As the capital of the Bahamas and one of the busiest cruise ship ports in the world, there are tons of fantastic day trips from Nassau. Sure — Nassau offers beaches, history, fine dining, and more, but the Bahamas is an island nation. That means that you’re going to want to travel around the region.
Below, we’ve highlighted five day trips from Nassau Bahamas that you’re going to want to partake in no matter how long your trip is. All of them allow you to see exciting sites and partake in experiences that Nassau doesn’t offer.
Read on to learn more!
The best day trips from Nassau take you to the country’s many beautiful beaches.
5 Can’t-Miss Day Trips From Nassau
1. Nassau to Paradise Island
If Nassau had a playground, it would be Paradise Island. Located right next to New Providence, the island that houses Nassau, Paradise Island is full of gleaming hotels, water parks, gardens, and more. Because of that, it’s one of the many exciting (and accessible) day trips from Nassau.
Atlantis is one of the biggest and most famous resorts on the island (and in the world). Even if you don’t stay there, you can still take advantage of its many amenities. From sliding down the waterslides at Aquaventure Water Park to seeing sharks, dolphins, and eels at the massive aquarium, you can easily spend a day walking around the hotel grounds.
As mentioned, Paradise Island is also accessible and easy to get to. A bridge connects the two islands, so you can easily cross from one to the other by foot or taxi.
If you’re traveling with a family, staying on Paradise Island might be a good idea, as it’ll put you right in the center of the action. Otherwise, traveling to the island tops the list of great Nassau Bahamas shore excursions!
2. Day Trips From Nassau to Exuma
If there were an award for “best day trips from Nassau Bahamas”, it would probably go to day trips from Nassau to Exuma. So what makes Exuma tours from Nassau so great?
While New Providence and Paradise Island are beautiful, they’re also busy and a bit touristy. In contrast, the region of the Exumas is much quieter and more secluded, offering visitors a glimpse into the laid-back nature that makes the Caribbean famous.
An underwater plane wreck is one of the many sites you see on a Staniel Cay day tour.
The Exumas is a chain of 365 islands located to the south of Nassau. Besides the atmosphere, the islands are also famous for their crystal-clear water, beautiful weather, and unique local attractions.
While you can reach the Exumas by boat, that’s a good way to waste time and travel with a boatload full of other people. Instead of getting sucked into another tourist trap, we recommend flying by air on a private-class plane with Bahamas Air Tours. Doing so will save you time, let you skip the crowds, and ultimately end up being a much more comfortable experience.
3. Pig Beach Excursion From Nassau
One of the many highlights of Exuma tours from Nassau is the Exuma Pigs. Found on Big Major Cay (or as it’s nicknamed, Pig Island), the pigs attract visitors from all across the world.
The Pig Beach excursion from Nassau might be the best day trip.
Many Nassau swimming pigs will try to show you pigs on a beach and claim that they’re the famous Bahamas swimming pigs. However, these are just imitations of the famous Exuma pigs, which is why they’re the ones worth visiting.
There’s no single, factual account as to how the pigs ended up on the island. Some locals will tell you that the pigs survived a shipwreck and have called the island home ever since. Others claim that farmers brought the pigs to the island to raise for food, but ended up never eating them. Regardless of which tale you choose to believe, the opportunity to see them in their glory is why so many people embark on day trips from Nassau to Pig Beach today.
As your boat approaches the island, you’ll see the pigs hop in the water to come out and greet you. Besides getting to swim in the water alongside them, a Pig Beach excursion from Nassau also lets you appreciate the beauty of their island home. The experience altogether is one you won’t want to pass up on!
4. Nassau to Rose Island
After you get back from your Nassau swimming pigs tour, you might not want to go too far away from Providence Island. In that case, you can’t go wrong with day trips from Nassau to Rose Island.
Rose Island is close to New Providence, making it another one of the top day trips from Nassau.
Nassau Bahamas shore excursions to Rose Island require you to travel just three miles east of Nassau. There, you’ll find the long, thin, and uninhabited Rose Island. While you won’t find bustling streets or five-star mega-resorts, you will find seemingly endless stretches of pristine, white-sand beaches.
Like Paradise Island, reaching Rose Island is easy. There are tons of tour operators in Nassau that can shepherd you there by ferry or speedboat. Once there, you can soak up the sun on the beach or hop in the water with goggles and a snorkel. The waters around the island are full of fish, turtles, and other marine life!
5. Nassau to Harbour Island
If Paradise Island is the playground of Nassau and the Bahamas, Harbour Island is the Nantucket — a quiet, serene, and wealthy island that makes one of the best Nassau Bahamas tours.
The island features the charming Dunmore Town, which, although small, is full of fun little shops, galleries, and restaurants. It’s a good place to explore a place in the Bahamas that feels much less international and much more local.
The unique colors and hues of Pink Sands Beach have made it world-famous.
However, while beautiful, Dunmore Town isn’t what makes Harbour Island so famous. That award goes to Pink Sands Beach, one of the prettiest and most unique beaches in the world.
As its name implies, the sand on Pink Sands Beach has a unique pink hue. The color comes from millions of crushed shells, but what’s most interesting about the beach is that the color appears to change. At certain times, the sand seems whiter, while other times, it appears redder. Depending on the weather conditions and time of day, the sand you see might look completely different from that which someone else sees!
Besides just lounging around the beach and sinking your toes into the warm, pink sand, the beach is also a great spot to snorkel. The water is warm and clear, providing you with the opportunity to see more of the marine life that makes the Bahamas famous.
Like just about anywhere in the Bahamas, Bahamas Air Tours can also help you get to Harbour Island!
Nassau Bahamas Tours: Make Time for All of the Top Excursions
No matter how long you plan on spending in the capital of the Bahamas, you’re going to want to set aside some time to embark on some of the many day trips from Nassau. Signing up for any of the trips mentioned above will give you the chance to see another side of the Bahamas, one that’s different from the experience of New Providence Island.
While all the day trips offer something special, a Nassau to Staniel Cay day tour might be the most worthwhile. Traveling to the Exumas lets you see the Exuma pigs, as well as tons of other local sites and attractions.
Get in touch with Bahamas Air Tours today to help make your dream day trip a reality!
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