Whenever I picture New England in the summertime, the images of lighthouses on cliffs and sailboats come to mind. Newport, RI is a beautiful city by the sea filled with amazing coastal views, great seafood, and gilded age architecture. Although Rhode Island one of the small states in the United States it is packed with natural beauty.
Newport is the perfect size town to visit for a trip. It is not a huge city, but it is not a small town either. Plus, there is a ton of things to do to fill your trip for either a few days or a week.
Top Things To Do & See in Newport,RI
1. Take a Trolley Tour
My favorite thing to do in any new town I visit is to take a trolley tour. At the visitor center, you can sign up for a trolley tour offered by a number of different tour companies. The narrated trolley tours takes visitors throughout downtown Newport, drives by the famous Ocean Drive area, Cliff Walk, Fort Adams, and drives along the famous mansions along Bellevue Avenue.
2. Visit the Mansions
I adore old historic mansions. Newport has 9 of them to visit. The mansions in Newport were once home to America’s wealthiest families like the Vanderbilts who built these homes as their summer “cottages” away from New York. I would not describe these mansions as anything close to a cottage. There are nine mansions to visit which include: The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House, Rosecliff, Chateau-Sur-Mer, Kingscote, Issac Bell House, Hunter House, and Chepstow. Each house has its own unique beauty and opulence. For more information about tickets and opening times visit https://www.newportmansions.org/explore . For more on my visit to The Breakers visit my other post https://ceciliasluxelife.comthe-breakers-mansion-newport-ri/. Here’s my post on Marble House:https://ceciliasluxelife.commarble-house-mansion-in-newport-ri/ . And for my visit to The Elms visit : https://ceciliasluxelife.comthe-elms-mansion-in-newport-ri/. For Chateau-sur-Mer https://ceciliasluxelife.comvisit-chateau-sur-mer-in-newport-ri/. And for Rosecliff https://ceciliasluxelife.comvisiting-rosecliff-mansion-in-newport-ri/
3. Shop on Thames Street & Around Newport
Thames Street in downtown is filled with a variety of cute clothing boutiques to yummy food stores. And there are plenty of souvenir shops. But, other than Thames Street there are many areas around downtown that have a plethora of stores to visit.
4. Take a stroll on the Cliff Walk
Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile pathway of views of the Atlantic Ocean and beautiful Newport mansions. It is an easy walk, but on a hot summer day, you may not care to walk all three miles. I only walked a few minutes on it and decided I wanted to visit other things that day in Newport.
5. Visit Bowen’s Wharf and The Harbor
Bowen’s Wharf has several restaurants and shops to visit. Also, it is a spot where a few boat tours depart. I love walking around the cobblestone roads of the wharf watching the sailboats in the distance.
6. Take a sailboat tour
There is no better place to take a sailboat tour then in Newport on a beautiful summer day. It is a must to do in Newport and something you have to do on your first visit. I found a great company to take a sailboat tour from for an hour that showed us beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean and the other beautiful sailboats and yachts.
7. Get drinks at The Lawn at Castle Hill Inn
Castle Hill Inn has the perfect views of the ocean. It’s a beautiful place to come for a meal, but my favorite thing to do here is to go to The Lawn to get a drink and sit on those white Adirondack chairs. The Lawn is an outside restaurant part of the hotel that offers beautiful views of the ocean. It is a great place to spend in the afternoon after a long day of touring the mansions. Relaxing at The Lawn was a memorable thing I did on my trip.
8. Drive around Ocean Drive
For the most beautiful views of the ocean drive around Ocean Drive. It is one of my favorite things to do on a beautiful day around Newport.
Where to eat in Newport,RI
I am a big seafood lover. And, if you love seafood, there is no better place to fill your need for seafood then in Newport. Here are some of the restaurants I went to on my trip I enjoyed.
1. 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar and Grill: https://www.22bowens.com
Located on Bowen’s Wharf is 22 Bowen’s, an excellent restaurant that has delicious seafood and a variety of other types of food. We sat outside on the upper deck and had a beautiful view of the wharf.
2. Brick Alley Pub: https://brickalley.com
Brick Alley is a popular pub located on Thames Street and has a wide variety of offerings beside seafood. I loved their clam chowder. They have a variety of New England classics as well as typical bar fare like burgers.
3. The Cafe at The Chanler at Cliff Walk: https://www.thechanler.com/dining/the-cafe
At the hotel called The Chanler at Cliff Walk, they have a restaurant there called The Cafe. It is a beautiful place for lunch/dinner that has a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. The Cafe has a Mediterranean/New England inspired menu ranging from pasta to fish, and delicious croissant sandwiches.
4. The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar: https://www.mooringrestaurant.com
The Mooring has a great atmosphere and is right on the water overlooking the harbor.
5. Kilwins Chocolates & Ice Cream: https://www.kilwins.com
I didn’t visit many dessert places while in Newport, but I thought Kilkwins had delicious ice cream and fudge.
6. Bouchard
7. Stoneacre Brasserie
