Antigua and Barbuda Trips of Several Days

Antigua does not offer packaged touring routes that run for several days. The main island covers about 281 square kilometres, and distances are short. A longer visit is built from a base, a few day outings and, if you like, one night on another island. This page sorts those building blocks by length of stay. Prices are in US dollars where operators quote them, and the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$) is pegged at EC$2.70 to US$1.

Two nights: Barbuda

Barbuda sits about 48 km north of Antigua and is a low coral island with communal land and few facilities. Hurricane Irma damaged most of its buildings in September 2017, and some of the larger resorts are still being rebuilt, so rooms are limited. Reserve your bed first and your transport second.

Sea Bridge Ferries crosses in about 90 minutes, with one-way adult fares from about US$65, and its schedule mentions overnight stays on Wednesday and Thursday sailings. You can also fly from V.C. Bird airport in about 20 minutes. Carry cash, water and sun protection. Ferries do not sail in rough weather, which can lengthen a stay.

Three nights: an English Harbour base

English Harbour and neighbouring Falmouth Harbour hold most of the island’s heritage and yachting life within walking distance. A short stay can include:

  • Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, where the adult heritage pass costs about US$15 (EC$40).
  • Fort Berkeley at the harbour entrance.
  • The steep Lookout Trail towards Shirley Heights.
  • The Sunday party at Shirley Heights, from about 4pm.
  • The yachts moored at Falmouth Harbour.

Four to five nights: the north-east boat loop

Great Bird Island, the Stingray City sandbar and Laviscount Island can all be reached by boat from the north-east coast. Spread over a day or two, they make a compact loop. Laviscount Island is home to Aldabra tortoises.

A week: walking days at Wallings

For hikers, Wallings Nature Reserve adds two long ranger-led days. The Rendezvous Bay trail is 14 miles and about 5 hours, at US$50 for adults and US$30 for children. The Rendezvous to Falmouth route is 16 miles and about 5 hours, at US$60 and US$40. Rendezvous Bay has no road, water or shops, and it can also be reached by boat.

Timing a stay around events

  • The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta runs from 14 to 19 April 2027 and is based at Nelson’s Dockyard.
  • Antigua Sailing Week follows from 21 to 25 April 2027, in a shorter point-to-point format.
  • Carnival takes place from late July to early August. In 2026 it ran from 25 July to 4 August.

Rooms are tight and harbours are crowded in regatta weeks. Hurricane season ends on 30 November, and some resorts close from mid-August to mid-October or later.

Adding Montserrat

Fly Montserrat and Winair flights of about 20 minutes and a ferry run by Montserrat link the two islands. Their timetables are built around Montserrat departures, so look up the current ferry times at ferry.mniaccess.com before you set dates.

Read more: One-day outings from Antigua . The 7-day Antigua and Barbuda itinerary shows a full week laid out.

Regatta dates are posted at Antigua Sailing Week , and crossings are described by Sea Bridge Ferries . To compare hotels in English Harbour, search Booking.com .