--- title: "La Rochelle Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/british-isles-western-france/la-rochelle description: "France's luminous Atlantic harbour of towers" --- # La Rochelle 🇫🇷 · France · British Isles & Western France > "France's luminous Atlantic harbour of towers" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 9.3h - **Visiting Sailings:** 31 - **Cruise Lines:** 3 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Apr (12 sailings), May (7 sailings), Oct (4 sailings) ## About La Rochelle La Rochelle sits on France's Atlantic coast and gets about 2,400 hours of sunshine a year, more than most French cities. The Old Port is the centre of town, flanked by three 14th-century towers: Tour Saint-Nicolas, Tour de la Chaîne, and Tour de la Lanterne. You can climb them for views over the harbour. The city has arcaded streets, limestone buildings, and a covered market selling oysters, cheese, and fresh fish. The La Rochelle Aquarium is one of Europe's largest and well worth a couple of hours. Île de Ré, a flat island of sandy beaches, salt marshes, and small villages, is connected by a bridge and reachable by bus or bike. Mouclade, mussels in a creamy saffron and curry sauce, is the local speciality. The Saint-Nicolas quarter has boutique shops and cafés. Buses from the cruise port at La Pallice reach the Old Port in about 15 minutes. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** EUR (Euro) - **Language:** French - **Timezone:** Europe/Paris (UTC+1) - **Tipping:** Service included; small change for exceptional service ## Location Coordinates: 46.1548, -1.1661 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+La%20Rochelle/@46.15483,-1.16606,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20La%20Rochelle&ll=46.15483,-1.16606&z=13) ## Things to Do in La Rochelle Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~9h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Discover La Rochelle: Discovery Walking Tour of La Rochelle](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/611685d1-5dfd-41cc-baf3-51d2bf7e70ce.md?via=markdown) | 5★ (309) | 2h | ✓ | €40 | Viator | | [The Océâmes Treasure in La Rochelle](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/5e1d8979-e66c-4d46-81c5-7954d8209d46.md?via=markdown) | 4.9★ (215) | 2h 30m | ✓ | €42 | Viator | | [Planet Exotica entrance ticket](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/f4252939-307f-4060-8abe-8953938abc09.md?via=markdown) | 4.2★ (365) | 3h | ✓ | €19 | Viator | | [Food Tour - Discover La Rochelle](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4b415c1c-33df-4e7b-8dcc-d8e5da82f960.md?via=markdown) | 5★ (72) | 3h | ✓ | €120 | Viator | | [Poitiers: Historic City Center Private Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/6e49325c-032c-4263-b1c5-c3ae704147d4.md?via=markdown) | 4.8★ (11) | 1h 30m | ✓ | €89 | Viator | | [Discovery kayak 17 3-hour getaway](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/b7c96e73-6e8f-4ec5-aab3-3ad05147b602.md?via=markdown) | 4.9★ (7) | 3h | ✓ | €35 | Viator | | [Private Funny Rally at Gatseau Beach](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/2834804c-17c6-44a2-91d6-3d84e7427d0d.md?via=markdown) | 5★ (6) | 2h | ✓ | €15 | Viator | | [Escapes Games outdoor The Magic Portal On The Ile De Re](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/37582caf-b933-46ae-8e2b-cc24fafb50b0.md?via=markdown) | 4.5★ (6) | 1h 30m | ✓ | €28 | Viator | | [Outdoor Escape Game La Rochelle - The Pearl of La Rochelle](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/15bab64c-6a68-43b7-a57b-d48a4ae7d0e6.md?via=markdown) | 4.7★ (3) | 1h 30m | ✓ | €15 | Viator | | [La Rochelle: Private Walking Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/0db68dfe-b550-44e6-a8f0-3b21cf8d0299.md?via=markdown) | 4.7★ (3) | 2h | ✓ | €215 | Viator | | [La Rochelle Private Custom Private Walking Tour With a Guide](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/f33eaffe-1aef-4aa9-a0fb-e43b9f6c446d.md?via=markdown) | 4.3★ (28) | 8h | – | €46 | Viator | | [Discovery Kayak 17 Family Sea Kayak Trip](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/cb4433bf-0d04-4b73-a801-5b32ea1ff132.md?via=markdown) | 5★ (2) | 2h | ✓ | €30 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Le Verdon-sur-Mer](https://cruisello.com/destinations/western-mediterranean/le-verdon-sur-mer.md): 35 nm - [Bordeaux](https://cruisello.com/destinations/western-mediterranean/bordeaux.md): 83 nm - [Bilbao](https://cruisello.com/destinations/western-mediterranean/bilbao.md): 186 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise →](https://cruisello.com/cruises/celtic-biscay-drift-bilbao-brest-rostock~MSC-MAGNIFICA-20270508-9.md)** - **Price:** €827 per person (€1,654 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - **Ship:** [MSC Magnifica](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises/msc-magnifica.md) - **Duration:** 9 nights - **Departure:** 2027-05-08 - **Itinerary:** Celtic & Biscay Drift – Bilbao, Brest & Rostock ## Featured Cruises from La Rochelle Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Lisbon to London – Porto & Zeebrugge](https://cruisello.com/cruises/lisbon-to-london-porto-zeebrugge~NCL-STAR-20270418-11.md) | Norwegian Star | Norwegian Cruise Line | 2027-04-18 | 11 | €948 | | [Mediterranean to Baltic – Barcelona & Kiel](https://cruisello.com/cruises/mediterranean-to-baltic-barcelona-kiel~MSC-EURIBIA-20270411-13.md) | MSC Euribia | MSC Cruises | 2027-04-11 | 13 | €1,249 | | [Biscay & Baltic Drift – Marseille, Bilbao & Rostock](https://cruisello.com/cruises/biscay-baltic-drift-marseille-bilbao-rostock~MSC-MAGNIFICA-20270505-12.md) | MSC Magnifica | MSC Cruises | 2027-05-05 | 12 | €1,187 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting La Rochelle](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=la_rochelle) (31 sailings) ## Browse - [British Isles & Western France cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/british-isles-western-france.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)