Outer Banks Road Trip: An Unforgettable 48-Hour OBX Itinerary

A full week away is not necessary for a memorable vacation. Even a brief escape can be wonderfully satisfying, and two days on the coast are certainly better than no getaway at all. Use this carefully planned Outer Banks road trip itinerary to make the most of 48 Hours in OBX, with beautiful beaches, historic landmarks, local food, and coastal adventures.

Day One

Morning

Reach the Outer Banks early and make your first stop the beach. Arriving in time for sunrise is well worth waking up for. Since the area offers beaches on both the east and west coasts, you will have plenty of settings from which to choose.

Begin the day with breakfast on the beach. Coffee and donuts are easy to find, while Chilli Peppers Coastal Grill and The Dunes Restaurant offer heartier Outer Banks breakfast choices.

Late Morning

Make your way to the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. On a cold day in December 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright changed aviation history when their powered airplane, the Wright Flyer, traveled over the Outer Banks sands for 12 seconds before landing again. The welcome center features exhibits about the Wright brothers’ achievements along with a replica of the 1903 flying machine.

Midday

Spend the middle of the day at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Choose between an easy hike, hang gliding, or kite flying at the largest natural living sand dune on the East Coast. The park provides two self-guided trails and nature programs year-round. Visitors will also find a small gift shop, museum, picnic facilities, restrooms, and a visitor center with a museum connected to a 360-foot boardwalk. No entry fee is required.

Late Afternoon

Return to your accommodations to check in and get ready for dinner.

Depending on where you are staying, set aside time for drinks and tastings at OBX breweries and distilleries. Sweet T’s in Duck offers wine, beer, and coffee tasting.

Dinner

Outer Banks dining ranges from fresh seafood and fine dining to burgers and pizza, so there are choices for every appetite.

Evening During the Summer Season

Cross over to Roanoke Island for a performance of The Lost Colony. This 86-year-old musical is performed beneath the stars and brings the story of the discovery of a new world to life through music and choreography. The production features the pageantry of Queen Elizabeth I and her court, along with the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America. It also honors the historical significance of America's oldest mystery. Purchase tickets in advance.

Day Two

Morning

Start with breakfast at your hotel.

Next, visit Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, the location of the first English Colony. Sir Walter Raleigh’s explorers and later colonists created settlements there in 1585 and 1587. After 116 settlers vanished without a trace, the settlement became known as the “The Lost Colony.”

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site also protects the cultural heritage of the Native Americans, European Americans, and African Americans who have lived on Roanoke Island. The site commemorates the Freedman’s Colony, which served an important role during the Civil War as one of the first safe havens for freed or runaway slaves in the South. An on-site visitor center, interpretive programs, and a nature trail are also available.

Continue to the Elizabethan Gardens. Designed as a living memorial to Queen Elizabeth and the Lost Colony, the gardens feature Renaissance statues and Elizabethan-style buildings that evoke the era of Queen Elizabeth I.

Late Morning

Explore Roanoke Island Festival Park in Downtown Historic Manteo. The park is home to the Elizabeth II, a 69-foot sailing vessel representing the ships that traveled to the New World in 1585.

Lunch

Spend lunchtime exploring and shopping in Downtown Historic Manteo. Waterfront restaurants offer many choices, while quirky shops and galleries invite browsing. Stop for a coffee or ice cream cone along the way.

Afternoon

Visit the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum and Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse on Roanoke Island. Situated on the Manteo Waterfront, the museum is also called the George Washington Creef Boat Shop. At this working boat shop, visitors can learn about the traditional craft of restoring and building boats.

The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is a replica of the 1850s screw-pile lighthouse that once watched over the nearby Croatan Sound. It provides a distinctive look at the island’s maritime past and at the lightkeepers who once lived at the station. Admission is free to both.

Leave Downtown Manteo for Hatteras Island and continue along the Outer Banks Scenic Byway.

At the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station, learn about the predecessor to the US Coast Guard. Chicamacomico is one of the most complete US lifesaving station sites in the nation. Historic buildings and a boathouse remain on the grounds, preserving the story of the service that preceded the United States Coast Guard. Exhibits and presentations recount daring ocean rescues carried out by brave men who devoted their lives to the sea.

Late Afternoon

Reach the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest brick beacon on the American coast. Its distinctive black and white stripes mark a structure that rises 208 feet. Discover the lighthouse’s remarkable history, including its half-mile relocation away from the ocean in 2000. Admission to the grounds is complimentary, while climbing to the top requires a minimal fee.

With additional time, visit the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras Village. The museum preserves and interprets the Outer Banks’ rich maritime history, including the more than 2,000 known shipwrecks located off the coast. Its collection includes cannons from Blackbeard’s Queen Anne Revenge, an Enigma machine from the U-85, ship models, and numerous other artifacts.

Wine enthusiasts can stop for a tasting before dinner at the Lee Robinson General Store in Hatteras Village.

Evening

End the trip with a quiet walk along the beach. It is a peaceful way to unwind and think back on two rewarding days in the Outer Banks.