Stand at the top of the Queen's Staircase and the city drops away behind you: cut limestone walls, ferns in the crevices, and the harbour beyond. Ten minutes uphill from the over-scrubbed centre, past abandoned buildings standing beside bright Caribbean facades, you reach the pink Parliament House and the statue of an enthroned Queen Victoria out front. Nassau rewards the traveller who walks rather than rides.
This guide suits anyone with a day or two to spend in the old town and its edges: history in the morning, animals and art in the afternoon, and a beach when the heat settles. Everything below is drawn from what the sources actually describe, so you can plan around it without guesswork.
Top things to do in Nassau
1. Old Town
Walk it. Old Town is an interesting mixture of abandoned buildings and bright Caribbean structures, and it does not take long to get away from the over-scrubbed tourist areas in the very centre.
Give yourself an hour without a destination. The walk uphill toward Parliament House is the natural route, and the change in the streets as you climb is the point of the exercise.
2. Parliament House
Ten minutes uphill from the centre stands the pink Parliament House, with a statue of an enthroned Queen Victoria out front. It is the landmark that anchors the old town walk.
Combine it with the rest of Old Town rather than treating it as a separate trip; the climb is short and the building is best seen as the end point of that stroll.
3. Queen's Staircase
A 66-step staircase named after Queen Victoria. It is the most direct way to understand the scale of the limestone the old town was cut from.
Pair it with Fort Fincastle, which sits on the hill above and overlooks the city from a small hill south of town.
4. Fort Fincastle
A small fort built in 1793 which overlooks the city of Nassau from a small hill south of town. Several cannons are on display, and tours are conducted daily 8AM-3PM.
Come in the morning if you want the tour, and walk down via the Queen's Staircase afterwards.
5. Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Center
The Bahamas' only zoo, open 9AM-5PM. See the marching flamingo shows, and let the parakeets land on you as you feed them. Admission is $15.
This is a good afternoon stop when the heat is at its peak, and it works well for travellers with children. You can call ahead on +1 242-323-5806.
6. National Art Gallery of the Bahamas
On West & West Hill Streets, open Tue-Sat 10AM-4PM. Opened in 2003, it showcases Bahamian art from the precolonial era to the present. The quality of the art is rather uneven, but the renovated building — once the residence of the Chief Justice — is a sight in itself. Adults $5, students and seniors $3.
Go for the building as much as the collection, and check the day before you plan around it, since it closes on Sundays and Mondays.
7. Pirates of Nassau Museum
On George St, open Mon-Sat 9AM-6PM and Sun 9AM-noon. It offers recreations of a pirate town, a pirate ship and a pirate battle, with a few real artifacts mixed in. Cheesy, but fun. Admission is $12.
Try to catch a guided tour rather than walking through unaccompanied. It pairs naturally with a walk along George St.
8. Cable Beach
Cable Beach is the beach escape when you have had enough of the old town streets.
Save it for the late afternoon, after the museums and the fort, when the walking is done.
9. Bus tours
Bus tours are interesting. They will drive you around and tell you about the local government and different points of interest, and they take you to old forts and to Paradise Island, to see the Atlantis hotel resort and its aquarium.
This is the efficient option if you would rather cover the ground sitting down, and it reaches Paradise Island, which the walking routes above do not.
10. Golf at Royal Blue GC
The best-known course is Royal Blue GC at Baha Mar, at the east end of the city, designed by Jack Nicklaus.
Book this as a half-day in its own right; it sits away from the old town and does not combine with a walking itinerary.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in Old Town while the streets are quiet, walking uphill to the pink Parliament House and the statue of Queen Victoria. Continue to Fort Fincastle for the 8AM-3PM tours and the cannons, then take the Queen's Staircase down.
Afternoon: Choose between Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Center (9AM-5PM) for the marching flamingos and the parakeets, or the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (Tue-Sat 10AM-4PM) for the Bahamian collection and the old Chief Justice's residence. If you have energy left, add the Pirates of Nassau Museum on George St.
Evening: Finish at Cable Beach, or take a bus tour if you would rather see the old forts and Paradise Island, including the Atlantis hotel resort and its aquarium, from a seat.
Frequently asked questions
When is the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas open?
Tuesday to Saturday, 10AM-4PM. Adults pay $5, students and seniors $3.
Are the flamingo shows at Ardastra Gardens worth planning around?
They are one of the things the zoo is known for, along with feeding the parakeets so they land on you. The gardens are open 9AM-5PM and admission is $15.
Can I see Paradise Island without booking a separate trip?
Yes. Bus tours take you to Paradise Island to see the Atlantis hotel resort and its aquarium, along with old forts and points of interest around the city.
What does a walk through Old Town actually involve?
A mixture of abandoned buildings and bright Caribbean structures. It does not take long to get away from the over-scrubbed tourist areas in the very centre, and ten minutes uphill brings you to the pink Parliament House.
Pick your morning, decide between the flamingos and the gallery, and start planning your day in Nassau around the places above.