Best Things to Do in Bermuda for Families
Ella and I are currently planning our second Bermuda vacation in her nearly 6 years of life, so I thought I should take a few minutes to share with you some of our favorite Bermuda Family Attractions.
Best Bermuda Attractions for Families
Bermuda is an often overlooked family destination –  a beautiful, laid-back island with a sophisticated culture and low-key historical and natural attractions. It’s great for a relaxed family vacation and it doesn’t have to be expensive – in fact it can end up being cheaper than a comparable vacation in Hawaii or other islands.
While we will cover accommodations, dining and other Bermuda vacation details in another post, I wanted to dedicate this one completely to our favorite Bermuda attractions:
- Bermuda Aquarium & Zoo
- Crystal Cave
- Royal Navy Dockyard and National Museum
- Town Crier Walking Tour
- Bermuda Botanical Gardens
- St. George’s Historic District
- Gibbs Hill Lighthouse
And of course – the beaches! Horseshoe Bay, Pink Beach and Church Bay are amongst the most famous, but we loved Horseshoe Bay with it’s amazing cove the best.
We also really enjoyed a scenic ferry ride that took us from Hamilton to the Royal Dockyard, where we later met up with friends over a scoop of ice cream.
Plan one attraction per day and plan to spend the rest of the day exploring the surrounding “parish” (which is how the island is divided up) and hitting the beach or enjoying the amenities of your hotel. Bermuda doesn’t skimp when it comes to their hotels.
Bermuda Aquarium & Zoo
First on the list because this was hands down my favorite attraction other than the beaches on our last trip.
First off, it’s incredibly affordable with adults being $10 and children under 5 free – other zoos that we’ve been to have been $20+ per person. The Natural History museum is also housed inside of the zoo giving you a bonus third attraction.
The set-up is incredibly beautiful, with an emphasis on natural environments and providing great views of the animals while keeping both the animals and guests safe. (For example, while you could practically reach in and touch the giant tortoises, there is a significant amount of protection around the flamingoes.)
The zoo participates in a great deal of conservation efforts and coordinates events like whale watching outings often, so check their website before planning your trip.
Crystal Cave
Now going to one of the more expensive Bermuda attractions, the Crystal Caves are a gorgeous natural phenomenon that are just magical and amazing to be able to walk through and explore. Our tour guide definitely made this an unforgettable experience with his wicked sense of humour and extensive knowledge about the caves and Bermuda’s history.
Pictures absolutely don’t do these caves justice and they have installed gorgeous light shows in the crystal waters to make for a breathtaking experience.
I just explored the Crystal Cave but you can pay $8 more ($30) to explore both caves. Plan your visit here.
Royal Navy Dockyard
Some of our favorite memories of Bermuda happened in the Royal Navy Dockyard. A shopping and dining location by day, many of Bermuda’s festivals and concerts happen here and we were lucky enough to join in on two! We got to see traditional dancing, interact with local artists (and buy some local art for our home), and indulge in some delicious food.
The National Museum is located here and you can plan some unique experiences – like one-on-one dolphin encounters.
There are special events every day of the week so take a look at their weekly calendar when planning your trip.
The National Museum is located at the Dockyard and even if the thought of a Maritime Museum sounds boring, you will not be disappointed by the beautiful views. There are so many aspects to Bermuda’s history that you are guaranteed to find at least one exhibit interesting and the grounds are the perfect location to set up for a picnic with your treats from the Dockyard.
Town Crier Walking Tour
My friend set up this wonderful walking tour for us that took us all around the City of Hamilton. The Town Crier, Ed, was so entertaining and informative – even though I had read two tour guides before our visit and have friends from the Island, I still learned a lot from the walking tour and it was a nice way to meet other tourists.
Ella got a real kick out of his outfit and he was wonderfully accommodating during the tour when I would have to move her from the stroller into the carrier, and the other tourists were happy to help push the empty stroller so I could focus on putting G to sleep.
Get the details and book your own walking tour here.
Bermuda Botanical Gardens
The botanical gardens are really spread out (36 acres) but feature lots of hidden treasures, like garden mazes, fountains, and giant exposed tree roots perfect for letting the kids engage in some imaginative play.
They encourage picnics and are adjacent to downtown Hamilton, unlike most large botanical gardens that are somewhat removed from city centers.
Read more about the Botanical Gardens here.
Fort Hamilton
If you can’t swing a trip to the Botanical Gardens, you have to check out Fort Hamilton. Again, this might sound super boring but trust me – this is a gorgeous must-do attraction and very close to Bermuda’s downtown centre so you can have fun exploring here with the kids and then head downtown to check out the central parks, front street, or catch a bus to a different parish.
(Personally, I’d grab some food on your way out of downtown and set up for a picnic here.)
St. George’s Historical District
A UNESCO heritage site, this area is pretty and spotted with several quick-stop museums like the Old State House, Tucker House Museum, a replica of the ship Deliverance, etc. There is an Old Town Market, historical reenactments, parks for kids to run around in, and several delicious restaurants
The Bermuda Perfumery is also located in St. George and they were wonderful to visit. We were able to learn about the process of making perfume, visit the gardens where some of their plants are grown, and I purchased a beautiful perfume there that reminds me of our vacation every time I wear it. They also offer formal afternoon teas (a favorite of mine) so I can’t wait to return now that Ella is older and treat her to an afternoon tea at the perfumery!
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse
Anyone who was as obsessed with the original Pete’s Dragon as I was likely shares my unnatural obsession with lighthouses. One of my favorite souvenirs from this vacation is a small lighthouse charm. However, going up the actual lighthouse is something that only adults and older children should do. I’m glad I was travelling with a friend that day and was able to safely leave Ella at the bottom of the lighthouse.
This location isn’t a must-do, but it provides a pretty view of the island and they have a restaurant with great views just inside of the innkeeper’s cottage.
Be sure to pin this collection of the Best Bermuda Attractions for Families for your family’s travel bucket list:
Has your family had the privilege of visiting Bermuda? What attractions or details would you add to this list?
For more family-friendly vacation planning, check out our Top Ten Montreal Restaurants for Foodie Families or our Top Ten Disney Resorts for Every Budget!
The National Museum of Bermuda is worth a mention and a look, then of course St Georges. Great blog you have a really enjoyed reading it ))
Thanks – I actually did mention and recommend it in the section about Royal Dockyard 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.