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Texas · Gulf Coast
Victorian streets, Gulf beaches and a pleasure pier on a Texas island.
Walk The Strand's Victorian streets and board the 1877 tall ship Elissa, then head for the Seawall beaches and the rides of the Pleasure Pier.
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See History
Downtown, beside the terminals
Victorian buildings from Galveston's years as a major 19th-century port line The Strand. Today they hold shops, galleries and the Galveston Arts Center.
Explore The Strand (opens a new tab)Unwind Beach
Seawall Boulevard
Sand runs along the Gulf below the seawall. Stewart Beach, where Broadway meets the Seawall, has lifeguards, showers and chair rentals in season; parking is $15 per car.
Visit Stewart Beach (opens a new tab)Taste Seafood
Seawall Boulevard
S.G. Gaido opened this Gulf seafood restaurant in 1911. It opens daily at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m., or 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Visit Gaido's (opens a new tab)Explore Amusements
Seawall Boulevard
Its 16 rides include the Iron Shark roller coaster; an All Day Ride Pass is $30.99, or $24.99 under 48 inches. Hours change by season: in October 2026 it opened mainly Friday to Sunday.
See Pier Tickets (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
Galveston has four cruise terminals along Harborside Drive, all within about 0.8 mile of The Strand.
| Cruise line | Ships | Terminal | Distance to town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival | All ships | 25 (some sailings 28) | In town |
| Disney Cruise Line | All ships | 28 (some sailings 25) | In town |
| Princess Cruises | All ships | 25 or 28 | In town |
| Royal Caribbean | All ships | 10 | About 0.8 mile |
| MSC Cruises | All ships | 16 | In town |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | All ships | 16 | In town |
Terminals can change; your boarding pass shows yours. Terminal 25 was Terminal 1 and Terminal 28 was Terminal 2. Source: Port of Galveston: explore the port.
The Strand is a walk from every terminal. The Seawall beaches, the Pleasure Pier and Moody Gardens need a ride.
Most cruise guests fly into Houston. The port calls Hobby the closest airport, a 45-minute drive; Bush Intercontinental is about 1.5 hours away. Scholes Airport, on the island, takes private and charter flights only.
Terminals 25 and 28: the Express Lot and the SMP Garage (covered except the top level) are a short walk; Economy Lots A and B have a free shuttle. Terminal 10: the North Premium Lot (solar-covered), the North Lot and the Pier 10 and Pier 12 lots are a short walk; the South Lot, the Pier 14 lot and the Terminal 16 Garage have a free shuttle. Terminal 16: Lots 1 and 2, the VIP Lot and the VIP Indoor Parking Garage are all a short walk. The port shows prices only in its booking form, after you pick your ship and date; covered lots and lots nearer the terminals cost more. Cards only, no cash. Lots open at 9 a.m. on most sailing days, and you can drop luggage at the terminal before you park.
If you do one thing here
Elissa is an 1877 iron barque. The Galveston Historical Foundation brought her from a scrapyard in Piraeus, Greece, and finished restoring her in 1982; she is one of only three ships of her kind still sailing, and the Official Tall Ship of Texas.
She is at the Galveston Historic Seaport, Pier 22 on Harborside Drive, between Terminals 16 and 25. The seaport opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.). Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for ages 6 to 18, and include the Ship to Shore immigration exhibit.
Galveston records more crime per resident than the Texas average, and the Gulf surf changes from day to day.
Crime figures: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025, Galveston Police Department, Texas and United States, per resident; our sums. Distances: OpenStreetMap points, straight line, our sums. Weather: NWS Houston/Galveston 1991–2020 normals.
Make it part of your voyage
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian and Disney all sail from Galveston.
Many cruise lines run transfers from the Houston airports that you book in advance. Taxis, many at flat rates, and Uber and Lyft also serve the port, and many island hotels run departure-day shuttles.
Most guests fly into Houston Hobby, a 45-minute drive, or Houston Bush, about 1.5 hours. Galveston Scholes Airport takes private and charter flights only.
The port publishes no daily rate. Prices appear in its booking form after you pick your ship and date; covered lots and lots nearer the terminals cost more.
The port lists four terminals on Harborside Drive: 25 at 2502, 28 at 2702, 16 at 1602 and 10 at 1402. Terminal 25 was Terminal 1 and Terminal 28 was Terminal 2.
Terminal 10, at Pier 10, which opened in 2022. MSC and Norwegian use Terminal 16; Carnival, Disney and Princess use 25 and 28.
The port does not publish a ship-by-ship schedule with terminals. Your boarding pass shows your terminal.
Hobby Airport is about 37 miles from the terminals in a straight line, a 45-minute drive by the port's count. Bush Intercontinental is about 57 miles, about 1.5 hours.
In 2025 recorded violent crime was 45% above the Texas rate per resident, and property crime 25% above. The rates count residents only, not the island's visitors.
Check the Beach Patrol flag first. Red means rough water and strong rip currents near groins and jetties, and purple means marine life such as jellyfish.
Yes. The Strand is about 0.3 to 0.8 mile from the terminals in a straight line, depending on the terminal.
The Strand and the tall ship Elissa are a walk from the terminals. The Seawall beaches and the Pleasure Pier are a short ride, and Moody Gardens, with its aquarium and Rainforest Pyramid, is 4 to 5 miles away.
June 1 to November 30, with the most activity from mid-August to mid-October. The port says storms can bring last-minute changes to arrival and departure times.
