Planning 2 days in Kingston, Jamaica? We almost skipped the city after reading mixed reviews – but after spending two days here, Kingston ended up being one of the biggest surprises of our Jamaica itinerary. From Bob Marley history and local food to live music and culture, here’s exactly how we spent our time and whether we think Kingston is worth visiting.
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Is Kingston Worth Visiting?
Yes, Kingston is absolutely worth visiting if you are interested in the culture of Jamaica and like a city break. There is great food here and lots of history. If you are someone who really doesn’t enjoy time in a city and is solely travelling for a beach holiday then I would skip it.
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Best Things To Do In Kingston, Jamaica
- National Gallery of Jamaica
- Street Art Walk
- Blue Mountain Tour
- Bob Marley Museum
- Trench Town Culture Yard Museum
- Devon House
- The Redemtion Song Sculpture
Our Favourite Part Of Kingston
The two highlights of our time in Kingston were The Compound and the Bob Marley Museum. We loved the music and vibes at The Compound and the Bob Marley Museum was so interesting and felt like we got to know the man behind some of our favourite music!
Our 2 Day Kingston Itinerary
Day 1 — Arrive + Explore
We arrived at the Kingston International Airport and grabbed an Uber to our apartment. It was located in the New Kingston neighbourhood which was really central to everything we wanted to see. There was a shopping centre and local food place nearby so we walked there while we waited to check in. We grabbed some jerk chicken and fricassee and loved the flavours!
Devon House
Next up we went back to our apartment with supplies from the shops and checked in, we were staying at 20 South and it was great! There was security on the gate who would let you in once you buzz the gate and staff on the front desk inside who knew everyone that was staying there. It was really friendly and felt completely safe. Happy with our choice we left our things and walked to Devon House.
Devon House is famous in Kingston and Jamaica. It is the 19th-century historic home of George Stiebel, the country’s first Black millionaire. Built in 1881, it’s one of the most famous historic attractions in Kingston and is worth adding to your itinerary. You can also go inside on a tour, this one includes pick up, takes you to tour inside the property as well as including one of the famous ice creams!
The external part of Devon House has lots of shops and restaurants, the Jerk Box is good for some quick jerk chicken and the infamous Devon House Ice cream is a must try. The price is about 700JMD for a single scoop which is expensive but the scoop is really big and some of the best ice cream we have ever had, I chose the strawberry and it was perfect!
Night Market
We had heard about a local community that started a night market featuring local producers and creators. The market was great, so many cool local artisans selling everything from t-shirts, art works, carvings, pottery, foods, drinks and juices. The vibe was friendly and fun, there was music playing while we wandered around talking to the stall holders and grabbing some food.
Day 2 — Full Kingston Day
We spent the full day exploring everywhere around Kingston, these are the things to do in Kingston we recommend visiting.
Emancipation Park
On our first full day we got up early and grabbed an Uber to Emancipation Park we strolled around here for a little while taking in the landscaping, history and the local scenes. There is a famous sculpture here called the Redemption Song which towers over you. Made from bronze the male and female figures face each other but have their heads tilted to the sky representing freedom or emancipation. They are really moving, it’s the perfect place to start our Kingston itinerary.
Trench Town Culture Yard Museum
From here we went to the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum. We heard mixed reviews but wanted to see it for ourselves. The tickets cost $20 USD per person for the basic tour and there are options to do more expensive tours which can include a walk around the Trench Town community. We decided to just do the basic tour and then wander around ourselves. The tour was interesting, you can’t take any photos inside the buildings however, only in the courtyard area. You will see some of the old rooms, understand how Trench Town came to be and who lived there. We saw the room that Bob Marley lived in when he was a child with his mother and then later the kitchen area he lived in while learning to play guitar.
The courtyard was colourful and there was a statue of Bob Marley and his first combi van was also there. We were told we could get in for a picture so Mike jumped in and I snapped a couple pics. It was a pretty unique moment!
To be really honest the tour felt very expensive at $20 USD per person, but we were only going there once so figured we may as well see it and I am glad we did. It is expected that you will tip your guide at the end as well.
Trench Town
We decided to wander around the streets of Trench Town on our own. It was possible to include a walk around the community with the Culture Yard Museum for a $40 USD ticket or to privately hire a guide for a tour here but we figured we would just see where it took us. While we felt comfortable exploring independently as Mike is an experienced traveller, this won’t suit everyone. We met another guy from England who wanted to join us so we strolled around together. Each street has a sign board with any famous spots to check out on that street, half way along a guy tried to join us and tour us around, we explicitly told him we were not interested, even so he kept following us and eventually asked for $40 USD, after being told no he took off.
Is It Better To Take A Tour Or Do It Yourself?
The area is obviously in some disrepair, there are works going on all around to fix up houses, buildings and streets and to be respectful I didn’t walk around taking lots of pictures, just a couple of snaps here and there. It was really interesting to see the place I had heard about in songs and stories for years.
If you are wondering if you should also do your own tour then I would only consider it if you are a very experienced traveller, feel comfortable navigating neighbourhoods outside your typical tourist areas. Otherwise I would take the guided option, apparently the tours are good and you can get an understanding of the place and history of what you are seeing. Either way, be respectful as this is peoples homes and do not flash around money or valuables. There are a couple of tours that I think sound really good as you would get an understanding of the places and history, these are the two I would choose from: Rhythmic Story of Jamaican Music Tour and Kingston Creative: Downtown Music Bus Tour.
Kingston Craft Market
The Kingston Craft Market is the place to go to buy souvenirs in a market style format. There are a lot of vendors selling the usual t-shirts, bags, hats and some different arts and crafts. We really enjoyed walking the stalls looking for a souvenir to support one of the sellers here. It can feel a little stressful at times as it is a bit quiet and lots of sellers who will invite you in to look. They are all so lovely I felt bad not buying from everyone but don’t stress. Find the thing you like and buy from someone, every sale helps, there is a bit of wiggle room for bartering as well.
Street Art
We heard that there was some good street art in Kingston so set off to find it. Unfortunately we took an Uber to the wrong place (marked incorrectly on Google Maps) and the driver was so lovely he drove around looking for the right spot, asking other locals where it was.
We finally found a spot and hopped out, it was an abandoned building and still not the place I was trying to get to but there was some street art there and some close by so we wandered around the streets looking at it, passing some very confused military guards who wanted to know what we were doing!
We started walking through the streets and found the place I had read about! If you are looking for the best street art in Kingston this is the actual location. The artwork is really good, part of a community project to beautify the streets. There is a community art gallery as well and the National Gallery of Jamaica is nearby as well. If you are looking for an easier option this tour takes you to the best spots!
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National Heroes Park
We stopped by this park on our way back into the New Kingston area to the Bob Marley Museum. The park is a nice green space that has memorials to the heroes of Jamaica.
Bob Marley Museum
This was one of the highlights of our time in Kingston, the museum is definitely worth the entry fee. We arrived and were able to join the next tour, although it was quite full and booking earlier would have been better.
The tour took us through Bob Marley’s home, we saw his recording equipment, his bedroom, kitchen and the places where he wrote the songs we know and love. As we moved through the house the tour guides told us stories of his life, what happened in each of the rooms and what it was like when he lived there, it was so interesting and really gave us such a good insight into his life. We finished the tour by watching a movie made especially for the tour and then taking a walk through the gift store. There is also a Bob Marley clinic on site.
We really enjoyed this tour and highly recommend it. This Kingston tour takes you here and also includes Devon House and the National Gallery so you can get around your time in Kingston in an easy manner.
The Compound
We spent our evening in a really cool spot called The Compound. It is a local recording venue that opens up for their Tuesday Service where the Dub Squad plays for a couple of hours and musicians rotate in and out throughout the evening. In the last hour the audience is invited to come up and join in on a verse. It was incredible, the music was so good with a strong jazz and reggae influence and the singers/rappers were awesome! The energy was frenetic at one point. This really ended on a high and we loved every minute.
They have a bar at the front and food served in the back. You can just hang out in the courtyard, entry is free and opens at 8pm until 12am. It does fill up when the music starts, we got there about 9pm and the band was arriving and warming up but the music really didn’t start until about 10pm. This was one of our favourite things we did in Kingston, if you are looking to check out some local musicians this is the spot.
Tip – Once it hits 12am and it ends literally everyone clears out quickly. I would start ordering an Uber a little before you are going to leave as they take a while to pick up the ride and actually get out there at that time of night, we waited on the corner while everyone took off in their cars.
Departure Day
We were booked on the Knutsford Express bus from Kingston to Negril which left at 2pm. After our late night out we had a bit of a sleep in and chilled out until we checked out and got an Uber to the bus station. It was such an easy process. There was a waiting room, we tagged our bags and waited for our bus to be called. It was on time and really comfortable, we boarded and were off. It took 6.5 hours to get from Kingston to Negril South Terminal along the south route. This was really good and so easy, the Negril South Terminal is located on the beach area and you can just call an Uber to your hotel from here. Our Uber cost 570JMD and the local taxi pricing was noticeably higher as we were offered a taxi for 3000JMD, make sure you check the Uber price.
What Surprised Us About Kingston
Kingston was a total surprise! We heard that it was not overly worth visiting but we loved it and would go back again. This is a city full of history, culture and friendly people.
Food In Kingston
When you are in Jamaica you have to try the local flavours. Don’t miss out on jerk chicken, fricassee and curry goat. There are great restaurants all over but some that are really good are the Sweetwood Jerk Joint, Gloria’s Seafood, Cafe Blue Coffee, Island Grill, Plantation Smokehouse in D-Lot, Peppa Thyme, Jerk Box and Devon House Ice cream
Is Kingston Safe?
Kingston felt safe for us while we were there. We used Uber to get around everywhere in the city, it was quick, cheap and easy. I would not walk along in some areas and would always make sure I was not flashing any valuables or wearing overly expensive clothing or accessories. Always use your travel safety precautions and be aware of your surroundings when not on a tour.
Where To Stay In Kingston Jamaica?
We stayed at 20 South in New Kingston and loved it. It was clean, comfortable and felt very safe. There was a guard on the gate and staff members on the desk day and night.
Other places we would recommend are: S Hotel Kingston, AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston, Courtyard by Marriott Kingston.
Costs For 2 Days In Kingston (Mid-Range Couple)
We are midrange travellers, this is our approximate budget as a couple per day:
- Hotel ~$100 USD/night
- Food & Drinks ~$80 USD/day
- Transport ~$20 USD/day
- Tours/Activities ~$100-$180 USD/day
Estimated total: $380+ USD for 2 days.
Would We Stay Longer?
I would have really loved to have had an extra day or two so we could do this Blue Mountain Tour, this tour to Ochios Rios and go on this boat trip. We will definitely return so we can see more of the city and do these tours. It would have also been great to move at a bit of a slower pace and I definitely want to go back on a Sunday so we can go up to the Kingston Dub Club (entry ~$25 USD, only open on Sundays).
FAQ For Kingston
How many days Is Enough For Kingston?
We spent 2 days in Kingston and loved it but would have loved to have a couple more so we could do a few other tours.
Is Kingston Safe?
Kingston felt ok, it is obviously somewhere you need to be cautious of your surroundings and make sure to use your safety precautions. Having said that we weren’t too worried walking around at attractions and using Uber to get around.
How do you get around Kingston?
We used Uber to get around Kingston, it was really cheap and easy. This is how we got around everywhere in Kingston.
Is Kingston Worth visiting?
Kingston is definitely worth visiting we had a great time getting to know the culture and history of the city and country.
Final Verdict
We loved our time in Kingston, it was a really interesting place to visit with a lot to see. Spending time in Kingston gave us an introduction to the culture of Jamaica that we really enjoyed. We met some really lovely people and definitely recommend it for anyone who is interested in more than just beach holiday.
Plan your trip:
👉 Read next: Things to do in Negril Jamaica
👉 Plan your trip: Caribbean Travel Guide & Caribbean Cruise Guide
👉 Don’t miss: Dominican Republic Travel Itinerary
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