Falmouth, Jamaica Shore Excursions: 6 Independent Operators Compared

Quick picks

Lowest price Falmouth Mystic Lagoon $50 per person for Daytime Snorkelling Experience
Private trip Down To Earth Tours $115 per person for Dunn's River Falls and Jamaica Sightseeing Private Tour
Easiest to cancel Down To Earth Tours Full refund if cancelled at least 24 hours ahead; weather or minimum-group cancellations get a new date or full refund.
Back to the ship Big Deal Tours Guarantees on-time return to the Falmouth Cruise Port, planning for 30 to 60 minutes before departure

Will it fit your day in Falmouth?

Put in your ship's arrival and all-aboard times from your cruise planner. Each tour is checked against the time you have, minus the buffer you choose for getting off the ship and back to the pier.

Falmouth Mystic Lagoon: Daytime Snorkelling Experience3 hours, departing 10:00 am
Big Deal Tours: Dunn's River Falls4-5 hours; 60 to 90 minutes' drive each way
Down To Earth Tours: Blue Hole Waterfalls & Wonders1 dayCheck the length
Chukka - River Outpost at Good Hope: Bamboo Rafting BOGO (Web Deal)Length not listedCheck the length
Falmouth Mystic Lagoon: Daytime Snorkeling Catamaran Experience3 hours, departing 10:00 am
Down To Earth Tours: Dunn's River Falls and Jamaica Sightseeing Private Tour4 to 7 hours
Big Deal Tours: Martha Brae Bamboo Rafting from FalmouthAbout 3-4 hours total; raft ride 60-90 minutes over about 3 miles
Chukka - River Outpost at Good Hope: Eco Explorer Pass (Non-Motorized)Length not listedCheck the length
Chukka - River Outpost at Good Hope: Ultimate Explorer Pass with Dune BuggyLength not listedCheck the length
Faithful Waters: Falmouth Cruise Ship Package4 hours
Rafting on the Martha Brae: Bamboo river rafting on the Martha BraeAbout 1 hour 15 minutes on the raft

Example times are filled in. Your cruise line's daily planner has the real ones, and a tender port needs more buffer.

Every option side by side

Operator	What you get	From	Length	Group	Min age	Back-to-ship	Cancellation	Book
Falmouth Mystic Lagoon	Daytime Snorkelling ExperienceIncludes Snorkel equipment, Guide, Drinks on board	$50 per person	3 hours, departing 10:00 am			Not stated		Check dates
Big Deal Tours	Dunn's River FallsIncludes Private air-conditioned transport with driver, Dunn's River Falls admission, Licensed local guide, Beach time at the base of the falls	$85 per person	4-5 hours; 60 to 90 minutes' drive each way	Private		Guaranteed on-time return to your cruise ship	Full refund 48+ hours ahead, 50% at 24 to 48 hours, none later; full refund if the ship skips the port.	Check dates
Down To Earth Tours	Blue Hole Waterfalls & WondersIncludes Driver/guide, All fees and taxes, Hotel or port pickup and drop-off, Air-conditioned vehicle	$96 per person	1 day	Private; minimum 3 per booking, up to 30		Not stated	Full refund if cancelled at least 24 hours ahead; weather or minimum-group cancellations get a new date or full refund.	Check dates
Chukka - River Outpost at Good Hope	Bamboo Rafting BOGO (Web Deal)Includes Bamboo rafting, One bonus non-motorized experience, Free pickup and drop-off available	$99 per person				Not stated		Check dates
Falmouth Mystic Lagoon	Daytime Snorkeling Catamaran Experience	$100 per person	3 hours, departing 10:00 am			Not stated		Check dates
Down To Earth Tours	Dunn's River Falls and Jamaica Sightseeing Private TourIncludes Driver/guide, Round-trip pickup and drop-off, Air-conditioned minivan, Dunn's River Falls and Park entry	$115 per person	4 to 7 hours	Private		Not stated	Full refund if cancelled at least 24 hours before; weather or minimum-group cancellation gets new date or full refund.	Check dates
Big Deal Tours	Martha Brae Bamboo Rafting from FalmouthIncludes Private transportation, Raft admission, Fruit drink at the end	$135 per person	About 3-4 hours total; raft ride 60-90 minutes over about 3 miles	Private, minimum 2		Guarantees on-time return to the Falmouth Cruise Port, planning for 30 to 60 minutes before departure	Full refund 48+ hours ahead, 50% at 24 to 48 hours, none later; full refund if the ship skips the port.	Check dates
Chukka - River Outpost at Good Hope	Eco Explorer Pass (Non-Motorized)Includes Round-trip transfers from the Falmouth and Montego Bay area, E-bike country ride, Zipline, River tubing, Appleton rum tasting, Adventure Falls and waterslide	$139 per person			Zipline and river tubing 6+; e-bikes 10+; rum tasting 18+	Not stated		Check dates
Chukka - River Outpost at Good Hope	Ultimate Explorer Pass with Dune BuggyIncludes Round-trip transfers from the Falmouth and Montego Bay areas, Dune buggy, Bamboo rafting, E-bike country ride, Zipline, River tubing, Appleton rum tasting, Adventure Falls and waterslide	$179 per person			Rafting, zipline and tubing 6+; e-bikes 10+; dune buggy driver 16+ with a license; rum tasting 18+	Not stated		Check dates
Faithful Waters	Falmouth Cruise Ship PackageIncludes Snorkeling, Boat ride, Beach time, Sightseeing tour, Transportation for up to five	$400 per group	4 hours	up to 5 people		Not stated		Check dates
Rafting on the Martha Brae	Bamboo river rafting on the Martha Brae	Not listed	About 1 hour 15 minutes on the raft			Not stated		Check dates

From each operator's own website, checked October 22, 2026. How we compare.

The same day through your cruise line

What the cruise lines list for their own excursions in Falmouth, from their websites.

Line	Excursion	From	Length
Norwegian	Falmouth Highlights And Rum Tasting	$129.99 per adult	about 4 hours
Norwegian	Zipline & River Tubing Combo	$169.99 per adult	about 4 hours

Read on each cruise line's website on October 22, 2026. Lines change these prices often, so check the page before you book.

Berth 1, County Wharf and Water Square

The Historic Falmouth Cruise Port opened in March 2011, a joint venture of Royal Caribbean and the Port Authority of Jamaica. It is a single wedge-shaped pier with two berths built for the largest ships. Cruise Hive says Berth 1, the Royal Caribbean Dock, mostly takes Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, Oasis-class ships included. Berth 2, County Wharf, serves Carnival, Norwegian, Disney and at times Royal Caribbean.

Hugh Darley, who conceived the port, said it came through Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 with almost no damage, Seatrade Cruise News reported. He said ships were cancelling because of damage outside the port, and Wikipedia records that the storm destroyed the Falmouth Courthouse. Cruise calls resumed on December 2, 2025, when Caribbean Princess and Norwegian Star docked, the Jamaica Observer reported, after Ocho Rios and Montego Bay had already reopened.

The town begins at the gate: Water Square is less than half a mile from the pier, according to Cruise Hive. Only registered taxi companies may work the sheltered pickup line, charging flat rates of $5 to $15 around town, and there is no Uber or Lyft. Montego Bay is about 18 miles west. Chukka offers free pickup from Falmouth, and Down To Earth Tours collects guests at the port.

St. Peter's Anglican Church in Falmouth, Jamaica — Photo: Concord, CC BY-SA 4.0

Eastern time and the December 2025 restart

Jamaica keeps UTC-5, Eastern Standard Time, so compare the ship's clock with local time before setting a pickup. The Cruise Quest schedule lists 15 Falmouth calls on 12 days in November 2026, by Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America and Disney ships. Its busiest day, November 18, has two ships in port, and Allure of the Seas and Disney Treasure are among the month's visitors.

None of the three operators listed here publishes a back-to-ship guarantee. Down To Earth Tours asks cruise guests for their ship name and their docking, disembarkation and re-boarding times when they book, and its tour runs 4 to 7 hours. On the Martha Brae, the raft ride itself lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, and Cruise Hive puts the river about 20 minutes from the port.

Martha Brae rafts, Good Hope and Dunn's River

Bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae River starts at Rafter's Village in Martha Brae. Rafting on the Martha Brae, running since 1970, takes 30-foot bamboo rafts down a 3-mile stretch and has 85 licensed raft captains. River Raft Limited, which runs it, set a tentative reopening for December 15, 2025, once fallen trees from Hurricane Melissa were cleared, the Jamaica Observer reported. Confirm before booking.

Chukka's River Outpost at Good Hope sits on the same river, about 25 minutes from Falmouth. Its Bamboo Rafting BOGO deal costs $99 and adds one non-motorized activity, and its rafting includes a drink and a limestone foot massage on the river. The Eco Explorer Pass ($139) bundles e-bikes, zipline, river tubing, rum tasting and Adventure Falls. The Ultimate Explorer Pass with a dune buggy is $179.

Dunn's River Falls, 39 miles away and about an hour by road, is the long option. Down To Earth Tours' private trip ($115 a person) allows about 1.5 hours there to swim in the pools and climb the cascades in a human chain. Closer in, the Luminous Lagoon at the river's mouth glows from bioluminescent micro-organisms, but Cruise Hive notes the glow shows only at night.

Chukka passes, river captains and private drivers

Chukka lists free pickup and drop-off from Falmouth, Montego Bay and Runaway Bay for its Good Hope tours. The page does not mention the cruise pier, and it sends cruise guests to a separate shore excursion page. It gives no durations, no back-to-ship promise and no refund terms beyond a link. Its prices are "from" figures, starting at $99 for rafting with one bonus activity.

Rafting on the Martha Brae publishes no prices, inclusions or cruise transport on its homepage. It takes bookings online and by phone, and it points to its licensed captains and a licensed dispatcher who supervises boarding. Down To Earth Tours, an Ocho Rios driver-guide company that books through WeTravel, is the private option: $115 a person for groups of 1 to 50, with Dunn's River entry and an air-conditioned minivan.

Down To Earth refunds in full for cancellations at least 24 hours ahead and offers a new date or a full refund if weather cancels, but says nothing about a ship that fails to arrive. Lunch and tips are extra, and the trip is not wheelchair accessible or advised for people with heart problems.

Watching from shore

Falmouth's Georgian streets. Falmouth was laid out in 1769 as a planned town with wide grid streets and had piped water before New York City. It is considered one of the best-preserved Georgian towns in the Caribbean, with many buildings from 1790 to 1840.
St Peter's Anglican Church. Built in 1795, it is one of the oldest churches in Jamaica, with solid mahogany columns and a floor inlaid with crosses of mahoe and mahogany.

Before you book

The Jamaican dollar is the official currency, and the Jamaica Tourist Board says US and Canadian dollars are widely accepted.
Tipping is not mandatory, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board's group guidelines, which suggest US$2 to $3 per person for attraction guides and for meal servers.
Rafting on the Martha Brae suggests T-shirts, shorts and sneakers for the river.

The operators

Falmouth Mystic Lagoon

from $50 per person

Daytime Snorkelling Experience and 1 more option

Length: 3 hours, departing 10:00 am

No back-to-ship policy stated

Based at Luminous Lagoon Marina in Falmouth, Trelawny

Check dates All details

Big Deal Tours

from $85 per person

Dunn's River Falls and 1 more option

Length: 4-5 hours; 60 to 90 minutes' drive each way
Group: Private

Back to ship: Guarantees on-time return to the Falmouth Cruise Port, planning for 30 to 60 minutes before departure

Based in Rock District, Falmouth; says it is fully licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board and its guides grew up in Trelawny

Check dates All details

Down To Earth Tours

from $96 per person

Blue Hole Waterfalls & Wonders and 1 more option

Length: 1 day
Group: Private; minimum 3 per booking, up to 30

No back-to-ship policy stated

Private driver-guide operator; no standalone website found, books through WeTravel

Check dates All details

Chukka - River Outpost at Good Hope

from $99 per person

Bamboo Rafting BOGO (Web Deal) and 2 more options

No back-to-ship policy stated

Jamaican adventure company running its own parks, incl. Good Hope estate near Falmouth

Check dates All details

Faithful Waters

from $400 per group

Falmouth Cruise Ship Package

Length: 4 hours
Group: up to 5 people

No back-to-ship policy stated

Falmouth company that says it has run Luminous Lagoon tours for 12 years

Check dates All details

Rafting on the Martha Brae

Price on request

Bamboo river rafting on the Martha Brae

Length: About 1 hour 15 minutes on the raft

No back-to-ship policy stated

Bamboo rafts on the Martha Brae River in Trelawny Parish

Check dates All details

Head to head

More shore excursions in the Caribbean

Cozumel, Mexico from $45
Nassau, Bahamas from $58.95
Grand Cayman (George Town), Cayman Islands from $50
St. Maarten (Philipsburg) from $59
Roatan, Honduras from $25
Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico from $35
Belize City, Belize from $35
Key West, Florida from $39
Progreso, Mexico from $59
Ocho Rios, Jamaica from $79

Sources

Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 22, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.