Whether you plan to be in the capital for a day, a week, or a month, it’s always good to look into some of the best excursions in Nassau Bahamas. The island of New Providence has a lot to see and do, but it’s just one of 700 islands in the country. All of them are too beautiful for you to be stationary on your trip!
We’ve highlighted five of the best excursions in Bahamas that you’ll want to partake in while vacationing. All of them let you see sites you otherwise wouldn’t be able to if you just stick around your resort in Nassau.
Read on to learn more!
Best Excursions in Nassau Bahamas: 5 Trips
1. The Exumas and Swimming with Pigs
If you’re looking for the best excursions in Nassau Bahamas, you can’t go wrong with a trip to the Exumas. Located to the south of Nassau, the Exumas are a region of 365 islands renowned for their crystal-clear, bright-blue water and stunning beaches.
Given their remote location, the Exumas can be a bit tricky to get to. Luckily, air travel makes it easy to reach Staniel Cay and many other islands. So easy, in fact, that it’s even possible to sign up for a Nassau to Staniel Cay Day Tour!

The plane ride to the Exumas offers unbeatable views.
On these day trips, you’ll leave for the Exumas early in the morning in a private class plane. Since you’re sharing the plane with just several other travelers (or no one, if you book a private trip), you won’t have to worry about wasting time in lines or going through security. Then, in just around a half-hour, you’ll touch down at Staniel Cay!
Besides beautiful beaches and water so clear you can see it from space, there are many other fantastic sites you’ll get to see while on your trip. Big Major Cay (Pig Beach), home of the Exuma Pigs, gives you the chance to swim around the water with friendly pigs at your side. Compass Cay lets you dive into the water with tame nurse sharks. These sorts of sites are what make Exuma excursions from Nassau so great.

The best excursions in Nassau Bahamas take you to Big Major Cay to see the Exuma Pigs.
2. Paradise Island
Located just off the coast of New Providence (they’re so close that a bridge connects them) is another island that offers some of the best excursions in Nassau Bahamas: Paradise Island. You can think of the 685-acre island as a resort island, one that offers fun activities to partake in whether you stay there or not.
The most famous resort on the island is, without a doubt, Atlantis. While it offers world-class amenities and five-star service, you don’t need to stay there to appreciate the hotel grounds. By purchasing a day pass, you can get access to the gardens, aquariums, and other attractions of the resort.
The waterpark, in particular, is worth visiting. Aquaventure features millions of gallons worth of pools, water slides, and other exhilarating activities. While adults can certainly have a blast zipping down slides and through aquarium tunnels, families with kids will find it a struggle to leave the park at the end of the day.

Even if you don’t stay there, make sure to Visit Atlantis on your Bahamas vacation.
Besides Atlantis and the other mega-resorts on Paradise Island, you can find some of the other best excursions in Nassau Bahamas. You can stop and see the Versailles Gardens and French Cloisters from the road (entering them requires you to stay at the Four Seasons), as well as tour some more beaches, like Paradise Beach.
3. Rose Island
Another island in close proximity to Nassau is Rose Island, but you won’t be able to reach it by walking. You’ll need to sign up for a tour to the island since it’s around 25 minutes away from Nassau by boat. However, the time you spend getting there is well worth it, as Rose Island is a slice of paradise that many visitors to the capital miss out on.

While Rose Island is close to Nassau, it’s still one of the best excursions in Bahamas.
Visiting Rose Island is one of the best activities to do in Nassau Bahamas, since it transports you away from the throngs of people that occupy much of the capital. On the uninhabited island, you won’t find hotels, houses, or restaurants, nor will you find roads or other infrastructure. You’ll just see lush greenery, white sand, and bright-blue water all around you.
Many of the tours you can take to Rose Island include activities like snorkeling. From rays to turtles, make sure to bring a great camera, as you never know what you’ll see!
4. Harbour Island
Another one of the best excursions in Nassau Bahamas has you going to the Nantucket of the country, Harbour Island. Quiet, sophisticated, and unbelievably beautiful, no Bahamas vacation is complete without a trip to Harbour Island.
On the island, you’ll find the charming Dunmore Town, complete with an array of shops, restaurants, and other services catering to tourists. Where most people end up spending their days, however, is at Pink Sands Beach – one of only seven beaches in the world where you can see pink sand. From lounging around on the beach to diving into the clear water, Pink Sands Beach and Harbour Island, in general, offer one of the best excursions in Bahamas.

Quaint and beautiful, make time for a trip to Harbour Island on your Bahamas vacation.
Harbour Island is a ways away from Nassau, so getting there from the capital can be tricky. The ferry ride is long and complicated, requiring you to undertake a journey that takes around five and a half hours. The easiest way to get there is by chartering a plane to take you there. Bahamas Air Tours can help you do that!
5. Nassau Downtown & New Providence Island
Nassau might be on the island of New Providence, but few people take the time to see all the sites that the island offers. If you’re using Nassau as your base of operations while on your Bahamas vacation, make sure to soak up all the attractions around you!

You can find many activities to do in Nassau Bahamas by just walking around downtown.
From stepping into (or on) the halls of history at Queen’s Staircase and Fort Fincastle to rum tasting at John Watling’s Rum Distillery, the island houses tons of great Nassau Bahamas shore excursions that you can enjoy.
Many travelers visiting the Bahamas are looking for beaches, and New Providence has plenty. From Junkanoo Beach and Cable Beach to Love Beach and more, you can spend days just hopping from one sandy expanse to the next. The great thing about the New Providence beaches is that different ones offer different things. Some are crowded and wavy, while others are quieter and calm.
Make a plan to visit the beaches and other attractions that are in line with your interests and travel preferences. Doing so helps ensure that you don’t miss out on seeing any of the sites that interest you the most.
Exuma Excursions From Nassau: Don’t Miss Out
If you’re curious about the best excursions in Nassau Bahamas, know that you have many options. From Nantucket vibes at Harbour Island to the uninhabited serenity of Rose Island, there’s no shortage of Nassau Bahamas shore excursions to partake in.
One that you especially won’t want to pass up on, however, is Bahamas day trips by plane to the Exumas. These trips allow you to see everything from underwater grottos to the famous Exuma Pigs at Pig Beach.
Sign up for a tour with Bahamas Air Tours today to enjoy all that the Exumas have to offer!
Discover the Bahamas Out Islands
With beautifully illustrated maps and informative destination guides.
Download the Guidebook