Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay

Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay
Rated 4.9 out of 5
Read 24 Reviewsor
Excursion Highlights:
  • Don't miss out on the renowned Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay tour, a journey through Jamaica's rich history and vibrant culture
  • Tour the beautiful Montego Bay Cultural Center and stand on the streets of Sam Sharpe Square
  • Marvel at the 200-year-old St. James Parish Church, then take in panoramic city views from Richmond Hill
  • Learn about the infamous Annie Palmer at Rose Hall Great House and the thrilling legends of the White Witch
  • End the tour with a refreshing dip in the Caribbean Sea
Price: $108.00
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Summary
Shore Excursion Size ? Standard
Shore Excursion Type Scenic, Cultural, Historical
Shore Excursion Duration 5 Hours
Activity Level ? Moderate
Shore Excursion Leaves From ? Cruise Ship Pier
Food/Beverage Provided Bottled water and Jamaican beef patty
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 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."

Please Note: Your 6-hour tour includes the entrance fee to Rose Hall Great House and there will be time for some brief shopping at duty-free and craft areas. Cameras are not allowed in the Rose Hall Great House. You have the option to stop at the jerk center for lunch or at the beach. ($7USD beach entrance fee not included. Please inform tour guide at the beginning of the tour if you would like a beach stop)

24 Ratings
4.9out of 5 stars
1-10 of 24 Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5
Mar 12, 2025
This tour was worth it.
Really enjoyed this tour. Our guide was great and because the 4 of us opted out of the beach or restaurant, he took us on a tour of the area. Would not have wanted to miss the Annie Palmer house. Quite a story.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jan 15, 2024
Terrific!!!
Very informative. Great visit. Thank you
Rated 5 out of 5
Feb 22, 2023
Great Tour - Wonderful Guides
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!
Rated 4 out of 5
Oct 31, 2022
Loved the tour
Tour guide was great. Tour was great. All around it was a great experience
Rated 5 out of 5
Nov 24, 2019
Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay
Great tour, long enough
Rated 5 out of 5
Jun 23, 2019
FANTASTIC!
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!
Rated 5 out of 5
Mar 17, 2019
Super fun
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.
Rated 5 out of 5
Feb 24, 2019
Outstanding tour
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.
Rated 4 out of 5
Feb 17, 2019
Rose Hall Great House and Montego Bay
Jodi and Jerry were great on this tour! They were very informative, very friendly, very knowledgeable, and easy to talk to! The tour was good, and sights were wonderful!
Rated 5 out of 5
Jan 20, 2019
Wonderful tour
We were delighted with this tour! We learned so much and enjoyed see the beautiful overlooks to the water! The guides were informative and vey nice!