Virgin Islands National Park Itinerary For 1 to 5 Days
Are you looking to spend one to five days in Virgin Islands National Park and wondering how to plan your time? Though small, Virgin Islands National Park has plenty to do to keep you busy- with tons of beaches, snorkel spots, hikes, and sights, it can be hard to choose what to do! In this guide, we share a one to five day Virgin Islands National Park itinerary to help you feel less overwhelmed and more prepared for your trip!
Virgin Islands National Park is a small park found on the island of St. John in the Caribbean. It’s pretty unique as far as National Parks go, and feels more like a tropical island getaway rather than your typical National Park destination, known mostly for its beautiful white sand beaches and tropical vibes. At first glance, it might not seem like there is too much to do there, or that you’d need a ton of time, but this park was quite a surprise for us!
Though we wouldn’t exactly call ourselves beach people, we spent four days in Virgin Islands National Park and still found ourselves wanting more time here! Not only are the beaches absolutely stunning (and hard for even two self-proclaimed non-beach people to pull themselves away from), but the snorkeling here is super accessible and some of the best we’ve ever done through colorful coral reefs. Plus, there are historical ruins to visit, hiking trails to stunning vistas, opportunities for kayaking and paddleboarding, and more!
Even though it’s a small park, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to decide how to plan your time here. But hey…that’s where we come in!
In this guide, we’ll share how we would plan the perfect Virgin Islands National Park itinerary for one to five days. We’ll give you five ways to spend a day in the park, and by stringing days together that you find the most interesting, you can create your perfect itinerary for Virgin Islands National Park no matter how long you plan on visiting.
So, let’s get to it!
In this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary:
About This Virgin Islands National Park Itinerary
Virgin Islands National Park isn’t that big- it makes up about 60% of an island that’s only about 20 square miles large. But despite its small size, there is plenty to do!
There are dozens of gorgeous beaches (some of the best in the entire Caribbean, and even one that’s been named the best in the world!), tons of amazing snorkel spots where you can see colorful fish and coral and even swim with sea turtles, several scenic hikes, and plenty of historical sites.
St. John is filled with beautiful blue beaches!
Depending on what your interests are, there are plenty of ways to arrange a Virgin Islands National Park itinerary- whether you want your trip to be a more relaxed vacation on the beach, or a more active one involving hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling, or a nice mix of both!
For our Virgin Islands National Park itinerary, we share five different ways to plan out a day on St. John, and we include a little bit of everything. Depending on how much time you have and what interests you most, you can string them together to make your own perfect Virgin Islands National Park itinerary anywhere from one to five days.
We’ll go over some brief logistics below, but for tons more information and details on everything you need to know about visiting Virgin Islands National Park, including how to get there (and lots of info on the St. John ferries!), how to get around (renting a car vs. taking taxis), costs, what to pack, when to go, and much more, be sure to check out or massive Guide to Visiting Virgin Islands National Park.
Getting around Virgin Islands National Park
Virgin Islands National Park is located on the small island of St. John- a U.S. Virgin Island in the eastern Caribbean. To get here, you’ll fly into St. Thomas (a neighboring island), and then take a short ferry ride from St. Thomas to St. John. The ferry will bring you to Cruz Bay, the main hub of St. John found on the western end of the island.
Once on St. John, there are a couple ways to get around Virgin Islands National Park- you can rent a car, or you can rely on taxis.
For our Virgin Islands National Park itineraries, we’d highly recommend renting a car, particularly if you plan on spending more than just a day there. Having your own car just gives you so much more freedom with your time and schedule, and the longer you have it, the more cost effective it can be over taking taxis every day. Be sure to check out our Virgin Islands National Park guide for more information about renting a car and our advice on whether you should rent one from St. Thomas or St. John.
Only have one day in Virgin Islands National Park?
With one day in Virgin Islands National Park, it’s easy enough to get around by taxi. Likely, you’ll be heading over on a morning passenger ferry from St. Thomas (we recommend getting an early one to make the most of your one day in Virgin Islands National Park!). At the ferry terminal in Cruz Bay, it will be easy to find taxis waiting to take you to all of the most popular places on the island.
Taxis are easy to find on St. John
These taxis are converted trucks that have rows of seating in the truck beds and can fit up to a dozen people or more. The nice thing about taxis on St. John is that they all have official set rates for destinations all across the island. These should be posted on the taxi, but you can also find them ahead of time here to figure out how much your planned destinations will cost you.
Once you get to your first place, you might be able to talk to the taxi driver about a pick up time for later, but at some of the more popular places like Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, and Maho Bay, there will always be taxis coming and going that you can hop on- though you may have to wait until the taxi fills before it leaves. In this way, you can hop on taxis to take you from place to place for the day before ending back in Cruz Bay for the ferry back to St. Thomas.
How many days do you need in Virgin Islands National Park?
Though its small, there are enough things to do in Virgin Islands National Park to keep you busy for a day to a week- it just depends on your interests and how much of a beach/water sport kind of person you are. We wouldn’t consider ourselves huge beach people, but we do love snorkeling and hiking. With that in mind, we spent four days in Virgin Islands National Park and thought it was the perfect amount of time. It gave us enough time to do all of the must-dos on our list without spending so much time there that we ever got tired of beaches or too overwhelmed by the heat and humidity of the island.
But we also met plenty of people who were on St. John for the entire week, and also plenty of people who were just visiting Virgin Islands National Park as a day trip from St. Thomas.
If you’re just looking for a nice relaxing beach getaway, then we’d say 2 to 3 days is a great amount of time to spend in Virgin Islands National Park. It will allow you to visit a handful of beautiful beaches for some relaxing, swimming and snorkeling without rushing around to see everything.
If you’re really looking to explore the park with lots of sightseeing, snorkeling, and some hiking, we think four days is ideal to spend in Virgin Islands National Park, and you can really squeeze in a lot.
Using our guide, you can create your own Virgin Islands National Park itinerary by stringing together days based on what interests you most!
Where to stay in Virgin Islands National Park
The main place to stay near Virgin Islands National Park is Cruz Bay. This is the hub of St. John where you’ll find tons of accommodation options and places to eat, and it’s where the ferry docks are. Most people stay somewhere near here, and for this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary, we’ll assume this is your home base.
Overlooking Cruz Bay
You can also stay in Coral Bay, a smaller, quieter town on the eastern end of St. John.
Either way, you’ll never be too far away from anything on our Virgin Islands National Park itineraries, as the island is so small!
If you want to stay directly in Virgin Islands National Park, your only option will be the Cinnamon Bay Campground, which has a selection of bare sites for camping, glamping set ups, and cottages right on Cinnamon Bay Beach.
Virgin Islands National Park Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
Now that we’ve gone over some of the logistics, we want to share how we would plan the perfect Virgin Islands National Park itinerary for one to five days!
To do this, we’ll share five different ways to plan one day, and you can string them together based on your own interests and time.
And for tons more information about each of the things we mention in this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary, be sure to check out our guide to the Best Things to Do in Virgin Islands National Park, which goes into more detail about everything to do!
Get ready for lots of beautiful beaches, snorkeling, and gorgeous views on this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary!
Virgin Islands National Park itinerary day 1: North Shore Road
A great way to spend a day in Virgin Islands National Park is to explore the sights and beaches of North Shore Road.
As the name suggests, North Shore Road runs along the north coast of St. John, and along the way you’ll find most of St. John’s most popular beaches, known for their long stretches of beautiful white sand and impossibly clear blue water. They’re great for swimming, snorkeling, and just hanging out to relax.
Between beaches, there are some great viewpoints, trails, and sights that are also worth the stop.
Here’s how we would plan this first day in Virgin Islands National Park.
Hawksnest Bay
Start the day by heading out of Cruz Bay down North Shore Road. Shortly after leaving the town, you’ll see a pull- off for the Caneel Bay viewpoint on the left. Be sure to pull over here to take in the view! You’ll catch a glimpse of the small peninsula that the old Caneel Bay Resort sits on (closed since 2017) and its beautiful blue bay.
A view over Caneel Bay from North Shore Road
About 2 miles from Cruz Bay (less than ten minutes), you’ll come to Hawksnest Bay. Parking will be on the left side of the road. Hopefully, if you come early enough, parking shouldn’t be a problem, however if the lot is full, cars do park along the road on either side of the lot- just be sure to be all the way off the road and not parking on any fragile vegetation.
Hawksnest Bay is the first of many North Shore beaches that you’ll visit on this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary. It’s absolutely gorgeous, with views of green rolling hills towering over the blue water.
Hawksnest Bay on St. John is a great stop on any Virgin Islands National Park itinerary!
We recommend finding a nice shaded spot under the trees lining the beach, and then spending an hour or two snorkeling in the narrow shallow reefs that extend out right from shore. The reefs at Hawknest Bay were one of our favorite places to snorkel in Virgin Islands National Park for their accessibility, colorful coral, and the variety of fish we saw!
Snorkeling at Hawksnest Bay!
Peace Hill Ruins
Less than a mile up the road from Hawksnest Bay is the parking lot for the Peace Hill Ruins. A short five minute uphill walk on a wide rocky path will lead you to the remains of an old sugar mill that are fun to explore. As a bonus, the views up here overlooking both Hawksnest Bay and Trunk Bay are great.
Peace Hill Ruins on St. John
Beautiful views over Hawknest Bay from Peace Hill
This is a quick and worthwhile stop to add to any Virgin Islands National Park itinerary.
Denis Bay
Denis Bay was one of our favorite places in Virgin Islands National Park. This secluded bay requires a short hike to get to, keeping crowds low. And the scenery on this beach is gorgeous!
Denis Bay was one of our favorite places on this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary!
To get to Denis Bay, start on the trail up to Peace Hill Ruins, but just after the start, you’ll see an unsigned path to the right. This trail goes downhill for about ten minutes or so until you hit the shore. Turn right and start walking down the beach to get to Denis Bay.
Here, you’ll find a blissfully empty beach with gorgeous blue water, and as a bonus, this beach contains one of the last remaining hanging palm trees that once made St. John so famous (before the hurricanes of 2017 sadly took most of them out).
Hanging palms can still be found at Denis Bay!
We’d recommend spending about an hour or so here swimming and enjoying the views before making the uphill hike back to your car.
North Shore Road viewpoints
From Denis Bay, continue heading east on North Shore Road. The next major beaches along the route are the famous Trunk Bay (known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!), and Cinnamon Bay. We’ll be skipping these beaches for now, as parking will likely be full midday.
However, you can still catch a glimpse of the famous Trunk Bay from a lookout on North Shore Road, so be sure to make a quick stop here.
Trunk Bay Overlook- an easy stop on your Virgin Islands National Park itinerary
Continue past both Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay and head towards the next stop of this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary- Maho Bay.
Just before the beach, there will be another lookout on the left that’s worth stopping for to get a great view over Maho and Francis Bays.
Maho Bay Overlook on North Shore Road
Maho Bay
Maho Bay is one of the most popular beaches in Virgin Islands National Park. Not only is it a beautiful place, but it also has lots of great amenities. Across the street from the beach is Maho Crossroads, which has beach gear and snorkel rentals, food trucks, tiki bars serving drinks, and small gift shops.
Maho Bay is a must-do on any Virgin Islands National Park itinerary!
Maho Crossroads
We recommend starting the afternoon at Maho Bay by first grabbing a late lunch at Maho Crossroads.
Then head to the beach and spend the afternoon doing whatever you’d like! Relax on the beach, go for a swim, or you can rent a kayak or paddleboard to head further out into the bay. From the shore, you’ll see an island in the distance- this is Whistling Cay. It makes for a great paddling destination, and we read there’s a nice fringing reef that wraps around the island that is great for snorkeling!
Which brings us to our absolute favorite thing to do at Maho Bay…snorkel! And for one very important reason- Maho Bay is one of the best places in Virgin Islands National Park to swim with sea turtles! The entire middle of the bay is home to a large sea grass bed that turtles and other creatures, like stingrays, like to hang out in, so hopping in with a snorkel is almost a guarantee of seeing one (or several!). It’s nice to come here later in the day because turtles are more frequently spotted in the late afternoon (and also early morning).
Snorkeling with sea turtles at Maho Bay!
On either side of the bay, there are also fringing reefs filled with coral and fish.
For more information on snorkeling at Maho Bay, be sure to check out our Virgin Islands Snorkeling Guide!
Trunk Bay or Jumbie Beach
To end your already jam-packed first day of this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary, start heading back towards Cruz Bay. If you still have the time and energy, we would recommend making one last stop.
If you aren’t too concerned with spending a lot of time at Trunk Bay, but just want to set eyes on it and take some pictures, now is a great time to do that. We often found that beaches on St. John tend to clear out by about 4 pm or so, even the most popular ones like Trunk Bay! So at this point in the day as you’re passing back through, the parking lot will likely have plenty of open spots. Now’s your time to take advantage of it and check out the beach!
Good to know: Trunk Bay does have a $5 per person amenity fee from sunrise to sunset- so have some cash on you or pay online in advance.
If you want to save Trunk Bay for another day when you can spend more time there and take advantage of its amenities (like beach rentals, snorkel rentals, and grabbing food at their café and food truck), then head to Jumbie Beach instead.
Parking for Jumbie Beach will be just past Trunk Bay as you head back towards Cruz Bay. You’ll find a few spots on the left side of the road, and the trailhead sign for the beach will be on the right side.
It’s just a short walk from the road to this small beach, but the small parking lot really keeps this beach pretty empty which is great!
Taking a dip at Jumbie Beach on St. John
We really loved Jumbie Beach- we thought it was a great alternative to the more popular Trunk Bay, which you can actually see from Jumbie. It’s the same beautiful scenery, but without the crowds, and it’s a great place to relax or go for a swim in crystal clear blue water.
At the end of the day, head back to Cruz Bay for dinner.
Virgin Islands National Park itinerary day 2: Waterlemon Cay and Francis Bay
This was actually our favorite day of our Virgin Islands National Park itinerary! You’ll go on a beautiful hike, see some ruins, get great views, and visit two amazing snorkeling spots on St. John.
Waterlemon Cay
Overlooking Waterlemon Bay on St. John
Today, you’ll spend most of the day around Waterlemon Cay. This small island is found off of a secluded bay on St. John’s North Shore, and has a fringing reef that wraps around it and is full of colorful coral and fish- it’s one of the best places to snorkel in Virgin Islands National Park, and definitely our favorite.
To get to Waterlemon Cay, you’ll park at the parking lot for the Annaberg Ruins, found at the end of North Shore Road. Across the street from the parking lot is the trailhead for the Leinster Bay Trail.
This trail is about a mile long and follows the shore of Leinster Bay. It’s a flat and easy walk, but it is entirely rocky, so be sure to wear a good pair of walking or hiking shoes out, and pack in your water or beach shoes.
The Leinster Bay Trail is a gorgeous walk, with views over the brilliant blue bay and rolling green hills of St. John and the British Virgin Islands the entire time…we couldn’t stop taking pictures!
The Leinster Bay Trail had some of our favorite views on our Virgin Islands National Park itinerary!
Look at that blue water!
After about 20 minutes, you’ll reach Waterlemon Bay, and in the distance, you’ll see the island of Waterlemon Cay. The middle of the bay has a nice sea grass bed that, like Maho Bay, is a great spot for finding sea turtles. As we walked along the shore, we saw tons of turtle heads popping up everywhere!
There were lots of turtles near Waterlemon Cay!
To get to the Cay, though, we recommend continuing the walk around to the other side of the bay, and to keep walking until you get to a point along the shore that’s directly adjacent and closest to the island. From there, you can make a much shorter swim across the bay to get to Waterlemon Cay and its reef.
We absolutely loved snorkeling here- we spent a few hours in the water and saw lots of Southern Stingrays, tons of colorful coral, and a huge variety of fish. We even saw a super cool peacock flounder as it glided from rock to rock changing colors!
Snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay on St. John
We saw tons of cool fish while snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay
Aside from snorkeling, another thing to do out here is to hike up to the Murphy Greathouse Ruins on top of Windy Hill. These are a small set of ruins on the hill located just above the far side of the bay, and if you look carefully, you can actually see them from the Leinster Bay Trail.
From Waterlemon Bay, take the Johnny Horn Trail as it heads away from the beach and up the hill. After about 15 minutes of steady uphill climbing, you’ll reach the ruins. The ruins are neat, but the best part is the amazing views you get back over Waterlemon and Leinster Bays and out to the British Virgin Islands- it was one of our favorite views on St. John!
Looking out over Waterlemon Bay and Waterlemon Cay from the Windy Hill Ruins
When you’re done at Waterlemon Cay, hike back down the Leinster Bay Trail to get back to the parking lot.
While you’re out here, we highly recommend checking out the Annaberg Plantation Ruins, which are just a short walk up the road from this parking lot. These are some of the most extensive ruins on St. John, and hold the remnants of the island’s largest sugar plantation. A short loop takes you through all the ruins, with interpretative signs to learn more about the history. There’s also some amazing views over Leinster Bay from here!
Exploring the Annaberg Plantation Ruins on St. John
Views over Leinster Bay from the Annaberg Ruins
Francis Bay
To end the day, we recommend spending some time at Francis Bay, since it’s just minutes away from the Waterlemon Cay parking lot- plus, the late afternoon is a great time to snorkel here.
Francis Bay is a less crowded, but just as beautiful, alternative to Maho Bay, because while it lacks the amenities of Maho Bay, it makes for another amazing place to swim with turtles, which are often more frequently seen in the later afternoon (or early morning).
Francis Bay
Snorkeling with sea turtles at Francis Bay!
Many people stick to the south end of the bay, which is near the parking lot and restrooms and has a nice sandy beach. We recommend heading to the north end of the beach- it becomes rocky, but it’s a great place to get in for snorkeling over the sea grass beds for spotting turtles, and then swimming over to the fringing reef on the north edge of the bay to see coral and fish.
While here, you can also take a short walk around the Francis Bay Trail, which loops past some pretty ruins, through subtropical forest, and around a small salt pond that’s a good place for spotting birds.
Walking through mangroves on the Francis Bay Trail
End your day with a drive back to Cruz Bay for dinner.
Virgin Islands National Park itinerary day 3: Salt Pond Bay, Ram Head Trail, and more beaches
Today you’ll spend most of your day on the eastern end of St. John near Coral Bay and will be going to another amazing snorkel spot on St. John, tackling one of the best hikes in Virgin Islands National Park, and getting in some more beach time!
Salt Pond Bay and the Ram Head hike
Salt Pond Bay is a small but beautiful beach along St. John’s South Shore, just past Coral Bay. It doesn’t have quite the same crowds as the more popular North Shore beaches, but it’s just as gorgeous, with some of the clearest blue water we’d ever seen.
Salt Pond Bay
The parking lot for Salt Pond Bay is about 12 miles from Cruz Bay (about a 35-40 minute drive). From the parking lot, you’ll hike down a wide and rocky dirt path for about 5 to 10 minutes to get to the beach. The only amenities here are vault toilets, so you’ll have to carry in everything you’ll need for the day.
From the beach, we recommend you start the day by doing the Ram Head hike before the midday heat sets in. Ram Head is the southernmost point of St. John, and the views from it are some of the best on the island.
To hike to Ram Head from the beach, you’ll hug the southern shoreline of Salt Pond Bay and then climb up and over a small hill separating Salt Pond Bay beach from Blue Cobblestone Beach. The trail will take you down to this rocky and secluded beach, and from here, you can see Ram Head ahead.
Hiking along the Blue Cobblestone Beach on the Ram Head hike on St. John
From the far end of the beach, the Ram Head trail continues and now makes its final steep climb up to the summit. Along the way, you’ll pass through the drier, more desert-like landscape characteristic of St. John’s eastern end, marked by the groves of picturesque barrel cacti lining the trail.
Cacti on the Ram Head Trail
The final climb up to Ram Head is steep, but you’ll be rewarded with gorgeous views over the ocean and back towards the South Shore of the island.
Gorgeous views from the Ram Head Trail near Salt Pond Bay!
Overall, the Ram Head hike will take you about an hour and a half to two hours from Salt Pond Bay. It’s not a difficult hike, but the intense St. John sun can easily slow you down, as there is virtually no shade on the entire hike, so be sure to bring tons of water!
Once back at Salt Pond Bay, it’s time to cool off in the water! And our favorite thing about Salt Pond Bay? The snorkeling!
Salt Pond Bay is another one of St. John’s best snorkeling spots. In the middle of a bay out by the boat moorings is a big sea grass bed that’s great for spotting turtles. We spotted 6 in total!
Swimming with sea turtles at Salt Pond Bay was one of the best things we did on our Virgin Islands National Park itinerary!
Along either edge of the bay are fringing reefs filled with coral and fish.
Spend a couple hours here hanging out on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, and just enjoying the views.
We recommend packing a lunch in for the day, or going out for a late lunch in Coral Bay.
Lameshur Bays or Cinnamon Bay Beach
A good place to go for the afternoon while you’re out on the eastern side of St. John is to Great and Little Lameshur Bays. These are scenic beaches along the island’s south shore that are also great for snorkeling.
The catch, though, is that you’ll need a 4x4 to get there. Shortly past the parking lot for Salt Pond Bay, Coral Bay Road becomes a rough dirt road rattled with giant potholes and rocks. The park service recommends having 4- wheel drive to tackle this road, and based on pictures we saw, we weren’t comfortable bringing our non-Jeep rental car down here.
If you do rent a Jeep or adequate SUV, though, the Lameshur Bays are great beaches to visit. We would recommend hiking the short trail to Yawzi Point, which is a small peninsula separating the two bays. We hear that there are several areas where you can access the water, and there’s some great snorkeling around the point.
If you don’t have the right vehicle or simply want another option, we would recommend spending the afternoon at Cinnamon Bay. It has great amenities, such as beach gear and snorkel rentals, food, and a small shop, and there are several things here to fill up your afternoon.
Cinnamon Bay
Cinnamon Bay Beach is a gorgeous white sand beach- the longest on St. John. The water has a sandy bottom that makes it super clear and blue, and it’s a great place to just go for a swim.
If you want to do some more snorkeling, Cinnamon Cay is an island that sits in the middle of the bay and has a coral reef.
Cinnamon Bay is also home to some of St. John’s historical ruins. There are some right at the beach that you can explore, but there is also a short and easy nature trail right across the street where you can see and learn about the Cinnamon Bay Ruins.
Ruins sitting right on Cinnamon Bay Beach
And, if you’re looking for a bigger hike, head up to the America Hill Ruins. It’s a steep 400 foot climb over the course of 2/3 of a mile, and at the top you’ll find remains of an old guest house while being treated to great views over Maho and Francis Bay.
Head back to Cruz Bay in the evening for dinner.
Virgin Islands National Park itinerary day 4: Trunk Bay and Honeymoon Beach
On this day of the Virgin Islands National Park itinerary, you’ll visit a beach once called the most beautiful beach in the world…Trunk Bay. Then spend the afternoon at Honeymoon Beach.
Trunk Bay
Make Trunk Bay the first place you go today, as parking here can fill up by mid-morning (10 am or earlier).
Trunk Bay is the only beach on St. John that charges a fee ($5 per person), so have cash handy or pay in advance online. But with that fee, you do get access to amenities such as food options, beach and snorkel rentals, restrooms, showers, and changing areas.
Trunk Bay is also known for its underwater snorkel trail, which takes you by the western side of Trunk Cay. You’ll swim over interpretive underwater signs where you can learn more about marine life while getting to see coral and a variety of fish.
We recommend taking advantage of your time here and spending the whole morning just having a nice beach day.
Honeymoon Beach
Honeymoon Beach is a beautiful beach right near Cruz Bay. It requires some effort to get to, but it has nice amenities, such as beach chair and cabana rentals, and food and drink options.
Honeymoon Beach is one of the handful of beaches that’s a part of Caneel Bay Resort. However, since the resort has been closed since 2017, it takes a bit of effort to reach.
Your two main options for getting to Honeymoon Beach are to:
Hike- Take the Lind Point Trail which starts just behind the Cruz Bay Visitor Center. Be sure to stop inside the visitor center to pick up a permit so that you can park in the small visitor center parking lot for the day before starting your walk. From the visitor center, it’s about a mile of moderate hiking.
The start of the Lind Point Trail at the Cruz Bay Visitor Center
Take a shuttle- There is a paid shuttle that will pick you up by the Caneel Bay Resort entrance and take you to Honeymoon Beach.
Once at Honeymoon Beach, spend some time relaxing, swimming, or snorkeling before heading back to Cruz Bay for dinner.
Virgin Islands National Park itinerary day 5: Go on a hike or take a tour
For the last day of this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary, we recommend a few things we feel don’t make the cut for a shorter itinerary, but are definitely worth it with more time on the island.
Hike the Reef Bay Trail
The Reef Bay Trail is one of Virgin Islands National Park’s more popular hikes, but it’s also one if its most difficult.
In about 2.2 miles, the Reef Bay Trail descends nearly 1,000 feet from Centerline Road down to the south shore. En route, you’ll hike by an extensive set of sugar plantation ruins and some ancient petroglyphs. The trail ends at a small scenic beach that you can cool off in or just otherwise enjoy the views from.
But the hard part is still to come…making the hike back up to Centerline Road, which can be difficult in the kind of heat and humidity that St. John experiences.
To make things a little bit easier on yourself, you can book a tour through the Friends of Virgin Islands and the National Park Service. This tour operates primarily in the peak season, between November and June, and offers a guided experience with a park ranger. But the key part here is that it’s one-way, so the hike will be primarily downhill. When you get to the beach, a boat will pick you up and bring you back to Cruz Bay! It’s a bit pricey but I’m sure worth it!
If you decide to do the Reef Bay guided hike, plan for the whole day, as you won’t be returning back to Cruz Bay until 3 pm.
Take a tour
Another option for your last day in Virgin Islands National Park is to take a tour. To be honest, taking a tour is something that you don’t necessarily need to do on St. John, because there are so many amazing beaches that you can get to on your own, and so many amazing snorkeling spots that are accessible right from the shore.
However, with more time, taking a tour can be a good add-on to your Virgin Islands National Park itinerary. Often, tours have multiple activities that can include paddling, snorkeling, sailing, fishing, lunch, and/or hiking, so it’s a great way to fit in a few different things in a day.
The other benefit to taking a tour is that they often will take you to more remote locations off shore- such as more remote cays, or beaches that are only accessible by boat. This means there will be fewer people there, and that often means more abundant marine life which is great for snorkeling.
Another great St. John tour to take is a kayaking and snorkeling tour to Hurricane Hole. Hurricane Hole is a large bay near the town of Coral Bay known for its mangrove waterways filled with unique coral reefs.
There are tons of tour options on St. John, so just pick one that combines the activities you’re most interested in and leave the rest up to your guides!
Virgin Islands National Park Itinerary Map
Below we have a map that outlines all the places we mention on each day of this Virgin Islands National Park itinerary. Each day’s activities are represented with a unique color.
More Virgin Islands National Park Guides
Heading to Virgin Islands National Park and looking for more information to help you plan your trip? Check out all our Virgin Island National Park guides which are jam-packed with info and tips!
MORE VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK GUIDES
We hope this guide helps you plan your perfect Virgin Islands National Park itinerary. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below, and as always, happy travels!