Antigua claims 365 beaches, one for every day of the year, and this five-day loop uses them as a base for a full-day sail to Stingray City, a zipline through the island’s last patch of rainforest, and a ferry crossing to Barbuda’s 17-mile pink-sand beach and frigate bird colony. English Harbour’s UNESCO-listed dockyard anchors the trip, with the Sunday sunset party at Shirley Heights as its loudest night out. Real hotels, real operators, and 2026 prices for every stop.
Day 1Arrival & English Harbour
A short transfer from the airport to Antigua’s historic south-coast harbour, home to the island’s best-preserved Georgian naval dockyard.
🚕 Airport Transfer — V.C. Bird Intl. to English Harbour
~40 min · ~12 miles · ~$35 USD flat-rate taxi
A straightforward drive south across the island from V.C. Bird International Airport to the yachting village of English Harbour on Antigua’s sheltered south coast.
🛎️ Hotel Check-In — The Inn at English Harbour
From $320–380 USD / night, for 2 people
A harbourfront inn on its own private beach at Freeman’s Bay, a five-minute water-taxi ride across the bay from Nelson’s Dockyard and a short walk to Shirley Heights.
The Inn at English Harbour · www.theinn.ag
⚓ Nelson’s Dockyard National Park
~1.5 hrs, self-guided · $8 USD / person entry
A UNESCO World Heritage naval dockyard built by the British in the 1700s, with restored Georgian boathouses and warehouses now holding cafes, shops, and a small naval museum.
National Parks Antigua · www.nationalparksantigua.com
🍽️ Dinner on Your Own — English Harbour
~$25–40 USD / person
A cluster of dockside restaurants around the Dockyard and Falmouth Harbour serve fresh seafood and Caribbean fare within walking distance of the inn.
Day 2Sailing to Stingray City
A full day on the water with Antigua’s best-known catamaran operator, followed by the island’s famous weekly sunset party on the bluff above English Harbour.
🛥️ Xtreme Circumnavigation Catamaran — Adventure Antigua
Full day, guided · $195.50 USD / person
A full-day sail around Antigua’s coast with a 45-minute swim stop at Stingray City Marine Park, lunch on the deserted Green Island, a second snorkel stop at the Pillars of Hercules, and rum punch at secluded Rendezvous Bay.
Adventure Antigua · adventureantigua.com
🎆 Shirley Heights Lookout Sunset Party
Sundays, 4–9pm · ~$10 USD entry (food & drinks extra)
A long-running Sunday-night tradition on the bluff above English Harbour: a steel band at sunset, a reggae band after dark, and a barbecue, with the best unobstructed view of the harbour on the island.
Shirley Heights Lookout · www.shirleyheightslookout.com
🛎️ Hotel — The Inn at English Harbour
From $320–380 USD / night, for 2 people
A second night at the harbourfront inn, a short drive down from Shirley Heights.
Day 3Rainforest Zipline & Dickenson Bay
A morning zipline over Antigua’s last stand of rainforest, then a transfer north to the calm, powder-sand beaches of the island’s busiest resort strip.
🌳 Antigua Rainforest Canopy Zipline Tour
~2.5 hrs incl. transfer, guided · $158.99 USD / person
Eight ziplines and two suspension bridges strung through the forest canopy of the Fig Tree Drive rainforest, Antigua’s only zipline course, with a guided nearly hour-long ride over the treetops.
Antigua Rainforest Canopy Tour · antiguarainforest.com
🚕 Self-Drive / Transfer — Fig Tree Drive to Dickenson Bay
~35 min · ~16 miles via Friars Hill Road
A cross-island run from the rainforest’s south-coast access road up to Antigua’s north-shore resort strip.
🏖️ Beach Afternoon — Dickenson Bay
Free · self-guided
A calm, mile-long stretch of white sand backed by resorts and beach bars, with watersports concessions and sunset views over Prickly Pear Island just offshore.
🛎️ Hotel Check-In — Blue Waters Resort & Spa
From $420–480 USD / night, for 2 people
A beachfront resort on its own secluded cove near Soldier Bay, a short drive from Dickenson Bay, built around landscaped gardens and a private beach.
Blue Waters Resort & Spa · www.bluewaters.net
Day 4A Day Trip to Barbuda
A 90-minute ferry crossing to Antigua’s sister island for its pink-sand beach and one of the Caribbean’s largest frigate bird colonies.
⛴️ Ferry — Barbuda Express to Codrington
~90 min each way · from $65 USD one-way / person
A high-speed catamaran ferry from St. John’s Deep Water Harbour across to Barbuda’s main town of Codrington, the only scheduled passenger service between the two islands.
Barbuda Express / SeaBridge Ferries · +1-268-560-7989 · seabridgeferries.com
🦜 Frigate Bird Sanctuary Boat Tour — Codrington Lagoon
~1 hr, guided · ~$50 USD / person
A shallow-draft skiff through the mangroves of Codrington Lagoon to one of the Western Hemisphere’s largest frigate bird colonies, with thousands of males inflating their red throat pouches during the breeding season.
🏖️ Pink Sand Beach
Free · self-guided
A 17-mile, almost entirely undeveloped stretch of sand tinted pink by crushed coral and shell, with barely another visitor in sight outside the area near Codrington.
🍽️ Lunch on Your Own — Codrington
~$15–25 USD / person
A handful of local restaurants in Codrington serve fresh lobster and grilled fish before the return ferry.
Day 5St. John’s & Departure
A last morning in Antigua’s capital before the transfer to the airport.
🏛️ St. John’s City Walk — Redcliffe Quay & the Cathedral
~1.5 hrs, self-guided · free
Restored 18th-century warehouses turned boutiques and cafes at Redcliffe Quay, a short walk from the twin baroque towers of St. John’s Anglican Cathedral.
🛍️ Shopping — Heritage Quay
~1 hr, self-guided · duty-free
A cruise-port duty-free shopping strip beside the harbour, good for rum, jewelry, and last-minute souvenirs.
🚕 Airport Transfer — St. John’s to V.C. Bird Intl.
~20 min · ~6 miles · ~$25 USD flat-rate taxi
A quick run back across St. John’s to the airport for departure.
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