxi takes a wet passenger.
• Sun cover and water for the beach stops and the long drives.
• Your booking, with the meeting point written on it. One traveller went to Hamilton instead of the Dockyard and had to race back by taxi.

What if your ship stays overnight?

Then you get an evening, and the sunset sail is made for it: ninety minutes on a catamaran from the star on the pier, $70, with unlimited rum swizzles. The private catamaran takes start times up to 7pm, and a sunset slot costs no more.

From May to September the Hamilton and Dockyard Visitor Services Centres stay open to 7pm on Wednesdays. Use the second morning for the end of the island you missed, or a reef boat.

How do you dodge the crowds?

Bermuda expected 179 cruise calls in 2025, carrying over half a million passengers, almost all between spring and autumn. On a day with several ships in, the pier tours and the Dockyard fill first.

• Book ahead once your times are confirmed.
• Go further. Crowds thin out towards St. George's and the east end.
• Go small. The two-stop snorkel takes ten, the food walk eight, the Segway seven.
• Go early or late. A morning boat or the sunset sail avoids the midday rush.

Our post on how to visit Bermuda covers arrival, money and getting around in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

Tours that fit a ship day

Bermuda Discovery & Highlights with FREE Scenic Ferry Return

Four hours by coach from the cruise pier: the lighthouse grounds, Horseshoe Bay, John Smith's Bay and St. George's, ending with free time in Hamilton. A ferry ticket back to the Dockyard is in the fare.

From $66 per person

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Bermuda Shops, Sights and Shores Tour

Six hours by coach from the pier: Somerset Village, the lighthouse, two stops at Horseshoe Bay and over an hour in Hamilton, with a drive past St. George's. The lighthouse climb, US$2.50, is extra.

From $79 per person

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Restless Native Catamaran Sunset & Swizzle Cruise

Ninety minutes on a 50-foot catamaran from the star on the cruise pier, timed for sunset, with commentary, juice, unlimited rum swizzles and cookies baked on board. No swim stop; the full bar costs extra.

From $70 per person

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