Kingston
is a breathtaking mountain view
Welcome to Kingston
Squeezed between the Blue Mountains and the world’s seventh-largest natural harbor, Kingston simultaneously impresses you with its setting and overwhelms you with its noise and hustle. This is the island’s cultural and economic heart, and a place named a Creative City of Music by Unesco in 2015. Like a plate of spicy jerk washed down with a cold Red Stripe beer, a visit to Kingston is essential to taste the rich... Read More
Top experiences in Kingston
Sights in Kingston
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We've pre-picked the best hotels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
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Where to party in Jamaica after dark
Most tourists start their trip by flying into Montego Bay. Bar hopping along the Hip Strip is an easy way to slip into the vibe. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is a perennial favourite, and while some might call its cruise party atmosphere tacky, it’s also popular with local middle-class Jamaicans. Better still, head to Pier One, Montego Bay’s most popular nightclub, for some loud riddims to see you late into the night: dress to impress.
Travel guides
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Kingston activities
Scenic Tour of Kingston
Start with a pickup from your Montego Bay hotel. Board your air-conditioned coach or minivan and pass lush plantations, rickety villages and verdant countryside on route to Kingston.Drive through Fern Gully, a 3-mile (5-kilometer) road where giant ferns create a luxuriant canopy of tropical greenery. Follow winding roads up the forested Mount Diablo and admire the panoramic island views from its summit.Arrive in Kingston, set between the hazy peaks of the Blue Mountains and a vast natural harbor. Learn how the city is effectively split into a gritty Downtown of street markets and colonial-era buildings, and a commercial Uptown district.Enjoy a sightseeing drive around top Kingston attractions and learn about the city’s history and role in Jamaica’s ebullient spirit and culture. See the historic buildings and Simon Bolivar statue in Downtown, and watch the locals go about their routines in the colorful street markets.Stop at Devon House, a palatial mansion built by Jamaica’s first black millionaire in 1881. Tour (own expense) the opulent interiors of this grand house and break for lunch (own expense) at its courtyard restaurant.Drive through the University of West Indies’ campus and visit the Bob Marley Museum, sited in the musician’s former home on Hope Street. Take a guided tour (own expense) of the simple rooms that chart his life with gold records, statues and memorabilia.When the time comes, enjoy the scenic drive back to Montego Bay, where a hotel drop-off ends your trip.Please note: the order of activities as described above may be subject to change on the day of your tour.
Blue Mountain Downhill Bike Tour with Transport from Ocho Rios
Your full-day tour begins with hotel pickup in Ocho Rios, followed by a 2.5-hour drive up to Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. The drive takes you past local outdoor markets and a banana plantation, as well as the historical site of the 17th-century Rio Nuevo battle between the English and Spanish. Along the way, learn interesting facts about Jamaica's past from your guide. Enjoy a Cajun-spiced brunch and feast on beignets (deep-fried pastry), banana fritters and fruit drinks, as well as world-famous Blue Mountain coffee. After brunch, enjoy a coffee roasting demonstration before you get fitted with a bicycle, helmet and other protective gear, and prepare for a fun, 2.5-hour ride downhill as you coast along the mountainside!Begin the descent from an impressive 5,600 feet (1,700 meters), take in the breathtaking views of Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. The peak of Blue Mountain – the highest point in the entire Caribbean – rises 7,402 feet (2,250 meters) nearby. You’ll descend at a leisurely pace (approximately 5 -10 miles per hour), with plenty of designated picture-taking stops en route. (If you choose the non-bike riding option you will be transported down the mountain by bus, making the same photo stops as the riders.)As you ride down, soak up views of the dramatic tropical forest with its pristine streams and misty slopes, home to the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly and a variety of Jamaican birds, wildflowers and unique plants, including the world’s smallest orchids.After stopping for a late lunch, conclude your tour with a swim at a pristine, secluded waterfall before the return drive back to your hotel.
Layover Lounge Access: Club Kingston
Arrival Service: Upon disembarking your plane at Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport, you will be greeted by your Club Kingston Representative holding a personalized sign. Move seamlessly through the lines with fast track access through customs and immigration. Once you fill out your immigration forms (your representative can help if needed), you will be guided through the fast-track Immigration line. Once through Immigration, your host will help you retrieve your luggage at baggage claim. You will then proceed through the fast-track Customs line. Once you have cleared Customs, you will be escorted to your tour operator or private transportation for transfer to your hotel. Departure Lounge: On departure, escape to a sanctuary where you can relax, unwind or catch up on office work, all while immersed in warm Jamaican culture and hospitality. After checking in for your flight at Norman Manley International Airport, make your way to security and immigration area. In the fast-track line, present your voucher for access and breeze past the long lines. Once through security, head up to the mezzanine level to enter the Club Kingston departure lounge. Indulge in a comfortable lounge, where you can entertain yourself with the high-speed WiFi, catch up with the news on the flat-screen cable TVs, read through the provided magazines and newspapers or even use the conference facility for a quick meeting. If you have not had enough of Jamaica's culture, make sure to stroll through the historical and cultural exhibits onsite. Snack on the unlimited fresh fruit, sandwiches, tapas, sushi, pastries and more, then sip on a warm cup of coffee or tea, a refreshing cold beverage or even an alcoholic beverage like the iconic Red Stripe beer! Drinks and snacks are complimentary within the departure lounge. You will also have access to the private restroom and shower facilities. When it's time for your flight, you will board your plane at the designated gate feeling refreshed and relaxed!
Kingston City Tour
This tour showcases the variety that one finds in Kingston, from rich to poor, hills to waterfront, residential to commercial, so that you can gain an appreciation of the layout of this culturally vibrant city. The focus is on the history, culture, architecture, and food that you find in Kingston. You will first be picked up at your Kingston hotel by your expert guide/driver where you will be placed in a comfortable air conditioned vehicle. The first stop of the tour will be at the University of the West Indies, a beautiful campus with majestic ruins from the plantation era. The trip continues heading towards downtown Kingston, stopping to allow for photography of the vast expanse of city, from mountainside to seaside. Heroes Park is a must visit as the artistic monuments, the graves, and the flowers offer a lovely backdrop to learn about the rebellious history of Jamaica, not to mention it gives an opportunity to see the local military change of guards. In downtown Kingston there will be a stop at the buzzing market, the largest in the island, teeming with buyers and sellers and bursting with color. Then it is on to Trench Town, the famous neighborhood in which Bob Marley once lived which is widely considered to be the birthplace of reggae. Here you will have another opportunity to interact with locals while on the community-run tour. The tour finishes at the beautiful grounds of 18th century Devon House, where you will sample the world famous ice cream.At the end of the tour you will be taken back to your hotel, happy to have spent a day exploring this fascinating part of Jamaica.
Dunn's River Falls and Fern Gully Highlight Adventure Tour from Kingston
You'll be picked up at your hotel in Kingston by a licensed chauffeur. The tour begins as you come aboard the air-conditioned transportation and head into the heart of Ocho Rios to the hustle and bustle of Jamaican life. Make way to Fern Gully, a unique rain-forest which boast hundreds of different varieties of ferns. No one knows the origin of the Fern Gully but it is said that it was possibly started out with an underground river flowing through caves and later the roofs collapsed. Some have also suggested that it was created in the 1760s by a flash flood. Many writers such as Marianne North 1871, Lady Brassey 1883, Antonio Gallenga 1873 wrote about Gully Road on their Voyages to Ocho Rios. After this two mile encounter of amazing vegetation, stop along the way grab a souvenir from one of the many craft vendor in the Gully.Dunn's River Falls adventure is next, with a 15 minute drive along the beautiful North Coast with the blue Caribbean Sea as the backdrop. Enter the park with your prepaid tickets and you will be greeted by a licensed Fall Guide and provide an introduction and safety orientation before the climb.Dunn's River Falls is a famous waterfall near Ocho Rios, Jamaica a popular tourist attraction. It is 180 feet high and 600 feet long. The waterfalls are terraced with natural steps for climbing. It is the most climbed falls in the world. After climbing the falls, have lunch at one of Jamaica's famous jerk centers (not included).Wind down the experience with leisurely shopping at one of many Ocho Rios gift shops and craft store before heading back to your hotel.
Day Trip to The Bob Marley Museum from Montego Bay
Your tour will begin with pickup from your Montego Bay hotel and you will then journey to Kingston where you will stop at the Bob Marley Museum. The museum is situated on the site of the legendary musician’s home, which he purchased in 1975. This house, featuring 19th-century architecture, was Marley’s home until his death in 1981. It was converted into a museum six years later by his wife, Rita Marley. The main museum displays Marley’s personal treasures.The property also features a well-equipped 80-seat theater, a photographic gallery, and a gift shop selling t-shirts, posters and CDs and other Bob Marley memorabilia as well as items from Jamaica. You can also reward your palate with sumptuous meals from the Legend Cafe. The venue allows you to see every aspect of the life of Bob Marley.The tour is guided and is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes in duration. The tour is available Mondays to Friday. The first tour begins at 9:30am and the last tour commences at 4pm.