Stay as close to the front of the sidewalk as possible at the stop to get on more quickly. It can be quite annoying at times to get on the trolley, especially if you have a seat on a bench while you wait because then other people come and wait to hop on before you. There is no organized line for the trolley.During the morning and at the end of the business day, locals will be hopping on, so expect more crowds.Most visitors are going straight to El Morro after visiting San Cristobal, so the trolley is typically full and it’s hard to get back to Calle Norzagaray. If you’re visiting the forts, you’ll have a shorter wait time by getting back on the trolley right at the main entrances where visitors typically get off.One of the best stops to hop on the trolley is #14 at Pier 2 and stops #12 and #13 around the plaza with “The Casita” building (picture on right). No one ever gets off on stop #1, on regular days it’s not a problem. During cruise ship arrival days, do not waste time waiting on Trolley stop #1.If you want to get a faster head start on your walking tour of Old San Juan, it is smarter to just start walking towards one of the attractions and hopping on the trolley at another stop around the city. Most cruisers will attempt to get on the nearest trolley stops right near Bahia Urbana. When cruises arrive in San Juan, there will be hundreds of people trying to get on the trolley.There’s so much to see that you’ll be entertained as you walk across the other side to the forts.

Some of the most charming details are missed unless you walk. Please keep in mind that Old San Juan is a wonderful city that can be enjoyed on foot – 7 blocks of colorful streets offering many stops along the way to interesting attractions, shops, and restaurants. On your way to stop #12, you can get a refreshing “Piragua” and taste a favorite Puerto Rican treat. Stop #12 is right at the entry of Paseo de la Princesa, which is the first attraction on our favorite walking tour of Old San Juan. Before you get to the stop, be sure to stop at the Puerto Rico Tourism Office at the corner of the Ochoa Building across the street from Pier #1 where you can get maps and speak to friendly staff ready to answer your questions. If you were getting off a cruise, you would start walking to the left, follow the sidewalk along the water past “La Casita”, and you’ll soon see the stop.

A good starting point is on Trolley stop #12.

Old san juan walking tour map