Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.com
Montego Bay
Trip Planning & Itineraries
12:00 PM Thursday, Mar 11
Passing clouds. Warm.
7 day forecast »
A bustling town with a turbulent history, a thriving port and a hopping "hip strip", Montego Bay is Jamaica's most energy-charged city. Resort central, and Jamaica's largest city, it's also the best spot on the island to hang out and use as a base for sightseeing and all manner of activity-based tours.
Being host to the island's busiest airport and cruise-ship port assures the town a steady stream of visitors. Most never make it off Gloucester Ave, lined with hotels, restaurants, bars and souvenir emporia. Running parallel to the beach, you'll find everything on Montego Bay's main strip, including some of the best eating options on the island.
Best of Montego Bay: Top 3 Must-Do Experiences
Best of Montego Bay: Suggested Itineraries
Once you've explored Montego Bay's bustling downtown and sampled the wonderful cuisine, head into Jamaica's hinterland to discover the island's history and culture, or set yourself loose on an adrenaline-fueled adventure downriver, off-road or into the jungle!
Get a taste for the tropics on a day trip to Croydon plantation, bursting with tropical fruits and providing insights into Jamaica's past as the birthplace of national hero and slave leader, Sam Sharpe. The colonial era also comes alive at Greenwood Great House, an 18th-century architectural gem. Combine shopping with waterfalls on a day trip to Dunn's River Falls and Ocho Rios, known for its many craft markets. Or pay a visit to the island's capital, Kingston, for a packed day including a scenic tour and a visit to the city's famous Bob Marley Museum. And if you're a real fan of Bob Marley you won't want to miss the Spirit of Reggae tour to Nine Mile, the legendary reggae master's home village.
Montego Bay Adventure Excursions
Get the action started with an exciting canopy tour through the jungle, combining soaring tree-top traverses and ground-level nature walks. Jamaica's rugged inland is a treasure trove of exotic tropical jungle, hidden waterfalls and natural pools perfect for swimming, and the best way to discover these secrets is on a jeep tour into the interior. If you're more into action than nature, head off-road on an ATV adventure to either Sandy Bay or Rose Hall. Want to hit the water? Try floating downriver on a jungle tubing safari, rafting on the Great River, or head off on a Black River safari to explore Jamaica's mangroves, waterfalls and scenic south coast.
Best of Montego Bay: Top 3 Hotels
Half Moon is one of the great Caribbean resorts, an exclusive colonial-style affair named for its private crescent beach. Feeling more like an utopian village than a resort, the decor is dripping with Georgian plantation-era decor, and over-the-top facilities include gourmet restaurants, squash courts, tennis courts, a full-service spa, a conference center, a championship golf course and the Half Moon Village.
Family owned and run, this intimate smaller-scale resort has an understated elegance and clubby, old-world feel. Relax on the private stretch of white sand beach running the full length of the property, nestle into the on-site bars and restaurants, play a round of golf or set of tennis, or unwind with a soothing massage.
If you're feeling like some personal treatment, head to the prestigious Round Hill for some one-on-one pampering. With access to an infinity pool, each of the Ralph Lauren-designed rooms is exquisitely decorated with antique furniture and stately four-poster bamboo beds. Facilities include a gym, tennis courts, water sports and wellness center.
Best of Montego Bay: Top 3 Restaurants
The aptly named GG is the place to share a lobster tail at sunset in gorgeous Doctor's Cave Beach. The thatch-roofed, beachside hangout has umbrellas, beach chairs, lounges and just about everything else you could want after a day in the Jamaican sun.
Seafood, sunset sea views and tropical cocktails are the name of the game at Pier One - but if you linger a little longer over your Jamaican jerked conch with papaya you'll notice the heat rising as Pier One morphs into a nightclub come the witching hour.
Nestled in the lush tropical hills just outside Montego Bay, Dayo (channeling Harry Belafonte) serves Jamaican and international cuisine in a lovely garden setting. Try Jamaican jerked snapper or go for the jumping-fresh local rock lobster served with lemon butter.
Suggested Itineraries: Montego Bay
Montego Bay's most celebrated annual events are its two high-profile music festivals. Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest is Jamaica's premier reggae festival, held in July. It typically includes more than 50 world-class reggae artists. It starts with a beach party on Walter Fletcher Beach, followed by four theme nights, including a 'street jam' on Gloucester Ave.
Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival is held in late January and brings internationally acclaimed acts to Cinnamon Hill near Rose Hall for three nights of music under the stars.
- Plan Montego Bay vacations on Yahoo! Travel
- Montego Bay hotels, Jamaica from PlanetWare
- Montego Bay hotels from HotelsCombined.com
- Local news from the Jamaica Gleaner
