New England is not a part of the country I have explored much before. Outside of visiting Boston a few times, and Vermont thanks to family there as a kid, I feel like this is a region that feels so new to me! I was thrilled when my friends decided they wanted a New England fall trip and our destination we landed on was Newport, Rhode Island.
With this just being a 3.5-hour drive from New York City, it was my first road trip since moving to Manhattan. I hopped into a Mazda CX-70 that was the perfect ride for my road trip. I scooped up my friends who landed at the Providence airport and we made our way to charming Newport, Rhode Island.
Here’s our Newport, Rhode Island itinerary from what we did in our packed 3 days, where we ate, explored and tips to know. I think this may be my northern Charleston. Living in Atlanta, Charleston was my favorite destination to get away to for charm and great food. This felt like the Northern version in all the best ways.
Newport Rhode Island Itinerary
Spending 3 full days in Newport was the perfect amount of time to see and eat so many things. I think it we also had an ideal itinerary. I’m excited to visit Newport again to try more restaurants and maybe check out more mansions. Here’s your Newport, Rhode Island itinerary.
Day One
Arrive and grab lunch on the water. Start your trip off with a great lobster roll and oysters. Walk around Bowen’s Wharf and pop into a few shops and maybe even grab some ice cream for a sweet treat. Then take a sailing tour to take in the views and get out on the water. These are usually about an hour and a half to two hours. The perfect way to spend the afternoon. You can also pop into the sailing museum. Newport is the sailing capital of the world so this is the perfect thing to check out.
Get settled into your hotel or Airbnb, change and get ready for dinner. Catch a sunset at Castle Hill. Dinner here is great, or try a few popular favorites like Clarke Cooke House or The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar before calling it a night.
Day Two
Grab coffee at Nitro Bar which is a viral must visit and 100% worth the hype. We loved their seasonal matcha flavor and caramelized banana bread latte. Order a few small drinks to share, they’re worth it. The pastries are great, but personally, I’d skip the food.
Get an early start and do the Cliff Walk along the water with mansions as your backdrop. This walk takes about two hours to do. It’s a pretty easy walk besides about 20 minutes of walking over large rocks. We saw people of all ages handling it well.
By now, you’ll have worked up a real appetite, so grab lunch at Newport Chowder Company. Their corn chowder is insanely delicious and be sure to grab a lobster roll and even some shrimp cocktail for the table. This casual spot was a favorite of the trip. It’s right on Bowen’s Wharf so walk around and pop into a few shops here.
For an afternoon activity, do the West Passage Oyster farm tour. It’s an hour and a half and is the perfect activity for oyster lovers and for that in-between lunch and dinner. Finish the night off with dinner on Thames Street. For something casual, try Wally’s Wieners and definitely try one of their many espresso martinis.
Day Three
Breakfast at Cru Cafe is a must, one of my favorites of the trip. The breakfast sandwich on a bolo roll, a Peruvian-style English muffin, was insanely delicious. Then head to The Breakers to check out the stunning mansions along the coast. Timed tickets are required for The Breakers, but not the other mansions. Check out two or three, depending on how much time you have.
Another favorite activity is to visit Jamestown and check out The Hard Pressed Cider Company for some cider and apple cider donuts during the fall months. If you’re visiting during this season, head to Shickasheen Farm for their epic pumpkin and gourds to admire. Before you leave Jamestown, check out Gooseneck Vineyards for a little wine before dinner back in Newport.
Best Things To Do In Newport, Rhode Island
West Passage Oyster Tour
If you’re an oyster lover, this tour is a must. It’s an hour and a half oyster farm tour where you take a boat out to the West Passage oyster farm and you get to learn all about the process. Plus, they pull oysters right out of the ocean and you learn how to shuck them. We easily ate a dozen oysters each on this tour as we shucked and ate oysters.
Cliff Walk
If you like to a good nature walk, this is the one to do in Newport. About 3.5 miles along the coast, this picturesque walk is fairly easy outside of about 20 minutes of walking across big rocks. The views are stunning and you get to see a look at the back of many of the stunning Newport mansions. We started our walk from Easton Beach and ended at
Aquidneck Growers Market
Visit the Aquidneck Growers Market on Wednesdays, where you can try local products, produce and baked items. We picked up a few local apples to have as snacks at our Airbnb and also a sesame and praline babka from NAVAD Bakers.
Newport Mansions
A must do activity in Newport is to explore the stunning mansions. The Breakers is the only one you need a timed ticket to, but it is worth it. This former Vanderbilt home is massive, impressive and stunning. There are several to visit, however The Breakers is probably the most famous.
Eat A Lobster Roll And All The Seafood
You can’t go to Newport and not enjoy a lobster roll, or two. There are two versions of a lobster roll. A hot one with hot butter on a buttered bun. Or a cold one that has a mayonnaise-based dressing topped on a buttered bun. I found that most of the cold lobster rolls had so little mayo that if you’re anti-mayo, you should still try one! Plus, give oysters, and clam chowder a try while you’re here. Being right on the water means some of the freshest seafood is available to you.
Best Restaurants To Visit In Newport, Rhode Island
Nitro Bar
There’s a reason why this place is viral. And it 100% lives up to the hype. We went here every single day to grab lattes and matchas. They were insanely good, from the caramelized banana latte to the cherry vanilla matchas. The pastries are great, but the food was not impressive. Would skip the food and just stick to coffee and pastries here. There are two locations in Newport and while there is usually a bit of a line, I found it moved fast. You could also order ahead on their website if you’re on a time crunch.
Newport Chowder Company
Probably one of my most favorite meals ever. This casual spot serves up classic lobster rolls and some of the best corn chowder I have ever had. We also got their shrimp cocktail which were generous in size and so delicious. It’s a little spot with picnic benches but it was truly one of the best meals we had here.
The Lobster Bar
A simple and casual spot on the water. We tried a hot and a cold lobster roll and they were both great. The cold lobster roll definitely had more mayo and things in it, like celery, which was good. If you’re anti-mayo, skip this one and stick to the warm.
Clarke Cooke House
Clarke Cooke House is a great restaurant for dinner when visiting Newport. Great views of the water too from the dining room. The entrees were generous in size and really delicious. From the steak to halibut, everything here was great.
Wally’s Wieners
Yes, hot dogs. But listen, they were really good and a fun spot for late-night bites. Plus, they have a really great espresso martini menu with fun flavors to try.
Castle Hill Inn
Come to Castle Hill Inn either for a drink to watch the sunset, or for dinner, you can’t go wrong. The fish tacos were some of the best I have ever had. Reservations are highly encouraged for dinner.
Cru Cafe
For a casual breakfast or lunch, check out Cru Cafe. The bolo roll breakfast sandwiches with seasoned potatoes were a favorite among my friends. They also have great pastries and espresso drinks. This is a fast casual spot but with really great quality food.
Where To Stay In Newport
We stayed at a charming Airbnb just a few steps from Bowen’s Wharf, which we found really convenient for everything we wanted to do. There was a trolley stop right in front of our Airbnb as well.
A few other hotels to consider are Castle Hill Inn and The Brenton Hotel, which are beautiful properties.
Best Way To Get To Newport, Rhode Island
I was meeting my Atlanta friends in Newport so we all took different ways to get to Newport. With this being a small city, there are a few things to consider when visiting.
Driving to Newport
If you live in the Northeast, driving is a great way to get here. This was about 3.5 hours from NYC. Mazda provided me with their CX-70 which was a comfortable ride for my road trip. While you don’t necessarily need a car in Newport between the trolley and Uber, it was nice to have a car while we were there.
Providence Airport
My friends found a good flight deal to the Providence airport which was about a 35 minute drive to Newport. Easy to get to and you can definitely take a taxi or Uber if you don’t want the hassle of a car.
PS if you’re flying in and out of Providence, grab breakfast or lunch at Ellie’s for a bite.
Boston Airport
A larger airport option is to fly into Boston. My friends actually flew out of Boston to get home based on their schedule and budget. You can easily take the metro or Amtrak from Providence to Boston to open up more flight options.
If you’re looking for a New England destination full of charm, character, great food and activities to keep you busy, Newport is the spot. From great restaurants to ocean walks and loads of history, I loved this New England city for a quick and easy getaway from New York City.
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