Bermuda Cruise Shore Excursion: Full Island Tour from Dockyard

★★★★★ 4.9 (1,502 traveller reviews)

Island drive, short stopsMeets on the cruise pierLighthouse climb extra, US$2.50

One drive takes you to both ends of the island and back to your ship in five hours. The pink buses wait in the middle of the Dockyard pier. The road runs out through Somerset to Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and a beach at John Smith's Bay, then on to Hamilton and St. George's at the far east end. You step off at four stops and see the rest from a cool seat, with your driver talking you through it.

Hours, prices and access verified by the Bermuda Tours team — last checked 2026-09-21.

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The whole island in one ship day

The pink buses in the middle of the pier

You meet on the cruise pier at the Royal Naval Dockyard, in the middle, between the two ship docks. Look for the only all-pink buses on the island, and for drivers in black shirts and pink shorts. Stay on the pier: the buses wait inside the security gates, so do not walk out through them to look. If you cannot see a bus, ask the dock staff in vests for the pink buses and they will point you to them.

The coach is air-conditioned, and your driver is also your guide. A departure takes up to 74 people, and there are several start times through the day. Pick one that leaves you room before your all-aboard, and be there on time: one traveller's driver waited 20 minutes for guests who never came. How the berths and the pier fit together is on the page on getting to Bermuda.

Somerset and the bridge on the way out

The drive leaves the Dockyard and runs through Somerset Village and over Somerset Bridge without stopping. This is the shape of the whole day: four stops, and a great deal seen from the window. Your guide talks you through what passes, and Barbara F. found the driver pointed places out from the van and pulled over for pictures. Another traveller put it plainly: most of the sights are drive-bys, and the stops are where you get out.

That suits a first visit. You come back with a picture of how the island fits together, and you know which end you want to return to. Irina O. called it a quick way to see every main sight and then choose where to go back. The nine parishes you pass through are set out west to east on the Bermuda map.

Fifteen minutes at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse

The first stop is Gibbs Hill Lighthouse in Southampton, a cast-iron tower lit in 1846. It stands 117 feet tall on a 245-foot hill, and 185 steps in eight flights take you to the top. The climb costs US$2.50 and is not in your fare, so carry the money with you.

With 15 minutes, choose at the gate. The view from the grounds costs nothing, and a quick climb is possible if you keep moving. The tower closes for the whole of February, so on a February drive you see it from outside. The lighthouse's hours and what else charges at the door are on things to do in Bermuda.

John Smith's Bay, for a look rather than a swim

The beach stop is 15 minutes at John Smith's Bay. That is time to walk down to the sand and take a photograph, not to change and swim. Irina O. suggests bringing water, snacks and your beach things all the same. If a swim is the point of your day, choose a beach day instead, where two hours at a time on the sand is the plan.

Forty-five minutes in Hamilton

In Hamilton you get 45 minutes around Front Street and the harbour. It is enough for a walk and a shop or two, but not for a sit-down lunch as well. Jesal P. found it far too short. If Hamilton is where you want to linger, look at the highlights drive that ends in the city with free time and hands you a ferry ticket back to the Dockyard.

An hour in St. George's

The longest stop is at the far east end, in the Town of St. George, founded in 1612 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. St. Peter's Church is described as the oldest Anglican church in continuous use outside the British Isles. The Unfinished Church, begun in 1874 and roofless since a tornado in 1925, is a short walk away.

Lunch is not in the fare, and this is the stop to eat. One traveller got off in St. George's for lunch on the guide's advice, then shopped in Hamilton. An hour lets you do one of the two properly, so decide on the bus: a meal, or a walk to both churches. Why the town matters is set out in Bermuda facts.

Back at the pier before all-aboard

The coach drives back west to the Dockyard pier, where you started. The listing gives five hours, and a traveller who timed it found five hours was the minimum, with no rush. If you still have time before your ship sails, the museum in the Commissioner's House is a short walk from the berths. Other pier tours, timed the same way, are compared on Bermuda tours from the cruise port.

How your five hours run

1. At the pink buses. The middle of the Dockyard pier, inside the security gates.
2. Somerset from the window. Through Somerset Village and over Somerset Bridge.
3. Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, 15 minutes. The grounds, or the climb for US$2.50.
4. John Smith's Bay, 15 minutes. Down to the sand for a look and a photograph.
5. Hamilton, 45 minutes. Front Street, the harbour and the shops.
6. St. George's, an hour. Lunch, or a walk to the two churches.
7. Back to the pier. The drive returns west to the Dockyard, where you began.

Who this suits: a first visit, one ship day, and both ends of the island

What the fare covers

Finding the pink buses on the Dockyard pier

The meeting point is the middle of the cruise pier at the Royal Naval Dockyard, between the two ship docks, at 4 North Arm. The pink buses and the drivers in black shirts and pink shorts are hard to miss. The tour starts and ends at the same spot.

Walk straight along the pier from your ship and stay inside the security gates. If you are lost, the dock staff in vests know where the pink buses park. Arrive a few minutes early for your start time, so the coach can leave on time. Every meeting point on the island is marked on the map of meeting points.

Know before you go

• Bring US$2.50 for the lighthouse. The climb is not in the fare; the grounds are free.
• Plan lunch in St. George's. No meal is included, and the hour there is the stop to eat.
• Stay on the pier. The buses wait inside the security gates; ask the dock staff in vests.
• Keep infants on your lap. There are no infant seats on the coach.
• Check the access. The coach is not wheelchair accessible.
• Mind February. Gibbs Hill Lighthouse closes all month, so you see it from outside.

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