A cruise ship docked at Gruž port in Dubrovnik, with the town and the sea behind it — Photo: a cruise ship at Gruž port in Dubrovnik. Djngsf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The ship docks at eight, all-aboard is at five, and you have one day in a city you may never visit again. Ship excursions are easy but crowded, and heading off alone raises questions: where is the old town, how far is it, and will you be back in time? That is why we built Cruise port days, a new section of World City Trail with one practical page for each of the 87 cruise and river-cruise cities where you can play our games.

In short: find your port on Cruise port days, follow the directions from the ship to the start, and play a self-guided scavenger hunt, escape game or audio walk on your phone. Most hunts take about two to three hours, so they fit a normal port day with time left for lunch and the way back.

%Cruise pack: save at every port Book games or city guides in 3 or more of our cruise port cities in one order and get 15% off automatically, or 20% off from 5 cities. The tickets have no time limit, so you can book your whole itinerary before you sail.

City guides for your day ashore Six guides for each city: where to eat, what to see, what to do with kids, where to go out, day trips and how to save money. They work offline, so you don’t need mobile data ashore. Find your city guide →

See all 87 cruise port days →

What you find on each cruise port page

Where ships dock: the terminal or quay your ship is likely to use, and how far it is from the centre.
From the ship to the start: on foot, by shuttle, bus, tram, metro or taxi, with realistic travel times.
A sample port day: a simple timeline from stepping ashore to being back on board with a safe margin.
Local tips for that port, such as tender days, busy hours and where to take a break.
The games in that city with live prices, and answers to the questions cruise passengers ask most.

Why a self-guided game works on a port day

You start when you step off the ship, not at a fixed tour time, and nobody waits for a group.
Everyone in your party can follow on their own phone with one booking reference.
You can stop for lunch or a swim and carry on later, and end the game whenever you need to head back.
Google Maps guides you from stop to stop, and the game needs no entry tickets.

Unlike a guided shore excursion, there is no meeting point to find and no group to wait for. If the tender queue was long or the ship arrived late, the game simply starts later.

Plan your port day in five steps

Check your arrival and all-aboard times, and whether your ship docks at a pier or uses tenders.
Open your port’s page on Cruise port days and note how to get from the ship to the start.
Book your game online; the booking reference arrives by email straight away and has no time limit.
Download the World City Trail app before you leave the ship and bring a charged phone with mobile data.
Play at your own pace and aim to be back at the ship at least an hour before all-aboard.

Ports where the game starts close to the ship

In many ports the old town is a short walk or a quick ride from the gangway. These are some of the easiest stops to play:

Explore your city by playing

Turn the landmarks in this article into a self-guided scavenger hunt you play on your phone.

11 EUR for one player, 5 EUR per person for groups of four or more.

See the your city adventure →

RhodesWhere ships dockTourist Port quay (Kolona), next to the Old Town wallsFrom the ship to the startAbout 20 min on foot through the Old TownPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →TallinnWhere ships dockOld City Harbour (Vanasadam), about 1 km from the Old TownFrom the ship to the startA walk of about 1 km, or about 5 min by taxi, to the Viru GatePort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →DubrovnikWhere ships dockGruž cruise port, about 3 km from Pile GateFrom the ship to the startAbout 10-20 min by bus 1A, 1B or 3 to Pile GatePort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →LisbonWhere ships dockLisbon Cruise Terminal, Santa Apolónia, below AlfamaFrom the ship to the startAbout 10 min by metro (Blue Line) to RossioPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →VallettaWhere ships dockValletta Cruise Port, Valletta Waterfront, Grand HarbourFrom the ship to the startAbout 10 min by taxi, or on foot via the Barrakka LiftPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →BarcelonaWhere ships dockMoll Adossat or World Trade Center terminalsFrom the ship to the startT3 Portbus (10 min) plus about 20 min walk up La RamblaPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →

River cruise stops

River-cruise boats usually moor close to the centre, which makes these games easy to fit between breakfast and the next sailing.

BudapestWhere ships dockPest embankment piers, Chain Bridge to Elisabeth BridgeFrom the ship to the startAbout 15-30 min on foot or 5-10 min by tram 2 to ParliamentPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →ViennaWhere ships dockReichsbrücke main mooring, 2nd district (some boats: Nussdorf)From the ship to the startAbout 30 min by U-Bahn U1 and on foot, or 15 min by taxiPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →CologneWhere ships dockRhine landing stages near the Hohenzollern Bridge, by the Old TownFrom the ship to the startAbout 10-20 min on foot to the cathedralPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →PortoWhere ships dockVila Nova de Gaia quays, opposite RibeiraFrom the ship to the startAbout 25 min on foot over the Luís I bridgePort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →

Ports far from the city: plan a longer day

Some cruise ports sit well outside the city. Ships for Rome dock in Civitavecchia, about 80 km away, and in Copenhagen the largest ships use Ocean Quay, several kilometres from the centre. On these days the journey matters more than the game, so check the port page and only play if you have a long day ashore.

RomeWhere ships dockCivitavecchia (Roma Cruise Terminal), about 80 km from RomeFrom the ship to the startAbout 2 hours by shuttle, train and on footPort-day fitOnly with a long port day (8-9 hours ashore)Port day guide →CopenhagenWhere ships dockNordre Toldbod, Langelinie or Ocean Quay, 3-8 km outFrom the ship to the startAbout 25-30 min by metro to RådhuspladsenPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →

Beyond Europe

Cruise port days also covers North America, Hawaii and Australia, from Boston and New York to Honolulu, Sydney and Melbourne.

BostonWhere ships dockFlynn Cruiseport Boston, about 2 miles (3 km) from Boston CommonFrom the ship to the startAbout 15 min by taxi, or 35-45 min by Silver Line and subwayPort-day fitEasy on a normal port dayPort day guide →SydneyWhere ships dockOverseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay; some ships at White BayFrom the ship to the startAbout 30–35 min on foot or 15–20 min by train to Darling HarbourPort-day fitFits a normal call; from White Bay keep a good marginPort day guide →

All 87 cruise port cities

Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean ports

Antalya, Athens, Barcelona, Bari, Cagliari, Catania, Chania, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Genoa, Istanbul, Kos, Malaga, Marseille, Monaco, Naples, Nice, Palermo, Palma, Rhodes, Split, Syracuse, Tarragona, Thessaloniki, Trieste, Valencia, Valletta, Venice

Northern Europe, the Baltic and the British Isles

Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bergen, Copenhagen, Dublin, Edinburgh, Gdańsk, Glasgow, Hamburg, Helsinki, Liverpool, Lübeck, Oslo, Reykjavik, Riga, Rotterdam, Stockholm, Tallinn

Atlantic coast and the Canary Islands

Bilbao, Bordeaux, Lisbon, Seville, Tenerife

North America and Hawaii

Boston, Charleston, Honolulu, Montreal, New Orleans, New York, Old Quebec

Australia

Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

River cruise stops

Basel, Belgrade, Bonn, Bratislava, Budapest, Cologne, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Lyon, Maastricht, Nuremberg, Paris, Porto, Regensburg, Strasbourg, Vienna, Würzburg

Day trips from the cruise port

Bruges, Florence, Ghent, Pisa, Rome, Sintra

Cruise port days: questions

What can I do on a cruise stop without booking a tour?

Play a self-guided city game: you get directions from the ship to the start, then walk at your own pace between the main sights, solving a riddle at each one. There is no meeting point, no group and no fixed start time.

How long do I need ashore?

Most of our scavenger hunts take about two to three hours, with 20 to 60 minutes of actual walking. Add the time from the ship to the start shown on each port page and keep at least an hour of margin before your all-aboard time.

Which game should I choose on a port day?

The scavenger hunt is the best all-rounder for couples, families and friends. The outdoor escape game suits groups who like puzzles, and the audio walking tour is for people who simply want the stories while they walk.

Can we play if our port day is cut short?

Yes. You can stop at any time and the ticket has no time limit, so you can finish the remaining stops on another visit.

Do I need to book a time slot?

No. You book online, receive your booking reference by email straight away and start whenever you are ashore. The ticket has no time limit, so it still works if your ship arrives late or your plans change.

What do we need on the day?

A charged smartphone with mobile data, the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play, and your booking reference. A power bank helps on a long port day.

Ready for your next stop? Find your port, check the way from the ship and start playing as soon as you step ashore.

Find your cruise port →