Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay

Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay
Price: $89.00
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Summary
Shore Excursion Size ? Standard
Shore Excursion Type Cultural, Scenic
Shore Excursion Duration 6 Hours
Activity Level ? Moderate
Shore Excursion Leaves From ? Cruise Ship Pier
Food/Beverage Provided None
Recommended Dress Comfortable, seasonal clothing and good walking shoes, sunscreen, hat and sunglasses.
Restrictions Guests must be able to get in and out of vehicle. Must be able to walk to tour sites. Not wheelchair accessible.

Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay

The fun starts as you leave the cruise ship port in an air-conditioned vehicle to spend the day in Montego Bay, the tourism capital of Jamaica and the second-largest city on the island. Discover the city through the lens of history beginning with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Hear stories about Montego Bay's early days as a sugarcane port as well as its darker days of slavery.

Head to the heart of the city, where you will head to your first stop of the tour--the beautiful Montego Bay Cultural Center, which is a museum and art gallery. This cultural center traces the history of the city from the Arawak era to the present. You'll learn about Montego Bay's early days as a sugarcane port. You may even have the opportunity to sample some sugar cane. You'll get the chance to stand on the cobblestone streets of Sam Sharpe Square, named after a national hero who was hanged for leading the revolt against slavery in 1832. While in the main square you will see other notable spots such as the civic center and the National Heroes Monument. Amid the colorful Georgian-style buildings you will find the Cage, a small stone structure that was once used as an overnight jail for drunks and vagrants. After visiting the museum, you'll be treated to a Jamaican beef patty--a local snack, which is a flaky pastry shell filled with seasoned meat.

Stop at St. James Parish church and gaze up at the elaborate stained glass window installed in 1911. This 200-year-old church is laid out in the shape of the classic Greek cross and is surrounded by centuries-old tombstones. Continue to Richmond Hill, a property once owned by the Dewar family of Scotch whiskey fame. Stand on its terraces 500 feet above sea level and enjoy panoramic views of the city below.

Continue to Rose Hall Great House and tour the house and gardens as you learn about the slaves and its infamous owner, Annie Palmer. Legend has it she lived here in the early 19th century and killed three husbands as well as several male slaves she took as lovers before she was murdered by one of her slaves. Locals dubbed her the White Witch of Rose Hall as it is said her ghost can be seen in the upstairs portion of the house. Her legend lives on in the Johnny Cash recording "The Ballad of Annie Palmer."

Complete your tour with a quick dip in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea before your return to the Port of Falmouth ($6 beach entrance fee). If you love history, this is the tour for you.

Please Note: Cameras are not allowed inside Rose Hall Great House. Remember your swimsuit, sunscreen and a beach towel.

5 Stars4.9 / 5  |  22 ReviewsReview This Tour
Great Tour - Wonderful Guides
December 28, 2022
This tour was informative and low-impact, with little walking. Our Guides made the experience very informative. I would recommend using this tour company in partnership with Cruises Only. The only downside (not bad thought) was that we left a cane on the bus. This did not diminish our positive experience of Falmouth and Montego! A go-to piece is the Rose Hall experience AND the wonderful docent there! Wish we had more time!! Oh, the Rum Stop was nice!!! Ya mon!
Reviewer: James N Phillips Jr
5 Stars
Loved the tour
September 25, 2022
Tour guide was great. Tour was great. All around it was a great experience
Reviewer: Tracy Owens
4 Stars
Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay
November 11, 2019
Great tour, long enough
Reviewer: Dominique Beaulieu
5 Stars
FANTASTIC!
June 13, 2019
We got SO much more than we thought we were going to get on this tour. I figured we'd go to the house, do the tour, and go back to port. They took us all through Montego Bay and we visited a church and a boutique hotel with beautiful views of the Bay. Our driver and our guide were extremely gracious hosts - funny, engaging, knowledgeable. I really could not have been more pleased with this excursion...and for a great price too!
Reviewer: Coleen Kennedy
5 Stars
Super fun
February 27, 2019
We enjoyed the tour, it was informative and very exciting. There was so much to see and learn. We felt we had a good respentation of the area of Jamaica. Our guides were very informative. Highly encourage it.
Reviewer: Jane
5 Stars
Outstanding tour
February 13, 2019
Everything was great. There were some older folks on the tour and the driver and guide did an incredible job of helping these folks and making sure they had a good experience.
Reviewer: Charles Goodwin
5 Stars