I recently traveled down to Newport, RI (a short trip from Boston – took us less than 2 hours!) and spent a wonderful weekend exploring this New England city. Here were our favorite things to do, places to eat, etc. during a quick weekend trip in Newport, RI…

Get dinner at The Mooring

Our first stop down in Newport was The Mooring. This cute seafood restaurant is very popular – so make sure you hold a reservation far in advance. It’s right on the water, so it’s the perfect spot to watch the sunset while enjoying a fresh meal. I got the lobster roll – I mean look at all that claw meat! See website here.

Lobster Roll at The Mooring!

Get drinks at One Pelham East

A short walk away from The Mooring is One Pelham East – a bar that will be quite lively at any time of night. With great live music, this bar is a hot spot and will likely have a line out the door if you get there after 9PM. If you’re looking to dance and have a fun night out – this is the place to hit!

Stay at the Holiday Inn Express – Middletown

King Suite at the Holiday Inn Express in Middletown

Most of the inns, hotels, and bed and breakfast spots are insanely expensive in Newport, RI – especially during the peak season. It’s much more affordable to stay in nearby Middletown! Only a 10 minute drive from downtown Newport, we had no trouble getting in and out of town. The Holiday Inn Express was clean, affordable, and had the location we were looking for. You can view their website here.

Walk around Downtown Newport

The next morning we got up and walked around downtown Newport. It’s a beautiful area so you can spend an hour or so walking along the piers/waterfront and then another hour popping in and out of the little downtown shops. After you work up an appetite, stop for a bite at Brick Alley Pub. The service was fantastic and the inside of the restaurant is very unique – has so much charm!

Get Dinner at Diego’s

Another spot that requires a reservation far in advance… check out Diego’s if you are in the mood for some Mexican! We split the chicken nachos and then got a pitcher of margaritas – both were delicious. The place was very busy with groups and bachlorette parties – it’s a lively spot! But I mean look at those nachos… 10/10! See website here.

Donuts at Ma’s

This was a popular local spot we hit the next morning in Middletown – Ma’s Donuts. It’s quite the operation in there, so order ahead to save yourself some time. We got 6 different donuts and all were delicious – but the honeydip was my personal fav.

Newport Mansions & Cliff Walk

We packed up our donuts and headed over to the mansions. You don’t need to order tickets in advance, but it does save you a step and small line if you do. Highly recommend getting their on the early side – just check the website to see what time they open and what mansions are open when you’re planning to visit. It wasn’t that crowded when we visited so we got to take our time going through The Breakers. And make sure you bring your own headphones!! The mansions are much more impressive if you can get the full story / listen to the audio tour. You play this from your phone, so download the Newport Mansions app and pre-save/upload the tours for the Mansions you plan to visit (saves you from trying to download there with spotty internet).

The Breakers, Newport Mansions

When you’re done at the Mansions (The Breakers took us just under 2 hours to walk through) – head over to the Cliff Walk. The Cliff Walk goes right alongside the water – and spots vary in walking difficulty from easy to difficult terrain. Just have a good pair of sneakers and some comfy clothes on – and enjoy the view! You’ll walk with the mansions on one side, and the beautiful waterfront on the other.

Honorable Mentions

If you’re looking for more to do:

• Visit the Newport Winery in Middletown – you can get a custom flight of wine and sit outside enjoying the sunshine while looking out at the vineyard
• Sailing / boat tour – if the weather is nice, book a boat tour of Newport! They are usually ~2 hours long and will take you by some of the most historic and famous parts.
• Vanderbilt Roof Deck – only open seasonally – but well worth the visit!
• Lawn at Castle Hill- sit in the Adirondack chairs while looking out at the water. Visit towards the morning and you can usually see boats passing by!

Enjoy your trip to Newport, RI! It’s a beautiful city to visit with lots to do – both inside and outside.