3 day itinerary U.S. Virgin Islands

January 30, 2025

By: Alicia Rovey, All Fifty Club President

Our family recently completed our journey of visiting all 50 states, which took us 20+ years to complete. We were proud of achieving this travel milestone, but it didn't mean we were done traveling. We decided to continue traveling the United States by visiting all of the U.S. inhabited territories. The territories are not well known and are often overlooked. We were excited about the unknown as we really didn't know what to expect!

As we began to think about visiting the U.S. Territories, the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico naturally came to mind first as they are easier to travel to. Many visit Puerto Rico and USVI via a cruise, so that was the way we intended to get there. However, as my daughter was exploring flights for a weekend trip she found out it was less expensive to fly to St. Thomas than to Chicago for the dates she had in mind. She found camping at Virgin Islands National Park which was less than a Chicago hotel and we weren't going to camp in Chicago! One thing led to another, and we embarked on a 3 day trip (5 with travel days) to the Virgin Islands in January 2025!

Day 1 - work during the day, fly from Nashville to Ft. Lauderdale at night, dinner, hotel, TRAVEL DAY
Day 2 - fly from Ft. Lauderdale to St. Thomas, take car ferry to St. John, explore St. John
Day 3 - explore St. John
Day 4 - take car ferry to St. Thomas, explore St. Thomas
Day 5 - fly back to Ft. Lauderdale and return to Nashville. TRAVEL DAY

Time

The best time of the year to go is December to April due to the weather. I'm so glad we traveled in January during the non-hurricane season. The steep, windy roads were hard to navigate enough on sunny days! We had three full days in USVI, but it would have been nice to have one more night on St. Thomas, and we'd love to get to St. Croix in the future.

Flights

We found a bargain flight on Spirit Airlines, but there were many flight options. We limited ourselves to just bringing personal bags. Our bags were packed tight, but we could fit everything we needed for the long weekend. Be sure to look out the window as you fly low across the ocean a few minutes before the plane lands on the St. Thomas runway.

Rental Car

We rented our vehicle through Alamo, which had the lowest rate at the time. If I were to do it again, I would try a local car company as they have better customer service reviews. Be prepared to decide if you will purchase additional insurance through the rental car agency. We declined because we have an annual travel insurance policy with Allianz Travel Insurance and a Capital One Venture X card that provides primary rental car insurance. Along with inspecting the car for damage, as you usually do for a rental, be sure to examine the condition of the tires. We did not and the tire quality became an issue during our trip.

Lodging

Cinnamon Bay Campground was fantastic! The campground is located with US Virgin Islands National Park. The grounds were immaculent and the staff was kind and helpful. We selected a "Bare Site" which consisted of a platform/tarp shelter and added on a Tent Rental Package. When we arrived, the tent was already set up and there was bag for each person inside the tent that had a bath towel, hand towel, washcloth, pillow, pillow case, sheet, and a blanket. There was also a sleeping pad for each person in the tent. There was a storage box on the platform that we could place our things in and hanging lines for wet bathing suits and towels. The bathrooms had outdoor showers and were close-by and very clean. Our total was $247.50 for 2 nights - so not a bargain, but provided an immersive experience. The Campground also offers eco tents (glamping) and cottages.

Experiences/Excursions

We had many experiences but we didn't book any specific tours or excursions we just explored on our own.

Here are the details of the trip:

Day 1 - We flew from Nashville to Ft. Lauderdale on Spirit Airlines arriving around 6:00 p.m. We ubered to an authentic Honduran Restaurant, El Fogan, and celebrated my daughter's birthday by watching karakoe (in Spanish, and we don't speak Spanish!) eating delicious pupusa (flat bread) and tres leches (milk cake). We then ubered to an Airbnb conveniently located about 10 minutes from the airport.

Day 2 - Our flight left at 7:00 a.m. from Ft. Lauderdale to St. Thomas, so we started early. We strategically packed our bags to fit within Spirit's restrictive personal bag allowance. The flight was packed, so adhering to the packing guidelines is important as the bag has to fit under the seat. This also ensured we only brought the things that we really needed! We don't want to waste any island time waiting on a checked bag! PACKING LIST TO USVI

When we landed, we got off the plane on the tarmac. Walking off the plane and getting our first breath of the island air was fantastic. We were quickly greeted with another fantastic surprise, a shot of Cruz Bay rum as we entered the airport building. It was officially island time! The airport is small, so we quickly navigated to the shuttle to get our rental car, a Toyota Rav-4. Jeeps are also very popular to rent. 4 wheel drive doesn't seem necessary, but a higher clearance from the road is preferable - no to low riders! On USVI, cars drive on the left, and there is no way to really prepare for this. You just have to do it! 35% of the world's population drives on the left, but it is rare to drive a car with the steering wheel on the left, too. It felt uncomfortable at first, but we just chanted 'stay left' over the weekend, especially during turns, and we were fine. The roads are typically 2 lanes with no shoulder, lots of steep inclines and declines, and hairpin turns. However, the speed limit is 20 miles per hour, and people stick to it, so we weren't going anywhere fast.

We then drove to the The Market grocery store in Tutu Park Mall area to pick up bottled water, peanut butter, bread, banana bread, fruit, and a bag of veggie straws. By this time, we were hungry for lunch, so we picked up some pasta salad and a sub sandwich to eat on the go. The grocery store didn't seem very different compared to mainland grocery stores, we were still in America after all!

Our next stop was the Red Hook Car Ferry Port. There is another car ferry port in Charlotte Amalie, but Red Hook is more popular because although it is a longer drive across the island, it is a shorter boat ride to the Island. We knew we could show up at any time for the next ferry, however it was quite confusing knowing where to line up. We just had to try to follow what everyone else was doing. A guide directed all the cars on to the ferry to pack the cars in tight. Once we were underway, a ferry official came around for us to pay the car ferry fare, which was $50 one way or round trip for $65. The downside to getting a round trip is that you have to take the same ferry company back., which may mean you have to wait at the dock for the right ferry company. We enjoyed the ferry ride from the captain's tower, standing outside our car, and just sitting in our car eating lunch. Getting off the ferry was much easier!

Cinnamon Bay Campground

Once we got across, we had directions to the Cinnamon Bay Campground, and quite quickly, we learned that the cell coverage isn't as great at St. Johns. I encourage you to download maps or do whatever trip research you want before arriving. At Cinnamon Bay, there was Wi-Fi in the bathroom and at the main check-in area, but there was no service or Wi-Fi at the tent locations. The grounds were immaculate, and the staff was kind and helpful. We checked in and went to our "Bare Site," which consisted of a platform/tarp shelter. When we arrived, the tent rental was already set up, and there was a bag for each person inside the tent that had a bath towel, hand towel, washcloth, pillow, pillow case, sheet, and blanket, along with a sleeping pad for each person. The tent was plenty big for the three of us. There was a storage box on the platform for us to place our things in and hanging lines for wet bathing suits and towels. The bathrooms had outdoor showers, were close by, and were very clean. Our total was $247.50 for 2 nights - so it was not a bargain, but it provided an immersive experience. The Campground also offers eco tents (glamping) and cottages.

The weather was so comfortable; we just slept on the sleeping pad with the provided sheet. We had been warned about mosquitos and bugs, but there were very few bugs when we were there in January. I sprayed a little bug spray in the evening, but no one had any bug bites.

Once settled, we walked a short way to a stunning beach - pure white sand, not crowded, clear turquoise blue water. We swam around in the perfect temperature and dried in the sun's rays.

We took an awesome shower before dinner using the shower house outdoor showers. To our surprise, we spotted an iguana climbing in one of the trees above the shower house.

Windmill Bar/Ice Cream

We took a short drive to the Windmill Bar which overlooks the island on the site of an old sugar plantation. It is a popular place for tourists and Saturday night was quite busy, but we found a table and some room to dance on the dance floor as the live band performed. We tried a Painkiller - the signature drink of the island made out of coconut, dark rum, and fruit juice. On the way back we drove through the town of Cruz Bay again, which has restaurants and shops. We stopped at an ice cream shop that was full of wonderful flavors - all which could be mixed with Rum or other alcohol. Parking is mostly paid, but we scored a primo, free spot in front of the National Park Visitor Center.

The Unexpected

As we were driving back to the campground, we went around a corner and our headlights shone on a man lying down by the side of the road in a contorted position. Something was certainly not right! It was an odd place for a person to be, especially at night on a windy 2-lane road. As it turns out the island visitor had too much to drink and picked a bad place to pass out. While waiting for emergency responders to arrive, the man rolled over and fell off a 6 foot ledge into some bushes. Fortunately, he was not hurt, and the fire fighters were able to machete their way to him to pull him out. It could have been so much worse! When we got back to the campsite, we played some cards, then quickly fell asleep after all the excitement.

Day 3 - Explore St. John

Due to our excitement from the night before, dead phone batteries, and an extremely comfortable tent, we slept in and didn't head to the beach until about 9:30. The parking lot at Trunk Bay was already full! So instead, we went to Jumbie Beach which only has 6 parking spots - no crowd! The beach was beautiful and in sight of Trunk Bay, but it was a little too far to swim to due to the rocks and waves. We enjoyed the peaceful beach then went back to Trunk Bay and found a spot. Trunk Bay is one of the most popular beaches on the island and has concessions, restrooms, and beach rentals. They charge a $5 admission fee per person. We specifically wanted to go to the beach to do the Underwater Snorkel Trail. It was a short way off the beach to follow buoys to look at plaques under the water. Unfortunately, the reef is not alive as it once was but there still was all kinds of sea life. The trail was underwhelming, but it lead us to some cool snorkeling. Since it was a little ways off, we rented a small life preserver for $10 in case we got too tired. It wasn't really necessary, but it made our group feel more comfortable.

After we had our fill of that beach, we headed for another! This parking for Leinster Bay is at the Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins, which has informative signs that explain the history of the plantation and the island. Nearby is the trailhead for the level, one-mile hike to Leinster Bay Beach. The trail is made of shells and rocks -- pay attention because we found a hermit crab in one of the shells! As soon as we arrived at the bay, we saw a sea turtle poke its head out of the water. We put on our snorkeling gear and swam above multiple turtles, swimming in the seagrass below the clear water. A few yachts were pulled into the bay, making it even more picturesque.

After the hike back we drove to the Peace Hill trailhead that is on the way back to the town Cruz Bay. We timed it so we could do the short hike to the top of the hill right before sunset. At the top of the hill were remnants of another sugar plantation. We saw the 3 windmill ruins of the 5 on the island. The sunset was pretty, although some clouds got in the way!

We drove back into Cruz Bay, found our parking spot at the Visitor's Center again, and walked around town while waiting for a table at the High Tide Restaurant along the beach. We enjoyed some delicious conch fritters, shrimp nachos, and the signature Bushwacker drink that was 'invented' on St. Thomas.

Our night ended with a short walk on the beach to look at the unadulterated view of the stars before going to sleep to the sound of the Coqui frogs while in our tent.

Day 4 - Explore St. Thomas

Our time on St. John had come to an end, so we woke up, cleaned out our tent then headed for the Car Ferry port. Taking the car ferry back was just as complicated going back as it was going forward! Somehow or other the port guide, got everyone backed on to the ferry for the return trip.

After we arrived, the first item on our agenda was going to our Airbnb so we could locate it during daylight. We were glad we did! The home was located in a neighborhood that is built on the hillside of the island, and the roads getting to it were steep and windy to say the least! We took comfort in knowing that everyone had to take the same roads to get to the beautiful villas on and on the top of the hillside. Our Airbnb was called Hidden Hilltop Treasure and was the bottom level of the home of a local family. The hosts were very kind and let us know that they were available if we needed anything. Staying amongst locals, gave us a better feeling of what it would be like to live on the island.

We decided to check out two nearby popular places on the hillside. Just a little farther up the mountain was Mountain Top, known for its Banana Daiquiris and a view of 15 islands surrounding St. Thomas. It was steep on the way up, but at the top there was a large, level parking lot next to the giant gift shop, big bar, and an incredible viewing area. We bought a local beer and had a novelty 'drink and drive' moment because on USVI it is not against the law to drink and drive (have an open container) as long as you are below the blood alcohol limit. Also along the top of the mountain was Drake's Seat, a viewpoint that Sir Francis Drake supposedly looked for enemy ships,

We headed down the mountain to Magens Bay Beach, but not without stopping at Charlo's Food Truck. This local, authentic food truck served us some scrumptious jerk chicken, beans, rice, and a whole locally-caught snapper! Although there were tables at the food truck, we took our food to Magens Bay Beach and ate under the palm trees looking out on to the busy beach. We swam and dug our toes in the pristine white sand. The beaches close early, or at least the concessions do, on the Islands - and begin to clear out at 4 p.m. So with that we headed back to our Airbnb, but we were derailed by a tempting Ice Cream Stand again. Lots of flavors and combinations. There seems to be a theme on the island of adding Rum to everything!

We got back to our Airbnb in time to sit on the deck and enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Day 5 - Fly Home

On our final day, we stayed to the left (we had to keep reminding ourselves) as we drove through the downtown area of Charlotte Amalie, past Blackbeard's Castle and through the downtown area filled with shopping and restaurants on our way back to the airport. Fortunately, we got to the gate area in time to have another local treat - Johnny Cakes, St.Thomas donuts.

For Another Trip to USVI

Reef Bay Hike and see petroglyphs (St. Johns)
Rams Head Hike (St. Johns)
Honeymoon Beach, Watermelon Bay, Hawksnest Beach (St. Johns)
Virgin Gorda (boat tour to the British Virgin Islands)
Nazareth Lutheran Church, Cruz Bay (St. Johns)
More shopping and dining Charlotte Amalie

Animals - We were on the lookout for these items on USVI

Deer - The tamest deer live at St. John, Virgin Islands National Park. They did not flinch even when we were just a couple feet away.
Cats - We saw lots of cats in the trees on the side of the road.
Iguana - The only iguana we saw was in a tree at Virgin Islands National Park.
Hermit Crab - They look just like the crabs at the pet store! Along a trail, we spotted claws coming out of a shell.
Sea Turtles - It was so cool swimming with them at Leinster Bay.
Donkeys - We saw evidence of donkeys, but no donkey sightings!
Chickens - Chickens roam the island, here or there.