2024 Summer Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island | Travel Guide

Summer days in the city by the sea are a tonic you’ll wish you could bottle and drink up. Squeeze in as many of these can’t-go-wrong experiences as you can.

WATERFRONT HOTEL
The Brenton Hotel, Newport

Like a ship perched at the edge of possibility, the Brenton sits at the gateway to Newport’s bustling wharves and historic neighborhoods, making it the ideal base for a car-free vacation. Rooms are generously sized, and the best look out at pleasure boats in the harbor. The dreamiest views, though, are reserved for everyone: Just head to the rooftop bar for a citrusy cocktail. brentonhotel.com

HISTORIC HOTEL
The Vanderbilt, Newport

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt’s 1909 mansion, later Newport’s YMCA, has been a hotel since the ’90s, but it’s only been this fabulous and photogenic since a top-to-bottom renovation in 2022. Book a stay for access to indoor and courtyard pools, spa treatments, and experiences like a scrimshaw class or tea leaf reading. Or pop in for drinks and oysters—or a memorable meal—in settings that exude grandeur. aubergeresorts.com/vanderbilt

One thing you’ll notice on your first evening in town is there’s typically a breeze: This is America’s sailing capital. Didn’t pack an extra layer? Make a quick stop before dinner.

SHOP
Matriarch, Newport

Whether it’s “Cabernet and Equal Pay” or “Hot Girls Eat Bread,” you might as well sport an attitude when you need to toss a crewneck sweater over your outfit. This flagship brick-and-mortar store from Overseasoned has a feminist bent, but there’s plenty here for anyone who likes to cook. Or who’s raising young girls to be Ruth Bader Ginsburg–level strong and ambitious. matriarchri.com

As you walk north on Thames Street, other fun shops like the Black Dog General Store and Bite Me Bait will lure you in with sweatshirts and more. But don’t be late for your early dinner reservation.

WATERFRONT DINING
The Mooring, Newport

These tables are so close to the water you’ll hear it splash against the docks as you’re sipping fruity drinks and passing the lobster-shrimp fritters. The Mooring’s 40-plus-year presence reflects Newport Restaurant Group’s focus on food and experience. You’ll taste it in the fresh, locally sourced fare from land and sea and feel it in the genuine service provided by team members, most of whom are employee-owners. mooringrestaurant.com

TOUR
Ghosts of Newport, Newport

For after-dinner “boos,” step into the night on a spine-tingling tour with a theatrical, lantern-toting guide. On a 90-minute Olde Town Ghost Walk, you’ll tread through cemeteries, stroll the city’s creepiest street, and take your best shot at capturing a ghost image with your phone camera. The ghosts of Newport aren’t camera-shy, and their stories will stay with you long after your tour. ghostsofnewport.com

Wake early for a visit to the grandest of Newport’s mansions, which has been having a star turn in HBO’s The Gilded Age series, followed by a lunch at one of the city’s newest eateries.

HISTORIC SITE
The Breakers, Newport

Self-guided audio tours, available in five languages, feature a variety of perspectives: You’ll hear from Vanderbilt family members and immigrant staff who kept this 70-room palace and its oceanfront grounds flawless. Want a deeper dive? Book the guided underground tour “Beneath The Breakers” to see how stuff worked. newportmansions.org/mansions-and-gardens/the-breakers

PIZZA
Mother Pizzeria, Newport

Opened in 2023, Mother slices a unique niche for itself with a sourdough crust (that’s the “mother”), quality toppings (the Notorious F.I.G., capped with figs and prosciutto, is a summer favorite), and a bar serving small-production Italian wines and craft cocktails. The bartenders here love a challenge—prompt them with an ingredient or two, and they’ll create a drink to match your personal tastes and whatever’s on your plate. motherpizzeria.com

On a blue-sky summer afternoon, be sure to get out on the water. An island jaunt will whet your appetite for a stellar dinner.

LIGHTHOUSE
Rose Island Lighthouse, Newport

Experienced paddlers can reach Rose Island in a kayak or canoe, but most travelers eager to collect a U.S. Lighthouse Society Passport stamp hop aboard the Jamestown Newport Ferry. Once ashore, there’s more than the 1870 light tower and museum to explore. Learn about the island’s military history, stretching back to 1780, on a tour of the Fort Hamilton barracks. After August 15, when bird-nesting season concludes, you can walk the island’s entire perimeter and trails that probe the interior refuge. A few hours here will convince you to return for an overnight stay. roseisland.org

FARM-TO-TABLE DINING
Newport Vineyards, Middletown

A 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist for the Northeast’s best chef, Andy Teixeira is a food artisan who puts his hands in the dirt, makes everything from scratch, relishes the simplicity of early New England cooking methods, and imparts his passion to those working in his three kitchens. With even more fresh produce since Newport Vineyards added greenhouses and growing fields to the estate, his ever-shifting menus offer a true taste of Rhode Island’s bounty. Teixeira is at his pinnacle during summer’s annual Fire Dinner: cooked over open flames, served among the vines. newportvineyards.com

Before departing, check out the eclectic shops and dining spots along Broadway, a district locals dub “six blocks of awesome.”

BREAKFAST
Humming Bird, Newport

On Saturdays and Sundays, Broadway’s destination for jerk chicken, red bean stew, and rasta pasta becomes the place to wake up your taste buds. Sip a honey-sweetened mango and passion fruit smoothie or pour coffee from your own pot while you wait for breakfast favorites like tropical pancakes, chicken and waffles, and egg-topped pork belly bowls. With every dish served on this island, Jamaican husband-and-wife team Dezna Bowen and Abraham Parkes honor their Caribbean homeland’s sunny disposition.hummingbirdnewport.com