Perfect Weekend Itinerary for Newport Rhode Island #DiscoverNewport #NewportRI @DscvrNewport #nptrightnow

Looking for the Perfect Weekend Itinerary for Newport Rhode Island?? I’ve had Newport, RI on my weekend bucket list for awhile now, so I decided to hit the road to find out what the buzz was all about. With so much to do in this historic town, I put together a detailed itinerary to make sure that I made the most of my time. You’ll be amazed at how much there is to do within walking distance if you’re willing to throw on a good pair of sneaks. Don’t worry if you can’t do everything on this list in a weekend; I guarantee that you’ll go back. It was the perfect combination of adventure, relaxation, and sight-seeing.

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Perfect Weekend Itinerary for Newport Rhode Island

Friday

12:00 pm Check into hotel
I spent a TON of time researching hotels in Newport – there’s plenty of options. My criteria: 1) Walking distance to all of the sights 2) Good value 3) Historical charm. I found the Mill Street Inn, which was one of the best decisions of the weekend. It’s an old woodworking shop renovated into a quaint inn and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They serve an amazing free hot breakfast and free sangrias at happy hour. Tip: Get there early. The inn has a very small parking lot that is free for guests if available. Luggage will be delivered to your room when ready.

2:00 pm The Chanler at Cliff Walk

After checking in, we made the mile walk to grab a late lunch at an iconic hotel in the area. Not only was the hotel beautiful, but it was conveniently located right beside the cliff walk. Tip: The lobster roll is pretty fantastic.

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3:00 pm Cliff Walk
If you walk out of the The Chanler, you can head directly onto the beginning of the trail. This trail is breathtaking, and it will lead you directly to the mansions right on the path. The fog was setting when we took this picture, but I promise the view is the best!

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3:30 pm Mansion Tours

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get to all of the mansions. You can access The Breakers mansion right off the Cliff Walk (about a ¾ mile from The Chanler), so we detoured off the trail and headed inside for an audio tour of the mansion. Marblehouse mansion is a little over a mile walk from The Breakers. We wore walking shoes and enjoyed the neighborhood stroll. Shuttles will also take you around town, but if you’re up for the walk, you will find many other cool mansions along the way with information outside for you to enjoy that we would’ve missed on a shuttle.

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 6:00 pm Sunset and sangrias at the Inn

We got back just in time for sunset at our hotel. We grabbed a couple glasses of free sangria and headed up to the rooftop deck to enjoy the view.

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8:00 pm Ghost tour

I’m a sucker for a ghost tour, and this one didn’t disappoint. With so much history in the town, you can get a taste of the past through fun, chilling stories. As a surprise, our tour guide took us into an old, haunted war museum where the workers of the museum talked about the ghosts in the building.

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9:30 Late dinner at Buskers Pub

This Irish pub serves dinner late with live blues music, and some of the locals will say it’s the best food in town. The wings and fried pickles certainly didn’t disappoint.

Saturday

9:00 am Mill Street Inn breakfast

I have to say… this is the best free hotel breakfast I’ve ever had. Mini omelettes and cinnamon cake were unexpectedly amazing, so I decided they were worthy of getting a shoutout.

10:00 am Audrain Auto Museum

If you’re a car lover, you will absolutely go nuts at this place. The museum is conveniently located in the heart of downtown, so we enjoyed a pleasant 10-minute stroll to the building. Even better news – the cars get swapped out every few months, so there’s always something to see.

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11:00 am Tennis Hall of Fame and shop downtown

Even if you don’t have enough time to tour this museum, at least make a point to stop by. I was happy to find out that this museum is only a couple shops down from the car museum – both located in downtown. Without even having to pay, you can grab a seat and enjoy watching local tennis players compete on the beautiful grassy courts. Tip: Grab lunch at La Forge Casino directly beside the museum. Ask for a table outside or on their patio to enjoy lunch while watching some amazing tennis.

After tennis, you have plenty of window shopping to do. Enjoy browsing around including the Armory Antique Marketplace prior to meeting up for your sailing trip.

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1:00 pm The Madeline at Classic Cruises of Newport

This 90-minute sailing excursion is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our captain and two sailors were incredibly courteous, filled with fun stories of the local area. They had the entire boat of people smiling the entire time. Tip: You can BYO on the afternoon sails. Champagne is provided at the sunset cruise.

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4:00 pm Rail Adventures

We grabbed a 20-minute Uber to outside Newport for a railroad adventure. I had never seen anything like it before! You are placed in a two-person bike on old railroad tracks. I like to compare this experience to a paddle boat on land. Tip: Wear comfortable clothing. While the activity isn’t completely strenuous and the railroad track is either flat or slightly downhill, you will be pedaling for about 45 minutes. On a warm day, you’ll be sweating a little bit.

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7:30 pm Sunset and Dinner at the wharfs

Bannister’s and Bowen’s Wharfs are a 5-minute stroll from the hotel. There’s so many great restaurants overlooking the amazing yachts in the wharf. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what tickles your fancy. My recommendation is to walk around the shops first and check out all of the restaurants on the way. Make sure to get a great view.

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Sunday

10:00 am Ten Mile Drive and visit the state parks on your way out of town

Roll the windows down and put on some fun tunes for this breathtaking drive. Be sure to stop at Fort Adams for a few minutes and then along the cliffside for some great pictures. Tip: If you have time, pack a picnic at Brenton Point State Park. Here you can rent a kite and grab one of Newport’s famous Dels frozen lemonades at a stand nearby. Another must-do lunch option is at Castle Hill Inn. We were only able to stop by for a few minutes to check out the view, but grabbing Sunday brunch on the lawn is at the top of my list next time I’m in town.

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1:00 pm Lunch and ice cream in the middle of nowhere. Literally

About 30 minutes outside of Newport, make sure you are hungry. This Middle of Nowhere Diner and Next to Nowhere Creamery are hidden gems that you must try for the full experience. The prices are low and the servings are big. It’s a great final memory to a very memorable weekend.

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And then home to Philly in time for dinner. Hope you add Newport to your travel list soon!

 

Thanks to Discover Newport for hosting me through the weekend with passes to local attractions. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

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