Rhode Island
Newport
A colonial port turned Gilded Age resort: summer 'cottages' the size of palaces, a cliff-top walk past them, a rocky ocean drive, a harbour full of sailboats and America's oldest synagogue.
Photo: The Breakers, Newport, UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0
In the late 1800s, wealthy families built huge summer 'cottages' along Bellevue Avenue. The Breakers, built for the Vanderbilts, is the biggest. Several of these mansions are open as museums.
The Cliff Walk runs along the shore behind the mansions, with the ocean on one side and lawns on the other. Ocean Drive loops around the rocky south end of the island past Brenton Point.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Brenton Point State Park
A windy point on Ocean Drive, popular for kites and sunsets.
Free
Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge
A coastal loop trail with birds and sea views.
Cheap
Norman Bird Sanctuary
Trails over ridges and fields to ocean views, in Middletown.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Touro Synagogue
The oldest synagogue building in the United States, from 1763.
Cheap
Fort Adams State Park
A large 1800s fort at the harbour entrance, with views and the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals.
Paid
The Breakers
The Vanderbilts' 70-room summer mansion by the sea.
Paid
Marble House
A Gilded Age mansion built with 500,000 cubic feet of marble.
Paid
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Tennis history in the historic Newport Casino.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Newport harbor cruises
Narrated harbour and sunset cruises.
Season Daily departures roughly May–Oct (check before you go).
Sailing cruises from Newport
Sightseeing and sunset sails on Narragansett Bay.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Newport Mansions
Tickets for The Breakers, Marble House and other mansions.
Part of our Mystic and Newport guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Two mansions and the Cliff Walk fill a day.
- End the day with a sail or harbour cruise at sunset.
- Ocean Drive and Fort Adams make an easy second day.
Nearby and worth the drive
Mysticabout 50 min · Guide ↗
The Seaport and the Aquarium.
Providenceabout 40 min
Rhode Island's capital.
Ready-made trips with Newport
Good to know
- Tourism: discovernewport.org.
- Cliff Walk: Parts of the southern section are rough and rocky. Wear good shoes.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: The Breakers, Newport, UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Cliff Walk, Newport, EgorovaSvetlana, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ocean Drive, Newport, Daniel Case, CC BY 2.5
Photo: Brenton Point State Park in Newport, EgorovaSvetlana, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Fort Adams, Newport, Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0