The hardest part about booking just ONE day of your vacation on the water is where to go and how to maximize that day! The BVI and USVI are chock full of amazing places to see and incredible things to do, so it’s really hard to make that final decision. Obviously the weather sometimes dictates the day, but for the most part its really up to you to make up your mind! So with that in mind here are our top five St John Boat Trip itineraries from a bit of a local perspective!
- Jost Van Dyke
- One of our favorite and most laid back days is a full day on and around Jost Van Dyke. This is frequently what we do with friends on a day off. The type of a trip usually starts with a snorkel in US waters somewhere off of St John, then you proceed over to Customs. While the captain is clearing customs you can wander down to Corsairs and sample one of the best bloody Mary’s in the BVI or shop at Foxy’s. After that we like to spend some time lounging at Sandy Spit before working up an appetite and venturing to Foxy’s Taboo for a burger, pizza, or one of the other amazing menu items. After lunch it’s always time to snag a spot at White Bay and relax in the sun for the afternoon. This extremely relaxing day is why it’s one of our favorite St John Boat Trip Itineraries.
- US Snorkeling
- Sometimes you just need to spend the day underwater. The USVI National Park has preserved so much of the surrounding areas that for those more inclined to snorkeling and less inclined to bar hopping there are plenty of snorkeling spots to fill a day! The one thing that lacks in the US is beach bars and restaurants so this day usually entails eating fantastic pizza from Pizza Pi, our local floating pizzeria. Another option is to get dropped off at Caneel Bay for their delicious beach front sushi before heading back out to finish the day snorkeling.
- Norman and Cooper
- A few weeks ago we had some REALLY high winds combined with a North swell and in turn had really limited options for charters. Well as it usually happens, Captain Joe came through and found a new favorite itinerary of his. He started his days off clearing customs and then hit a few great snorkeling spots on Norman (the wall, and the Indians,) took the guests to lunch at pirates bight and then after lunch either snorkeled more OR ventured up to Cooper Island just in time for their famous happy hour. Ending the day at Cooper Island is fantastic, and then the sun starts setting on your smooth ride home.
- North Sound
- DISCLAIMER- this itinerary can only be done on an extremely flat calm day, which is rare here. However, on those rare days, The North Sound of Virgin Gorda is well worth the long trip to get there. We LOVE the minute you enter The North sound which is surrounded by reef, making the water a multitude of blues and greens. There are great spots to spend the night and even better spots to relax for lunch. Including Saba Rock, Bitter End Yacht Club, and our favorite local spot, Hog Heaven.
- The Baths
- Another one that is VERY weather dependent, we can only go to The Baths when it’s relatively calm. However, up near the baths there is a ton to see. We love stopping there first and exploring the rock formations and doing a little swimming. Next it’s always fun to hop over to Scrub Island or Marina key for lunch before finishing our day either at Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke or at Cooper Island.
Here’s a really good map from Moon Travel Guides so you can see how spread out all these islands are:
Can you go to Tortola and Jost Van dyk in a day from St. John? How much for 6 people. How much would a day or half day around St. John cost?
Thanks
HI Valerie, you can absolutely go to Tortola and Jost Van Dyke in one day. 6 people is $750 plus $50 per person for customs fees and fuel consumed. Fuel ranges between $150-$250 depending on your destinations. Our half days are $550 plus $50 per person for customs fees and fuel consumed. We include bottled water, rum drinks, snorkeling gear, pool noodles, and the boat has bean bag chair seating and an iPod hookup.
If you’re interested or have further questions, please email me at info@lovecityexcursions.com or feel free to look at our availability calendar and book online!