Nantucket had been on my travel list for years. But if I’m being honest, it wasn’t always the kind of trip I imagined taking with kids.

I’ve read every Elin Hilderbrand novel, so I pictured the slow mornings, long dinners by the harbor, and the quiet beach days she depicts in her books. I knew Nantucket with kids would be a different experience.

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I’d be managing snack breaks, playground stops and shopping for which travel stroller works best on cobblestone streets (spoiler alert, this one is both affordable and durable!).

So, last year I was planning a birthday trip, found a great deal on flights, and we decided not to wait for an “easier” stage of life to visit Nantucket and booked the trip!

And honestly? It ended up being one of the best family trips we’ve taken.

We explored Nantucket with a stroller, timed our beach days around nap time, stayed at a hotel with plenty of room for our son to run around, and found a bunch of great family-friendly restaurants.

Now that we’re home, I’m sharing everything I learned. Whether you’re planning your first trip to Nantucket with kids, or just wondering if it’s a good family destination, this guide covers it all.

I’m including if you should take the ferry or fly, the best Nantucket hotels for kids, whether or not you need a car and so much more.

If you’re specifically traveling with a toddler, I have a few additional tips at the bottom of this article.

Family Trip to Nantucket: Where to Stay, What to Do & the Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants

How to Get To Nantucket With Kids

The two ways to get to Nantucket are by airplane or ferry.  

We live in the Midwest, so flying was the most convenient option for us.

There are direct flights from large East Coast airports like New York, Boston, Newark and Dulles. Most major US airlines service Nantucket, so go with your preferred airline, and you’ll likely be able to get there.

The airport in Nantucket is very small. Once our flight landed, we were able to deplane and get our luggage so fast!

The one thing that surprised us a bit was that the departure lounge (past security) is very small and can get very busy. Consider holding on going through security until shortly before your flight.

The other option for transportation to Nantucket is via ferry.

The two most popular options are the Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Ferry, both of which depart from Hyannis, Massachusetts.

The Steamship Authority offers a high-speed ferry (which takes about 1 hour), and a traditional ferry (which takes about 2.5 hours). The Hy-Line’s high-speed ferry also takes about an hour.

This is a great option if you live on the East Coast, or are able to easily drive to Hyannis. Make sure to reserve your tickets in advance, especially during peak summer months.

Where to Stay in Nantucket with Kids

Where you stay in Nantucket makes a big difference, especially with kids.

The most popular (and relatedly, expensive) area to stay in is Town.

Town is Nantucket’s downtown district and has many popular restaurants, activities and shopping options. It’s very easy to get around without a car.

On our trip we stayed at The Nantucket Inn (which is about a 10 minute drive from Town). Even though we weren’t in the center of the action, it was a great choice for our family.

It had both indoor and outdoor pools, an on-site restaurant for breakfast and lunch, a complimentary hourly shuttle to Town, and was overall just a quieter and more relaxed setting.

Read more about why we loved staying at The Nantucket Inn!

That said, if we went back, I’d consider staying in Town for convenience, even if it meant a higher price tag.

Here are a few of the kid-friendly Nantucket hotels in Town that I have my eye on for our next trip:

• White Elephant Hotel:  This one is my dream stay if money was no object. It’s a short walk from Children’s Beach, and has tons of luxe, kid-friendly amenities like a poolside ice cream cart and plenty of beach toys.
• The Brant: Has an outdoor pool to cool off on a hot, Nantucket summer day, plus a big lawn with games and fire pits. Brant Point beach is just steps away and the hotel offers beach essentials like boogie boards, coolers, beach towels and more.
• Harborview Nantucket: These are cottages, not hotel rooms, which means full kitchens, a private harbor beach, and a short walk to the Maria Mitchell Aquarium (perfect if you love that stop as much as we did!).
• Faraway Nantucket: Has a wide range of room types across a cluster of historic captain’s houses off Main Street. It’s an easy walk to the ferry and the Whaling Museum, and has a courtyard that sounds like the perfect spot for an evening wind-down.
• Cliff Lodge: This 1771 sea captain’s home sits on a quiet street and is about a 10-minute walk to town, with both Children’s and Jetties Beach close by and a great view of the harbor and ferries from some rooms.

Larger families also might want to consider a vacation rental home for more space. There are lots of options listed on VRBO. Book early if you’re traveling in summer months as they fill up fast!

If you’re deciding between locations and hotels, I break it all down in my full guide on where to stay in Nantucket with kids. Or you can also search current prices for all hotels in Nantucket.

Best Things to Do in Nantucket With Kids

One of my favorite things about visiting Nantucket with kids was that we could take the day as fast or slow as we wanted.

And in Nantucket you want to go slow, you don’t want to feel rushed. It isn’t the kind of destination where you want a packed agenda. We found that one or two activities per day was perfect for us.

There were plenty of things to do in Nantucket with kids to fill a 3-day agenda and if you’re staying longer, just sprinkle in extra beach, pool and shopping time.

Our favorite activity was taking a boat ride on the Critter Cruise.

It is a one-hour boat ride and kid-friendly fishing charter. You start by getting a close-up look at sea life through critters caught in lobster traps. Then for the second half, kids get to fish off of the edge of the boat.

The crew makes sure every kid catches a fish and it’s the perfect length of time for younger kids.

One of the days we were in Nantucket was very rainy, so we spent a couple hours at the Nantucket Whaling Museum.

The highlight is a massive whale skeleton, but what my son loved the most was the Discovery Center.

It’s a Nantucket-themed play space with books, toys and interactive exhibits. It’s great for toddlers and elementary-aged kids, and my recommendation is to go last, or you’ll never leave, trust me!

Our trip was in mid-June, so we got to be one of the first visitors of the season at the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium.

It’s pretty small as far as aquariums go, but has some cool critters including Clementine the very rare orange lobster. We learned while we were there that the odds of a lobster being an orange lobster is about 1 in 13 million!

The other critters are mostly catch and release, and some even come from what is caught on the Critter Cruise.

Probably the main reason most people visit Nantucket is for their beaches.

Unfortunately when we visited in mid-June, the weather was still cool so we didn’t get in as much beach time as we planned.

The one beach we did visit, mainly for its playground, was Children’s Beach. It has really calm water, is close to Town and has a breakfast and lunch cafe on site.

Another beach that is a similar setup, but we didn’t get to, is Jetties Beach.

Cisco Brewers is a local Nantucket brewery and located near the center of the island.

It’s a very casual and kid-friendly spot to grab a few beers (if you like light lagers like us, try the Shark Tracker!).

During our visit to Cisco we were even lucky enough to catch a performance by Nanpuppets, which is a puppet show for kids. We enjoyed a beer and my son had a great time!

Make sure to check for any special events that may close the brewery. On our first try going, we found out they were closed for a private event after already taking an Uber there.

And finally, an iconic family activity in Nantucket is to rent bikes and explore the island’s 30+ miles of bike paths.

Island Bike Company, Young’s Bicycle Shop and Cook’s Cycles are great options for bike rentals, and offer adult bikes, kids bikes and toddler trailers.

Some hotels, like The Brant and The White Elephant, offer complimentary bike rentals as well.

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Nantucket

Before I visited Nantucket, I thought of it just for the fine dining restaurants I had read about in those Elin Hilderbrand novels.

I was so happy and surprised once we got there to find plenty of easy, family-friendly options!

My son was 3 when we visited, so we opted for more casual restaurants overall for this trip (Brant Point Grill, you’re on my list for next time though!).

Here’s a list of every restaurant we visited in Nantucket:

• Provisions: Quick, casual sandwiches, perfect for lunch. The Turkey Terrific is very popular and they have kid-staples like PB&J, too.
• Brotherhood of Thieves: Set in a historic 1840s whaling bar. They have a full assortment of local Cisco Brewers beers on tap.
• Straight Wharf Fish: Harbor views, great seafood (get a lobster roll!).
• Nantucket Tavern: Great location near the ferry dock. Large kids menu with staples like mac and cheese (my son got 2 orders!).
• Rose and Crown: Casual and located right in Town. If you’re sick of seafood, get a burger and chef’s fries!
• Jack & Charlie’s: Ice cream is a mandatory after dinner treat on Nantucket and this is a centrally located spot with tons of flavors.
• Bar Yoshi: Sushi and small plates. No picky kid-friendly menu items, but worth it for parents and adventurous eaters.
• Pi Pizzeria: Fresh Italian and pizzas that feels like a local secret. Definitely go early. It’s a small restaurant that fills up fast!
• Nantucket Lobster Trap: I have to be honest, I actually didn’t totally love this restaurant. The food was fine, the service wasn’t great, and I’m not sure I’d go back.

For more details on each of these restaurants, check out my full list of the best kid-friendly restaurants in Nantucket.

Best Time to Visit Nantucket With Kids

When is the best time to visit Nantucket with kids? The answer to that question is that it depends on what you’re looking to experience.

We visited in mid-June, which was right before peak season really started and I honestly loved it.

The pros were that hotels were more affordable, it wasn’t crazy busy yet, and the weather was cool and perfect for strolling.

The biggest con was also that the weather was cool, which meant the outdoor pool wasn’t open at our hotel yet, we didn’t spend much time at the beach, and it was a bit rainy. 

I’d love to go back mid-summer and really experience summer in Nantucket with hot beach days.

While I say that, I think I’d also find the crowds more challenging then and would need to be more intentional about making restaurant reservations.

I wouldn’t recommend visiting Nantucket in the winter as many of the businesses close for the season. You definitely wouldn’t be getting the true Nantucket experience!

Should You Rent a Car in Nantucket?

The short answer is you probably don’t need a car in Nantucket.

We visited for four days without a car and never felt like we needed one. Between walking, shuttles and Uber, getting around was easy.

You likely don’t need a car if you’re staying in Town, you’re visiting for a shorter trip, or you’re keeping your itinerary simple.

You may want a car if you’re staying outside of Town, you want to get around the island quickly and easily, or you’re traveling with a lot of gear.

Nantucket with Toddlers

When we visited Nantucket, my son was three, so I have some firsthand experience about visiting Nantucket with a toddler.

The laid back vibe was great for a trip with a little kid.

Because Nantucket is so walkable and flat, it’s also very stroller friendly (check out my favorite travel strollers!).

We loved walking around Town. The sights are great for a stroller nap, or if you’re like us, you can pop in The Nantucket Tavern for a cocktail while your kiddo naps.

If your budget can accommodate it, staying in Town allows you to easily head back to your room at nap time, take some downtime, and head back out after.

And one of my favorite things about Nantucket was how many playground and beach options there are. I’m always a fan of play time, especially when it’s cost-effective!

Many of the beaches, like Children’s Beach and Jetties Beach, have playgrounds. Both are close to Town, so a convenient stop if kids need a break to get some energy out. 

Looking back, Nantucket was the perfect family travel destination.

Yes, the days revolved around snack breaks, sandy clothes and evenings that ended earlier than they would have years ago.

But, I got to experience the island through my son’s eyes, watching him awestruck by all the boats and ferries, explore the playgrounds and of course indulge in ice cream.

If Nantucket with kids is on your travel list the way it was with mine, I hope this guide shows you that Nantucket is not only doable, it can be incredibly special.

And if you have questions about planning your own Nantucket with kids adventure, from ferries to where to stay to building an itinerary that works with little ones, send me a message.
I’m always happy to help!