Nantucket Travel Guide

Home to beautiful beaches, Nantucket in Massachusetts is a summer haven for many vacationers. 39 miles south of Cape Cod, the island boasts blue sea, sand dunes and stunning lighthouses on the shore. For visitors who want to be active, there are miles of bike trails and water sports available to enjoy.

Things to Do in Nantucket

A popular beach in Nantucket is Madaket Beach. Vacationers flock here to sunbathe and surf during the day, as well as watch the incredible sunsets by night. You can also enjoy Brant Point Beach where travelers and locals flock to relax and watch the harbor, as well as visit the second oldest lighthouse in the country. Elsewhere, Surfside Beach is a family-friendly place with lifeguards and beach games. To learn more about Nantucket’s whaling history, head to the Nantucket Whaling Museum where you can even see a 46 ft bull sperm whale skeleton.

Best Places to Stay in Nantucket

There is everything from luxury resorts, comfortable hotels and budget inns on the island of Nantucket, meaning there's something for everyone.

Best Time to Visit Nantucket

The most popular time to visit Nantucket is during the summer months when there isn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun is shining. That said, we recommend visiting in the shoulder months during spring or fall. September is most ideal as the weather is still warm, shops are still open, and there aren’t nearly as many crowds as there are during the summer. If you’re feeling adventurous, visiting in December is always a treat as the whole town is wrapped up like a Christmas tree.

A Local's Guide to Nantucket vacation rentals

For travelers looking for a picturesque summer vacation rental, look no further than Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Nantucket Island sits thirty miles off of the coast from Cape Cod on the East Coast of the United States and has been one of the nation’s most idyllic summer vacation spots for decades. Located just a short walk from one another the vacation rentals and rental homes that Nantucket offers are as picturesque as you’re imagining on the postcard. Most fit the bill of a beachside bungalow á la New England, but some of them can get pretty modern with full kitchens, large dining areas, and gorgeous views.

Nantucket Scenery

Nantucket offers its visitors scenes that look as if they were taken right off of a postcard: windswept beaches, towering lighthouses, and stunning coastal views of the Atlantic. Nantucket has more scenery to offer than just the beaches. Head over to the Great Point Light House, or head out on the Sconset Buffalo Walk for excellent views of your surroundings. For some more incredible scenery, tour the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge, which is over 1,000 acres of beach, salt marshes, sand dunes, and forests that you can peruse on an overland 4x4 tour.

Cultural Attractions

Few other places in the entirety of New England offer as much vintage east coast charm as Nantucket. In order to get a taste for the vibe here, head slightly out of town to the Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum. Learn about some 700 ships that have sunk and now inhabit the shoals around Nantucket, and learn about the town’s history as a whaling boom town. Be sobered by the town’s history with a visit to the Jethro Coffin House, which was the largest structure in town when it was built in 1686. Other than that, we recommend spending some learning about the old folkloric art of lightship basket weaving, which dates back centuries. And lastly, don’t write off the Nantucket Atheneum as a run-of-the-mill public library. This is a stately Greek revival building that has hosted people like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederick Douglas. Visit to get a taste of the island’s literary history.

Culinary Scene and Nightlife

You won't be disappointed with the dining options in town either -- there's everything from fine dining on the beach to casual restaurants where you can unwind in the evenings. One thing’s for sure; your appetite will be satisfied in Nantucket! For lobster roll or a softshell crab or swordfish-steak sandwich, head over to Straight Wharf Fish Store, a small authentic fish market with a take out window. For a casual dinner option, head over to Millie’s Restaurant, which is a fish-focused TexMex spot where the standard Nantucket attire of shorts and button downs is in full effect. For the most formal option, go over to Greydon House, which is a renovated porch of a former sea captains house -- and yes, they serve fish. Plus, when the sun goes down, there are live jazz and rock bands, among the vibrant nightlife.

A Day Itinerary

An ideal day in Nantucket, Massachusetts begins on the beach for a colorful sunrise. Take a short walk into downtown and duck into one of the many charming boutique stores. Tour one of the islands craft-style breweries or visit the island's winery. Enjoy a relaxing bike ride down Main Street Nantucket to find a delicious spot to eat lunch. Finally, wind down your afternoon with a remarkable view at one of the islands many lighthouses. Enjoy classic New England seafood for dinner, like lobster, fried clams, or New England Clam Chowder. Once the sun goes down (which is quite late during the summer), head over to Cisco Brewers, which is a big patio that is equal parts a brewery, a winery, a food truck stop, and a live music venue. The place can get crowded, but it’s well worth it.

Nothing says summer vacation quite like a trip to Nantucket Island.

How to Get There

One of the tricky parts about getting to a remote Atlantic island is the time and cost associated with arriving. In order to get to Nantucket from Boston, you’ll need to take a 90-minute bus ride, and then either a short (one hour, $36) or a long (two hours and 15 minutes, $70) ferry. The island also has an airport that is serviced year-round by Cape Air and it also welcomes seasonal flights from JetBlue, Delta, and American Airlines.