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Hi Raj,
Great super informative web site!! My husband and I are visiting Bermuda for the first time. It is our 40th b-days and 15 yr wedding anniversary gift to ourselves. We will be there for 3 nights 5/30-6/2/2014. All of the itineraries I see are for cruisers. We are flying in and staying at the Fairmont Southampton. We got a great air and hotel deal! So, we are interested in relaxing on a beach, Gibbs hill lighthouse, crystal & fantasy caves and of course restaurants on a budget. We were told we had to visit the swizzle in Warwick. I guess I am looking for tips on where to go when, where to eat (do we need reservations?) and what bus routes to take. Of course any other tips. Thanks in advance.
Melissa Quinn (January 2014)
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Hi,
You haven't mentioned the time you reach Bermuda and depart... so unable to comment on your itinerary on first and last day. Horseshoe Bay Beach and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse are in Southampton and near Fairmont Southampton (bus route #7). Visit both on 2nd day. You can plan to take your lunch at The Dining Room - a nice restaurant located at the base of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. In the late afternoon go down to Hamilton City, do some shopping along Front Street and then take a table on a harbor facing restaurant (like Pickle Onion, upstairs balcony) to enjoy some drinks and dinner.
On day-3 visit Crystal & Fantasy caves (bus #7 or 8 to Hamilton and then transfer to #1 or 3). Then have your lunch at Swizzle Inn located near the caves. This is the original and oldest pub in Bermuda which invented the island drink Rum Swizzle. They serve mostly pub fares in lunch though. But it's mainly the experience you go there for. The one at Warwick Parish is a newer branch. You don't need reservations for Swizzle Inn, but for proper restaurants, it's better to reserve a table in advance. After lunch, take a bus (#1, 3, 10 or 11) and visit the historic town St George.... get off at Kings Square, walk along Water Street, visit Somers Wharf shopping area, visit St Peter's Church etc etc.
Buy a book of 15 tickets ($30) from a nearby post office or Hamilton bus/ferry terminal or . That'll probably be most economical for two of you over 3/4 days. Buy two books if necessary (do your calculation of how many times you need to travel by bus and ferry. Bus transfers do not require additional tickets).
For eating cheap, go through Good budget restaurants in Bermuda. Note that Wok Express (mostly takeaway food, although they have few outside tables but no service) is within walking distance from Fairmont Southampton (just in case you want to avoid costly food in the hotel).
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) January 2014
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Hi there,
As we get closer to our vacation (only 4 weeks away!) we are trying to finalize our plans and I could use your help with something. On one particular day we are planning to sightsee in St. George and also visit the beaches as previously mentioned - Warwick Long Bay Beach. We are docked in the Dockyard and trying to map out the best way. We're looking to do about 1/2 day at the beach and the other 1/2 in St. George.
Can you please help me figure out the best strategy and in which order to get this done in one day. Thank you again. You've been extremely helpful.
Karen Alexander (April 2014)
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Hi,
In order to save on time, you should take the Orange route ferry between Dockyard to St George (35 minutes). But whether the timing will suite or not will depend on day of the week. It has 4 runs on Mon, Wed, Thu and 3 runs on Tue, Fri. This route doesn't operate on Sat and Sun. Do St George in the 1st half. Assuming your planned day falls on a week day, take the morning ferry (9:30am or 9:15am depending on the day), and return by lunch. I am suggesting St George in the 1st half because of better ferry timings. In the second half, take bus #7 from dockyard to Warwick Long Bay.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) April 2014
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Hello Raj- What great finds your website offers. I have purchased your complete set of ebooks!! We, my husband 19th year old daughter and I will be in Bermuda, July 29-August 4th, staying at the Fairmont Southampton. After reading your blog I understand that because the Soccer Cup will be taking place while we are there our options for activities might be limited. We do like history, cycling, my daughter dives, great food, and new discoveries.
It would be helpful if you would recommend how we might best use our time before,after and during the Cup. I had thought we should go into Hamilton for dinner on the 29th to enjoy Harbor Night. Would you recommend a great first night place for dinner? We love to try local cuisine when we travel. Thank you.
Shelley (July 2015)
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Shelley, it's not soccer cup match, it's cricket cup match, something radically different from soccer and worth watching for a while if you like to feel the local vibe, you may not understand anything of the game though, that doesn't matter :)
For dinner on Front Street, I like to dine at the balcony of Bolero Brasserie and watch all the activities below and the lovely harbor view beyond. You will get several local dishes here including Bermuda fish chowder and local fish (if you like seafood of course). But I'm suggesting this mainly because you plan to dine on Harbor Night so that you can watch the fun below. Pickled Onion is another great option. But go early if you want balcony seats. Here are the links where I have reviewed the two restaurants: Bolero Brasserie, Pickled Onion
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) July 2015
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Hi Raj!
Your website has been so helpful planning our trip in August. We are taking the Norwegian Dawn and I have pretty much everything planned out but I was wondering what your opinion was on how doable you think our plan is. So it's just my girlfriend and I and we will be at Bermuda Sunday (Arriving at 11am) to Tuesday (Leaving at 5:30pm)
Day 1 (Sunday):
Take ferry to Hamilton, explore Hamilton and have lunch then take bus #7 to Elbow Beach, Warick Long Bay, and Horseshoe. I'm not sure if these beaches are all day long but it just be nice to snorkel and enjoy a nice beach. Maybe you can recommend just one to go to? My girlfriend want to go to a really pretty beach hahaha and I know horseshoe is pink sand, but how about the other two?
Day 2 (Monday)
Take early ferry to St. George go to Tobacco Bay try snorkeling, enjoy the beach then afterwards go back to the ship washup then go to the Crystal Caves
Day 3 (Tuesday)
Rent a motor boat with H2O Sports and just go to some secluded beaches and do snorkeling (5hr motor boat rental)
So yeah let me know if you have any better ideas? But i think we have mostly everything covered. I think the first day maybe too much? I just don't know how long we will spend at each beach. Anyways thanks for taking your time to read my email! I hope to hear from you soon!
Sincerely,
Christopher Yee (July 2015)
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Hi,
Your first day would be a bit too much. Start with Warwick long bay beach, then walk over to Jobson's cove (a small but great beach for snorkeling), and then walk further west along shoreline to Horseshoe if you have time. These are all south shore beaches and have pink sands. All public beaches are open until sunset.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) July 2015
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Hello! We are coming to Bermuda via NCL Breakaway this June. I'd like your advice on our itinerary. We have 2 adults and 3 kids, 14, 13, and 9. We would like to snorkel from a beach and take at least one snorkel cruise to reefs and sunken ships. We also want to see St. George and Horseshoe Beach. I've also read about Tom's Forrest and Blue Hole which sound cool. And maybe the hamiton evening fest. We would like to take public transportation if that's the cheaper way for 5 ppl. Do you think we can fit all this in Wednesday 8am to Friday 3pm? What should we do each day? Thank you!
Karyn Hall (November 2016)
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Hi, here is a suggested plan...
On day1 (Wednesday), take the first orange route ferry to St. George. Visit the town and some of its attractions like Kings Square, St. Peter's Church etc, then walk or take a minibus to Tobacco Bay Beach for snorkeling. There are watersports here as well. Take lunch at the beach house or at one of the many nice restaurants in the town like Tempest Bistro, White Horse Tavern, The Wharf etc. For something light, visit Gojo's Cafe at Kings Square. They make great sandwiches and its perhaps the cheapest of all. Take a bus (#1, 3, 10 or 11) and visit Tom Moore's Jungle. Continue on same bus route to Hamilton, watch the Harbor Nights festival on Front street and get back to Dockyard by Blue route ferry. You need to skip the festival or later return if you like to dine at the cruise ship.
On day2, take a shuttle minibus and visit Horseshoe Bay Beach in the morning. If you like, you can walk (or take a bus) to nearby Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and enjoy the lovely views from top of the lighthouse. Get back and in the afternoon take a snorkel cruise from the dockyard. After the snorkel cruise, you can visit the several attractions within the dockyard itself including the National Museum, Clocktower Mall for shopping etc. Your kids may like Dolphin Quest which is inside the museum complex.
Day3: In the morning, take bus #7 and visit Jobson's Cove (about 40 minutes by bus) for another round of swimming and snorkeling. If you don't want to venture out too far on your last day, walk down to Snorkel Park Beach at dockyard (there is an entry fee). Snorkel park has other water sports as well like Jet Ski etc.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) November 2016
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Hi Raj - hoping you can help. We will be coming to Bermuda on a cruise in 16 days. I know we are definitely going to purchase they transportation passes - its worth the possible extra money spent to know we are covered and do not have to have coins on us. The Bus/Ferry information is what is really confusing me. First, I cannot find a time schedule for either for May 2017. The one I found is through April! Second, can you tell me if I am over booking our days and if we will not be able to make these plans or if I should switch things around based on location?
DAY 1 - we plan to purchase passes and get on Bus to Caves/Aquarium. We plan to head back to the ship via bus to freshen up and then take bus to Black Bay Beach to see the sea glass, beach and hopefully a sunset. Then we planned to take the Bus to Harbor Nights, and finally return via Ferry to the ship.
Day 2 - We plan to take the bus to the light house at 9 am, and from there take the bus to spend the day at Horse Shoe Bay. Back to ship via bus at end of the day.
Day 3 - We want to stay close to the boat, any suggestions for good family beaches close to the ship?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!
Kristin (April 2017)
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Hi,
You can find the summer ferry schedule on my site in about 2 hours from now. Here is the link for the schedule.
Your plan is okay. For getting to caves/BAMZ, you should take the ferry from dockyard to Hamilton and then bus. Same way back. Rest is okay. The only beach within the dockyard complex is Snorkel Park (short walk from the cruise ship). There is an admission fee though.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) April 2017
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Greetings. I will be taking a cruise with RCCL and will be docked at the Royal Navy Dockyard from Mon 8/28 9am until Sunday 8/29 1pm. I was considering spending time at the Dockyard, Hamilton and Horseshoe Bay Beach. I was wondering if there would be time to spend at St. Georges. I would like to do a horse carriage ride as well and wasn't sure which location would be the best. Do you have any suggestion on how to organize my itinerary to include my interests. Also, are there any suggestions for nightlife activities. Thank you.
Felicia (August 2017)
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Hi, considering that you have only one full day and need to get back to your cruise ship minimum 2-hours before it departs, it is difficult to include St. George in your itinerary. I suggest you first visit the beach after you reach, and then spend the second half at Hamilton. You can either take a horse carriage ride in Hamilton (book in advance) or at Dockyard, although the ride at St. George would have been the best. On day2, visit the various attractions in Royal Naval Dockyard before you leave. I have discussed various options of nightlife in this link
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) August 2017
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Hi Raj,
I appreciate your quick response and suggestions. Just for clarification. My cruise leaves Bermuda at 5pm the second day, however I would like to complete my touring by 1pm. Would you still say I have no time to visit St. George? I'm including my original question here for your reference. Thank you.
Felicia (August 2017)
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Hi, the Orange route ferry which operates between dockyard and St. George has limited runs. If you take the first ferry (at 9:30am), the return ferry from St. George is at 13:15 or 12:30 depending on the day of the week and the ferry takes 35 minutes one way. You can get about 2 to 2.5 hours in St. George depending on ferry timings. Bus will take around 2 hours one way and is not a feasible solution.
If you do decide to go, you can take a horse carriage ride from Kings Square (which is the town square at St. George and close to ferry dock) for a quick tour of the town and surrounding areas. However horse carriages may not be always available, in which case you should make a plan of your own to either walk around or take minibuses to get around.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) August 2017
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Hello, we're cruising to Bermuda for our first time next month. One of our days, we plan the following itinerary. Can you suggest the best way to get there and around? Here's what we have.
Day #1-Take the $7/shuttle to Horseshoe Bay Beach. That night will take the ferry to Harbor Nights
Day #2-(This is the most confusing for me). Take Ferry to St. George's. We want to go to Tobacco Bay. Then to the Crystal Caves. If possible, we'd also like to check out Tom Moore's Jungle/Blue Hole Park. Is this do-able in one day and how do we get here and there and then back to the Royal Dockyard to the cruise ship?
Day #3-check out Dockyard-shopping/museum maybe?
I'd love to walk to the seaglass beach if possible. Maybe check out the snorkel park? Suggestions/advice is very welcomed. Thank you!
Julie (April 2018)
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Hi, Tome Moore's Jungle (Blue Hole Park) and Crystal Caves are located close to each other. From St. George you can take bus #1, 3, 10 or 11 and get off at the bus stop near Blue Hole Park entrance. From there take bus #1 or 3 for Crystal Cave. From the caves you can again take bus #1 or 3 and get to Hamilton City ferry terminal, and then take Blue Route ferry back to the dockyard. Although you can visit all three places on a single day, you will be able to spend limited time at Blue Hole Park which actually requires minimum of half day to experience it properly.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) April 2018
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Hello Raj, Thanks for such a wonderful and helpful website. It's filled with tons of useful information! Our cruise ship will be arriving Bermuda 6PM in King's Wharf on Oct 20 then depart on Oct 22 at noon. Since there's so much to see and do with so little time. We need your recommendations.
1) With the late arrival, can we do anything the first day or night besides going to VIC to get maps and gathering information about the island?
2) The next day we like to do your self-guided St. George half day in the AM then Hamilton in the afternoon. Would that work?
3) The last day we like to finishing off with Royal Naval dockyard.
4) With 3 days in the island should we get the passes?
Thank you very much for your help and hoping to hearing from you.
Ed Eng (September 2018)
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Hi Ed, unfortunately you can't do much on your first and last days. All shops and sites start closing down by 5pm. Only option is to spend some time taking a walk around the Dockyard. On day1 you can optionally take a horse carriage ride (if available), or take a taxi to Horseshoe Bay Beach (about 25 minutes by cab, you will unlikely get a shuttle at that time and bus frequency reduces in the evenings).
Sun sets at around 8pm, so you can still get about an hour of beach time. Day2 plan is good... In St. George avoid distant places like Tobacco Bay / Fort St. Catherine etc to save time and get back to Hamilton by lunch hours. 21st Oct being a Sunday, several attractions and almost all shops would be closed. So I suggest you carefully check the open hours of the individual sites that you want to visit (and do not plan for shopping).
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) September 2018
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Hi there,
I've been reading your forum for some time and it's full of great information! I feel so scatter brained trying to figure out my own vacation to Bermuda. We are surprisingly our 2 kids(7,10) with a cruise to Bermuda in November. We will be docking Monday (Nov 12; rememberance day roll over holiday) and leaving on the Wednesday. I want to see so much but feel I'm expecting to much of my family and don't want to be rushing them around.
Our must see/do are: BAMZ, horseshoe Bay, lighthouse, both caves, tobacco bay, checking out the shops in both Hamilton and st. George. The Wednesday we are going to just stay in the dockyard in fear of missing our ship.
Can you please help my scatter brain and help me plan out an itinerary where we arent all over the place and are able to enjoy the island. I would rather stick to ferries and buses rather then taxis, if that helps. Any help or information is greatly appreciated!!
Karley (October 2018)
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Hi, Remembrance Day (12th Nov) being a public holiday, most shops would be closed in Hamilton and St. George although dockyard shops including clocktower mall would remain open.
So on 12th, visit Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and then walk down to Horseshoe bay beach. Note that buses run on reduced frequencies on public holidays. In the 2nd half, take the ferry to Hamilton and then bus (#10 or 11) to BAMZ.
On 13th, take the first ferry to Hamilton and then a bus (#1, or 3) to the caves. Continue to St. George (by bus #1 or 3) and take a minibus to Tobacco bay. Get back to Kings Square (St. George), do shopping and then proceed to Hamilton (if you are late for the last ferry to Hamilton, take a bus... #10 or 11 would be faster than others). Do shopping and try to be on time for the last ferry to dockyard (else you need to take a one hour bus ride to get back).
On your last day, visit National Museum of Bermuda and Dolphin Quest (located within the museum complex). If you have time, visit the Clock Tower Mall to take a look at the boutique shops.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) October 2018
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Hi Raj, We (all can walk) will be in Bermuda on Jun 5, 6, 7 with NCL. Would you please give me advice for these activities such as Ferry, Bus, Lunch, and Bermuda attractions that I may miss from my study:
1. Wednesday Jun 5, 2019: Dockyard to BAMZ, BAMZ to Caves, Caves to Tobacco Bay, Tobacco Bay to Dockyard. Then Dockyard to Harbor Night and Harbor Night to Dockyard.
2. Thursday Jun 6, 2019 Dockyard to Horseshoe Bay and Horseshoe Bay to Dockyard.
3. Friday Jun 7, 2019 Dockyard
Thank you very much for your help.
Khanh Nguyen (April 2019)
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Hi, on June-5 take ferry to Hamilton and then bus #10 or 11 to BAMZ. Continue on the same route and get off at Swizzle Inn... have lunch here (pub fares) and try out the island drink rum swizzle if you want. Walk down to the caves. Then take bus #1 or 3 to St. George and then walk or take the shuttle to Tobacco Bay. Get back to Hamilton and take the ferry back to the dockyard. On June-6, other than Horseshoe Bay Beach, visit the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse (you can walk between the beach and the lighthouse or take bus #7). Use the beach shuttles from the dockyard to take you to and fro (the beach). You can have lunch at the beach cafe or walk up to the main road and have lunch at Gulfstream (a better option). On day-6, visit the National Museum of Bermuda (in dockyard) and Dolphin Quest (in the same museum complex) and then the Clocktower Mall for some shopping.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) April 2019
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Hello, Sir. I love your helpful site. This is my fourth visit. However, I have a group of adult children and friends going in August. We arrive the morning of Wednesday, August 14. We have a full day. The second full day they are booked with Hidden Gems. The last day, Friday, is only a portion so they should probably stay local or book through the ship to guarantee they don't miss the ship. My question is for the first day, the Wednesday. They would like to go to Horseshoe Bay Beach. I would love for them to see St. George or should they do the beach and visit Hamilton for the Gombey dancers and the street festival? Thank you for your help.
Patricia Johnson (May 2019)
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Hello, go to the beach in the morning. Get back for lunch and take the 2.45pm Orange ferry to St. George. Take the return ferry at 5.45pm to get back to the cruise port (dockyard). Later take the Blue Route ferry (7:30pm) from dockyard to Hamilton for Harbor Nights festival. The last return ferry from Hamilton is at 10:30pm (prior to that 9pm).
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) May 2019
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Hi Raj, We are visiting Bermuda on Sep 30 and Oct 1. We are planning to visit the crystal caves and jobson cove. Can we combine them in a single trip? If yes, what is the best mode of transportation, public buses or ferries or private taxis? Let us know so we can plan better.
Kavyesh T. (September 2019)
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Hi, optimal transportation will depend on your location of stay... anyway, you can do Crystal Caves first. Buses #1 and #3 from Hamilton City have stops there. After the caves visit, take a bus back to Hamilton and then transfer to bus #7 to get off at the western end of Warwick Long Bay Beach. Jobson's cove is an easy walk from there along the beach trail.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) September 2019
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More Itineraries...
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1) Check out Bermuda in 1 day for great 1 day plan in Bermuda.
2) Check out Bermuda in 2 Days to know how to work out a great itinerary in 2 days.
3) Here is Bermuda 3-Day Itinerary to plan your Bermuda trip over 3 days.
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By Raj Bhattacharya