In this 6 days in U.S. Virgin Islands we visit the 3 main islands, St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands territory.
How many days do I need in the US Virgin Islands?
If you would like to visit all three US Virgin Islands we recommend visiting for a minimum of 5 days to get a good experience of each island. In reality you could easily spend 2 to 3 days on each island to fully explore what it has to offer. For the purpose of this complete guide we recommend to spend 6 days in USVI.
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The majority of tourists stay on the islands anywhere from three days to a week, not including their travel days. Depending on how many days you have available it might be best to take day-trips to one of the other islands, which is doable between St Thomas and St John.
Is the Virgin Islands dangerous?
The USVI are relatively a safe destination, like any other touristic destination you must be aware of your surroundings and be careful. It is common for purse snatching and pickpocketing as well as people stealing items on the beach or breaking into rental cars.
Is it expensive to visit the US Virgin Islands?
Yes! In my experience it is one of the most expensive islands I have visited in the Caribbean. Hotel rooms depending on the island can vary from $150-$1,000 per night, while taxis are charged per person and the prices range between $10 and $20. In out trip, we spent $2,000 per person including airfare for our 5 day trip to the USVI. We could have done it for less but it is not a cheap destination. Also, be aware that in St John they only accept cash, so please bring your ATM card and plenty of cash.
Here is our expenses breakdown:
- Airfare: $638.44 per person round trip (1 carry on each way) RDU- STX
- Hotel: $340 (2 nights St. Croix) and $1,362.42* (St. Thomas)
- Transportation: $50 per person per day**
- Food: $40 per person a day
- Attractions: Beaches are free.
- Ferry or Plane ride: $120 round trip ferry ride from St. Croix to St. Thomas or $200 round trip plane ride.
- Ferry St. Thomas to St. John: $16 round trip.
** We could have found a cheaper hotel. It is not worth paying that much for a resort as all the beaches on the islands are public and the resort experience offered little more than a regular hotel.
** Depends on how many attractions you want to visit around the islands.
What is the best time to visit US Virgin Islands?
The islands have an average temperatures of 70s and 80s degrees Fahrenheit year round. That being said, it is best to avoid the hurricane season between September to November. The best time to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands is December through March, as the weather is drier and you can enjoy blue skies most of the time.
Which U.S. Virgin Island is the best for you?
If you do not have enough time to complete this itinerary and are wondering which island you should visit on your next trip to the US Virgin Island then it is important for you to know what each island has to offer.
Each island has its own attractions and personality. The best island for you depends on your interests and what you would like to get from your visit. For Instance, St. Thomas is known for being the most popular destination, as it has the main cruise ship port within the US Virgin Island. It is known for its shopping options, upscale dining, beautiful landscapes and fun nightlife.
The best things to do in St. Thomas are riding the St. Thomas Skyride, walking around Charlotte Amalie, visiting the Coral World Ocean Park, taking a tour of the Bluebeard’s Castle or the Haagensen House and swimming at any of their famous beaches such as Magens Bay or Coki Beach.
St John is my favorite of the three islands by far, as it is more of a secluded destination where you can immerse yourself in nature and enjoy beautiful landscapes and go for hikes at the national park.
To get to St John you must take a ferry from St. Thomas, which takes about 20 minutes each way. You could definitely do a day trip or stay for the length of your trip.
Some of the best things to do on St. John are hiking the trails from beach to mountain top, snorkeling at Trunk Bay, visiting the remains of sugar plantations, going diving, spending time at the beaches or even just taking a two hour tour to the best viewpoints in the island.
The best things to do in St Croix, on the other hand are cultural and historical based. It is the largest island within the US Virgin Island territory but the least visited one as it is about 2 hours away by Ferry from St Thomas and about 30 minutes flight. When visiting St Croix, the best thing to do is start your adventure in the city of Christiansted. From there you can visit the historic fort or visit the Buck Island. Buck Island is one of the only three underwater national monuments in the United States. While in St Croix make sure to visit Captain Morgan Rum distillery, and Rainbow beach. If you are in luck you could take a Bioluminescent Bay kayak tour.
What hotel to stay at in the US Virgin Islands?
- Saint Croix Hotels: We stayed at King Christian Hotel in Christiansted. It was one of the cheapest options we found in the island. We paid $170 a night and to be honest it was NOT worth it. It is a really old hotel and if you have the extra cash we recommend staying at the Sand Castle on the Beach. It is more pricey ($230 a night), but it is more up to date in its amenities. The only thing to have in consideration is that one is located in Christiansted while the other hotel is located in Frederiksted. Depending on what you are planning on doing, choose the right hotel for you. If you want to visit Buck Island and the fortress then Christiansted is a better option, but if you want to spend time at the beach then Frederiksted is the way to go. The distance between the main cities is less than 20 minutes and the taxi ride is about $30 each way.
- Saint Thomas Hotels: We stayed at the Secret Harbour Beach Resort. It was super pricey ($600 per night) for no reason. Yes, it was a nice hotel but no added value. The beaches in USVI are public, meaning you can go to any resort and use the beaches. I would recommend staying at a different hotel near a beach or in the heart of Charlotte Amalie and take a taxi to the beach.
- Saint John Hotels: We did not spend the night so we could not give you a valid recommendation. Yet, here is a list of hotels you could look at.
The Complete 6 Day Itinerary To Visit The US Virgin Islands
We have created this 6 day itinerary to the US Virgin Islands based on our trip. We built this vacation around the fact that the best flight deal we found was flying into St. Croix and leaving from St. Thomas. If you only have 5 days to explore USVI, I recommend 2 days in St. Croix, 2 days in St. Thomas and 1 day in St Johns. If you have less than 5 days then focus on going to St. Thomas and St John, keeping in mind that the most beautiful beaches are in St. John. We hope this Itinerary for US Virgin Islands helps you plan your dream vacation to USVI.
Day 1: Flying to St. Croix
The first day out of your 6 days in U.S. Virgin Islands, depending on what time you arrive to St. Croix, I recommend exploring Christiansted. Take a stroll around the downtown area and visit the historic fort. If you have a full day consider taking a snorkeling tour or visiting one of the rum distilleries such as Capitan Morgan.
If you are adventurous take a Bioluminescent Bay kayak tour at night.
Sleep: Frederiksted or Christiansted.
Day 2: Exploring St. Croix
On your second day in the island you can visit Buck Island, which is one of the only three underwater national monuments in the United States. Another great thing to do is to spend the day at the beach. We recommend visiting Frederiksted and going to Rainbow Beach, Dorsch and Sandy Point Beach.
Sleep: Frederiksted or Christiansted.
Taxi in St. Croix:
Alex’s Taxi Service: (340) 778- 3420, (340) 514- 8811 or [email protected]
Day 3: Exploring St. Thomas
You can either fly or take the ferry to St. Thomas from St. Croix, depending on your budget and your preference. The Ferry takes about 2 hours and can be very wavy, while the airplane ride is about 30 minutes. The difference in price is $60 for the Ferry compared to $100 for a flight.
Once in St. Thomas I recommend to take a viewpoint tour from the airport that easily takes you to the top things to do in St. Thomas. We visited the Mountain Top Bar where you must try the signature banana daiquiri, about 5 viewpoints, Magens Bay Beach, Coki Beach, and Sapphire beach. The tour does not include time at the beaches, you only stop to take a photo. We paid $30 per person and it took about 2.5 hours. We requested to add some of the beaches, so make sure to let your driver know you would like to stop there for photos.
After your tour, check in at your hotel and then head towards Charlotte Amalie. Here make sure to visit the Oldest Synagogue in the US, visit the Government House, and to climb the 99 steps landmark. These unique stairs were built out of ship-ballast brick during Danish colonial times and from above your will get fantastic view of St. Thomas.
For the afternoon you can head back to one of the beaches or get some rest back to your hotel.
Sleep: Secret Harbor or anywhere St. Thomas
Taxi in St. Thomas:
Thomas Aubrey: (340) 998 2661 or [email protected]
Day 4: Spending the time on the beach or going scuba diving
Our favorite beaches are Magens Bay Beach, Coki Beach, and Secret Harbor. We recommend to just spend the day at either of these beaches and relax. You must include one of these beaches on your 6 days in U.S. Virgin Islands.
Sleep: Secret Harbor or anywhere St. Thomas
Day 5: Exploring St. John
Take an early Ferry to St John and take a tour of the best things to do in St John including the main viewpoints on the island. The tour takes about 2.5 hours and it takes you to the most beautiful viewpoints in the national park and beyond, as well to the Annaberg Sugar Plantation. The tour cost $25 per person. The tour took us to Maho Bay, Cinnabon Bay, Trunk Bay, Hawks Nest Bay, and Honeymoon Beach.
After that you can go back to Hawks Nest beach, Maho Bay Beach, or Trunk Beach. If you want to fly your drone then I recommend going to the Westin Beach, as drones are not allowed within the national park. You can go hiking or relax at the beach. The most popular beach in St. John is Trunk beach but if you want the chance to swim around turtles we recommend going to Maho Bay.
Once you are done exploring the area, hiking, snorkeling, diving or relaxing at the beach you can take the ferry back to St Thomas.
Sleep: Secret Harbor or anywhere St. Thomas
Day 6: Flying out of St. Thomas
Depending on your flight you can spend some time at the beach before heading home. If you have an extra day, we recommend to stay 2 full days in St. John.
Let us know if this Itinerary for US Virgin Islands was helpful or if you have any other suggestion we can add to this guide below in the comments.
We hope this guide helps you build your own itinerary and have a blast on 6 days in U.S. Virgin Islands vacation!