We had such a great time on our trolley tour of Newport! Our guide, Carlos, was fantastic,…read morefriendly, funny, and incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Newport and its beautiful historic homes. He shared so many interesting stories and details and added just the right amount of humor to keep the tour entertaining. It was a wonderful way to see Newport on our first day there and learn about its fascinating history at the same time. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire tour and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Newport!

My husband and I took this tour with our four teenagers, and we had a fantastic time! We were lucky…read moreto have a beautiful, clear day, which made the experience even better. Our trolley driver, Rob, was absolutely amazing. He was very knowledgeable about the mansions and shared so much interesting history along the way. He also gave us excellent recommendations for restaurants, nightlife, and parking. If you take this tour, definitely ask for Rob, he made the experience unforgettable!

Next tour is end of June 2025 in the Point area. You will love each House and garden.read more

This is a tour of the private gardens at people's homes. They only do this twice a year so it is…read moreworth it to go once. It is a walking tour, they provide you with a map and there are 13 homes. After you can go to a local church for a brown bag lunch, I got the roast beef sandwich, it was homemade roast beef!!! Delicious!!!

Ghost Walk tour was great ! Walking around town in a group was fun. Newport in the fall is…read moresomething to be seen very enjoyable and cool weather.

My boyfriend and I went to Rhode Island on August 8, 2026, for this tour. We arrived at 7:45 p.m…read more and checked in at 8:00 p.m., when the guide turned her lantern on. The guide was not in costume like you would expect a ghost tour guide to be. When she saw us, she immediately fussed at us for not being on time and told us that we should have checked in. I apologized to her and explained that I did not know she was the guide. In fact, I actually thought we were in the wrong place because we were standing in a park surrounded by about 25 unhoused people. I did not realize she was our guide until she turned her lantern on at 8:00 p.m. She continued to make a fuss about us being late, which I found humiliating. My boyfriend had a few words back to her, and she eventually gave a slight apology. Moving on, she carried a panda purse while wearing street clothes, and there was a rainbow flag on the purse. During the tour, she repeatedly referred to me as a "shit bag" and said that "shit bag me" had caused this issue and that issue, and that Rhode Island was haunted because of "shit bag me." This was extremely uncomfortable and inappropriate. You could clearly tell that she hated men, which was not okay. I later found out that she had skipped over some of the stops and left out a lot of information. When I tried to ask her questions about some of the historical events connected to the stops, she often had no idea how to respond. I did not feel that she was very educated about the history she was supposed to be presenting. My boyfriend, who once lived in Newport, knew more about some of these places and events than she did. At one of the stops, she asked if anyone was staying at the hotel or if anyone was eating at the restaurant. When everyone said no, she responded, "I didn't think so. This place is $3,000 a night. I've never had anyone come on our tour that's been able to afford to stay in that hotel." I found that extremely insulting and unnecessary. I'm not saying I didn't learn a thing or two during the tour. I'm simply saying that we definitely did not feel like we got our money's worth. Another thing I noticed was that when we would arrive at a stop, we would sometimes stand there awkwardly in silence for 10 to 15 minutes. I figured that might have been why we missed a few of the stops--because maybe she didn't know where she was going or what she was supposed to be doing or saying. Another issue was that people walking by would become intrigued by the tour and stop to listen. Instead of welcoming their interest, she would scold them and tell them to move along, while also telling them that they could get tickets. Again, I found this very unpleasant. Overall, she simply was not a pleasant guide, which in turn made for a very unpleasant experience. The guide's attitude, the lack of information, the missed stops, the long periods of awkward silence, and the comments made throughout the tour left us very disappointed. I have never left a review before. This is my first time. I felt that strongly about this experience that I felt the need to speak up. I hope this feedback is taken seriously because we genuinely expected much more from this tour.

My husband and I did an afternoon cruise on the Adirondack with the amazing staff Sara(h), Tristin,…read morePiper, and Captain Ben. The trip and information were great, and the cruise itself was perfect. They were all very knowledgeable, knew how to run the ship, and we had a great time just chatting with them. Highly recommend doing one of their tours if you are in town! We plan on a sunset cruise the next time we are! We will definitely book with them in the future!

Truly an amazing experience! We had the most incredible views and had a fabulous time chatting with…read morethe crew!! Tip for the ladies - bring a wrap or sweater as it's chilly on the water when the sun goes down. Also - don't bother doing your hair since it's so windy on the water. We did the sunset cruise and it was spectacular! A smooth ride around the harbor - got to see the other sailboats, beautiful sunset, and the big bridge. Will do this again if I come back to Newport!

It was a great tour however we started off late and by the time I left the parking spot I was…read moredrenched and hot. Jim was great however, the sound system from the microphone was so muffled. We couldn't hear anything he was saying, and that comes from all of us in the back of the trolley. It was unfortunate because he was great. Nothing bad about Jim but just bad sound system. Now I have to make a comment, I watched everyone get off the trolley after a wonderful day and I only saw two people give him a tip. Of course I gave him a tip. I can't believe people actually don't tip for a wonderful afternoon.

We grabbed the last two seats on the Viking Newport Trolley tour and lucked out with Ray as our…read moreguide -- what a gem! Ray's storytelling made the city come alive, weaving in personal memories, local legends, and insider tidbits you'd never get from a guidebook. He clearly loves Newport and knows every corner of it, from Gilded Age mansions to hidden seaside gems. It felt like a friend showing us around his hometown rather than a scripted tour. Highly recommend -- just hope you're lucky enough to get Ray too!

This beautiful 3.5 mile long area in Newport has always been a favorite of thousands. You get to…read moreadmire many mansions as well as the rugged ocean hitting the gigantic rocks. Many free parking options all around the cliff walk A worthwhile sight in Newport and it's Free !

I always say that I am going to do part of the Cliff Walk and then get sidetracked with visiting…read moreother places. This time doing a stretch of the Cliff Walk was a priority for me. I started visiting the 40 steps. There were a lot of people crowding the steps and taking photos. I enjoyed this part of the walk and would repeat again in the future if I came with friends. To get to the next session of the walk there is a detour that brings you by the next block and to the next entrance. I found the next section to be the smoothest walk and very scenic. After that, you see signs that there is some rugged terrain. You also get signs that you pass at your own risk and a reminder that you are passing through private properties. I highly suggest you wear proper footwear as there are some rocky sessions and uneven ways. If it is hot, you may want to bring water and wear sunscreen. Also check the map as there are sessions where it is clearly marked that the closest exit is some distance away. Still worth the walk as you get magnificent views and glimpses the back of some mansions/houses along the way. I exited at the Ledge Road exit.

We booked Rail Explorers in Portsmouth RI for my son's birthday and we had the best time. It was a…read morebucket list item we wanted to check off. The first time I've seen it was on the show, The Real Housewives of RI. The weather was chilly and drizzly, but it turned out nice for us at our 5 pm departure. It's kid-friendly, we got to stop at a picnic spot with a fire and beautiful views of the water and the Newport bridge. It was easy but exhilarating; definitely a unique experience and I highly recommend. We booked a week in advance. The check in process was seamless. The ride took about an hour and a half with the stop at the picnic spot (there were bathrooms too). There is a parking lot as well. Yes, we would definitely do it again!

A group of 4 of us did the Lantern Ride at 7:30pm in April for $215. We thought the weather would…read morebe nice in April, but it was quite cold and chilly. We stopped at the scenic waterfront Bayside Station and there was a s'mores bar available while sitting fireside. The wood-burning fire pits kept us warm. After staying there for about 30 minutes, we pedaled back to the beginning. With the same group, the 4 of us did the Sunday Morning Brunch Tour/Bayside Brunch at 9am in August for $270. The weather was a lot better now than in April. We stopped at the scenic waterfront Bayside Station where we were able to use our 2 tickets for alcoholic drinks like Mimosas, Bellinis, and Bloody Marys. Death Wish Coffee and juice were complimentary. There were also complimentary muffins, danishes, and other pastries and fruit. Adirondack chairs were placed facing the water to enjoy the views. The 6 mile roundtrip tour is always an unforgettable experience. The staff are always very friendly and offer to take pictures to capture the memories. A brief instructional talk is always provided at the beginning and now they have a microphone so everyone can hear. Safety is of utmost importance.

The tour guide, Tom was almost non-intelligible. If I heard every fifth word he said that was being…read moregenerous. On more than one occassion he rudely told everyone on the trolly/bus to be silent so he could do his work. Was the tour interesting, sure if you want to see the lives of the robber barons of the 19th and 20th century. More than a bit of a tourist trap.

I highly recommend a trolley tour through Newport. There is so much history here that you might…read moremiss if you don't take a formal tour to get the details. Our tour guide and driver was quite funny and very informative. Getting tickets online was easy and meeting at the pick up spot was also very easy. Our ticket included The Breakers-also recommend.

The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization based in Newport, Rhode…read moreIsland and its top priority is the preservation and conservation of its historic houses and their collections. This work includes restoration of roofs and windows, conservation of fragile textiles, cleaning and restoration of valuable paintings and much more. At any given time, dozens of projects are underway. A visit to the Newport Mansions is a donation to The Preservation Society of Newport County. During the holiday season, The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms welcome visitors with spectacular holiday displays so it was a great opportunity to visit. In addition to the house holiday display, there is an outdoor holiday display called Sparkling Lights at The Breakers from November 22 to December 29, 2024 on select evenings. Admission is only at 4 pm, 4:30 pm, 5 pm, 5:30 pm and 6 pm. Gates close at 6:30 pm and the house and grounds close at 8 pm. Timed admissions tickets can be purchased online at https://www.newportmansions.org/. Tickets include access to the lavishly decorated rooms inside the house during the same visit. About a week prior, I bought 2 tickets for December 20, 2024 at 6:00PM ($40.00 each) and I was really looking forward to it. However, there was a winter advisory and it was snowing on the day of. Driving conditions were unsafe. I was worried I was going to lose my money since the website indicated tickets may not be resold, non-transferrable, non-refundable, and cannot be used for a different date. I tried calling the Preservation Society of Newport County, but there were just prompts and I couldn't talk to a live person. I sent a direct message to @newport.mansions through Instagram and they responded promptly that I could receive a refund by emailing info@newportmansions.org. Gary Ruff, Associate Communications Manager, responded and instructed me with what information he needed to provide the refund. I was so appreciative. Thankfully, the snow cleared and temperature warmed up a bit so I bought 2 tickets for December 29, 2024 at 4:00PM ($40.00 each). All the decorated Christmas trees, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree, poinsettias, garlands, wreaths and fresh floral in the interior of The Breakers were beautiful and then walking through the lights and illuminated displays of the outdoor 13-acre landscape was just a cherry on the top. The Preservation Society of Newport County also partnered with Stoneacre Brasserie to offer holiday treats and adult beverages. Thank you to The Preservation Society of Newport County for everything you are doing to protect, preserve, and present an exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes.

The family (wife, 10 y/o son, 2 y/o daughter) were visiting Newport and looking fo some activities…read moreto do. I noticed that the Newport mansions were on every to-do list, with the Breakers being the top choice of many. I looked at their website as well as other reviews and saw that this may not be the best place for younger ones. I saw that no strollers were allowed and I didn't think a tour of an old mansion is something my 10 y/o would be interested in. So I decided to take a solo trip on a nice Friday morning while the rest of the family slept in late at the hotel. The Breakers opens at 10 AM. The visitors parking lot is on the corner of Ochre Point Avenue and Victoria Avenue. There are other lots nearby but read the signs as they are for other buildings...The parking lot had adequate space when I arrived at 10:15 or so, but by the time I was leaving at about 11:45 is was pretty packed with visitors having to park in the rear overflow lot. Once you reach the front gate of the Breakers mansion, there are COVID restriction and general rule signs. As you proceed you can go to the left to buy tickets, use the bathroom or enter their cafe. Tickets are about $26 for adults and $8 for children 6-17 years old. The cafe has a bunch of premade food items, drinks, snacks, premade sandwiches... and few seats with tables. There are some more seats and table just outside of the cafe. Before you enter the mansion, there are signs showing you how to use their self tour audio app. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS...AND BRING HEADPHONES. You download the Newport Mansions app from the App Store onto your Apple or Google device, select the mansion you are visiting and begin the tour. The audio tour was excellent and follows you through the tour route of the mansion. I enjoyed listening to all the interesting facts about each room via bluetooth earbuds while my hands were free to take photos with my camera. You only thing you will need to do is to advance (click the play button) the tour to the next room before entering. There are some interesting facts about the mansion as a whole and each individual room. You can also stay around longer in each area for additional facts, essentially lengthening the tour. Without the audio tour, you will have to fread the printed information sheet. You go through the main floor, upper floor and back down into the service area where the kitchen is. You then exit through the gift shop. The gift shop has lots of interesting items, which includes typical magnets, mugs and prints, but they also have some luxury items like platters and wine stoppers as well as a small jewelry section. You finally exit out onto the side of the mansion and are able to walk back around outside to the front where you entered. Before sure to walk through the opened gate to the right of the mansion which takes you through a small garden to the back. Here you can see the Cliff Walk path and the ocean. Overall, I had a great time...It was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. The entire tour took just over an hour without listening to the extra information about each room. (During the tour, there are a few instances where you have to ascend/descend steps - I did NOT see any elevators - so you may want to call ahead to check if you cannot climb steps) Again, I highly recommend downloading the app and listening to the audio tour via headphones. It allows your eyes to focus on the beauty of the mansion instead of reading. Lastly, the mansion is right off of the Cliff Walk path...so be sure to make the short ride (or walk) north to Narragansett Avenue and visit the Forty Steps.

We enjoyed our little cruise with Amazing Grace. It was easy and no fuss. A great way to hear the…read morehistory of all the beautiful home and stunning boats. The tour guide was informational without being obnoxious. We enjoyed sitting on the top deck. The view is good from either side of the boat. We didn't order any beverages, but they are available.

We arrived in Newport mid afternoon for an overnight stay. Our teen sun wanted to go out on a…read moreharbor cruise and we did not know if that would be possible at the last minute. The staff at the Jailhouse Inn (definitely recommend) suggested we go down Thames to see if we could catch a last minute harbor cruise. We found the Amazing Grace booth and fortunately they had one more cruise going out that had space available. It was the most affordable harbor cruise we have had! The staff was great with a lot of knowledge of the area and the 1-hr cruise was perfect. And the picturesque view kept our teen engaged the whole cruise! Thank you to everyone who made this such a pleasant and memorable experience!