If your cruise is stopping in Tortola, consider yourself lucky – you’ve got a great opportunity to explore a truly beautiful island! It’s easy to hang around the port or stay on the ship, but to really feel the island’s magic (and get a taste of the other British Virgin Islands), you’ll want to venture beyond the pier. Trust us!
We’ve spent around a year exploring the BVI in total, and every time we come back to Tortola, we’re reminded of how many incredible things there are to do. In this guide, we’ve hand-picked 10 things to do in Tortola off a cruise ship, factoring that you don’t have much time on island.
By Lauren & Jack · Updated September 2025 · Based on spending around 1 year in the BVI
1. Explore Road Town
The centre of Road Town, the capital of Tortola, is a short 5-minute stroll from the Tortola Pier Park. We don’t think it’s the most picturesque of Caribbean capitals (compared to the likes of St Georges in Grenada), but Road Town has plenty of choice when it comes to restaurants and souvenir shopping.
Head out the main entrance of the Pier Park (not the exit) and take a left at the traffic lights. Instantly, you’ll see a bunch of colourful wooden buildings. This is the Crafts Alive Village, a great place to look for locally crafted souvenirs.
There isn’t a huge amount to see in Road Town to be honest, but you can do any of the following:
- This 3-hour Food Tour (try Spanish, African and indigenous cuisines!)
- J.R. O’Neal Botanical Gardens
- Wander along Main Street (West Indian-style buildings with shops and restaurants)
- H.M. Prison Museum
- Private Pottery Making Experience
🎒 On this 4 hour historic and beach tour, with pick up (and drop off) from the cruise port, visit the J.R. O’Neal Botanical Gardens, Fahie Hill Murals, Cane Garden Bay and viewpoints across Tortola.
2. Take an island tour
As a cruise ship passenger, you’re probably no stranger to an island tour. Tortola is a mountainous island full of long, steep and winding roads that possess some of the most incredible viewpoints. On an island tour, you’ll get to enjoy every inch of this incredible island, while taking in views across to all the neighbouring islands.
While island tours aren’t necessarily the best way to immerse yourself in island life, they are one of the best things to do in Tortola off a cruise ship, especially if you’re strapped for time and want to squeeze in as many sights and activities as possible.
For first-time visitors, we’d highly recommend a guided island tour rather than driving yourself. We’ve driven on some terrible roads around the world, and Tortola has some of the worst. People drive in the middle of the road, the potholes are no joke and some of the hills are unbelievably steep.
🎒 This private island tour is perfect if you’ve just jumped off ship and it’s your first time visiting Tortola. Pick up (and drop off) at the cruise port is also included.
3. Spend the day at Cane Garden Bay
Cane Garden Bay is undoubtedly one of the best beaches in Tortola. It’s a long stretch of white sand that forms a crescent-shaped bay with crystal clear water, making it ideal for swimming. Also, it’s backed by plenty of beach bars and restaurants, and there are amenities and watersports options, meaning Cane Garden Bay is the ideal spot for a beach day when coming off a cruise ship.
We love spending the day at Cane Garden Bay, and have done it countless times. However, many of your fellow passengers will be headed to this cruise ship hotspot. So, if you fancy a more tranquil and secluded beach experience, we recommend trying either Smugglers Cove or Brewers Bay.
🎒 Visit Cane Garden Bay and a few more beautiful beaches in Tortola on this private tour (pick up and drop off at the cruise port).
⛵️ Or, hop on a boat and snorkel tour to visit 3 secluded beaches as well as Cane Garden Bay, with drinks, snacks, snorkel gear, towels etc all included. Pick up is from Pusser’s Pub, which is a very short walk from the cruise port.
4. Jump on a boat for some island hopping
Ok, we know you’ve only just got off a very big boat, and you might not be thinking about getting on another one, but Tortola is the gateway to some of the most beautiful islands in the world: the British Virgin Islands.
The BVI is one of the sailing capitals of the Caribbean, you’ll be able to enjoy a day on the water, sailing to islands such as Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, Norman Island, and many more. There are 50 islands and cays in the BVI, meaning you won’t be spoiled for choice.
Personally, we love visiting Virgin Gorda for the day. The beaches are even better than Tortola, and it’s home to the most famous landmark in the BVI, The Baths.
The best islands in the British Virgin Islands you might like to visit from Tortola cruise port:
- Virgin Gorda
- Jost Van Dyke
- Anegada
- Norman Island (you can snorkel at the Indians, the top BVI snorkel spot, and more on this tour)
- Beef Island
- Water Island
- Saba Rock
5. Go mangrove kayaking
Whether you prefer stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking, the Mangrove Forest of Beef Island offers a glimpse into a unique marine habitat. Often described as the nurseries of the sea, these mangroves play a crucial role in nurturing young marine life, providing a safe zone away from the dangers of the open ocean.
Beef Island is where the airport is located, out on the east of the island, it’s connected to Tortola by a small bridge. This is near where you’ll explore the mangroves, in a very calm a protected lagoon area.
During your paddle, you’re could spot barracudas, young sharks, stingrays and turtles. These creatures call the mangroves home, taking shelter amidst the protective branches. Led by a local guide, you’ll also get insights into the importance of these ecosystems and their fragile nature.
💦 Book: Tortola’s Mangrove Kayaking tour
6. Relax and shop at Tortola Pier Park
The Cyrille B. Romney Tortola Pier Park is a relatively new port with pristine colonial-style buildings, plenty of shopping and some tasty food and drink options too.
If you want to have a lazy day and not venture too far, exploring Pier Park is one of the best things to do in Tortola off a cruise ship. You’ll find a mixture of restaurants, jewellery stores, fashion outlets, and typical souvenir shops. Here is a list of the shops and stores.
We recommend grabbing a coffee from Beans Coffee, pulling up a chair and spending some time people-watching. Our favourite place to grab something to eat, Island Tacos, is actually just outside the pier park.
7. Visit The Baths in Virgin Gorda
Ok, we briefly mentioned Virgin Gorda and The Baths already, but they deserve their own explanation on this list.
The Baths in Virgin Gorda are probably the most famous site in the entire BVI. This cluster of volcanic boulders and rock formations has to be one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful creations.
Located on Virgin Gorda, Tortola’s neighbouring island, you’ll have to either take a ferry, private water taxi or book an excursion from Tortola to visit. We loved it here and found it to be one of the most fascinating landscapes we’ve ever seen, so it sits highly on our things to do in Tortola off a cruise ship list and is definitely worth the extra time and effort of a little island hopping.
⛵️ Visit The Baths in Virgin Gorda and 2 more islands in the BVI (Jost Van Dyke, home of the famous White Bay and Painkiller Cocktail, and Norman Island) on this, 5-star powerboat tour which includes pickup (and drop off) in Tortola.
8. Chill at Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke
Did you know that the famous Painkiller cocktail was invented in the BVI? Well, now you do. If you head over to Jost Van Dyke, you can visit the iconic Soggy Dollar Bar, which happens to be on one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, White Bay.
We love White Bay for a few reasons. The sand is powdery white, the water is a turquoise you don’t see in many places, and depending on when you visit, it will either be a party atmosphere or the most relaxing beach day you’ve ever had.
While Tortola itself is a beautiful island, Jost offers a more secluded and untouched feel. It’s less commercialised, making it perfect if you’re looking for a more authentic Caribbean experience.
Even though it feels worlds away, Jost is easily accessible from Tortola by a short ferry or boat ride, making it a convenient day trip option. You can check out the Tortola to Jost Van Dyke ferry schedule here.
9. Take a hiking tour
Hiking tours are one of the best things to do in Tortola off a cruise ship because you get to experience a side of the islands most people never see.
You have a few options when it comes to hiking in Tortola, but as we’ve explained, the island is mountainous, so be prepared to get sweaty.
Our favourite is to climb up into the hills of Sage Mountain to the highest point in the BVI, frome here, you get a beautiful vantage point across the island and archipelago. Alternatively, you can hike Mount Alma for one of the best panoramic views over the BVI or to Mount Healthy National Park, has a bit of history with an old windmill and sugar cane plantation.
🎒 Here are some of the most highly rated hiking tours you can do in Tortola:
- Brewers Bay Hiking Tour (pick up is a 10 minute walk from the cruise port)
- Mount Alma Hiking Tour (one of the best 360 views in the British Virgin Islands, meeting point at Trellis Bay)
- Mount Healthy National Park Hiking Tour (pickup from the cruise port)
- Tie in Mount Healthy and Sage Mountain (the highest point in the BVI) with 3 beaches on this private Jeep tour.
10. Get underwater on a snorkelling tour
The British Virgin Islands boasts some of the most incredible snorkelling and diving in the Caribbean. One of the main reasons people are attracted to this area of the world is the diverse marine life. The water surrounding these cluster of islands is teeming with tropical fish, turtles, barracuda, small sharks and colourful reefs. If you’re looking for the best things to do in Tortola off a cruise ship, then you’re sure to remember this island fondly if you spend a day underwater.
If you’d rather spend the day at the beach and snorkel from the shore, we’d suggest heading to Brewers Bay, Smuggler’s Cove or Cane Garden Bay.
⛵️ Book a customisable boat and snorkel tour (includes 3 secluded beaches, drinks, snacks, gear, towels and more). Pick up from Pusser’s Pub, a very short walk from the cruise port.
Exploring Tortola off a Cruise Ship FAQs
Is Tortola walkable from the cruise port?
Not really, no. Tortola is a mountainous island with some long steep roads you wouldn’t want to walk up in cool weather, never mind in the Caribbean heat. If you want to stay around the Pier Park or Road Town, then walking is fine. Any further afield, you’ll want to get organise a Tortola cruise excursion like the ones throughout this blog or hire a rental car or scooter.
Is Tortola a good cruise stop?
Yes! Tortola is the gateway to the beautiful British Virgin Islands. There’s something for every type of cruise passenger. The Tortola Pier Park is modern with plenty of amenities, you can explore the capital on foot, you can island hop to even smaller islands, the beaches are beautiful, and there’s always something going on. Even if you have just a few hours in Tortola, you’ll have a memorable experience.
Where do cruise ships go in Tortola?
Cruise ships in Tortola dock at the Cyrille B. Romney Tortola Pier Park, which is located in the capital city of Road Town. This pier can accommodate large cruise ships, and its facilities have been upgraded over the years to handle the influx of tourists that the cruise industry brings.
If you’re a cruise ship passenger, you have a range of Tortola cruise excursions available to you. The terminal is close to local shops and restaurants and beaches such as Cane Garden Bay are a short taxi ride away, as you’ll see throughout this blog as you discover the best things to do in Tortola off a cruise ship.
More of our BVI travel guides
Every time we come back to the BVI, we’re reminded why we fell in love with the country in the first place. The beautiful beaches, jaw-dropping landscapes and mesmerising waters are simply perfect. Having spent almost a year exploring the region, we’ve documented our experiences, recommendations and mistakes and put together free BVI travel guides for you to use. Hopefully, they’ll make planning your vacation that bit easier.
The best things to do in Tortola
Tortola restaurants we recommend
The beaches in Tortola you have to visit
The complete guide to Cane Garden Bay
Our top things to do in Virgin Gorda
Places we love to eat in Virgin Gorda
How to get to Virgin Gorda
Everything you need to know about The Baths in Virgin Gorda
The must-do things to do in Anegada
Things you have to do in Jost Van Dyke
Our favourite beaches in the BVI
Where we suggest staying in the BVI
Did you know that…
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