Any Suggestions for what to do In San Juan?

[Liverpoollovely]

Hi Everyone

I am looking for ideas. Places, suggestions, any possible excursions you can recommend for me and my families future cruise on the Carnival Glory. I have looked on carnival’s website and the tours did not seem to fit in with all family members needs.

I cannot snorkel I get panic attacks and another family member cannot swim. So snorkel excursions are pretty much redundant for our lil group.

We have an elderly family member who is not so good at walking long distances, their feet swell up due to medication they take, although they can do small amounts of walking permitted there are stops, they are after all 73 :)

So what would you all suggest for excursions? Any companies you recommend or have done reviews on please share :) we will be cruising in November.

[MDSue]

Have you considered just hanging out in Old San Juan? You really don't need to do an excursion because the city itself is beautiful and has a lot to see and do. You just need a decent walking map. There is a free trolley for anytime that one of your group gets tired. Some of the roads are a beautiful blue cobblestone which can be a little bumpy, but it is pretty easy to navigate.

The city is surrounded by old forts; some are very close to the docks and others are further away. There are neat to see. There are lots of nice restaurants and shops.

We always spend at least a day walking around OSJ on our trips. Cabs are plentiful and buses are easy and cheap.

I have also seen good reviews of some individual tour guides who might be a good option if you aren't interested in seeing OSJ. I'd scroll through these boards for some recommendations.

San Juan is one of my favorite ports.

[trish1c]

We went to the Bacardi Rum factory on our own. Do not book this trip through the cruise line; it's a rip off $7 v. $30. Get off the ship & head to the pier next door. Take the ferry for $0.50 pp Walk out of that terminal to the right (follow the crowd); it's not very far & relatively flat. Get in a taxi in parking garage & go to Bacardi for $3 pp. The tour is free. The grounds are lovely & there is shade under the bat pavilion. The tour doesn't involve a lot of walking. There's an interactive portion & a movie so the kids will like it too. Plus there's a bit of history.

Walking around OSJ is always delightful. My dad couldn't really walk so we took the free trolley which was more an exercise in sitting in traffic.

[brandn03]

In two weeks we will be doing a private tour with Carlos through Charlie's Custom Tour (https://customtourspr.com/Excursion_Details.html).

 

His reviews on TripAdvisor are incredible. All 5-stars! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147320-d2514452-Reviews-Charlie_s_Custom_Day_Tours_Puerto_Rico-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html

 

He was great to work with when setting up the tour and will customize the tour to whatever you want to see. I will try to remember to report back after we get back to let you know how the tour was...but I suspect that I will NOT be disappointed!

[Liverpoollovely]

Thank you all for your suggestions Im so excited I have been on the free trolley around the port before and was wondering if there was anything else to do and you have all gave wonderful ideas :)

[rsc81gal]

We just came back from a trip on the Valor. This wouldn't work for those in your party that have mobility issues but if you are in San Juan the night before your cruise I highly recommend the 'Flavors of San Juan' tour (www.sanjuanfoodtours.com). We did this on May 4 and thoroughly enjoyed it. We sampled items at 4 different restaurants (all fantastic!) while on a historic walking tour of Old San Juan. It was a great way to see the city and to become familiar with some of the local restaurants.