If you’re the sort of cruiser who photographs the ship’s chandeliers and then immediately wanders off to find something with a little more grit, welcome.

Shore days don’t have to be a blur of hop-on buses and limp "I ♥ BCN" keyrings; many ports open straight onto cities where the walls talk (sometimes shout) in colour. Pack your curiosity, some comfortable shoes, and a phone that still has at least 12% battery left. Here's our picks...

Lisbon: stencils, saints and foxes made of rubbish

Lisbon’s street art is a citywide conversation between activists, municipal curators and a public not remotely shy of its own artistic opinions. Start at GAU (Galeria de Arte Urbana) on Calçada da Glória, where sanctioned panels climb the hill like an open-air sketchbook. From there, keep an eye out for Vhils (Alexandre Farto), whose relief portraits (like the much-photographed Amália Rodrigues) are literally carved into the city’s fabric. And don’t miss Bordalo II’s “Big Trash Animals”: photogenic, furious and fashioned from political ideas that are quite hard to ignore. Essentially this is eco-anxiety you can take a selfie with. 

How to do it: GAU sits between Restauradores and Bairro Alto; it’s an easy up-and-down wander with cafés to fortify your climb. For Bordalo II and Vhils, Santos/Alcântara and Alfama have reliable sightings. 

Valparaíso, Chile: an entire city as a sketchbook

In Valparaíso, the hills (cerros) are steep, the elevadores seem to physically wheeze, and almost every surface has something painted on it. Target Cerro Concepción, Cerro Alegre and Cerro Bellavista, home to the Museo a Cielo Abierto; 20 murals started in the 1990s that helped cement Valpo’s reputation as Chile’s street-art capital. Expect everything from tiny poetic political mosaics to dreamy full-wall murals. 

How to do it: From the port area, it’s a short uphill wander (or take a funicular) into Concepción/Alegre. Bellavista’s open-air museum is best tackled as a gentle loop, bring water and a camera with a wide lens. 

Miami (Wynwood): where the paint is fresh and the coffee is even fresher

Miami’s Wynwood Walls did for mural-hunting what the mojito did for mint. The curated complex is the gateway; the real joy is roaming the blocks around it where the scale gets audacious and the tags tell you who’s hot at the moment. From PortMiami, Wynwood is improbably close, exactly the kind of shore-day win you’ll feel smug about over dinner. 

How to do it: A taxi gets you there in roughly 10–15 minutes depending on pier; public buses are an option too. Visit the Walls first, then peel off up NW 2nd Ave for breweries, galleries and graffiti-splattered loading bays. 

George Town, Penang, Malaysia: murals with personality (and sometimes, a queue)

George Town’s UNESCO-listed core is also Southeast Asia’s friendliest open-air gallery. Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic kicked off the modern mural craze in 2012 (his “Little Children on a Bicycle” on Armenian Street is still catnip for cameras) joined since by local and international names across alleys, clan jetties and shophouse shutters. Crucially for cruisers: it’s very close to Swettenham Pier. 

How to do it: It’s about 2 km from the cruise terminal to Armenian Street (walk, short taxi or a quick local bus). Go early to dodge the selfie scrum and detour to Chew Jetty for waterside art.

San Juan (Santurce): Caribbean colour, activists' spirit

Beyond the blue balconies of Old San Juan, Santurce is the island’s mural centre; supercharged by festivals like Santurce es Ley and Los Muros Hablan. Expect big statements, bigger birds, and the pleasant shock of art that has real purpose. It’s an easy hop from the piers, which makes this one of the best “quick culture” runs in the Caribbean. 

How to do it: Plan for roughly 10 minutes by taxi from Old San Juan; if you’re bussing, Calle Cerra and Calle Loíza are good starting points. Set off late morning, when cafés open and the light softens the concrete. 

Melbourne: streetside theatre with a revolving cast

Melbourne treats its art-lined lanes a bit like a script that's constantly being rewritten. Hosier Lane is the headline act: a sanctioned, ever-changing corridor where a wall can be born, buffed and photographed in the time it takes to drink a (expertly brewed, Melburnian) flat white. From Station Pier, the 109 tram zips you into the Central Business District; from there, it’s a short stroll to Federation Square and the laneway circus. 

How to do it: Wander Hosier/Flinker’s web without an itinerary, and if you want more scale, chase the city-backed boundary walls and mega-murals scattered across the town (reminders that Melbourne’s paint is both patron-funded and gloriously ephemeral). 

Hamburg: anchors, octopi and a sense of humour

Hamburg’s walls lean maritime and mischievous. For density, aim for St. Pauli, Karoviertel and Schanzenviertel, you’ll find paste-ups, political cartoons and the odd kraken looking like it’s late for a gig at the Reeperbahn. Getting there from the cruise side is simple: the U- and S-Bahn whip you to Landungsbrücken and beyond in minutes. 

How to do it: If you’re docked at Steinwerder, the historic Old Elbe Tunnel walk pops you out at St. Pauli after a photogenic detour under the river. Then follow the stickers and wheatpastes you'll find some impressive work in no time. 

Rotterdam: curated routes and bridge-side big hitters

Rotterdam does street art with Dutch pragmatism: download the Rewriters010 app and you’ve got curated walking routes past giants from Witte de Withstraat to the former docks. It’s ideal for cruisers thanks to the city’s compact core; cross Erasmusbrug from the terminal and you’re practically in the thick of it. 

How to do it: Start with a central loop for variety, then head south to Feijenoord or M4H if you’ve time. The app serves background, maps and the occasional “oh that’s what that means” moment. 

Reykjavík: murals, mountains and very good bread

Reykjavík’s centre (especially Laugavegur) is a cheerful riot of large-scale murals, abstract faces and shopfronts painted like they’re headed to a festival. If you dock at Skarfabakki, there’s a free shuttle to Harpa, after which the art is a brisk stroll and the cinnamon buns are dangerously close. 

How to do it: Plot a simple loop from Harpa up to Laugavegur and back via the old harbour; you’ll catch both the blockbuster walls and the small, witty pieces hiding in doorways. 

Bristol: Banksy’s backyard in bite-sized bold

Bristol is easily one of the best cities in the world for street art (I say this with the untrammelled modesty of a local) and it is (just about) visitable by cruise. Start at Wapping Wharf and walk down Spike Island to find Banksy’s sly Girl with a Pierced Eardrum, climb to Park Street to clock the cheeky Well Hung Lover from the little bridge, then wander into Stokes Croft for the ursine anarchy of The Mild Mild West. If time (and steps) allow, swing to North Street (Bedminster) where UPFEST has turned whole gables into head-turners. It’s loud, funny and very Bristol; half museum, half self-referential joke.

How to do it: From Avonmouth, hop a quick train or taxi into the centre. Walk Harbourside → Park Street → Stokes Croft; add North Street if you’ve got an extra hour. Wear comfortable shoes; bring a camera.

Field notes for mural hunters (aka how not to be “that person”)

• Don’t touch the art (no matter how textured).
• Step back for photos; the wall (and the pavement) are still shared space.
• In neighbourhoods with political murals (e.g., Belfast), consider a guided tour, go in daylight and be respectful: these aren’t just pretty pictures.