Hi all! Newport, Rhode Island is such a great destination year round. Although it’s most popular in the summertime for the amazing beaches, there is still so much to do during the winter months. Wintertime in Newport brings beautiful snow-covered beaches, great shopping, scenic drives and so much more!
To make it even better, Newport is much less crowded during the wintertime than in the summer months.
Ready to visit Newport?
Keep reading for your guide to visiting Newport, Rhode Island – winter edition!
Sleep – Hotels in Newport, Rhode Island
The Wayfinder Hotel
The Wayfinder Hotel is an amazing choice when visiting Newport.
The hotel is so cute and I’m obsessed with the boho vibes. The lobby and restaurant are so welcoming, and the rooms are clean and bright!
The hotel is located about 5 minutes away from the downtown area, so you do need to drive. However, there is free parking at the hotel and street parking available in downtown Newport. Click here to see room rates and to book!
Be sure to also check out my full review of The Wayfinder for everything you need to know about the hotel.
Hotel Recommandations in Newport:
In addition to The Wayfinder, there are many other beautiful hotels in Newport! Below are a few of my top recommendations.
Eat – The Best Restaurants in Newport
Breakfast/Brunch
Empire Tea and Coffee
There are two Empire Tea and Coffee locations, but we visited the one on William Street. The chai tea latte was delicious, and I’ll definitely be back for their breakfast sandwiches.
Nomi Park
Nomi Park is located at The Wayfinder Hotel, and in addition to being the cutest restaurant ever, the food is super good!
We visited for brunch, and I highly recommend the shakshuka, it was delicious. They also serve lunch and dinner, so definitely check them out!
Lunch
Drift Cafe
Drift Cafe is a great lunch option in Newport. The cafe is bright and nicely decorated, making it a great place to enjoy a meal.
The menu is healthy and there are tons of options ranging from açaí bowls, to breakfast sandwiches to lunch bowls. I had the “The Good Stuff Bowl,” but there are so many things I wanted to try on the menu.
good stuff bowl
Other lunch options in Newport:
Dinner
- Diego’s (delicious Mexican food)
- The Black Pearl (one of the most famous restaurants in Newport)
- Midtown Oyster Bar
Take Out
Nikolas Pizza
Nikolas Pizza has yummy pizza, and is great for take-out and delivery! I highly recommend the chocolate cake, it was so delicious!
Tijuana Burrito Grill
We arrived to Newport late in the evening, and we stumbled upon Tijuana Burrito Grill. The burritos were yummy and customizable, and we definitely enjoyed them. This is a great, inexpensive option for a quick lunch or dinner.
Things to do in Newport, Rhode Island in the Winter
The Breakers Mansion Tour
Newport, Rhode Island is known for its amazing mansions or “summer cottages.” Many years ago, these mansions were the summer homes of wealthy families like the Vanderbilts and the Astors.
Now, many of the properties are owned and cared for by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The Breakers, specifically, is open year round and it is considered the grandest of the mansions.
The Breakers was built by the Vanderbilt family in the late 1800s, and the home is absolutely stunning! Every single room is gorgeous and it is definitely worth a visit.
Tickets can be purchased upon arrival and are $26 for adults and $8 for children. This is definitely an amazing tour year round!
Cliff Walk
If you enjoy relaxing walks with beautiful ocean views then Cliff Walk is the perfect activity for you!
Follow the 3.5 mile path along the ocean, past beautiful mansions and enjoy the amazing scenery!
You can enter the path at multiple points, but I recommend starting at the beginning, at Memorial Boulevard.
Because it was so cold in January, I only did about half of the walk, but it was definitely a great experience. For a map of Cliff Walk, click here!
Ocean Drive
If you prefer to see the ocean from the warmth of your car, you can take the ten mile ocean drive around Newport.
You will drive through state parks, past landmarks and all the while take in the beautiful ocean views! When we took the drive it was hard not to get out every two minutes to take photos. For a map of Ocean Drive, click here.
Explore Thames Street
Thames Street is the main shopping street in Newport, located right on the waterfront. There are tons of restaurants and shops, and it’s a beautiful place to walk around and take in the scenery.
During the winter, in addition to shopping and eating, I recommend checking out Ryan Family Amusements, a cute arcade that is perfect for families. The arcade great place to warm up after being out in the cold and to play some fun arcade games!
Ryan Family Amusements
Goat Hike at Simmon’s Farm
This was without a doubt my favorite part of the trip! In the colder months, you can go on a goat hike with baby goats at Simmon’s Farm!
When we visited Simmon’s Farm, baby goats had just been born and we were able to book tickets for an hour long hike around the farm while holding the baby goats. It was so wonderful!
They goats are precious and it was a beautiful place to be outdoors. Simmon’s Farm also offers other goat activities, like a petting zoo, baby goat pet and cuddles, and goat yoga!
Well, there you have it! I hope you found my guide for visiting Newport, Rhode Island in the winter to be helpful. This coastal town really makes for the perfect winter weekend getaway. There is so much to do and see and it is beautiful no matter the season.
If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below!
Lastly, we appreciate you sharing this post with someone you know who would love a trip to Newport, Rhode Island in the winter!
pin me!
♡Kate
Note: This post includes affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.
Omg hiking with Baby Goats sounds like so much fun!
Wow, what a great weekend trip! I need to follow your steps and do that sometime soon – thanks for inspiring us to travel safely in these times. Can’t wait to visit the Breakers, Thames Street and to do the Cliff Walk. I will pass on the goat hike though…. 😀
The Breakers Mansion Tour looks awesome! I love visiting castles and historic mansions, and this one seems pretty cool.
This is awesome, brought me back to Newport. I’d also recommend the tour at RoseCliff.
Yes! RoseCliff is on my list as well! Unfortunately, it was closed when I visited. Hoping to be able to visit this summer when it’s re-opened!
The Breakers Mansion looks great! Will add it to my list.
This looks like a lovely and calm place to spend the weekend! And that brunch looks awesome.
Great tips! I would love to visit Newport, Rhode Island and all of these recommendations sound amazing!
The Breakers looks gorgeous! I am definitely going to add Newport to my list 🙂 Thanks for the tips
I love these types of posts! Short descriptions of each of the things to do and then great photos to support it. These types of itineraries are my favorite, and this place looks gorgeous!
The beaches of Rhode Island are so beautiful as is the architecture. what fun to do a hike with a baby goat. They are adorable.
Now this looks like quite a weekend! I lowkey envy you enjoying the winter sun while we only get rains here in Vancouver, Canada 🙁
So nice! We’re planning a weekend getaway to Newport in 2 weeks. Hope its everything we expect and more. Your post was really helpful!
Thanks you so much, I’m so happy you found the post helpful! I hope you have a great weekend in Newport 🙂 With this Spring weather is should be beautiful!
I would absolutely love to hike with baby goats! I once did yoga with them, it was amazing!
Hi guys can you please contact me at Dan@newportnaked.com
I would love to reprint this blog/article in our winter edition (Newport Naked magazine) with your permission.
I don’t know what’s in Shakshuka, but it looks delicious! And that mansion tour looks so great; I love visiting big, historic, fancy places 🙂
Newport looks like the perfect place to spend a weekend! I’d love to visit The Breakers Mansion, it looks absolutely magical! Also, who could resist a hike with baby goats?? Thanks for the great guide!
Ooh, the cliff walk looks so beautiful, and I definitely want to check out those historic “summer cottages”, LOL! Lifestyles of the rich and famous for sure. Newport RI looks like the perfect small beach town to visit during January.
I had no idea there were so many things to do in winter in Newport. You put together a really nice list. I’d love to see the baby goats!!! 😀
I would love to visit the The Breakers Mansion and go on the Cliff walk! Lovely images! There are such nice places to eat too. I will look up Newport when I am in Rhode Island next. 🙂
Great post! We visited Newport in the fall and loved it. Empire was one of my favorite coffee spots, and we love Thames Street, The Breakers, and the Cliff Walk, too!
You take some great pictures. I would love to visit here in the Fall to see the amazing Fall foliage in the area.
The Cliff Walk looks beautiful.. perfect way to spend some time outdoors. Thanks for sharing!
Okay, that bowl from Drift Cafe is making me hungry! It looks so yummy. I feel like traveling in the winter is so underrated, and I really need to start exploring more winter destinations! Thanks so much for sharing this guide for future reference. Xx Sara
The views from the Breakers Mansion look amazing! Thanks for the awesome Newport winter travel guide
I have been to Newport a couple of times during summer. It is a beautiful city. I never thought it would make an exciting trip during winter as well. There is so much to do. Thank you for sharing!
We love that this is a sister-ran blog! We just started a sister blog as well. Love this blog post and now I want to go to Rhode Island!
Thank you so much, Fern! It’s been so much fun traveling and running our blog together. Congratulations on your sister-blog, can’t wait to see all of your adventures!
Rhode Island was on my list this year but so far not planned. Maybe next spring. I want to visit all the American Castles you see. I’m going to follow you to keep up with your adventures.
Wow – a goat hike – now that’s unique!! Kids are so much fun to watch play, I bet that’d be awesome. I love the look of the Breakers Mansion – that’d be fun to explore.
That goat hike sounds like the cutest thing ever! I also loved the food pictures, would love to try it all!
That would be so cool to tour The Breakers. And AWWW that goat is too cute!
Hanging chairs in a cafe, yes please! Looks like a very charming town to visit.
A winter visit looks like fun. I would want to do the goat hike and eat at some of the restaurants you recommended. They all look so good!
Wow! I honestly didn’t know mansions like that existed in the US. And right along the sea, what a dream. Newport looks like an amazing quaint place to visit for some good food and sea air. Would love to visit one day, and glad it doesn’t look too cold in winter.
Awwww – thank you for the tip. It looks like a very charming town very worth a visit!