Today you’re in for a treat because I’m breaking down our U.S. Virgin Islands Travel Guide… but first —

I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I do remember the night my dad sat us down and pulled out the old family slides. (Yes… slides.) His dad was in the Navy, which meant they moved often and saw the world in a way that felt impossibly big to me at the time.

My dad has the best memory — or at least enough confidence to make every story feel true — and flipping through those slide memories with him felt like retracing time.

That’s how I feel about travel posts.

They let me retrace my steps and remember the little moments: the restaurants we loved, the beaches that surprised us, the random detours that ended up being the highlight. It’s so easy to forget the details just days later, so I love cataloguing everything while it’s fresh.

A few weeks ago, Morgan and I escaped the winter and headed south to the U.S. Virgin Islands — mostly St. Thomas, with a full day exploring St. John. And because I found surprisingly few helpful, detailed U.S. Virgin Islands travel guides online, I figured I’d make the one I wish I’d had.  Plus, if nothing else, here are some warm weather photos to make you forget it’s winter.

U.S. Virgin Islands Travel Guide: Before You Go

A quick note before you dive into this itinerary: we are travelers who…

1. Figure things out as we go

2. Prefer places off the beaten path

3. Love to rent a car and explore

4. Believe good food is essential (you’ll find EATS listed each day)

This trip was also a bit more chill than normal because I’m approximately one million weeks pregnant — and to top it off, I got sick at the end. I joked with Morgan that I was in “eco-mode” for the entire trip.

Where We Stayed in St. Thomas

We stayed on St. Thomas in the cutest VRBO I’ve ever seen.  (Feel free to message me for the exact link!)

It was slightly larger than we needed, but we were some of the first guests, so we got an incredible deal — and the view alone made it worth it.

Instead of staying directly on the water, we traded that for an overlook… and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

100/10 recommend.

Almost every morning we woke up to a rainbow, and we could see Magens Bay and Lovenlund Bay without even getting out of bed.

Bonus points:

• Our host gave the best recommendations

• The design was stunning and calming

• It felt safe, quiet, and secluded

Things We Learned Visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands

Here are a few quick lessons that made the trip smoother:

You need a car in St. Thomas

If you want to explore beaches beyond the resort areas, a rental car is a must.

St. John feels completely different

St. Thomas is more active and developed. St. John is quieter, less commercial, and more our vibe — we’d likely stay there next time.

You do go through customs returning home

This was our biggest surprise (and honestly the only major hiccup). The customs line was slow, and we ended up running to catch our flight.

Tip: Get to the airport 3 hours early when flying back.

USVI Itinerary: 5 Days in St. Thomas + St. John

This is our exact itinerary (with honest opinions + a food list each day).

Day 1: Arrival + Sunset at Magens Bay

We arrived in St. Thomas late afternoon, grabbed our rental car, and checked into the VRBO. After a full travel day, we wanted one thing: water at sunset.

So we headed to Magens Bay, and it was peaceful, quiet, and practically empty at that hour — the perfect welcome to the island.

For dinner, we stayed waterfront at Sun & Sea Bar and Grill (mahi mahi tacos + ocean breeze = a win). From there we walked over to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville because it was close and we were on a mission for dessert.

Rum cake and key lime pie didn’t hit the spot, but we stumbled upon a steel drum band performing, which felt like the most hilariously perfect “welcome to the islands” moment.

EATS: Sun & Sea Bar and Grill

 

Day 2: Beach Hopping + Snorkeling in St. Thomas

Our first full day did not disappoint.

We started with breakfast at our favorite spot of the trip: Northside Grind. If you’re anywhere near Magens Bay, it’s a must — cute, casual, and the food is good.

Then it was time to snorkel.

Hull Bay Beach

We started at Hull Bay Beach and saw tons of fish — such a great “warm up” snorkel spot.

We grabbed lunch at Hull Bay Shack, which was exactly what we wanted: vibey, simple, delicious.

Sapphire Bay

Next stop was Sapphire Bay, which is known for snorkeling — but the wind was intense and it was packed. The only redemption? Watching wind surfers flying across the water.

Coki Beach (Would Skip Next Time)

Then we checked out Coki Beach, and if we did it again… we’d skip it. The area felt rundown and the fish seemed drawn in because people feed them versus it being very natural.

If you want lots of sand and easy swimming, it could work — it just wasn’t our favorite.

That night we cleaned up and went to El Barsito at the Pink Palm Hotel, which had an amazing atmosphere and great food.

While we were eating, the power went out (our first island outage!). It felt like part of the experience — and also made it obvious why many places rely on generators.

We made it back just in time to beat an evening rainstorm.

EATS: Northside Grind, Hull Bay Shack, El Barsito

Pictured: Hull Bay Beach

Sunset over Charlotte Amalie

Last light from the balcony of the Pink Palm Hotel

My favorite travel partner and a shameless mirror selfie.

Day 3: Sailing + Water Island

Day three was the biggest “pinch me” moment of the trip.

We did a sailing tour with Savage Wind Sailing, and I genuinely can’t say enough good things about it. Pam and Joe, their daughter Amelia (and Dave!) were the best kind of people — knowledgeable, fun, and laid-back.

We explored coves only accessible by boat, snorkeled in crystal-clear water, and had one of those “how is this real?” afternoons.

Morgan even found our first sea turtle of the trip, and we collected a few pristine souvenir shells for the kids.

We also had an unexpected highlight: a military ship came through, and we all laughed as they politely asked us to move out of their clearance zone. Not exactly typical vacation content — but unforgettable nonetheless.

Lunch was on Honeymoon Beach at Water Island near where the boat docked, and I’m still thinking about the Bang Bang Shrimp.

After saying goodbye to boat life, we took a dinghy back to shore and hunted down dinner: fusion barbecue from a food truck owned by a former Chopped contestant and grabbed a scoop of ice cream while we waited.

EATS: Northside Grind, Dinghy’s Beach Bar & Grill, Smoke Up Fusion BBQ, Scoops & Brew

Day 4: St. John Day Trip (Sea Turtles + Our Favorite Beach)

For our last full day, we took the car ferry to St. John and drove straight into explore mode.

Maho Bay (Sea Turtles!)

Pam and crew told us Maho Bay would be the busiest beach — but also the place to find sea turtles.

Swimming with sea turtles was at the top of my list, so obviously we went first.

And it delivered.

We snorkeled, spotted turtles, and grabbed food from the nearby trucks.

East End Road Views

Next we drove East End Road for a while and soaked up the views… including a gorgeous peek of the British Virgin Islands. St. John feels more private, less commercial, and more natural than St. Thomas.

In hindsight… we’d probably stay here next time.

Hansen Bay Beach (Our Favorite Beach of the Trip)

We found our favorite beach of the entire trip: Hansen Bay Beach.

More sea turtles (bigger ones!), more fish, calm water, and the kind of quiet that makes you forget what day it is.

We made one quick attempt to grab popsicles from Irie Pops, but a rude parking attendant ended that plan quickly (long story). Instead, we got dessert from St. John Scoops — soft serve + real hot fudge (my favorite kind of vacation math).

Dinner was at Hooked USVI on the way home.

EATS: Maho Bay food trucks, St. John Scoops, Hooked USVI

 

Pictured: the overlook of Trunk Bay, St. John USVI

Views of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) from St John

 

Pictured: Hanson Bay Beach, St John USVI

 

 

Day 5: A morning on Magens Bay and Heading Home

Our last day started with one more visit to Magens Bay before checking out.

I wasn’t feeling well at this point, so I stayed on the beach listening to an audiobook while Morgan swam and explored.

After packing up, we took a few maternity portraits — our last little getaway before Nora arrives. I truly can’t believe she’s almost here.

Life with this guy only gets sweeter.

The only major hiccup of the trip was heading home.

We had no idea we’d have to go through customs to fly back — and the customs process was so slow that we were the last ones on the plane, sprinting to make it.

We met a couple in line who missed their flight the year before for the same reason… and this year they came three hours early.

Learn from us.

All in all, it was a really special trip — and while I wasn’t thrilled to return to winter storm Fern, I was grateful to get home and squeeze our kiddos.

Final Thoughts: Is the U.S. Virgin Islands Worth Visiting?

Absolutely.

If you’re craving:

• turquoise water

• beach hopping + snorkeling

• great food

• the ability to explore freely

…then St. Thomas + St. John is a perfect winter escape.

And if we go back? I think we’d plan to stay on St. John and ferry over to St. Thomas when needed — it’s quieter, prettier, and more our style.

PS.  If you enjoyed our U.S. Virgin Islands Travel Guide and want to check out more of the places we’ve been, I’d suggest scrolling through our Ireland travel posts!

Our Road Trip through Southern Ireland — The Emerald Isle Part I

Our Road Trip through Southern Ireland — Ring of Kerry & Dingle Part II

Cliffs of Moher — Our Road Trip through Southern Ireland Part III

Happy Travels!