10 Best St. Thomas Day Trips (on the Island & Beyond!)
Are you looking for the best St. Thomas day trips? You’re in the right place! I’ve visited St. Thomas multiple different times and taken fun day trips each time I’ve been.
Between the ferry system and tour options, taking day trips from St. Thomas is super easy. My personal favorites are St. John and the British Virgin Islands.
However, if you’re looking for day trip ideas on the island of St. Thomas, I’ve also got you covered there. You can find plenty of fun ways to spend the day on the island.
No matter which island you plan on visiting, I’m sure you’ll love your time in the US Virgin Islands.
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Best St. Thomas Day Trips
These day trip suggestions are trips from St. Thomas either to another island in the USVI or the BVI (except #5). These are some of my favorite things to do in St. Thomas!
1. St. John
Taking the ferry over to St. John is super easy and pretty cheap. Check the ferry schedule before your trip. It leaves from Red Hook every hour on the hour from 6 am to midnight. There is also service from Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay, but much fewer times available.
The non-resident price from Red Hook is $8.15 and from Charlotte Amalie it’s $13.
Once you’re over on St. John you can rent a vehicle or get a taxi to take you somewhere. When visiting with my parents, we always went over to shop at Mongoose Junction where you’ll find all kinds of stores selling anything from souvenirs to high end jewlery plus restaurants.
When I went on my honeymoon, we explored Virgin Islands National Park for the day. There are multiple hikes that you can do in the park – we chose to hike down to Cinnamon Bay and spent some time exploring the sugar plantation ruins and beach.
Next we went to Trunk Bay to do some snorkeling as they have the underwater snorkel trail that’s part of the National Park. This is one of the most popular beaches so be prepared for crowds.
They do have a little food stand and place to rent snorkel gear. Maho Bay and Honeymoon Beach are other popular beaches to visit.
2. The Baths at Virgin Gorda/Jost Van Dyke
This is another one of my favorite day trips from St. Thomas, however, this one can be much more expensive if you go on a tour.
Note: you must have your passport to do this one!
While you can take a ferry and “make your own” day trip, you’ll need to go from St. Thomas to Tortola first, then change boats to head from Tortola to Virgin Gorda as there currently isn’t a direct option from St. Thomas to Virgin Gorda that allows for a day trip.
If you decide to take the tour, you’ll first head to Virgin Gorda and hike through the Baths down to Devil’s Bay. This offers stunning views of the boulders and coastline of Virgin Gorda.
You get to hang out and swim in the water for a bit or grab a drink from the bar, then you’ll load up to head over to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke.
Visit Soggy Dollar Bar and check out the other beach bars on White Bay. Make sure to get a painkiller at Soggy Dollar Bar since that’s where they were invented!
It’s named Soggy Dollar Bar because there are no docks and you have to swim to shore so be prepared for that.
After you spend some time relaxing or bar hopping, you’ll load back up on the boat and head back to the USVI. This is one of the best St. Thomas boat tours!
🛥 Check prices and availability for The Baths and White Bay here. 🛥
3. Water Island
Water Island is a small residential island that’s a quick and easy ferry ride from Charlotte Amalie – it lasts about ten minutes. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also get there via a cycleboat tour.
Once you’re on the island, you can explore the streets by renting a golf cart or unwind at the picturesque Honeymoon Beach. Or both, whatever you decide.
Make sure to check out Dinghy’s Beach Bar at Honeymoon Beach for some of the best food and drinks on the island. Plus, they offer a wide range of beach and watersport rentals.
Honeymoon Beach is a pretty popular area for snorkeling so bring your gear or rent some at Dinghy’s. You’ll typically see some tours come through here to snorkel as well.
🌊 Check prices and availability for the Cycleboat tour here. 🌊
4. Tortola
Tortola is another day trip that you can reach by ferry with routes from Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook. Leaving from Charlotte Amalie will take you to Road Town but if you leave from Red Hook, you can choose from Road Town or West End.
While in Tortola, you can check out the historical buildings in Road Town, the island’s capital, and visit the shops and restaurants. Callwood Rum Distillery is also here and they’ve been serving rum for over 200 years.
For nature enthusiasts, a hike in the Sage Mountain National Park offers panoramic views of the neighboring islands.
Beach lovers should head to Cane Garden Bay Beach, a beautiful crescent-shaped beach perfect for lounging, swimming, or trying out some water sports.
5. Snorkeling
Take a day and go snorkeling! There are multiple full day snorkeling tours in St. Thomas that will take you over to St. John, Water Island, Buck Island or a combination of those.
These tours typically stop at multiple different spots, offer open bars after you’re done snorkeling, and if you would rather lounge on the boat then you can absolutely do that too.
This is a fun way to hit multiple great places for snorkeling plus experience island hopping. Plus they supply the snorkeling gear so no need to worry about bringing your own or renting.
Day Trips on St. Thomas
These day trips are on the island so perfect it you only have one day in St. Thomas or if you want to explore more of the island beyond your resort – which I highly recommend.
6. Coki Point
On a day trip to Coki Point, you can combine a visit to Coral World Ocean Park and Coki Beach which is one of the best beaches in St. Thomas. Tyler and I did this and loved seeing the animals at Coral World, then snorkeling at Coki Beach.
At Coral World Ocean Park, you’ll see all kinds of animals from turtles and sea lions to sharks and birds.
They also have an underwater observatory which is a tower where you walk in on ground level but the bottom sits on the ocean floor. The tower is in the form of a cylinder with windows all around so on each level you get to look at the marine life in their natural habitat.
In addition to the exhibits, they have free educational presentations at specific times daily as well as paid activities where you can interact with the animals.
They are Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums accredited so you can be confident that the care of their animals comes first.
There are a couple of souvenir shops on site and two cafés – one inside the park and another at Coki Beach.
Once you’re done at Coral World, walk down the boardwalk to Coki Beach where you can rent some beach chairs and snorkel equipment.
There are plenty of amenities here like restaurants, beach bars, and public restrooms. You’ll also be very close to the Red Hook restaurants and bars.
7. Magens Bay
Known as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, the crystal-clear waters and white sandy shoreline at Magens Bay Beach are truly beautiful. Just be prepared for crowds.
There is a fee of $5 per person and $2 for parking to access the beach as it’s a park on the island. Amenities like a watersports rental stand and beach concession stand are available.
You can rent beach chairs, umbrellas, kayaks, and more. Grab a bite from the concession stand that offers pizza, burgers, and hot dogs, or get a drink from the well-stocked bar. Public restrooms and showers are available, although they may not be the cleanest.
On your way to the beach, you can stop at Drake’s Seat for a birds-eye view of Magens Bay. If you’re into plants, you could also visit the nearby Phantasea Botanical Garden.
If you want to spend your day lounging on a beautiful beach, then this is a great option for you. We only spent a couple of hours here because the crowds just weren’t for us.
8. Charlotte Amalie
If you’re staying outside of the capital city, then visiting Charlotte Amalie is a fun way to spend the day. There are tons of things to do here that don’t involve the beach.
Many people love to visit for the shopping here as most of it is duty-free. Some of the best shopping is along Main Street, in Havensight Mall, or if you’re looking for high-end items then head to Yacht Haven Grande.
I highly recommend taking a food tour in Charlotte Amalie – we did this on our honeymoon and loved trying some traditional Caribbean cuisine. There are lots of delicious restaurants and fun bars here.
Take a ride on the Skyride up to Paradise Point where you get gorgeous views of the Caribbean. This is typically only open on cruise ship days though.
Other popular attractions in Charlotte Amalie are Fort Christian, the 99 steps, and the Emancipation Garden.
9. Sapphire Beach
If you’re looking for a quieter beach day trip, then check out Sapphire Beach near Red Hook. This beautiful beach offers a sandy shoreline with clear waters perfect for snorkeling, and it’s typically less crowded than Magens Bay or Coki Beach.
There are three different resorts and vacation rental properties nearby, which means lots of amenities and there is some free parking (though not much).
If you’re staying on the island, these are some of the best places to stay in St. Thomas.
With its full-service restaurants and beach bar, you won’t need to worry about packing a lunch. Plus, the beach’s rental facilities mean you can easily rent beach chairs, umbrellas, and even try out some watersports while you’re there.
Public restrooms and showers are available too when you need them. The marina at Sapphire Resort is a popular place for tours to leave from so if you take a tour, you can also visit the beach afterward. Jet ski rentals are available at the marina as well.
10. Mangrove Lagoon
This is one of the best day trips for couples – especially adventurous ones! Families really enjoy this one too but I wouldn’t recommend doing this with young kids.
If you do the full day trip with a picnic lunch, be prepared to feel completely exhausted at the end of the day. Tyler and I were barely able to make it out to dinner after we did this tour!
But we still talk about this day over five years later so it was one of the most memorable parts of our trip and it’s one of the best tours in St. Thomas.
On the Mangrove Lagoon Kayak, Hike, & Snorkel Trip, you can choose single or tandem kayaks and the tour starts by paddling through stingray alley among the mangroves.
You make a stop to see a blowhole and some tide pools and your guide will be so knowledgeable about everything you’re seeing!
Then you kayak over to Cas Cay where you hop out and take a hike to learn more about this secluded area. Next will be a picnic lunch before snorkeling.
Snorkeling right next to the mangroves and around the sea grass was some of the best snorkeling in St. Thomas that I’ve ever done. We saw all kinds of unique marine life like a barracuda, lobster, and sting ray.
We were so tired on the paddle back to VI Ecotour’s outpost but this was such an amazing tour. I highly recommend to anyone looking to add some adventure to their trip!
🛶 Check prices and availability for the Kayak, Hike, and Snorkel Tour here. 🛶
One Day in St. Thomas
If you only have one day in St. Thomas, then you’ll want to make the most of your time on the island. When you arrive in Charlotte Amalie, head over to Glady’s Cafe for an amazing breakfast.
Next, take a taxi or drive your rental out to the VI Ecotours outpost for the morning Kayak, Hike, & Snorkel excursion. Depending on what time you arrive on the island, you may have to skip breakfast or swap the kayaking excursion for the afternoon.
When you get done, it will be lunch time so you can either eat at Bikinis Dockside Bar & Grill right at VI Ecotours or head into Red Hook and visit Tap & Still.
After lunch head to Coki Point where you can lounge on Coki Beach and snorkel in the calm water or visit Coral World Ocean Park if you love zoos and aquariums.
I recommend staying here for the afternoon and just enjoy doing nothing on one of the beautiful St. Thomas beaches.
If you have time and will be on the island until late, then add a sunset cocktail cruise to your list. This isn’t a must though, it’s more of a cherry on top.
FAQs about St. Thomas Day Trips
Can you take a day trip from St. Thomas to St. Croix?
You cannot easily take a day trip from St. Thomas to St. Croix at the moment. The ferry route that allowed you to do this previously is temporarily suspended. If you want to stay for multiple days, you can take the ferry or travel by plane.
What islands can you go to from St. Thomas?
There are multiple other islands you can get to from St. Thomas including other US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. Popular island trips include Water Island, Buck Island, St. John, Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda.
Can you take a day trip to BVI from St. Thomas?
Yes, you can take a day trip to BVI from St. Thomas! This is easily done on a private tour but be prepared for a full day. You also need a passport for this day trip. You can also take a ferry to Tortola if you prefer.
Wrap Up: Best Day Trips from St. Thomas
Whether you are looking for a day trip from St. Thomas or how to spend your day on St. Thomas itself, there are plenty of options to choose from.
My personal favorites are the Mangrove Lagoon, St. John, and the British Virgin Islands. So much to do and so little time.
If you are planning your own St. Thomas vacation, I hope you’ll give at least one of these a try!
