Shore Excursions · MUSEUMS

The 15 Museum Visits Worldwide Worth Leaving the Ship For

18 tours  ·  from $29 a head

Good museum visits sell out while the ship is still at sea, and the best ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.

Shore Excursion: Acropolis, Athens City tour and The New Acropolis Museum - A Quiet Walk Through the National Gardens
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Shore Excursion: Acropolis, Athens City tour and The New Acropolis Museum

1.Shore Excursion: Acropolis, Athens City tour and The New Acropolis Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 30 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $130Our pick

Review of Athens shore excursion with Acropolis, changing of the guard, National Gardens, Temple of Zeus, museum, and port transfers.

“Amazing tour. Started off learning about Athens subway and how it is truly a museum. Watched the changing of the guards. Very cool. Then stroll through royal gardens. Quick snack break and on to the main attraction. Margaret was the best tour guide we have had this trip. She is well educated, so energetic about Greek history and an amazing communication style and voice. Learned so much. The tour of Acropolis was a bucket list we learned every step from the bottom to the top. Stunning place to visit. I am not a museum person the Acropolis museum has converted me. So well designed. Transport was easy. Be aware you…”

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From Cruise Port: Athens City, Acropolis & Acropolis Museum - Parliament, the guards, and Athens’ green center
Ancient Ruins & Temple Shore Excursions, Ancient Ruins Shore Excursions in Athens, Ancient Ruins Shore Excursions in Greece, Athens Shore Excursions, Greece Shore Excursions, Museums, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews

From Cruise Port: Athens City, Acropolis & Acropolis Museum

FOR CRUISERS: Private Ephesus Ancient City & Ephesus Museum Tour - Ephesus: marble streets, grand buildings, and Roman scale
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FOR CRUISERS: Private Ephesus Ancient City & Ephesus Museum Tour

3.FOR CRUISERS: Private Ephesus Ancient City & Ephesus Museum Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $29Best value

Review of a private Ephesus shore tour from Kusadasi, including the ruins, museum, shopping, transport, guide quality, costs, and cruise timing.

“Fatima, our tour guide, and Ozo, our driver, were fantastic. Fatima was very knowledgeable in Turkish history and we learned a lot about the Turkish country and culture. We shared a lunch with them at a local government chef school and the service and food were perfect. I would highly recommend this trip, and in particular, Fatima. Thank you for sharing your history with us!!!!”

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Sydney: Highland Village & Bell Museum Cruise Excursion - Highland Village and the Scottish roots of Iona
Canada Shore Excursions, Museums, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews, Tours

Sydney: Highland Village & Bell Museum Cruise Excursion

Civitavecchia Shore Excursion: Fullday Rome with Vatican Museums and Colosseum - Piazza Venezia and the ancient center
Civitavecchia Shore Excursions, Italy Shore Excursions, Museums, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews, Tours

Civitavecchia Shore Excursion: Fullday Rome with Vatican Museums and Colosseum

5.Fullday Rome with Vatican Museums and Colosseum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $708

Review of a private Rome shore excursion from Civitavecchia with the Colosseum, Vatican, lunch, transport, and practical tips.

“The experience was great! Our driver Paolo was early, had our name printed out. He took care of everything in making sure we were on time for all the tours. He even called ahead to the restaurant to get our food prepared so we would stay on a schedule. I would definitely recommend using Viator for future tours.”

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Pisa, Florence and Uffizi Museum or Accademia Private Shore Excursion from La Spezia - Florence from the Duomo to the Accademia
Florence & Pisa Shore Excursions, Italy Shore Excursions, La Spezia Shore Excursions, Museums, Private Shore Excursions, Private Shore Excursions in Italy, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews, Tours

Pisa, Florence and Uffizi Museum or Accademia Private Shore Excursion from La Spezia

6.Pisa, Florence and Uffizi Museum or Accademia Private Shore Excursion from La Spezia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $577

Compare Pisa and Florence in one private shore excursion from La Spezia, with port pickup, a minivan, and optional Uffizi or Accademia tickets.

“Picked up as scheduled by our guide, Luigi, at the port. Easy pickup and we were on our way to Pisa in a nice, clean, air-conditioned van as a group of 7 with plenty of room. Luigi gave us some great commentary of the things we were seeing and were going to see along the way to our first stop, Pisa. He drove us a little around town and then dropped us off right at the leaning tower. He gave us a few options for how long to spend there and let us wander by ourselves while he stayed with the vehicle. He gave us some tips on where to…”

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Pisa, Florence and Uffizi Museum or Accademia Private Shore Excursion from Livorno - First stop: the Leaning Tower and Pisa’s Miracle Square
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Pisa, Florence and Uffizi Museum or Accademia Private Shore Excursion from Livorno

7.Pisa, Florence and Uffizi Museum or Accademia Private Shore Excursion from Livorno

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $409

Compare Pisa and Florence in one private Livorno shore excursion, with port transfers, an English-speaking driver, and optional museum tickets.

“Had a great time visiting the Pisa Tower and the Accademia, as well as exploring the surrounding areas. Our driver/guide (Simona) was very knowledgeable and provided many tips on what to do and were to go. Got us back to the cruise terminal in plenty of time. Highly recommend her and this excursion.”

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From Civitavecchia port with Vatican Museums & Tour Guide - Trevi Fountain and the first taste of Rome
Civitavecchia Shore Excursions, Guided, Italy Shore Excursions, Museums, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Civitavecchia port with Vatican Museums & Tour Guide

8.From Civitavecchia port with Vatican Museums & Tour Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $1,071

Review of a private Rome day tour from Civitavecchia with a Vatican guide, skip-the-line tickets, major sights, and port transfers.

“Cheri helped us with our luggage up four flights of stairs. Port View room was very clean. The toilette was nice and roomy too! The breakfast was made by Cheri and was good. Anna (the owner) was exceptional as well! She picked us up from the hotel and drove us to our ship (for a small costs). It was so convenient! They made our stay so comfortable.”

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from Civitavecchia Skip the line Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St Peter - The Vatican Museums and their major works
Civitavecchia Shore Excursions, Italy Shore Excursions, Museums, Skip the Line, Tour Reviews

from Civitavecchia Skip the line Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St Peter

Civitavecchia Private Excursion to Ancient Rome & Vatican Museums - Seeing Circus Maximus and the Vittoriano from the road
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Civitavecchia Private Excursion to Ancient Rome & Vatican Museums

10.Civitavecchia Private Excursion to Ancient Rome & Vatican Museums

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $1,128

Review of a private Civitavecchia to Rome tour with the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and private transport.

“Daniele was a wonderful guide! He knew exactly where to go and when, and did his best to ensure an amazing experience. We saw all the spots we wanted, and he even recommended the best pizza and gelato. He handed us off at the Vatican to Anna Maria, who was superb and explained everything we saw from the e perspectives of art and history. Without them, our brief time in Rome would not have been enjoyable! Highly recommended.”

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Rome' s best and Vatican Museums from Civitavecchia Port Day Tour - St. Peter’s Basilica comes with a major warning
Civitavecchia Shore Excursions, Italy Shore Excursions, Museums, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome’ s best and Vatican Museums from Civitavecchia Port Day Tour

From Civitavecchia: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour - Finding the driver at Civitavecchia Port
Civitavecchia Shore Excursions, Italy Shore Excursions, Museums, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Civitavecchia: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour

Piraeus Shore Excursion: Acropolis and Museum Classical Tour - A quick introduction at Hadrian’s Arch
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Piraeus Shore Excursion: Acropolis and Museum Classical Tour

13.Acropolis and Museum Classical Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 4 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $100

Review of the 5.5-hour Piraeus shore excursion to the Acropolis and Museum, with transport, guide quality, timing, ticket advice, and value.

“The tour guide Nico was great! The transport to and from the port was not as smooth. Driver was late picking up our group. Not communicated well at the end of the tour how we were to return to the ship. Nico sorted it all out and we returned in plenty of time to the ship. Seems like a lack of communication between the tour company and employees.”

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Athens Tour including Acropolis Museum for Cruise Passengers - Panathenaic Stadium: a quick stop with real visual impact
Ancient Ruins & Temple Shore Excursions, Ancient Ruins Shore Excursions in Athens, Ancient Ruins Shore Excursions in Greece, Athens Shore Excursions, Greece Shore Excursions, Museums, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews, Tours

Athens Tour including Acropolis Museum for Cruise Passengers

14.Athens Tour including Acropolis Museum for Cruise Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $103

Review this six-hour Athens shore tour with Acropolis Museum admission, city sights, Plaka time, transport, and cruise-port return.

“My Athens tour was well-organized and enjoyable. The guide was knowledgeable, explaining the history of the Acropolis and Parthenon clearly, and the group size was manageable. Transportation was comfortable, with timely pickups and drop-off.”

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Cruise-Friendly Athens Tour including Acropolis Museum - Leaving Piraeus and reaching central Athens
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Cruise-Friendly Athens Tour including Acropolis Museum

15.Cruise-Friendly Athens Tour including Acropolis Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4 reviews · from $90

See Athens from Piraeus with Acropolis views, the Acropolis Museum, Plaka free time, and dependable cruise-port transfers.

“We booked this shore excursion instead of booking one through our cruise ship. The traffic through the city was heavy so I felt it slowed us down. We drove by the Temple of Zeus from a distance which I thought we would be getting out to Read more”

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