Nantucket had been on my travel list for years. It always felt like somewhere straight out of a postcard. The cobblestone streets, gray shingle houses, and endless hydrangeas in the summer seemed so dreamy!
We finally planned our trip for my birthday last year, and it looked a little different than I once imagined. We brought our three-year-old!
Instead of a quiet getaway, I ended up planning a Nantucket itinerary for kids, while still figuring out the best way for my husband and I to enjoy the island too!
If you’re also planning a Nantucket itinerary with kids, you might also be wondering what highlights to hit, which restaurants are actually kid-friendly, and how to build in enough downtime for a little kids’ pace.
Between beaches, bike rides, and all the things to do in Nantucket with kids, it can be tempting to try to fit everything in! But in my experience, what made our trip great was slowing down and focusing on just a few things each day.
This post walks through my exact Nantucket with kids itinerary for a 3-day trip, including where we stayed, what we did, and the spots that worked especially well for traveling with a toddler.
Whether you’re visiting for a long weekend or planning a full week, this itinerary will help you map out a trip that is hopefully as easy and memorable as ours!
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Day 1
Check in at the Nantucket Inn.
This super cute, family-friendly hotel is where we stayed, and would definitely stay again! It has both indoor and outdoor (seasonal) pools, a breakfast/lunch cafe, bar and plenty of courtyard space for kids to run around.
The only downside is that it’s about a 5-10 minute drive from Town, so not walkable to restaurants and activities (this also makes it more budget-friendly!). It has an hourly shuttle to Town that was very convenient.
If you want all the details, read my full Nantucket Inn review.
Take the shuttle into Town and grab sandwiches for lunch at Provisions.
Provisions is a popular take-out style coffee and sandwich shop. The food is all homemade, and let me tell you, you’re going to want to go twice.
Their most famous sandwich is the Turkey Terrific, which is basically a Thanksgiving dinner on a sandwich. And they also have kid-friendly sandwiches like PB&J.
Take your sandwiches to Children’s Beach and eat lunch while burning off energy on the playground.
The Children’s Beach playground has an amazing view of Nantucket Harbor and play equipment for both little kids and older kids. Split your time playing on the playground and on the beach.
Then, walk to the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium and learn about Nantucket and Atlantic sea life.
My favorite thing about this aquarium is that it’s mostly catch and release! One of the few creatures who isn’t released is Clementine, a very rare orange lobster, 1 in 30 million!
Read more about our visit to Nantucket’s aquarium.
End the day with dinner at Straight Wharf Fish.
The menu is made up of mostly fresh caught seafood, so it’s a great place to get a lobster roll or clam chowder.
It’s located right on the harbor, so try to get a table on the patio and watch boats come and go. They don’t take reservations, so get there early.
If your kids don’t like seafood, stop at the Nantucket Tavern before or after. Adults can get a cocktail and they have a very agreeable kids menu.
Day 2
Get breakfast pastries for the kiddos and coffee for mom and dad (I loved the lavender latte!) at the Nobadeer Cafe in the lobby of the Nantucket Inn.
Then burn off some energy at the hotel pool. If the weather is nice, and it’s open, swim in the outdoor pool. And if the weather is cool or rainy, The Nantucket Inn has the island’s only indoor pool too!
Take The Nantucket Inn’s hourly shuttle into Town and visit the Whaling Museum.
The most notable two things for kiddos are the 46-foot whale skeleton and the Discovery Center. The Discovery Center has fun toys, games and books if you’re in need of playtime. I’d recommend going there last. Your kids probably won’t want to leave!
Read about our visit to the Nantucket Whaling Museum.
Have lunch at Brotherhood of Thieves, which is a historic 1840s whaling bar and tavern.
They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and a full selection of beers from the local Nantucket brewery, Cisco Brewers. They also have the best buffalo Caesar salad I think I’ve ever had in my life.
Spend the afternoon strolling around Town and shopping.
Nantucket Bookworks is a great stop to pick up a souvenir book about Nantucket for little ones. Picking out a book souvenir was one of my favorite things to do in Nantucket with kids because it gave my son something he loves to remember the trip by. Commonwealth is also fun. It’s a luxury consignment shop that also sells bottles of wine.
Have dinner at the Nantucket Lobster Trap.
They have tons of fresh seafood, like clams, crab and fish. If your kids have an adventurous palate, the kids’ menu has a small lobster as an option! It also has more traditional kid-friendly options like hot dogs and chicken tenders.
Day 3
Go on the Critter Cruise. This is our favorite activity when visiting Nantucket with kids!
It departs from Straight Wharf and is an hour long fishing charter tailored to kids.
The first half is spent checking what has been caught in the traps (think crabs, lobsters, snails). Those creatures are brought onboard in touch tanks for the ride.
Then for the second half, kids get their own fishing poles to catch a fish. On our cruise, someone even caught a shark! At the end, everything is either released or taken to the aquarium.
Read about our experience on the Critter Cruise.
Grab lunch at The Rose and Crown before heading home.
You might be sick of seafood by this point, so I recommend a burger and chef fries (garlic oil, sea salt parm!). Their appetizer menu has a lot of kid-friendly items.
Check with the Nantucket Inn if they offer a late checkout for your room. They did for us since no one was checking in our room that day, so we got a few extra hours to spend in Town before heading to the airport.
If you’re still figuring out what to do in Nantucket with kids, I hope this itinerary gives you a solid starting point. Nantucket for kids is totally wonderful. It’s a rare vacation town where the slower pace actually works in your favor when you’re traveling with little ones.
