Dundee cruise port guide

Arrival & Getting Ashore

Getting to the centre: Figures are from the Port of Dundee cruise berths to the city centre; the port transfer's central stop is on Crichton Street.

• Distance: 1.0 km from the port to the town centre.
• Walk: about 10 minutes; only partly realistic because staff must direct passengers through the secure industrial port to the public gate.

Sources: Cruise Scotland, Cruise Forth arrival guide, Cruise Forth transport guide.

Orientation, not a walking route

Current Cruise Forth information describes alongside berthing at Dundee. Cruise Scotland identifies King George Wharf and Eastern Wharf as cruise berths. The port is a secure industrial area, so take the ship's instructions for leaving the quay rather than following a road visible on a map.

Cruise Forth says the port provides a transfer bus to Crichton Street in the centre, and taxis are available at the quayside. Use the boarding and final-return instructions issued for your call.

Cruise Scotland gives approximately 1 km to the town centre, and Cruise Forth places the centre about a 10-minute walk from the port. Walk only by the exit route directed by port staff.

About this port

Dundee's waterfront brings together polar exploration and design, with Discovery Point and V&A Dundee offering two different reasons to spend time beside the Tay. The wider centre adds art, local history and the city's industrial past. A short call can be filled comfortably within Dundee without arranging a distant excursion.

Choose one main museum and a second stop that matches your interests. Keeping the plan around the waterfront and centre leaves time for a meal and avoids spending the day changing vehicles. The first step is to get from the working cruise berth to the public streets.

Getting Around

Once in the centre, concentrate on a walk between your chosen attractions. V&A Dundee is on Riverside Esplanade, while The McManus is inland at Albert Square. Pick the order around opening arrangements and your transfer stop, leaving the final part of the visit close enough for an unhurried return.

Cruise Forth links to local bus services for journeys including Broughty Ferry and to ScotRail for wider travel. These can extend a longer call, but add the journey back to central Dundee and the port transfer to any advertised travel time. For a few hours ashore, the central museums generally offer a simpler plan.

If your group needs a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or assistance at the gangway, arrange this with the cruise line. Accessibility within a modern museum does not establish accessibility for the entire journey from the ship.

Things to Do

Discovery Point and RRS Discovery explore polar expeditions through the ship and its associated museum. Dundee Heritage Trust provides current visitor information, including notices about conservation work. Check what is accessible during your visit and leave enough time for the displays as well as boarding the vessel.

V&A Dundee focuses on design. Its Scottish Design Galleries include subjects ranging from architecture and furniture to fashion and engineering, giving visitors several ways into the collection. Consult the museum's current programme if a temporary exhibition is your main interest.

The McManus combines art with the history and natural world of Dundee in a Gothic Revival building. It offers a useful counterpoint to the waterfront museums and can be the main stop for visitors interested in the city itself. Check its visitor notices if you depend on lift access.

Verdant Works Museum presents Dundee's industrial history in a former mill. Choose this in place of another substantial museum visit rather than automatically adding it to an already full day. The Trust's visitor pages help you compare the two attractions it operates.

Getting back to your ship

Cruise Forth links to local bus services for journeys including Broughty Ferry and to ScotRail for wider travel. These can extend a longer call, but add the journey back to central Dundee and the port transfer to any advertised travel time. For a few hours ashore, the central museums generally offer a simpler plan.

Practical Information

Currency is pound sterling (£); English is used. Call 999 or 112 in an emergency.

Take a waterproof layer for the waterfront and check each museum's current opening, admission and access information. Keep the Crichton Street return instructions supplied for your call; do not assume the nearest city bus stop is also the cruise transfer stop.

Frequently asked

Can you walk from Dundee cruise port into the city centre? Partly. The centre is about a 10-minute walk from the port, but the berth is inside a secure industrial estate and passengers must use the exit directed by port staff.

How far is Dundee cruise port from the city centre? About 1.0 km. The port transfer drops passengers on Crichton Street in the centre.

Does Dundee cruise port provide a shuttle into the centre? Yes. The port provides a transfer bus from the cruise berth to Crichton Street; use the boarding and final-return instructions issued for your call.

Do cruise ships dock or tender in Dundee? They dock. Current passenger guidance says ships berth at the quayside, and Cruise Scotland identifies King George Wharf and Eastern Wharf as the two cruise berths.