St Kitts Shore Excursion: Basseterre & Brimstone Hill Tour
Three hours, four centuries of island history: the clock tower, the batik studio, the fortress
A three-hour shore excursion from the cruise port in St Kitts visits Basseterre's city center, Romney Manor's Caribelle Batik studio and gardens, and either Timothy Hill or Brimstone Hill Fortress depending on your option. A guide meets you at the port, drives you through the colonial streets, and walks you through each stop, ending back at the ship in time to reboard.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Explore Basseterre and Romney Manor or Brimstone Hill
- Drive from port to Basseterre city
- See Lord Berkeley memorial clock
- View historic church building
- Pass Bloody Point historic site
- Visit Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor
- See largest Saman Tree
- Explore aqueduct and mill house ruins
- View Indian Petroglyphs
- Optionally visit Brimstone Hill Fortress
- Bloody Point passing by
- Romney Manor 25m
- Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park 45m
What’s included
- City tour of Basseterre with driver and guide.
- visit to Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor with entrance included.
- port pickup and drop-off.
- entrance to either Timothy Hill or Brimstone Hill Fortress depending on your selected option, with the Brimstone Hill fee included.
Times
- Monday to Friday 10:00
Before you book
Operated by Kisco / Tropical Tours St. Kitts
Prices and times updated 6 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The tour starts the moment you leave the port. Your guide drives you into Basseterre and stops at the Circus, a four-sided clock monument built in the 1880s to honor Lord Thomas Berkeley: locals call it "Little Ben" because it echoes London's Big Ben. The church nearby, rebuilt in 1927 after a fire destroyed the original 1856 structure, shows the architectural style of that era. Then you head to Bloody Point, where a river massacre of Kalinago Indians in the 1600s left its name on the landscape. The guide explains how the British settlers' arrival and the betrayal that followed changed the island's course.
Romney Manor is where the Caribelle Batik operates inside a property that once belonged to the great-great-great grandfather of Thomas Jefferson. You walk through gardens with green vervet monkeys and tropical plants, watch artists draw designs using hot wax on sea island cotton, and can buy finished pieces. The Saman tree on the grounds is over 400 years old and the largest living organism on the island. Nearby are ruins from the 1650s (an aqueduct, a mill house for crushing cane, a lime kiln), and Indian petroglyphs carved into stone.
Which second stop you visit depends on your option. The Panoramic Brimstone Hill tour takes you to the fortress, a UNESCO Heritage Site on a hilltop with views across the island and neighboring islands. Inside are 18th-century British uniforms, cannon guns, and tools that tell the story of the soldiers who held this stronghold. The entrance fee is included. If you choose the Romney Manor and Timothy Hill option instead, you visit Timothy Hill for different vistas of the island. Either way, your guide brings you back to the port with time to spare before reboarding.
Is this one for you?Choose the Panoramic Brimstone Hill option if you want the UNESCO fortress and its views. Pick Romney Manor and Timothy Hill if you prefer the gardens, the 400-year-old tree, and different island vantage points. Both options fit inside the three-hour window and return you to the ship on time.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What is the Saman tree at Romney Manor?
The Saman tree is over 400 years old and the largest living organism in St Kitts, standing in the gardens where the Caribelle Batik studio operates.
Why is the Circus clock called "Little Ben"?
The monument was built in the 1880s to honor Lord Thomas Berkeley and has four clock faces on four sides, echoing the design of Big Ben in London's Piccadilly Square.
What happened at Bloody Point?
In the 1600s, a massacre of Kalinago Indians took place there after the British chief Sir Thomas Warner returned from England with settlers and enslaved people, triggering a conflict that ended in the slaughter of the indigenous population.
What's inside Brimstone Hill Fortress?
Brimstone Hill Fortress holds 18th-century British military artifacts including uniforms, cannon guns, and tools, displayed inside a UNESCO-listed fortress that sits on a hilltop overlooking the island.
Do I need to pay extra for the Brimstone Hill entrance fee?
The US$15 entrance fee for Brimstone Hill Fortress is included in the Panoramic Brimstone Hill tour option. It supports the ongoing restoration of the site.
St Kitts Shore Excursion: Basseterre & Brimstone Hill Tour
3h · EN
from US$ 65 per person
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