Robert Nesta Marley, more popularly known as Reggae superstar and icon Bob Marley, was born cradled in the hills of Nine Mile, Jamaica. This small village tucked within the St. Ann countryside still possesses his maintained childhood home. After his worldly passing in 1981, an Ethiopian Orthodox Church service and grand state funeral at the National Stadium were held in the capital city of Kingston. Bob Marley’s remains were then transported in a motorcade to Nine Mile (deliberately driving through Kingston Music Streets, passing his uptown home and Tuff Gong Recording Studio). As his life came full circle, Nine Mile is also where he was laid to rest; his coffin was carried to the top of the highest hill in the village. The Bob Marley Mausoleum Tour takes visitors on a physical and transcendent journey to the birthplace, childhood home, and resting place of the Legend. A scenic trip to the site travels through a series of narrow and winding country roads.

Bob Marley Nine Mile Tour, St. Ann

The Bob Marley Nine Mile Tour offers a unique opportunity for Reggae fans to pay homage to the dreadlocked icon who soared to international superstardom from Kingston Music Streets. The sizeable property can be easily identified from the roadway thanks to tall buildings with Bob’s image, framed by a compound wall. Locals on the outside may offer an additional walking tour through lush Nine Mile landscape to small farmlands and fields of cultivated marijuana plants. Enter through the gates to reveal multiple decorated shops adorned with all kinds of Marley memorabilia and Rastafarian-coloured products for purchase.

Bright murals and the red, green and gold of the Ethiopian flag accent the property, enveloping the welcoming vibe of the site. Unwind at a clubhouse-style bar with surrounding vistas of the village before and /or after a tour timeslot. This second-floor lounge area grants great views over the quiet hill interior, with a side of drinks and light snacks. As the Bob Marley Mausoleum Tour begins, popular tunes that Bob reportedly penned on Kingston Music Streets carry through the venue as a live band shares a brief performance.

Bob Marley‘s Early Life

Following this spirited welcome, tales of a young Bob Marley begin. Rastafarian tour guides will take you pass a view of family burial spots, and up a slope path to a special place known as Mount Zion. Original artefacts and sites referenced in some of his most beloved songs are still found at here, where he reportedly meditated on a regular basis.

The natural mystic blows in the air, and a familiar aroma adds a relaxing feel-good vibe to the site. An outdoor kitchen may be bubbling with a pot of medicinal marijuana tea or a smoking pan of jerk chicken for guests to indulge in if they so choose. Where better is there to appreciate the herb widely known to inspire one of the world’s greatest musicians? At this cannabis-friendly estate, it is easy and embraced to light up if feeling inclined to do so. There also rests a small cottage, Marley’s single-bedroom childhood home before he moved at age 13 to somewhere known today as Kingston Music Streets in Trench Town.

Bob Marley Mausoleum  

The Marley mausoleum holds his resting place, a marble tomb shared with his half-brother Anthony Booker. Next door rests the tomb of their mother, Cedella Booker, with whom Bob grew up with in Nine Mile. This experience exposes visitors to religious elements and cultural practices of Rastafarianism, which greatly influenced Bob throughout life. As a show of respect to the faith and sacredness of the space, shoes nor photography are not allowed within the mausoleums. Fans and supporters are able to pay their respects and leave offerings at Bob Marley’s tomb and at a small chapel across from the mausoleum. Following the tour, guests are welcomed to dine at the on-site restaurant and patronize the stocked gift shops.

For a Bob Marley fan, the Bob Marley Mausoleum Tour can be genuinely moving; respectful tributes, his crafted resting place, and memories ingrained into the grounds underscore this Nine Mile Tour. If you ever want to embark on a journey from Kingston Music Streets to this burial site of a world-renowned Jamaican legend, be sure to take Culture for People merch along for the occasion.