One Week St. John Family Travel Itinerary

By Susanna Henighan Potter, author of Moon U.S. & British Virgin Islands

St. John is a playground, and every child loves to play. Beaches, hiking, snorkeling, and sailing provide diversions for all ages. Leave the iPad at home, but bring a camera to record your family’s encounters with sea creatures like turtles, dolphins, rays, and conch. Eco-resorts and campgrounds are ideal for adventurous families; others may prefer the comforts of one of the island’s two resorts.

Travel map of St. John, Virgin Islands — St. John

Day 1

Fly to Cyril E. King International Airport on St. Thomas and take a ferry to St. John. Ride on the top deck for the views. Check into the campsite or hotel of your choice and go for a quick swim at the closest beach. Eat dinner at your hotel.

View down into Trunk Bay with a strip of white sandy beach and a tiny island jutting up out of the water. — Fluffy sand, picturesque coconut palms, and a charming offshore cay. Trunk Bay is as perfect as it gets. Photo © Ferguson, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.

Day 2

Hit the beach. Make it an early start at Trunk Bay to beat the crowds. Follow the underwater snorkel trail and play in the sand. After lunch drive to Annaberg Sugar Mill and tour the windmill ruins. Have dinner at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay.

Day 3

Hike or kayak. Take the National Park Service guided hike at Reef Bay, stopping at the petroglyphs on the way down, or take a kayak-snorkel tour of the remote East End. Sample St. John-style barbecue at Uncle Joe’s Bar-B-Q for dinner.

Ancient petroglyphs along the Reef Bay Trail are a reminder of the Virgin Islands' early history. Photo © Susanna Henighan Potter. — Ancient petroglyphs along the Reef Bay Trail are a reminder of the Virgin Islands’ early history. Photo © Susanna Henighan Potter.

Day 4

Take a day sail to The Baths on Virgin Gorda. Keep a tally of all the fish you see while snorkeling, and learn the parts of a boat. Take a detour to Southeast Asia at Fatty Crab for dinner.

Day 5

Spend the day around Coral Bay. Take a morning trail ride through the forest at Carolina Corral. Drive the roller-coaster hills out the East End and eat fried chicken at Vie’s Snack Shack for lunch. In the afternoon, snorkel the reef at Salt Pond Bay and take the short hike to Drunk Bay for beachcombing. Have dinner at Cafe Concordia.

Day 6

Spend the day at Cinnamon Bay. Hike the half-mile nature trail, visit the archaeology museum, and relax on the beach. The more active among you can try your hand at windsurfing or kayak out to Cinnamon Cay. Get dressed up for dinner at the Lime Inn.

Day 7

Go for a morning swim before catching the ferry back to St. Thomas for your flight home.