The Perfect Day Trip to Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island is your perfect New England summer town by the sea. The homes are beautiful, you’ll find hydrangeas everywhere and the boats look extra polished in the summer sun.

Newport was founded in the 1600s and it eventually became one of the most notable seaports in colonial North America. Check out this link if you want to read more about the city’s history. Eventually, Newport drew in some famous names to her seaside (i.e. Vanderbilt) and earned the nickname “Queen of Resorts”. These Guilded Age “elite” families built their summer mansions on the coast of Newport, which is now a major tourism draw for the city.

George and I visited over Forth of July Weekend, which lends itself to fabulous weather (it was a breath of fresh, cool air compared to summers in the southeast). George’s sister and brother-in-law (Liz and Tyler) live in Boston and we flew up to meet our new baby niece! Liz and Tyler have all the best recs and co-wrote my Boston travel guide. Last year, the four of us drove to Maine for an overnight trip (AMAZING). So, we decided do another trip and picked Newport!

And it was the perfect summer day trip!

the perfect day trip to newport

We hopped on the road ~10am from Boston and hit a little Cape Cod traffic. We’d recommend leaving early to get to the island earlier!
Cliff Walk. This is a must-do when in Newport! This National Recreation Trail extends along the Eastern coast of Newport and runs about 3.5 miles. We started our walk off of Ruggles Avenue at the entry point next to The Breakers Mansion. This is one of the more popular mansions. If you have time, I’d suggest a tour! They have a gorgeous lawn area where you can spend some of your morning enjoying the view. We walked along the path to see Rosecliff and the Chinese Tea House at Marble House.

Hop back in the car for a gorgeous drive towards downtown. Be sure to admire the campus of Salve Regina University.
Wander to Bannister’s Wharf!
Lunch on the patio of The Black Pearl. Be sure to try the clam chowder! You can enjoy a lunch brew while the ships float by and people watch.
Shop around Bannister and Bowen’s Wharf. Be sure to pop into the Kiel James Patrick Flagship Store.
Indugle in a sweet treat from Del’s (frozen lemonade). There are plenty of ice=cream shops around, too! We enjoyed Sandcastles Sundaes & Shakes.
Drinks on The Lawn at Castle Hill Inn. We really enjoyed the drive to Castle Hill Inn and were even more impressed when we arrived. I could have stayed here all day - the view of Narragansett Bay was GORGEOUS! Find yourself a white adirondack chair to sit in while sipping an early evening cocktail and enjoy the coastal breeze (perhaps bring a sweater!). If you want to do dinner in Newport, definitely make a reservation at Castle Hill Inn.
Wave goodbye to the sailboats and head back to Boston.

If you have more time in Newport, this is what I’d suggest:

Classic Cruise of Newport (A sunset sail with cocktails?! Sign me up)

Ocean Drive (10 miles of gorgeous coastline to admire)

International Tennis Hall of Fame (When in Rome, right!)

Flo’s Clam Shack (This spot was mentioned time after time in my research!)

Clarke Cooke House (A classic oyster house on the wharf with a rooftop deck)

Stoneacre Garden (Beautiful spot just a block off of the Wharf in a cutie plaza)

If you’re able to make a summer trip to Newport, I would HIGHLY recommend. George and I were happy as clams walking around the city and enjoying views of the ocean.

Travel bloggers who inspired my Newport research:

Abby Capalbo // Weekend in Newport

Jess Ann Kirby // Top 10 Things to Do in Newport County

Kelly in the City // Newport Trip