Nantucket Travel Guide

  Main Steet in downtown Nantucket
by mikelisaanna
 
  • Main Steet in downtown Nantucket
      Main Steet in downtown Nantucket
    by mikelisaanna
  • Mike and Anna walking along the Madaket Beach
      Mike and Anna walking along the Madaket...
    by mikelisaanna
  • Anna working on her sand castle
      Anna working on her sand castle
    by mikelisaanna
  • Boats at the Nantucket docks
      Boats at the Nantucket docks
    by mikelisaanna
  • One of the Nantucket ferries
      One of the Nantucket ferries
    by mikelisaanna
 

Pro

mikelisaanna profile photo

  Historic town, plenty of beaches, comfortable weather. 


Con

daddygila profile photo

  Crowded and expensive in high season 


In a nutshell

bdwoot profile photo

  Worth a visit once to say you've been. 

 

Explore Nantucket

Things to Do  

Maria Mitchell Aquarium

Maria Mitchell Aquarium, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  The Maria Mitchell Association is a non-profit organization on Nantucket dedicated to promoting science education. One of the facilities that it operates is a small aquarium located along the waterfront in the town of Nantucket. The aquarium is great for small children... 

See the boats

See the boats, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  Nantucket is a very wealthy resort town, and many of its summer and year-round residents have boats. We always like to walk around the docks checking out the boats, which run the gamut from small motorboats to huge yachts. 

Madaket Beach

Madaket Beach, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  Madaket is the small town at the western end of Nantucket Island. It is a very quiet town, with almost no commercial businesses. We like to go there because its beach is almost always empty, and is a nice quiet place to read a book, look for seashells, and help Anna build... 

Main Street

Main Street, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  Main Street is the heart of the historic town of Nantucket. It is a bumpy cobblestone street that begins at the waterfront and runs toward the center of the island. The first few blocks of Main Street are lined with shops, galleries, and real estate offices (unfortunately,... 

Go On A Seal Encounter Cruise

Go On A Seal Encounter Cruise, Nantucket

 HotDigityDog Says:  My family and I found the greatest thing, it's called Nantucket Adventures. These guys take you on a seal encounter cruise out to Muskeget Island. I though it would be fun for the kids but I must admit, I loved it and my wife loved it too. It was pretty amazing. The boat... 

Jeep driving on beach

Jeep driving on beach, Nantucket

 kimmy69 Says:  Every time we go to Nantucket we rent a Jeep and drive on the beach to Great Point unbelievable swimming , fishing and sunsets.Best family activity on Nantucket.We always rent from Nantucket Island Rent-A-Car at the airport, the staff is so friendly and helpful we would rent... 

The First Congregational Church

The First Congregational Church, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  The First Congregational Church is one of the oldest and largest churches on Nantucket. The church's interior is fairly plain, in traditional New England style. Church services are held on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.The highlight of a visit to the church is the... 

The Whaling Museum

The Whaling Museum, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  Nantucket's Whaling Museum gives visitors a good overview of the town's whaling history. One of the highlights of the museum is a 46-foot long skeleton of a sperm whale that washed ashore in the 1990s. 

Hotels  

Century House

 5 Reviews and 89 Opinions  I planned a surprise anniversary trip (and our vacation) to Nantucket this summer. It was towards... 

The Periwinkle Guest House

 1 Review and 18 Opinions  I booked for a single and was given an attic room but he window would not open and i felt this was a... 

Restaurants  

Your own kitchen: Cooking on your own

Your own kitchen: Cooking on your own, Nantucket

 bdwoot Says:  Nantucket is the place to get fresh seafood. People fish here, and that fish is about as fresh as you can get. It's cheaper and just as good to do it yourself if at all possible. I whipped up some fresh mussels in a wine and garlic broth, my oh my, was that tasty. 

Tacos: Quick reasonable Mexican

Tacos: Quick reasonable Mexican, Nantucket

 daddygila Says:  There is a nice TACOS eatery near the bicycle rental shops. The Burritos were a delight and reasonable in cost. 

Transportation  

The ferries to and from Nantucket

The ferries to and from Nantucket, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  The cheapest way to get to Nantucket island is to drive to Hyannis, a town located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and then take a ferry boat over to Nantucket. There are two companies that offer ferry boat services to Nantucket from Hyannis: the Steamship Authority and the... 

Mopeds, Bicycles and Public Transportation

Mopeds, Bicycles and Public Transportation, Nantucket

 daddygila Says:  For the fit there are bicyle rentals.....mopeds for the less so. I forget my credit card so I had no choice but to use public transportation. It actually turned out to be the best.You can get a daily unlimited pass for $5 and visit the surrounding towns quickly. 

Shopping  

The Toy Boat: Our favorite Nantucket toy store

The Toy Boat: Our favorite Nantucket toy store, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  The Toy Boat is a cute little toy store located in the complex of shops along the Nantucket waterfront. It has a good mix of contemporary and old-fashioned toys for boys and girls, and is a great place to stop if your child forgot to pack enough toys for the vacation. The... 

Local Customs  

Pilgrimage to the Bean

Pilgrimage to the Bean, Nantucket

 vancoffy Says:  Locals and visitors alike make their way to the bean all year long for the Best of the Cape and Islands (Cape Cod Magazine) Coffee Shop. Nantucket Coffee Roasters showcases world class specialty coffee at the bean on 29 Centre St. There are few places on the east coast who... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Traffic and Parking in the town of Nantucket

Traffic and Parking in the town of Nantucket, Nantucket

 mikelisaanna Says:  The town of Nantucket can get very crowded with cars during July and August. As a result, you will often have to spend a while driving around before finding a parking space. Also, its one-way streets can often add to the frustration when you are driving through town. If... 

Be careful riding a bike

Be careful riding a bike, Nantucket

 AcornMan Says:  I know I mentioned a couple times that getting around by bicycle can be easier than driving. And while this can certainly be true, do beware that some of the roads crisscrossing the island are narrow and do not have shoulders, bike lanes, or sidewalks, which can make it... 

Tourist Traps  

Parking for Nantucket Ferry

Parking for Nantucket Ferry, Nantucket

 daddygila Says:  Seconds after pulling in on a patch of dirt to park for the ferry, someone will appear asking for $15 to park for the day. A cab might be cheaper. In any case no one warned us about this "expense." Take a cab 

Off The Beaten Path  

Visit Other towns

Visit Other towns, Nantucket

 daddygila Says:  The town of Sconset is a quiet bucolic beach land. 

Playing in the sand! ...

Playing in the sand! ..., Nantucket

 SueRivet Says:  Playing in the sand! Actually, there is an annual sandcastle competition at the jetties. Some of the creations are fantastic, but, like the Zen Buddhist mandalas, they are temporary. 

Favorites  

Rosa rugosa, which thrives in...

Rosa rugosa, which thrives in..., Nantucket

 SueRivet Says:  Rosa rugosa, which thrives in the sandy soil and sea air, is everywhere on the island. In the fall the plants are covered with fat red hips, which can be made into a delightful jelly. 

The Place

Plan a Nantucket vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Nantucket locals

Experience Nantucket
  •   38 Tips and Reviews
  •  39 Photos
  Share your Travels  
Map of Nantucket
 

The People

10 Members Live Here
 
Our Members Say
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 There are a couple of old cemeteries on the island, that are a must-see if you are interested in history or funerary art, or are looking for a bit of solitude... 

10 members live in Nantucket

 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  My husband and I are planning a trip to cape cod this summer. We are wondering where to stay without spending a fortune and take a... 

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A: During the season (roughly, Memorial Day to Labor Day) everywhere is expensive, and usually has to be booked well in advance. If you want to beat the high cost, and the... 

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Top Nantucket Writers

1

Nantucket

mikelisaanna profile photo

 Nantucket is an island located about 20 miles off the Massachusetts coast. Its main town is Nantucket, a historic town which was originally one of the primary ports for the United States' whaling... 

2

NANTUCKET

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 Pulling out of the Hyannis harbor on a two hour ferry trip to Nantucket. 

3

For those with a ton of money

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 We spent five days in Nantucket a few years back. It has some wonderfully fresh seafood, bikepaths that are incredible, a bus system that is fast, cheap and efficient. It is also massively expensive... 

4

Nantucket

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 I have an aunt and uncle who own a vacation home on Nantucket and visit the island all the time. I'm a little more lukewarm about Nantucket, but considering the dearth of quiet vacation spots in the... 

5

SueRivet's new Nantucket Page

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 Nantucket is one of those places that is nice just to circumambulate, and discover its history as a seafaring port. After a while, you get to know all of the old family names, the Coffees et. al., as... 

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