Conch Train Tour - Key West Shore Excursion Review
Conch Train Shore Excursion - Key West, Florida
For our port day in Key West, Florida, we wanted to see the whole island (without walking in the triple-digit heat). One of the available shore excursions was the Exclusive Key West Conch Train Tour. We booked this prior to boarding the Celebrity Infinity, and the cost was $42.99/each per adult. If we booked this onboard it would have been $49.99/each per adult. Most cruise lines that port in Key West offer this excursion, and the price is pretty comparable among the lines.
This trolley tour has a few different stops but you’re welcome to stay aboard the whole trip. The guide drove us through some of Key West's major attractions, as well as some hidden gems, all while providing interesting trivia, anecdotes, and historical information.
The description on the website from the cruise line is:
“Observe 400 years of fascinating history come alive on Key West's acclaimed Conch Train tour. Voted the #1 excursion in the State of Florida, it has been entertaining Key West visitors since 1958. Hop off and on at your leisure while you visit Key West's major attractions—the Hemmingway and Audubon Houses—and hear fascinating island tales told by expert guides.”
When we boarded the ship, our pre-booked shore excursion tickets were in an envelope in our stateroom. The ticket stated that we should head to the Conch Train tent at the pier no later than 10:15am, so we were able to take our time getting off the ship. At the pier, there is a Key West Conch Train representative that trades in your ticket with a sticker, guide map, and directions to the train. This sticker signals to the drivers and staff that you have paid for the day.
The first tour of the day is at 10:15am and the last train departs from Front Street at 4:15pm. Depending on where your ship docks in Key West, it is about a 2-5 minute walk to where you will board the train. The starting point was just outside the Shipwreck Museum on Front Street. The trains seemed to depart about every 30 minutes, at the 15 & 45 of every hour. The whole loop takes about 65-70 minutes to complete.
These stops for the Conch Train Tour are:
A. Front Street Depot
Key West Aquarium, Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, Mallory Square Festival Market Place, El Meson De Pepe’s Restaurant, Key West Memorial Sculpture Garden, Mel Fishers, Audubon House, Harry S. Truman Little White House, Sunset at Mallory Square
B. Truman & Duval Depot
Hemingway House, Lighthouse Museum, Southernmost Point,
Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
C. Conch Tour Train Station
Gift shop, restrooms, ice cream parlor, Duval Street
D. Sails to Rails Museum
Historic Seaport, Yankee Freedom III Dry Tortugas National Park Ferry, Schooner Western Union, Ferry Terminal, shops and restaurants.
Our guide, Kenny, has lived his whole life in Key West. He pointed out all the important and historical buildings that helped bring Key West to the “Conch Republic” of today. He also stopped along the way to point out the trees and plants that are indigenous to Key West. We walked away from this tour knowing a lot more about Key West than we did, and we had a fun ride (and cool breeze!) while learning it all.
Overall we highly recommend this tour to first-timers visiting Key West, and we can see how this was voted the #1 excursion in the State of Florida!
FYI - This isn’t actually a train, it is a street-worthy tram!
Conch Train Key West Map & Stops
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