Virginia Beach travel guide
Where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Things to do in Virginia Beach, planned over three days
Best time to visit Virginia Beach
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring is uncrowded for trails, golf and the ViBe, water is too cold until late May, May is best.
Peak beach season with warm water and nightly concerts, but peak prices, crowds, heat and storms, July is worst.
Best overall, warm water in September, thinner crowds, lower rates and the peak festival calendar.
Quiet and cheap locals' season for walks, whale watching and oysters, not for swimming. January is coldest.
What's on
- Shamrock Marathon Weekend March
Major marathon and half marathon weekend, book lodging early for road closures.
- Virginia Arts Festival April to May
Norfolk's big spring festival of music, dance and theatre, with some shows at the Sandler Center.
- Patriotic Festival early June
Military air demos and concerts.
- East Coast Surfing Championships late August
Signature surf weekend at 1st to 10th Street, held since 1963.
- Funk Fest Beach Party late August
Two days of R&B and funk on the beach stage at 31st Street.
- Super Girl Surf Festival Labor Day weekend
Surf festival at 2nd to 12th Street.
- Neptune Festival Late September, with the Boardwalk Weekend on the last weekend
Sandsculpting championship, art show, concerts, 8K race, parade and regatta through September.
- Fall Wine Festival mid September
60 plus Virginia wines at 31st Street Park, 21 plus.
- Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show Mid October
Juried fine art show at 24th to 37th Street, garages fill.
- Wicked 10K Halloween weekend
Costume race on Halloween weekend.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach Boardwalk
Three mile oceanfront walk and bike path with Neptune statue, stages and the fishing pier.
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Large aquarium with sharks, turtles, otters and a nature trail, the best family half day.
ViBe Creative District
Murals, galleries, MOCA, coffee and independent restaurants a few blocks off the Oceanfront.
Military Aviation Museum
One of the largest collections of flying WWI and WWII aircraft, with docent storytelling.
First Landing State Park
Calm Bay beach, cypress swamp trails and maritime forest, the locals' antidote to the Resort Area.
Cape Henry Lighthouses
Two lighthouses at the Bay mouth inside Fort Story, with a climbable 1792 tower and wide views.
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
Small 1903 Coast Guard station museum covering shipwrecks, lifesaving and local surf history.
Rudee Inlet
Working marina and waterfront decks at the south end of the Boardwalk, best at sunset.
Where to stay in Virginia Beach
North End / Oceanfront North
first trip, all-round base
On the beach and Boardwalk but north of the loudest strip, quieter and walkable to Neptune Park.
ViBe / Oceanfront Central
food, culture and trips without a car
A block off Atlantic puts the best restaurants, coffee and MOCA at your door, five minutes from the sand.
Chesapeake Bay / Shore Drive
locals beach, sunsets and toddlers
Calm warm shallow Bay water and west facing sunsets in a residential non resort setting.
Sandbridge
groups, houses and quiet
Five miles of rental houses with no hotels, requiring a car and mostly self catering.
Town Center / Inland
business, budget and show weekends
Newer cheaper hotels with free parking by the Sandler Center, but a 15 minute drive to the beach.
Think twice about
- Far south Oceanfront, 1st to 9th Street
Noise, late night bar crowds, older motel stock and parking chaos make it the wrong base for couples and families.
- Unbranded motels on Virginia Beach Blvd and Northampton Blvd
Quality and long term resident motel issues with deferred maintenance, stick to branded or well reviewed properties.
Best restaurants in Virginia Beach
Orion's Roof
Asian fusion rooftop 23 floors above the Atlantic, the best special occasion dinner in the city.
Esoteric
Farm to table fine dining in a garden setting with seasonal menus and house grown herbs.
Heirloom
Elevated Southern farm to table inland, where locals take foodie visitors.
Waterman's Surfside Grille
Oceanfront seafood institution since 1981 for she crab soup and the Original Orange Crush.
Tautog's Restaurant
Cottage seafood fine casual with fresh catch and a cozy porch, better for a date.
Margie & Ray's Crabhouse
Sandbridge seafood pilgrimage since 1964 for she crab soup and soft shell crabs in season.
Blue Pete's Restaurant
Family owned waterfront spot on a creek in Back Bay country with a twinkly lit deck.
Commune
Farm to table cafe and bakery with communal tables, the best brunch in the ViBe.
Outdoor things to do in Virginia Beach
Hell's Point Golf Club
Rees Jones course threading wetlands by Back Bay with 61 bunkers, best on weekday mornings.
Virginia Beach National Golf Club
Former TPC property with a tournament feel and a strong practice facility for low handicappers.
Heron Ridge Golf Club
Fred Couples design that is forgiving and scenic, popular for visiting group outings.
Kempsville Greens Golf Club
Municipal course for an honest, cheap and walkable casual round.
Red Wing Lake Golf Course
Municipal course for an honest, cheap and walkable casual round.
Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club
Private club course with possible access for Cavalier Resort guests through the concierge.
Dolphin Kayak Tour
Guided sunrise or sunset paddle at water level with year round dolphins on the Bay side.
Rudee Tours Dolphin & Whale Watching
Large boat dolphin cruises year round, plus winter humpback whale watching at the Bay mouth.
Best hotels in Virginia Beach
The Cavalier Virginia Beach, Autograph Collection
Restored 1927 grande dame and the city's only true luxury historic hotel, with a Beach Club.
Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort
Modern all ocean view tower in the Cavalier Resort with rooftop dining and pools.
Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Directly at Neptune Park with a rooftop infinity pool, Sky Bar and Catch 31 seafood.
Hyatt House Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Newer spacious oceanfront property with kitchens, strong for family value.
Hyatt Place Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Newer spacious oceanfront property in a slightly quieter northern position.
Holiday Inn & Suites Virginia Beach - North Beach
Suites and kids water features in calm North End, with more space per dollar.
Delta Hotels Virginia Beach Waterfront
All suite hotel on Lynnhaven Bay beach with sunset views, a quieter Bay side base.
Surfbreak Oceanfront, Ascend Hotel Collection
Renovated motel style oceanfront property with a surf vibe and lower off season rates.
Is Virginia Beach expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $185 a person |
| Splurge | $420 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center: a few days ahead
- Military Aviation Museum: weeks ahead
- Sandler Center for the Performing Arts: weeks ahead
- Hell's Point Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Virginia Beach National Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Heron Ridge Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Dolphin Kayak Tour: a few days ahead
- False Cape State Park: weeks ahead
- Hotels 3 to 4 months ahead for July and festival weekends, Sandbridge houses 4 to 6 months ahead.
- Reserve Orion's Roof, Esoteric, Heirloom and Tautog's 1 to 2 weeks ahead for summer weekends.
- Book Aquarium timed tickets and dolphin kayak sunset tours days ahead, charters and biplane flights weeks ahead.
Is Virginia Beach safe?
- Rip currents are the real risk, swim near lifeguards and keep toddlers on calmer Bay beaches.
- June to August brings heat, humidity and fast afternoon storms, lightning means off the beach at once.
- Open containers are not allowed on the beach or Boardwalk and are enforced.
Virginia Beach travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Atlantic Ave souvenir, pizza and all you can eat crab legs strip is overpriced, eat in the ViBe instead.
- Boardwalk mini golf and haunted houses are poor value as a day plan compared with the Aquarium or First Landing.
- Ocean view can mean a side glimpse, book oceanfront with a balcony if the view matters.
- Check Cape Henry base access that morning before driving up.
Getting around Virginia Beach: public transport and more
- Car is king, but the Oceanfront works car free on foot, by bike or on the VB Wave trolley in season.
- Oceanfront parking fills by 11am on summer weekends, hotel parking runs 18 to 35 dollars a night.
- Build 30 to 45 minute buffers for I-264, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and Sandbridge Road.
Who Virginia Beach suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Virginia Beach your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store