The Bahamas is an archipelago of 700 islands — the challenge is choosing which ones to visit. This itinerary combines Nassau (2 nights) for colonial history and culture, the Exumas (3 nights) for the most extraordinary water in the Caribbean and the famous swimming pigs, and Harbour Island (2 nights) for the legendary pink sand beach and boutique charm. It's the perfect introduction to the Bahamas' extraordinary diversity. Best done December–May.
Day 1: Arrive in Nassau
Fly into Lynden Pindling International Airport and transfer to your hotel. Most first-time visitors stay on Cable Beach or Paradise Island — both have excellent resorts and easy access to Nassau's main attractions.
Spend the afternoon exploring downtown Nassau — the colonial heart of the Bahamas. Walk Bay Street (the main shopping street), visit the pink-painted Parliament Square, and climb the Queen's Staircase (66 steps carved from limestone by enslaved workers in the 1790s) to Fort Fincastle for views over the harbour.
Evening: Head to Arawak Cay's Fish Fry for dinner — a strip of open-air seafood shacks serving fresh conch salad, grilled fish, and cold Sands beer. The most authentic food experience in Nassau.
Stay: Nassau (2 nights)
Day 2: Nassau — Atlantis, Beaches & Junkanoo
Morning: Cross the bridge to Paradise Island and visit Atlantis — the vast resort complex with its famous waterpark, marine exhibits (the Dig), and casino. Non-guests can purchase day passes for the waterpark and aquarium. The Aquaventure waterpark is genuinely spectacular.
Alternatively, spend the morning at Cable Beach — Nassau's best beach, a long stretch of white sand with calm, clear water. Rent a jet ski or take a glass-bottom boat tour.
Afternoon: Visit the Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation — a sobering and important museum in a former slave market building on Bay Street. Then browse the Straw Market for handmade Bahamian crafts.
Evening: If visiting over Boxing Day or New Year, the Junkanoo parade begins at 2am — an unmissable spectacle of costumed dancers, goatskin drums, and brass bands. Otherwise, dinner at one of Nassau's good restaurants in the Graycliff Hotel complex.
Day 3: Fly to the Exumas
Take a morning flight from Nassau to George Town, Exuma (35 minutes) or join a speedboat day trip if staying only one night. Check into your resort or rental villa.
Afternoon: Head straight to the water — the Exumas have some of the most extraordinary ocean colours on earth, ranging from pale turquoise to deep cobalt. Rent a kayak or paddleboard from your resort and explore the nearby cays. The water is so clear you can see the sandy bottom in 10 metres of water.
Evening: Dinner at one of George Town's casual restaurants — the Exumas are relaxed and unpretentious. Fresh grilled lobster (in season October–March) is the standout dish.
Stay: Exumas (3 nights)
Day 4: Swimming Pigs, Iguanas & Thunderball Grotto
Book a full-day boat tour — the essential Exumas experience. The highlights:
Swimming pigs of Big Major Cay: A colony of wild pigs that swim out to meet boats — one of the Caribbean's most surreal and delightful experiences. Arrive early morning before the tour boats crowd in.
Thunderball Grotto: A sea cave used as a filming location in the James Bond films Thunderball (1965) and Never Say Never Again (1983). Snorkel through the cave entrance at low tide — the interior is filled with tropical fish and shafts of light. Extraordinary.
Iguana Island (Allen's Cay): A cay inhabited by hundreds of endangered Bahamian rock iguanas — they approach boats looking for food. Bring grapes.
Sandbar swimming: Many tours stop at a shallow sandbar in the middle of the ocean — standing in knee-deep water with nothing but sea in every direction is a uniquely Bahamian experience.
Day 5: Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
Take a boat north to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park — a 456 km² protected marine reserve with no fishing or collecting allowed. The result is extraordinary: coral reefs teeming with fish, nurse sharks, sea turtles, and rays in water of exceptional clarity.
Snorkelling and diving in the park is among the best in the Caribbean. The park has no permanent residents and no facilities — bring everything you need. Warderick Wells Cay (the park headquarters) has hiking trails with panoramic views over the cays.
Alternatively, spend the day exploring the Exumas by kayak — paddling between the cays, stopping at deserted beaches, and snorkelling in the shallows. The Exumas are one of the world's great sea kayaking destinations.
Day 6: Fly to Harbour Island
Take a short flight from George Town to North Eleuthera (30 minutes), then a water taxi to Harbour Island (10 minutes). Check into your hotel or cottage.
Harbour Island — known locally as "Briland" — is one of the Caribbean's most charming destinations: a tiny island (5km long, 1.5km wide) with pastel-painted clapboard houses, excellent restaurants, and the famous Pink Sand Beach.
Afternoon: Walk the Pink Sand Beach — a 5km stretch of pale pink sand (the colour comes from crushed coral and shells) lapped by calm, clear water. It's consistently ranked among the world's most beautiful beaches. Rent a golf cart to explore the island — the only practical transport.
Evening: Dinner at one of Harbour Island's excellent restaurants — the Rock House, Sip Sip, or the Dunmore are all outstanding.
Stay: Harbour Island (2 nights)
Day 7: Harbour Island & Depart
Spend the morning on the Pink Sand Beach — sunrise here is extraordinary. Snorkel the reef just offshore (excellent coral and fish life) or take a glass-bottom boat tour.
Explore Dunmore Town — the island's only settlement, with colourful colonial architecture, boutique shops, and excellent cafés. The Loyalist Cottage (a historic 18th-century house) and the small Anglican church are worth visiting.
Afternoon: Water taxi back to North Eleuthera, then fly to Nassau for your international connection home. Allow plenty of time — small island flights can be delayed.
Practical note: This itinerary requires three domestic flights (Nassau–Exumas, Exumas–North Eleuthera, North Eleuthera–Nassau). Book all flights in advance — capacity is limited on Out Island routes. The best time for this itinerary is December–May.
