There is so much to do and so much to see in the Virgin Islands National Park— so how do you fit it all into your Virgin Islands National Park itinerary? We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to plan the perfect trip to the Virgin Islands National Park in St John!
Day 1: How do you get to the national park in the Virgin Islands?
Virgin Islands National Park is on St John Island. St John doesn’t have an airport but the neighboring island of St Thomas does. If you land at the Cyril E. King Airport in St Thomas, you may want to stay the night in St Thomas to get your feet underneath you before traveling to Virgin Islands National Park in St John. The next day, you have a few options for getting to the national park in the Virgin Islands:
Getting to Virgin Islands National Park by ferry
Ferries leave Red Hook on St Thomas to go to Cruz Bay on St John about once an hour. They also leave from Charlotte Amalie a few times a day. You can find the Virgin Islands ferry schedule here. The main issue with traveling to the Virgin Islands National Park in St John by ferry is that once you get there, you may have a difficult time getting around. Especially considering some of the most beautiful parts of the island are only accessible by boat.
Getting to Virgin Islands National Park by private boat
If you don’t want to plan your own Virgin Islands National Park Itinerary but would still like to see a few main sights during a day trip, you can visit the park with a tour group that leaves from St Thomas or even St Croix.
However, if you’d like to plan a longer trip to the Virgin Islands with a more customized itinerary, you’ll either want to charter a boat or go on a weeklong liveaboard course with a captain. Go Sail Virgin Islands offers both bareboat charters and sailing courses which offer sailors ample time to explore the islands! Weeklong liveaboard sailing courses leave from Compass Point Marina in St Thomas.
Night 1: Can you stay at Virgin Island National Park?
Once you arrive in Virgin Islands National Park in St John, you may be wondering where to stay! There are a few different options. The first is staying on land at the Cinnamon Bay Beach & Campground in Virgin Islands National Park. Rates vary throughout the year but you can view availability and price for the campground here.
The second option is to rent a mooring ball somewhere near the island. Overnight mooring and anchoring costs $26 a night in Virgin Islands National Park. There are multiple places to moor around the national park. Keep in mind, moorings are first come first serve so you may want to have a back up mooring location or two on your Virgin Island National Park itinerary.
If you are on a Go Sail liveaboard trip, your captain will take care of finding mooring for you! However, if you are on a bareboat charter or have your own boat, you’ll probably want to plan mooring ahead of time for your Virgin Island National Park itinerary. You can see where to moor on the interactive Virgin Island National Park map here.
Day 2 and beyond: How many days do I need in the Virgin Islands National Park?
There are a few logistical items that may limit how long you stay in the Virgin Islands National Park in St John. The main one is that you can only moor in the national park for a total of 30 days a year and can only stay at a specific mooring for seven days. However, you may be able to see all you want to see in just a few days! When planning out your Virgin Islands National Park itinerary, keep in mind you’ll likely want to block of a full today to see any of these locations:
- Hawksnest Bay and the Elkhorn coral reefs
- Caneel Bay and the Caneel Hill trail
- Salt Pond Bay and the Ram Head Trails to secluded beaches
- Reef Bay, Reef Bay Trail, and sugar plantations
- Trunk Bay and the underwater snorkel trail
If you visited all of these locations, you’d have yourself a great week-long itinerary for Virgin Islands National Park!
Day 2 and beyond: What are some available activities in Virgin Islands National Park?
The Virgin Islands National Park in St John is full of adventures for everyone. Snorkeling, sunbathing on the beach, hiking, taking self-guided tours, learning about the area’s history, and scuba diving are just a few of the activities you can enjoy here. Additionally, if you visit the park on a Go Sail Virgin Islands weeklong liveaboard, you’ll also spend much of your time learning to sail!
Let us help you create the perfect Virgin Islands National Park itinerary!
The captains with Go Sail Virgin Islands have years of experience sailing the waters of Virgin Islands National Park in St John. Let us help you plan the perfect trip– whether that be a bareboat adventure or a weeklong ASA sailing course! For more information on planning your dream Virgin Islands National Park vacation, contact us here.