I first visited Nantucket when I was a child, maybe around 10 years old, and I don’t remember loving it (in fact, my sister hated it, but more on that later). We visited Martha’s Vineyard every year, so it was the island we were used to, and it was hard not to compare when my family decided to visit Nantucket. And compared to Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket was a bit underwhelming. Now back to my sister: As I mentioned, we were kids, and I just remember my sister, who usually loves everything and is a good sport, huffing and puffing the whole trip. She thought it was boring and literally complained the whole time we visited. I will say that Nantucket does lend itself to older children and adults, so I can see how it can be less appealing to children compared to Martha’s Vineyard, which is much larger with a plethora of things to do, but I hadn’t visited the island in years, and I wanted to see for myself how I would like it in adulthood.

And yes, I still decided to bring my kids, despite not knowing how kid-friendly it would feel. Times have changed, so my thoughts were maybe the island has become more kid-friendly. And even if not, I know my kids well enough that ice cream and beach time are all they need to have a good time, so off we went.

HOW TO GET TO NANTUCKET:

First things first, if you're not too far from the Cape Cod area, the best way to get to the island is by high-speed ferry from Hyannis, which takes 1 hour. I advise you to buy your ticket ahead of time, at least a week or so, because time slots do fill up and sell out. The best places to book are either Hy-Line Cruises or The Steamship Authority.

Hy-Line Cruises VS The Steamship Authority

You may be wondering which ferry is best for you; that depends on your needs. Both ferries take only an hour to the island, but Hy-Line is a bit more expensive than The Steamship Authority (about $20 more per adult ticket). But the Hy-Line Cruises ferries are much larger than The Steamship Authority's and offer more space to sit and walk around, as well as a much larger outdoor seating area. The Steamship Authority’s ferry is much smaller and feels more congested with minimal outdoor seating. It felt as though we were taking a public bus during rush hour, which was not very enjoyable. Both ferries offer snacks and drinks on board as well as restrooms. They both also have off-site paid parking near the ferry dock, with free shuttles to the port.

If you would like to transport your car onto the island, only The Steamship Authority offers this option, as Hy-Line Cruises is a passenger-only vessel. Also, Hy-Line Cruises runs year-round with increased ferry times during peak season, while The Steamship Authority only offers its high-speed ferries during peak season. During the off-season, the Steamship Authority offers their traditional ferry, which takes a little over 2 hours to reach Nantucket. If you plan to bring your car, I would recommend booking at least a month in advance, as spots are very limited.

Overall, I would recommend Hy-Line Cruises over The Steamship Authority if you are not traveling with a car. It is much more spacious and offers a more enjoyable ride to the island.

If you are traveling from NYC or would prefer not to take the ferry, you can also fly onto the island. Tradewind is a great company to get you there with ease, offering private charters as well, but I wouldn’t recommend this for a day trip.

You’ve made it to the island. Now what? I planned out our day perfectly and, spoiler alert, I actually enjoyed the island much more this time around. More than Martha’s Vineyard though? You’ll just have to read until the end to see if so. Below I have mapped out each activity we did and how we timed out our day to make the most of it. Please note that this itinerary is catered to people traveling with young children. As you will read, we had to use a rideshare a bit because, even though the island is fairly small, walking with small legs can make things feel a lot farther, so it’s easier to hop in a car than have your 4-year-old walk a mile to the next destination. If you have older children or are traveling kid-free, Nantucket is best experienced by biking, and I would recommend renting bikes as soon as you arrive on the island. There are many bike rental shops you will pass along the way.

BRANT LIGHTHOUSE

The first stop we made was to the Brant Lighthouse. Straight off the ferry, it’s a pleasant 17-minute walk passing shops, boutique hotels, and the most charming Nantucket homes. In full transparency, this stop is not entirely necessary; it is, after all, just a lighthouse. Though the area is gorgeous, all of Nantucket is beautiful, so it may not be worth it to go out of your way to visit. It does hold history, as the second-oldest lighthouse in North America. You can not enter the lighthouse, but you can walk the rickety wooden walkway straight to the front door. It is also a nice area to sit on the beach, take in the view, and watch the tall ships sail by.

ISLAND KITCHEN

Next we headed to Island Kitchen. This restaurant is about a mile away from downtown Nantucket, so it was a bit too far to walk with the kids, so we opted to Uber there. Rideshares are a bit pricey on the island and fluctuate dramatically. You also will most likely have to wait a bit for them to get to you. The roads, as one of our drivers mentioned, were built for horse and carriage, so they are very narrow, and two cars can barely fit going opposite ways. It makes driving around the island less than ideal (hence why I recommended biking if this is an option for you, but alas, we had the case of the small legs). I would have opted for a closer breakfast spot, but this place came highly recommended, and since we were only spending one day on the island, I wanted to try the best places.

When we arrived, it was busy but not so busy that we had to wait. They were able to seat us at an outdoor table right away. I ordered the strawberry matcha, which was delicious, but that’s pretty much where it ends. Another reason I opted for Island Kitchen is that they had a more vegetarian- and vegan-friendly menu than many restaurants on the island, and I was tired of always having to order avocado toast for breakfast because I don’t eat eggs. One of their signature dishes is tofu scramble, which I of course had to order. It was loaded with vegetables, and everything tasted really fresh, but it was extremely underseasoned, almost comically. It was as if they didn’t even sprinkle a spec of salt on the food. My sister felt the same for her egg dish, and her black coffee was brown and very watered down. For a mom-and-pop-style restaurant, the food was also very overpriced, which is to be expected on Nantucket, but at least give us some salt on our food.

Overall, I didn’t think it was worth leaving the main area of Nantucket to come here. We could have easily found something closer to the Wharf just as good or even better.

OLD NORTH WHARF

Next, we took a rideshare back to Old North Wharf (our starting point) to view all the cute houses and walk to get some ice cream. The houses along the wharf are so cute, and it makes for a nice stroll. My children tolerated it because there was a promise of ice cream at the end. I do love the downtown area around the wharf; there is a lot to see, from cute shops, antiques, cafes, restaurants, museums, and more. It’s a great area to stroll around aimlessly.

THE JUICE BAR

Next, we headed to The Juice Bar to get some ice cream. Initially, I was so confused why this popular ice cream shop was called The Juice Bar, but skepticism immediately dissolved as soon as I smelled the sweet, heavenly scent of freshly made waffle cones. Yes, they do offer fresh-squeezed juice, but the ice cream definitely overshadows their namesake. The girls and I got the cake batter flavor, and it was so good that I had zero qualms about eating dairy. It was completely and utterly worth it. Some of the best ice cream I have ever tasted. At this point during the trip, Nantucket was redeeming some points with me again.

STEPS BEACH

And now to one of the places I was most excited to visit on the island. The girls and I love a good beach day, and this one seemed so idyllic. I was optimistic it would live up to its reputation, and I’m so glad it did. We took a rideshare to the beach, which dropped us off at the entrance nestled right in the middle of the most gorgeous neighborhood. You walk a few feet and come to steps leading down to the beach. I mentally prepared myself to go down many steps, but it turned out there weren't as many as I’d imagined, and it was actually a fairly easy walk even with children. The beach was busy but not too crowded to find a nice spot to set up. Steps Beach is located on the Nantucket Sound, so the water is shallow and warm(ish), which is nice. In fact, the water is shallow very far into the ocean, making it very ideal for small kids. My girls absolutely loved it. We were standing maybe 50-100 feet into the ocean, and the water was only ankle deep. The beach's energy is also very calm and serene. We spent a couple of hours here just letting the girls play and enjoying the shallow waters. It was a perfect beach day and definitely a highlight of our trip. We loved every minute of it.

THE ROSE & CROWN

We would have stayed at the beach much longer, but we had to start heading back towards the ferry port to catch the boat back to the mainland. But first we needed to find dinner. Originally we were going to eat at Lola 41, but they didn’t open until 5 pm. We waited on a nearby bench until they opened, but my restless children needed to get some ants out of their pants. I took them for a walk while we waited, and we ended up stumbling on The Rose & Crown. The menu looked good, so we pivoted and ate here instead. The Rose & Crown offers quintessential pub food, so the options are on the heavier side, but everything was good (and seasoned). My sister and I got the shrimp po-boy, and the shrimp was fried and seasoned very well. I opted for fish and chips for the girls, which is always a hit. I will say it’s not going to blow your mind, but you're going to get simple classic dishes and leave full. My impression of the food on Nantucket left a bit to be desired, but I think that with more time here, it would be easier to find better food options (I hope). I will say, though, the staff at both restaurants we ate at were very friendly and personable.

And just like that, our day trip was over. The Rose & Crown was only a 6-minute walk back to the ferry port. (The ferry picks you up and drops you off in the same spot.) By the time we reached the port, there was already a long line to get on the boat. On the way to and from the island, the ferry offers a standby line in case the ship has extra room, so A. be mindful you are standing in the right line when you arrive and B. This is another reason to buy your tickets in advance to guarantee your spot on the ferry. The ride back was very crowded as well, and the boat was a bit late, so we waited a little while before we could board. I never experienced this on Martha’s Vineyard, a place I frequent, which is overall much better equipped for day visitors.

In my opinion, if you do not compare the two popular islands off the coast of Cape Cod, then Nantucket is a nice place to take a day trip. It’s small, quaint, and very charming, with beautiful beaches. However, as a day trip, it’s not very kid-friendly, and there isn't much to do. Nantucket is more of a place to stroll, bike, slow down, and just enjoy being, which I’m not against, but that is a little harder to do when you want to get a feel for the island in one day. In my opinion, Nantucket is a place you need to go to without any rush, spend a couple of nights, bike everywhere, and enjoy the beaches, cafes, and scenic parts with no itinerary. This would be the most idyllic way to experience this place.

If you’ve never been to either island and are deciding on a day trip, I would say Martha’s Vineyard offers more for a wider age range. Check out my Martha’s Vineyard Day Trip Guide for more.