Hamilton

If you are on cruise ship that is less than 700 feet long, you'll dock on downtown Hamilton Wharf 5/7. A Visitor's Information Center is located at the cruise ship terminal. Make sure to get a Visitor's Map as you exit the terminal.

If, however, you're on a larger ship, you'll be docking at Heritage Wharf.

Ferries, buses and taxis operate between the two all day and into the evening so getting to and from Hamilton is easy. The Visitor Info Booth beyond the gift stand sells the unlimited Day Pass for buses & ferries ($19 for 1 day or $31 for 2 days) – printed bus & ferry schedules are given, along with a mini Bermuda guide.

There is a free trolley service from the ship through the Dockyards at King's Wharf. It is very convenient for people with walking difficulties as it makes several stops along the way so you can hop on/hop off.

Located in Bermuda's west end, once Britain's largest naval base outside of the United Kingdom, the Royal Naval Dockyard is a lively cruise port. This 75 acre facility is within easy walking distance to where the ships dock at King's Wharf. The area includes a snorkel park, shopping mall, craft market and Dolphin Quest and maritime museum. There is also ferry and bus service to Hamilton, Somerset and St. Georges. Webcam.

Printable map to take along.

Port Location of Heritage Wharf on Google Maps

Port Location of Hamilton 5/6 on Google Maps

• Town of St. George. A scenic UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest, continually inhabited British settlement in the New World. It boasts small winding streets with typical British Colonial architecture with fountains, gardens and squares, cobbled streets and plazas.
• Bermuda Maritime Museum, Pender Rd., Royal Naval Dockyard, Take 1/2 a day to go to the Royal Naval Dockyard. After the loss of its naval bases during the American Revolutionary War, the British Royal Navy relocated the headquarters of its Atlantic Fleet here from 1812 to 1957. The old limestone storage buildings, keep and fortress have been wisely redeveloped by the Bermuda Government into a tourist attraction and shopping center. Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo Daily 9AM-5PM (last admission 4PM). Center pieced by a 140,000 gallon replica coral reef, this one of Bermuda's main attractions. Over three hundred birds, reptiles and mammals and…
• Docking at Hamilton is especially exciting on Wednesday nights during peak season as Front Street converts into a huge street fair and party zone known as "Harbour Nights" compliments of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

As you exit the cruise terminal you will find local tour operators offering a variety of tours of Bermuda and also the line of horse drawn carriages waiting to take you on a tour of Hamilton. This is a great way to become familiarized with Hamilton when you first arrive.

In Hamilton the only sights that are worth in-depth visits are Fort Hamilton, the Bermuda Historical Society Museum, and the Bermuda National Gallery. All easily visited on foot.

Opposite the Visitors Information center stands the much-photographed “Birdcage,” where you used to be able to see a in Bermuda shorts–clad police officer directing traffic on a pedestal likened to a birdcage.

The islands benefit from an excellent and frequent bus service, which connects all parts of the islands to Hamilton. The buses are used equally by locals and visitors. When catching a bus look out for the pink and blue painted poles which denote bus stops; pink indicates buses to Hamilton; blue from Hamilton.

There are also passenger ferries which ply the waters of Hamilton harbor and the Great Sound, and are a great way of getting to Somerset and the Dockyard. One bus or ferry trip costs $4.-, ask for a transfer if you must connect to another line.

A one day adult pass is $19 good for unlimited use on all buses and ferries. There is an official bus/ferry ticket kiosk right at the terminal, and here you can get your one day passes or tickets.

Taxis are another easy way of getting around the islands. They are available at taxi stands on Front St. in Hamilton, at the major hotels or by phone. All taxis are fitted with a meter and charge $8 for first mile plus $3 for each subsequent mile. $50 per hour.

Bermuda's pink sand beaches are probably the number one draw for most visitors. Bermuda is interesting because there are both public and private beaches. One of the nicest beaches in Bermuda is also the closest beach to Hamilton. Elbow Beach, about two-miles from Hamilton, is a beautiful mile long beach of crystalline soft sand and calm turquoise waters.

Climb the Gibb's Hill Lighthouse, magnificent 360-degree views of the Southampton Parish and the West End.

The island has the largest number of golf courses per square mile in the world.

A nice assortment of stores exists in Hamilton, especially on Front Street. The area can be explored easily on foot.

The restaurants in close proximity to the cruise ship docks in, say, St. George's can be as much as three times as expensive as a comparable one in, say, Somerset Village.

Bermuda's currency is the Bermudian dollar, which has the same value as US$. US dollars are accepted everywhere, make sure you get change back in US$.

The principal language spoken is English.