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How many days in the Bahamas? 7 days across Nassau, the Exumas and Eleuthera
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
The Bahamas is about 700 islands spread over a sea the size of a small country, and most visitors only see Nassau and its cruise piers. Give it seven days and use three islands: two nights in Nassau for history and connections, three on Great Exuma for the cays and sandbars, and two on Harbour Island and Eleuthera for pink sand and quiet. Inter-island flights are short, 30-45 minutes, but book them early and expect small planes.
Short answer
Four days covers Nassau and a speedboat day to the Exuma Cays. Seven lets you sleep in the Out Islands, which is where the water turns its famous colours and the crowds disappear.
The 7-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Downtown Nassau and the forts
Morning. Start at Fort Fincastle, built in 1793 on Bennet's Hill, then walk down the Queen's Staircase, 66 steps cut into the limestone by enslaved labourers. Continue 10 minutes to Parliament Square and its pink colonial buildings on Bay Street.
Afternoon. Visit the Pirates of Nassau museum (about US$15) or the John Watling's Distillery, a free-to-enter rum estate in an 18th-century house. Then cool off at Junkanoo Beach, a 10-minute walk west of the cruise port.
Evening. Eat at Arawak Cay, the row of brightly painted shacks known as the Fish Fry: conch salad made to order costs about US$15-20, fried snapper with peas and rice about US$25.
Check the cruise schedule. With four or five ships in port, downtown Nassau is packed from 9:00 to 17:00; on quiet days it is a different town.
Day 2: Paradise Island and a snorkel trip
Morning. Cross the bridge to Paradise Island and walk onto Cabbage Beach, a long strip of public sand beside the resorts. Reach it through the signed public access paths; there is no entry fee.
Afternoon. Take a half-day snorkel boat (about US$80-130) to the reefs and wrecks off Rose Island, or visit the Versailles Gardens and the reconstructed 14th-century French cloister on Paradise Island.
Evening. Dinner in the Cable Beach area, or a drink at Bay Street's harbourside bars. Taxis are the main way around at night; agree the fare before you get in.
Day passes for the Atlantis water park cost well over US$200 per adult and change by season; the beach in front of it is free.
Day 3: Fly to Great Exuma
Morning. Take the 35-40 minute flight from Nassau to George Town on Great Exuma (about US$120-200 one way). Pick up a rental car at the airport; on Exuma you drive on the left, on one main road, the Queen's Highway.
Afternoon. Drive 20 minutes south to Tropic of Cancer Beach, a calm crescent where the line of latitude is painted on a sign, and wade out into knee-deep water the colour of sea glass.
Evening. Eat at the Fish Fry shacks just north of George Town, where cracked conch and local Kalik beer cost far less than resort menus.
Groceries and fuel on the Out Islands cost 30-50% more than in Nassau. Buy water and snacks at the Exuma Markets in George Town.
Day 4: The Exuma Cays by boat
Morning. Join a full-day speedboat trip north into the Exuma Cays (about US$250-400 per person). Most visit Big Major Cay, home of the swimming pigs, and the rock iguanas of Bitter Guana Cay.
Afternoon. Snorkel in Thunderball Grotto by Staniel Cay, a domed limestone cave filmed in two James Bond films, best entered at low tide. Many boats also stop at Compass Cay to wade with docile nurse sharks.
Evening. Back on Great Exuma by about 17:00. Eat grilled lobster in season (August to March) at one of the beach bars on the Queen's Highway.
Do not feed the pigs bread or let them near your food bag; they push and bite. Follow the guide's rules and keep children back.
Day 5: Stocking Island and Elizabeth Harbour
Morning. Take the water taxi from George Town across Elizabeth Harbour to Stocking Island (about US$15-20 return, 10-15 minutes). Walk across the cay to the ocean beaches and the trail to the monument hill.
Afternoon. Hire a kayak or paddleboard around the shallow channels, or snorkel the coral heads near the island. The beach bar at Chat 'N' Chill is the social hub, with a Sunday pig roast.
Evening. Drive 30 minutes north to Coco Plum Beach for sunset over the sandbars at low tide, then a final dinner in George Town.
Check the tide table: the famous sandbars appear only at low tide, and some boat routes change with it.
Day 6: Harbour Island and Pink Sands Beach
Morning. Fly back via Nassau to North Eleuthera (Nassau to North Eleuthera is about 20-30 minutes), then take the 5-10 minute water taxi to Harbour Island (about US$5-10 per person).
Afternoon. Rent a golf cart, the island's main transport (about US$60-90 a day), and spend the afternoon on Pink Sands Beach, 5 km of sand tinted by crushed foraminifera shells.
Evening. Walk the clapboard lanes of Dunmore Town, one of the oldest settlements in the country, and eat on the harbour front, where a fish main costs about US$35-50.
Bahamas Fast Ferries also runs from Nassau to Harbour Island in about 2-2.5 hours; it suits a budget but not a tight connection from Exuma.
Day 7: Eleuthera road day
Morning. Take the water taxi back and drive south on Eleuthera to the Glass Window Bridge, where the island narrows to a road with the dark Atlantic on one side and the pale Bight on the other. Stop at the Queen's Baths, warm rock pools just south.
Afternoon. Go north to Preacher's Cave, where the Eleutheran Adventurers sheltered after a shipwreck around 1648, and swim at the quiet beach nearby.
Evening. Return to North Eleuthera airport for an evening flight to Nassau, or stay a last night and fly out in the morning.
Stay away from the Glass Window and the Queen's Baths when the Atlantic is rough; rogue waves have swept people off the rocks.
Only have 4 days?
With 4 days, stay in Nassau, add a speedboat day trip from Nassau to the Exuma Cays (about US$400-500, departing around 7:00 and returning around 17:00), and keep a beach day on Paradise Island.
Got extra days?
Extra days go to Andros for blue holes, bonefishing and the third-largest barrier reef in the world, to Long Island for Dean's Blue Hole, one of the deepest known, or to the Abaco islands for sailing between cays.
Where to stay in Bahamas
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Nassau downtown guesthouses | Cheapest beds in the country, walking distance to the Fish Fry and ferries. | US$120-200 |
| Mid-range | Cable Beach, Nassau | Beachfront hotels 15 minutes from the airport, buses into town. | US$220-380 |
| Mid-range | George Town, Great Exuma | Base for the cays boats, Stocking Island and the beaches. | US$200-350 |
| Comfort | Harbour Island boutique inns | Small hotels on Pink Sands Beach, walking to Dunmore Town. | US$450-1,000 |
Getting around
In Nassau, jitney minibuses cost about US$1.25-2 and run by day; taxis use set zone fares (airport to downtown is roughly US$35-40 for two). Between islands, Bahamasair and small charter airlines fly from Nassau in 20-45 minutes, typically US$100-250 one way; book weeks ahead in high season. Bahamas Fast Ferries links Nassau with Eleuthera and Harbour Island. On Exuma and Eleuthera, rent a car (about US$70-100 a day) and drive on the left.
What to eat in Bahamas
Conch is the national dish: raw in conch salad with lime, onion and pepper, deep-fried as cracked conch, or in conch fritters (about US$12-15 a basket). Spiny lobster is in season from August to March. Order peas 'n' rice, baked macaroni and cheese and johnnycake on the side, and try guava duff for dessert. Local beers are Kalik and Sands; the drink of the Fish Fry is a Sky Juice of gin, coconut water and condensed milk. Restaurant bills often add a 15% gratuity plus 10% VAT, so read before tipping again.
Best time to visit
Mid-December to April is dry and sunny at 24-28°C, and also the most expensive. May and June are good value, with warm sea and fewer crowds. The hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking in August to October, when storms can close airports for days. Water is warm year-round, around 24°C in winter and 29°C in summer.
Month-by-month weather for Bahamas →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | US$85 | US$170 | US$380 |
| Food & drink | US$45 | US$85 | US$160 |
| Sights & tickets | US$30 | US$90 | US$180 |
| Local transport | US$20 | US$55 | US$110 |
| Total per person, per day | about US$180 | about US$400 | about US$830 |
Approximate 2026 prices; the Bahamian dollar is pegged one-to-one to the US dollar and both are accepted everywhere. Hotel bills add 10% VAT plus resort or service fees, and inter-island flights (about US$100-250 per leg) are extra.
Before you go
Common questions
Can I do the Exumas as a day trip from Nassau?
Yes. Speedboat and small-plane tours leave Nassau around 7:00 and return by about 17:00, visiting the swimming pigs, the iguanas and Thunderball Grotto. They cost roughly US$400-700 per person. The ride can be rough in wind, and you spend several hours on the boat, so sleeping two or three nights on Great Exuma is calmer and cheaper per day.
Is the Bahamas safe for tourists?
The Out Islands are very relaxed. In Nassau, stay alert after dark away from Bay Street, Cable Beach and Paradise Island, avoid isolated beaches at night, and use licensed taxis with agreed fares. Most travel advisories focus on parts of New Providence; check your government's current advice before you go.
Do I need cash?
Cards work in hotels and most restaurants in Nassau and George Town, but Fish Fry stalls, water taxis, jitneys and small shops on the Out Islands often want cash. Carry US dollars in small notes; change is often given in Bahamian dollars, which are worth the same but are not accepted at home.
When is hurricane season?
June to November, with the highest risk from August to October. Many visitors travel then for low prices, but buy insurance that covers storm disruption, book flexible rates, and watch forecasts from the National Hurricane Center. December to April is the safest window for a fixed-date trip.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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