The city of Nassau in the Bahamas is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world however nowhere else in the world splits people’s opinions like Nassau does. So many people have preconceived ideas about Nassau and believe that it is boring, unsafe and that you must book an organised excursion if you venture out as well as saying that you should just stay on the ship as it is not worth getting off at all! However you will soon happily discover that Nassau is a wonderful place to visit and there is a whole lot more beyond the port in Nassau other than Atlantis and Señor Frogs!

Exploring Nassau by yourself on foot really is the best way to see the city up close and best of all, you can do this very cheaply or even for free meaning that you do not need to spend any money on an expensive and overpriced organised excursion when you are there. It is safe to walk around Nassau and you can easily make up your own itinerary (as I did) and only stop at the places that you want to see and on your own schedule.

I have written this blog and travel guide about how to explore Nassau on foot with my ultimate self guided walking tour. If you want to follow my exact route, you can find my free self guided “Nassau Walking Tour” map here on Google Maps. So read on and learn more!

The best tips and advice I can give for exploring Nassau on foot no matter what the time of year is to start your sightseeing as early as possible when it is a lot quieter than later in the day and before it gets too hot and humid. Always remember to carry a bottle of water with you, wear plenty of SPF to protect yourself from the heat of the Bahamian sun and wear comfortable shoes.

Also make sure to download any offline maps before you travel if you do not have any mobile data in the Bahamas. If you do forget to do this as well as forget to set up an E-Sim like I did last year, there is a Starbucks on Bay Street in Nassau where you can get free wifi.

If you need to access mobile data whilst visiting the Bahamas, you can purchase a travel E-Sim through Airalo. If you would like to use my referral code NIKKI8866 when signing up, you will receive £2.50 / US$3 off your first purchase.

All cruise ships visiting Nassau dock in the same place which is Prince George Wharf right in the heart of Downtown Nassau. Just like any other cruise port in the world, this area can get very busy and crowded with people trying to sell you tours or taxi rides – it is not scary or intimidating at all and a simple “no thank you” is all that is needed.

To start your walking tour of Nassau walk one block from Woodes Rodgers Walk (where the exit of the port is located) along Parliament Street to Bay Street. The first stop of the tour is Parliament Square where a statue of Queen Victoria can be found surrounded by the pink colonial House of Assembly buildings which look beautiful surrounded by the blue skies of the Bahamas. Just by walking this short distance, it will already feel like you are a world away from the busy port area as it is so much quieter and a lot calmer.

The next stop of the tour is the Queen’s Staircase which is approximately a ten minute walk from the Port of Nassau. From Parliament Square carry on walking along Bay Street and turn right onto Elizabeth Avenue. Keep walking all the way along this road past the Bahamas Historical Society on the right and the Princess Margaret Hospital on the left. Once past the hospital the Queen’s Staircase can be found behind the barrier which is located across the end of the road.

The Queen’s Staircase consists of 66 steps which were carved out of solid limestone rock to create a direct route between the strategically placed Fort Fincastle and the capital city of Nassau. It took six hundred slaves sixteen years to create and was later renamed in honour of Queen Victoria who signed a declaration to abolish slavery on her ascension to the throne in 1837.

Visiting the Queen’s Staircase is completely free of charge and I would recommend visiting as early as possible in the morning especially if there are several ships docked in Nassau as you will easily be able to get photos without anyone else in them.

Once at the top of the Queen’s Staircase, make a right turn and walk past the Water Tower and the market to Fort Fincastle which was built in 1793 by Lord Dunmore on the highest part of the island to help protect Nassau from invasion. Walking around the outside of the fort is free but you can pay $3 plus tax per adult (children are $2 plus tax each) to go inside the fort and you can use US Dollars so make sure to carry some small notes with you. From the top of Fort Fincastle you can see the cannons which were never fired in battle as well as a view across Nassau including the ships docked in the distance.

If you are very limited on time in Nassau make sure to visit both the Queen’s Staircase as well as Fort Fincastle which can both be visited easily and in a very short space of time.

After visiting Fort Fincastle, walk back down the Queen’s Staircase and back along Elizabeth Avenue before turning left onto Shirley Street. It will only take a few minutes to reach the Nassau Public Library (which used to be a jail) and the Garden of Remembrance which is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Nassau that most people know – I wish I had known about this on my first trip to Nassau as it is such a beautiful spot.

Carry on walking along Shirley Street and then onto Duke Street towards the Government House which is the official residence of the Governor General of The Bahamas. However as of January 2023, it is undergoing major restoration work and the statue of Christopher Columbus which was located here has now been removed.

Just past the Government House on West Hill Street is the Graycliff Heritage Village. Along the street which is covered by hanging umbrellas are brightly coloured buildings housing a museum, a chocolatier, a winery as well as shops, bars and restaurants. I loved it here and this was one of my favourite places that we visited in Nassau.

Before walking back towards Downtown Nassau you can also visit the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas as well as John Watling’s Distillery which is located on the Buena Vista Estate on nearby Delancy Street which was originally founded in 1789. Guided tours of the distillery are available free of charge throughout the day (however remember to tip) and you can also purchase bottles of the rum from their store.

The next stop is Junkanoo Beach which is located just over five minutes away down West Street before turning left onto Bay Street past the Margaritaville Resort. Junkanoo Beach (which is also known as Western Esplanade Beach) is a free public beach with beautiful crystal clear water which you can easily walk to directly from the ship if you want a cheap beach day out whilst you are in the Bahamas. From the port itself the walk here would take just over ten minutes but be aware that if there are several ships docked in Nassau then Junkanoo Beach will be very busy as it is the closest walkable free beach to the port.

Junkanoo Beach is also a great place to stop for some food and a drink as there are numerous bars and food huts along the beach – all that walking deserves a frozen cocktail as a reward!

After Junkanoo Beach you can finish the walking tour at this point and easily walk back to the port from here however there are a few more stops a little further on that are well worth seeing and visiting.

If you keep walking just past the small pier on Junkanoo Beach, you will get one of the best views of the harbour, the beach itself as well as all of the ships docked in Nassau. It is incredibly peaceful and quiet here and there are also benches where you can just sit and enjoy the view and watch the world go by.

The next stop is the Nassau Fish Fry which is located at Arawak Cay where you will find food stalls, bars and restaurants serving fresh local seafood. Make sure to check the opening times before visiting as most places here do not open until lunchtime or early afternoon.

The final stop of the walking tour before heading back towards Downtown Nassau is Ardastra Gardens and Wildlife Conservation Centre which is located a five minute walk from the Fish Fry on Chippingham Road. Ardastra Gardens is where you can see marching Caribbean flamingos (the national bird of the Bahamas) as well as parrots and other animals. Ardastra Gardens is open seven days a week and entrance tickets cost $20 per adult and children aged 4-12 cost $12 each. We visited Ardastra in January 2023 and I absolutely loved it here and I would highly recommend a visit to anyone visiting Nassau.

After leaving Ardastra Gardens, walk back along Bay Street and through Downtown Nassau towards the port. Just past what was the British Colonial Hilton is the Pirates of Nassau museum and the Christ Church Anglican Cathedral.

Between Bay Street and Woodes Rodgers Walk (and opposite Señor Frogs) is Pompey Square which is named after the brave rebel slave who led a revolt on the island of Exuma in 1830. The Pompey Museum of Emancipation and Slavery is also located here in the brightly painted Vendue House which used to be a slave marketplace in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Before heading back to the ship you can shop for any last minute souvenirs as well as explore Bay Street and Woodes Rodgers Walk where the Nassau Straw Market is also located.

On our visit to Nassau, we only spent a few hours exploring and yet we saw so much of Nassau on our self guided walking tour and even better is that we did not have to spend huge amounts of money to do so and what we did spend went directly to the local businesses and individuals and not to a third party tour company.

I would recommend exploring Nassau on foot to anyone. At no time did I ever feel unsafe as there are always so many people around during the day. However just like anywhere else in the world, I would always recommend taking sensible precautions and do not advertise that you are just visiting off a cruise ship for the day (leave those stupid lanyards out of sight) so you do not stand out as a tourist any more than necessary.

Make sure to visit Nassau with a completely open mind and you will absolutely love it and want to go back again. The whole world needs to be explored so make the most of every moment that you get to see more of it!

Since this blog post was written back in 2023, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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