Heidi BucoloBarbados, a popular stop on many southern Caribbean cruises, is an independent island nation within the British Commonwealth. Its capital city of Bridgetown is located in the parish (similar to a state) of St. Michael and is the hub for cruise ship activity. With rich history, pristine beaches, and awe-inspiring natural landscapes, who wouldn’t want to visit this lovely island? If you’re wondering about what to do while you’re there, keep reading for our list of the best things to do in Barbados on a cruise.
The Best Things to do in Barbados on a Cruise (2025)
1. Take a Mount Gay Rum Factory Tour
If you want to tour the world’s oldest rum factory and “taste the magic” of this 300-year-old rum, then a visit to the Mount Gay Rum Factory should definitely be on your list of the best things to do in Barbados on a cruise. Here, you will learn a bit of history and about the processes involved in producing the world’s finest rum.
During the eighteenth century, rum and sugarcane were in high demand. Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, had become one of the wealthiest ports in the world. A barrel of Barbadian rum became a symbol of sailors’ successful voyages to the Caribbean…and of course, it should also be a souvenir of your cruise to the Caribbean and this island!
The most popular tour, the Signature Tour, runs regularly twice a day Tuesday to Friday and once a day on Mondays and Saturdays. With this tour, knowledgeable guides will provide you with a bit of history as you explore the grounds and factory. Then, you’ll move onto the taste testing part where you’ll be able to sample three of the company’s Signature blends.
Other tours are also available for additional costs including the Lunch and Tasting Experience which includes a tasting of signature rums followed by a Bajan lunch at the Mount Gay Visitor Center. There’s also the Distillery Tour & Cocktail Masterclass which includes a tour of the grounds, an in-depth tasting session with rum experts, and an interactive cocktail class with an award-winning mixologist.
Pricing: The Signature Distillery Tour costs $55 pp, the Distillery Tour & Cocktail Masterclass is $145 pp with transportation, and the Lunch and Tasting Experience will run you $78 pp with transportation
Best For: Adults who enjoy spirits, especially rum
Mount Gay Rum Factory: Tour information
2. Explore Nature
Barbados is home to some untamed wildlife and lush tropical gardens where you could spend days exploring. If you like getting up close and personal with nature, then taking a walk on the wild side of Barbados should be on your list of the best things to do in Barbados.
The Andromeda Botanical Gardens is an eight-acre garden found in the Parish of St. Joseph that contains a variety of lush tropical foliage. This garden was originally started as a private plant collection around the home of Ms. Iris Bannochie in 1954 but was later turned over to the Barbados National Trust. It is open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm for the public to explore for an entrance fee of 40 Barbadian Dollars (about USD$20). This entrance fee is good for one month of visits, so if you came back to Barbados within that month your pass would still be valid!
The Flower Forest, established in 1985, was formerly a sugar plantation but is now a 53-acre reserve for botanical ventures. This garden park is home to many species of trees and flowering plants and is open daily for the pubic to explore from 8 am to 4 pm for a cost of USD$15 per person. It is also a popular location for weddings and other private events.
Hunte’s Gardens, created by the island’s leading horticulturist Anthony Hunte, is his unique botanical representation. Located in a sinkhole-like gully of the lush rainforest, this area offers a multi-dimensional experience with an easy to walk trail. You may also find the owner himself still working in his gardens during your visit. Tours start at USD$20 per person.
Barbados Wildlife Reserve provides you the unique opportunity to see animals in their natural habitats. Open from 10 am to 5 pm daily, birds, reptiles, and lots of green monkeys can be observed here. The green monkeys are most abundant during feeding times (around 2 pm). The entrance fee, which is USD$15, also includes admission to nearby Grenade Hall Forest & Signal Station.
Tour Duration: 4-6 hours
Price Range: $90-$150 pp
Best For: Those looking to enjoy the beauty of the local flora and fauna
Sample Tour: Island Encounter and Beach
3. Visit Harrison’s Caves
Harrison’s Caves tops our list of the best things to do in Barbados on a cruise. One of the great natural wonders of the Caribbean, Harrison’s Caves is now a tourist attraction but remained relatively unexplored until the 1970s. Harrison’s Caves is a massive, active cave system that runs nearly 1.5 miles long with running water and growing stalagmites and stalactites.
These caves were formed over time by water erosion through limestone rock. It was in 1974 that a Dutch engineer and cave adventurer first mapped the caves. After that point, the Barbados government began to develop and excavate the cave to accommodate trams. The caves opened to the public in 1981.
Tours of Harrison’s Caves run daily for $65 per person. Traveling by tram, you will be able to explore these caves with guidance from an experienced staff member. Tour guides will provide history throughout the tour, and there will be stops for you to hop off for a closer look and capture some amazing photos. During your tour, you are sure to be engrossed by all the magnificent sights and sounds of this natural wonder.
Right next door to the caves is the Welchman Hall Gully. The gully which is ¾ mile long is a touch of tropical forest, mixed with Barbadian and other exotic plants with walking trails to allow you to discover this naturally beauty.
Of course, a tour of Harrison’s Caves can be coupled with the Gully or various other island highlights for a truly unforgettable excursion in Barbados.
Tour Duration: 3-5 hours
Price Range: $110-$180 pp
Best For: Those looking for a unique nature exploration
Sample Tour: Barbados Harrison’s Cave Tour
4. Snorkel with Sea Turtles Over a Shipwreck
Sometimes the perfect port day entails spending as much time as possible in and around the water. For a day like that, consider taking a combo beach/snorkeling trip to Carlisle Bay on the western side of Barbados. During this tour, you’re provided with a welcome drink, beach chair, and umbrella. Spend some time in the surf before heading out on a 1.5-hour snorkel boat trip to snorkel over a shipwreck and swim with turtles, tropical fish, seahorses, octopuses, and rays. A day spent in the sun and sea on a Caribbean cruise to Barbados — what more could you ask for?
Tour Duration: 3.5-6 hours
Price Range: $90-$110 pp
Best For: Those who love swimming and marine life
Sample Tour: Barbados Beach Day and Turtle Swim
5. Take an Island Highlights Tour
If this is your first time in Barbados and you want to get a glimpse of what the island has to offer without spending your whole day at one attraction or if you are more of a history buff, then you should put an island highlights tour on your list of the best things to do in Barbados. With this option, you will be able to visit many historical sites in a condensed amount of time.
Your tour will most likely give you up close looks at landmarks such as the Morgan Lewis Windmill which was the last operating sugar windmill in Barbados, St. John’s Church which is a 19th century Gothic church and one of the oldest churches on the island, and The George Washington House in which the former U.S. president once resided.
For some amazing views of the island, a stop at Cherry Tree Hill is in order as it is an excellent spot to view the “Scotland District” and is lined with mahogany trees. Or, you can stop Gun Hill Signal Station which is one of the oldest military defense stations and provides some picturesque sites of the entire island.
Your tour may also include stops at St. Nicholas Abbey, one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphere, and historic Bridgetown and its Garrison which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tour Duration: 3.5-4 hours
Price Range: $80-$110 pp
Best For: Newbies to Barbados or those looking for a highlights tour
Sample Tour: Highlights of Barbados
6. Spend the Day at a Beach
If you have a port-intensive cruise, you may want to relax and enjoy some beach time while you are in Barbados. Lucky for you, there are several beaches with plenty of sand and sun calling your name. Carlisle Bay, within walking distance of the pier, is home to Browne’s Beach, one of the largest beaches in Barbados, as well as The Boatyard where you can purchase beach packages and water sport activities.
A bit further from the port, toward the west coast of the island, you will find Payne’s Beach and Sandy Lane Beach. Both beaches are popular stops for cruisers. Calm and clear waters await you at either beach. You can rent additional equipment, such as beach chairs, or engage in some water sports including catamaran sailing and jet skiing for additional costs.
Bathsheba Beach is located on the rugged east coast which is known for its dramatic rock formations. This area, also known as the Soup Bowl due to its foamy surf, has some of the best waves in the world. While swimming can be dangerous here, it’s definitely a natural wonder to behold and a surfer’s dream.
If you prefer a more relaxing beach day with some swimming or snorkeling, Crane Beach is a popular choice on the southeast coast. In fact, it’s considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Barbados.
Rockley/Accra Beach, on the south coast, is also another popular stop as the waters here are ideal for snorkeling, boogie boarding, and body surfing. The facilities at Accra include a play-park, beach bars, umbrella & chair rentals, a food court, and a market with locally made crafts, jewelry, and clothing.
Tour Duration: 3-5 hours
Price Range: $40-$80 pp
Best For: Visitors looking for a relaxing day on a tropical beach
Sample Tour: Barbados Beach Day
7. Take a Submarine Adventure
The most adventurous cruisers may want to consider taking a submarine expedition during their day in Barbados. You’ll take a boat out to the dive site, where it’s easy to transfer into the submarine. Through large viewing ports, take in colorful coral, tropical fish, and other underwater wonders as you reach a depth of 150 feet below the surface.
Throughout the experience, your co-pilot will narrate the sights, helping you spot various marine life and even shipwrecks out of the windows. After the dive, relax on the boat as you ride back to the marina. Atlantis Submarines is an award-winning company and their submarine dives are consistently recommended as one of the best things to do in Barbados for adults and kids alike. The experience is sure to create memories that last far beyond the end of your vacation!
Tour Duration: 2.5 hours
Price Range: $130-$160 pp
Best For: Adventurous visitors who want to explore below the surface
Sample Tour: Atlantis Submarine Adventure in Barbados
Barbados Frequently Asked Questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Barbados?
The Barbados cruise port is located less than 1.5 miles northwest of downtown Bridgetown. Expect about a 20-30 minute walk into the city center, or about a 10-minute drive if you prefer to take a taxi.
How long do cruise ships typically stay in Barbados?
Expect that your ship will spend about 8-11 hours in port in Barbados (but check your specific itinerary’s schedule for the exact amount of time!). Since Barbados is a longer day for many cruise ships, you have plenty of time to enjoy an extra-long excursion or one or two shorter ones, and potentially have time leftover for exploring the downtown area, grabbing a bite to eat, or hitting up a local bar before heading back to the ship.
Are there beaches near the Barbados cruise port?
The top beach that’s easily walkable from the Barbados cruise port is Brandons Beach. Located just over a mile from the cruise terminal, it’s rated as one of the best beaches in Barbados with soft sand and calm waters.
Is there a shuttle from the cruise port to downtown?
The port offers shuttle bus services from the cruise terminal to downtown Bridgetown. There’s also a plethora of taxis readily available in the cruise port area.
Can you use U.S. dollars in Barbados?
The officially currency in Barbados is the Barbadian dollar. However, most local businesses do accept U.S. dollars as well.
Comments
Have you been to Barbados? Do you agree with our list of the best things to do in Barbados? Drop us an anchor below to let your fellow cruisers know what they should do and see while stopped at this southern Caribbean port of call.
1 comment
Tom Sands
I took my wife and son (who was 14yo) here in December 2015 while on a Disney Cruise. We all loved it and found it to be the most relaxing excursion we had ever taken. My wife and I had never purchased a drink package on a cruise, so it was very exciting to be able to go ahead and order a drink anytime at all. My son loved ordering sodas from the swim up bar. The food was very high quality and the servers were always available to take orders while lounging in the comfortable chairs on the beach (The shade structures on the beach were perfect). When we went the ocean water was excellent and there was no seaweed. The pool was fun for a change from the ocean. While on our day the resort couldn’t have been close to full, just knowing that they would never let it get crowded with their guest limit, makes this a place that we will definitely return to.
Tom