Four days covers Nassau and a meaningful Exuma excursion comfortably, with enough downtime built in to actually enjoy the beaches rather than treating the trip as a sightseeing checklist. Day 1 stays in downtown Nassau. Fort Charlotte, an 18th-century fortification, and the hand-carved 65-step Queen's Staircase are both easy to combine into a single morning, giving a sense of the island's pirate-era and colonial history without requiring a full day. Spend the afternoon wandering downtown's colourful streets and the straw market, accepting that cruise ship days bring noticeably heavier crowds — check port schedules in advance if avoiding them matters to you. Day 2 moves to Paradise Island. The Atlantis resort's marine habitats and water park are worth a visit even if you're not staying there, and Cabbage Beach nearby is one of the best stretches of sand in the immediate Nassau area. This is a good day to take at a relaxed pace rather than overscheduling, since Paradise Island rewards lingering more than rushing between sights. Day 3 is the standout day of the trip: a full-day boat excursion to Exuma's swimming pigs, paired with nurse shark encounters and snorkelling stops along the way. Book this well ahead, particularly in peak season, since it's genuinely popular and regularly sells out. The water along this route is some of the most photographed in the Caribbean, and the trip typically includes lunch on one of the smaller islands en route. Day 4 is for slowing down. Spend the day at Cable Beach, Nassau's main beachfront strip, and finish the trip with sunset drinks and fresh conch from a local shack — Arawak Cay's "Fish Fry" area is the well-known spot for this, offering better value and flavour than most resort restaurants. A few practical notes: US dollars are accepted everywhere at the same rate as the Bahamian dollar, so currency exchange generally isn't necessary. Cruise ship days noticeably increase crowds downtown — plan around this if it matters to your trip. And book the Exuma excursion as early as you can in your planning, since availability tightens considerably during peak season.