To end the summer and celebrate my birthday, Patrick and I went on a little getaway weekend trip to Newport, Rhode Island. We had so much fun exploring this charming beach town, it’s a place I can’t wait to go back to in the future! Here’s my quick guide of things to do and see during a weekend trip.

Things to Know About Newport

🌊 The public beaches require a fee for entry. It seems like the rates are typically $25 weekdays and $35 weekends which is valid for the whole day. We were a bit surprised by this but the beaches were very clean and monitored so the money seems well worth it! Also something to note is there are a couple “residents only” beaches so keep an eye out for those too.

⚓️ There are several areas to stay at surrounding Newport. We found an airbnb in Portsmouth/Middletown, RI and we loved this area! It felt quieter and more residential which gave us space from the downtown area. It was also close to the beaches and only a 15 minute drive to downtown Newport. If you want to be close to the excitement, I’d recommend finding a hotel in the downtown area.

Things to Do

Throughout the weekend, we did a little bit of everything and it made for the perfect way to spend time here + celebrate my birthday! Newport is fairly small so doing a lot in a couple days is definitely manageable without having to drive or walk far which was so ideal for a weekend trip.

Activities

• Shop! Newport has great local and well known name brand shops. Most shops can be found along Thames Street or America Cup Ave.
• Stroll along the Cliff Walk. This is a popular thing to do in town if you’re looking for some light exercise and want stunning views of the ocean. We didn’t complete the entire walk but had fun doing parts of it in the morning. Parking can be found on the street leading up to the start of the walk or you can park at Easton’s beach parking lot.
• Walk around in the Bowen’s Wharf area. Here you’ll find views of docked boats and amazing shops and restaurants.
• Go to the Beach! We spent time at ‘Second beach’ and really enjoyed our time there. Another popular public beach is Easton’s beach.
• Spend time at the Lawn at Castle Hill Inn. This has become a well known activity to do while visiting Newport in the summer months. On the lawn of this stunning hotel, you’ll find iconic Adirondack chairs to sit in while you view the coast while enjoying a drink. We attempted to go here for afternoon drinks but we were turned away on a Saturday due to too many people so keep that in mind.
• Drive along Ocean drive. This is a beautiful road that goes right near the coast for more stunning New England coast views.
• Go to a winery! We saw so many wineries closer to the beaches and the Portsmouth area which looked so fun. The Newport Vineyard was very close to our airbnb and we wish we would’ve had time to sit and explore this winery.
• Explore the International Tennis Hall of Fame. We did not do this but it seems like a popular activity in the Newport area!

Restaurants

• Nitro Bar. A very well known coffee shop that is worth the wait for delicious coffee & breakfast sandwiches.
• Springline Coffee. This cute coffee shop is in the Bowen’s wharf area and right near the water. There’s a nice patio seating area right along the harbor.
• Flora Cafe. This restaurant is inside the Gardiner house hotel, we went here for my birthday dinner and were very impressed with the food, drinks, and atmosphere of the place! They also serve breakfast and have a rooftop bar.
• The Lobster Bar. We stopped here for a quick lunch break while strolling around and it was delicious with great lobster rolls.
• Dell’s lemonade. This is a Newport staple and a must try for visitors! There’s a shop in the downtown area or you can usually find a truck at the beaches.
• Mother’s Pizzeria. We grabbed a pizza here to go when we first arrived and it was incredible! It looks like a really great place to sit down and eat too.
• Seaside Scoops. Delicious ice cream and unique flavors!