The Apostle Islands sit at the tip of Wisconsin’s Bayfield Peninsula, a cluster of 21 forested islands in Lake Superior best known for the red sandstone sea caves carved into their mainland and island cliffs. This three-day long weekend runs from a self-drive up the peninsula to a guided sea-cave kayak tour, a narrated lighthouse cruise through the heart of the island group, and a last day riding the car ferry across to Madeline Island for a lake-sand beach few visitors ever reach. A real outfitter, a real 118-year-old inn, and 2026 prices for every stop.
Day 1Drive to Bayfield
A scenic self-drive up Wisconsin’s Bayfield Peninsula to the small harbor town that serves as the gateway to the Apostle Islands.
🚗 Self-Drive — Duluth/Twin Cities to Bayfield
~90 mi / ~2 hrs from Duluth, ~250 mi / ~4 hrs from the Twin Cities · self-drive via WI-13
Highway 13 traces the shore of Chequamegon Bay for the last stretch into Bayfield, with pull-offs for lake views and roadside orchard stands once you’re on the peninsula.
🛎️ Inn Check-In — Old Rittenhouse Inn
from $250 USD/night, for 2 people
A restored 1890s Queen Anne mansion on a bluff above Lake Superior, two blocks from the Bayfield harbor, with antique-furnished rooms and a well-regarded on-site dining room.
Old Rittenhouse Inn · +17157795111 · www.rittenhouseinn.com
🏖️ Sunset at the Bayfield City Dock
~30 min, self-guided · free
A short walk down from Rittenhouse Avenue to the marina, where the Apostle Islands Cruises fleet docks for the night against a backdrop of Lake Superior and, on clear evenings, Madeline Island.
🍽️ Dinner — Greunke’s Restaurant
~1 hr · ~$18–28 USD/person
A Bayfield institution since the 1940s, known for Lake Superior whitefish and a weekend fish boil — the kind of first-night dinner nearly every visiting itinerary to this town includes.
Greunke’s Restaurant · +17157795480 · www.travelwisconsin.com/listing/greunkes-restaurant/16923
Day 2Sea Caves & the Grand Tour
A full day on the water: a guided kayak trip into the mainland sea caves in the morning, then a longer narrated cruise through the islands in the afternoon.
🛶 Guided Sea Cave Kayak Tour — South Shore Adventures
~3.5 hrs, guided · from $80 USD/person
A half-day paddle out of nearby Meyers Beach into the mainland sea caves — arches, chambers, and narrow slots carved into red sandstone cliffs by centuries of Lake Superior wave action, with a guide handling route and safety calls based on the morning’s conditions.
South Shore Adventures · +17156003609 · www.southshoreadventures.com
🍽️ Lunch on Your Own — Bayfield Waterfront
~1 hr · ~$12–18 USD/person
A handful of casual harborfront spots around the marina make an easy stop between the morning’s paddle and the afternoon cruise.
🚢 Apostle Islands Cruises — The Grand Tour
~2.5–3 hrs, narrated · $55 USD/person (incl. city tariff)
A narrated boat tour that threads past Raspberry Island Lighthouse and Devils Island Lighthouse, sailing directly beneath the sea caves, arches, and standing rocks carved into Devils Island’s cliffs — the classic, most complete way to see the island group in a single trip.
Apostle Islands Cruises · +18003237619 · www.apostleisland.com
🍽️ Dinner on Your Own — Downtown Bayfield
~1.5 hrs · ~$15–25 USD/person
Bayfield’s small downtown has a cluster of restaurants and a brewery within walking distance of the inn — an easy, low-key close to a long day on the water.
Day 3Madeline Island & the Drive Home
A last morning across the water to the only inhabited island in the chain, then the drive back down the peninsula.
⛴️ Madeline Island Ferry — Bayfield to La Pointe
~25 min crossing · car round trip from $56 USD
A short car-ferry hop across Lake Superior’s La Pointe channel to Madeline Island, the only one of the 21 Apostle Islands with year-round residents and the only one reachable without a private boat or tour.
Madeline Island Ferry Line · +17157472051 · madferry.com
🏖️ Big Bay State Park Beach
~1.5 hrs, self-guided · $10 USD vehicle admission
A mile-and-a-half of sand beach backed by a lagoon and a boardwalk through the dunes — Madeline Island’s largest and least crowded stretch of Lake Superior shoreline.
🍴 Lunch on Your Own — La Pointe
~1 hr · ~$12–18 USD/person
La Pointe’s small village strip has a few lakefront cafes and a general store that’s been serving the island since the 19th century, an easy last stop before the return ferry.
🚗 Return Ferry & Drive Home
~25 min crossing, then self-drive · varies by destination
The ferry runs continuously through the afternoon in summer, with no reservation needed for the return crossing — from Bayfield, it’s the same Highway 13 run back toward Duluth or south to the Twin Cities.
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