Mar – May
Spring
Water: 59°F → 70°F
Quiet weekdays, blooming dune greenery, kite season on the soundside, and the cheapest rentals of the year.
Plan your trip
Everything you need to plan an Outer Banks vacation.
When to come, how to get here, what to pack, the ferry schedule, and a five-day itinerary that links Corolla, Roanoke Island, Hatteras and Ocracoke into one good week.
When to visit
Every Outer Banks season has its own character. Pick the one that matches what you want.
Jun – Aug
Summer
Water: 72°F → 81°F
Peak OBX. Warm Atlantic water, fireworks, festivals, full restaurant hours — book rentals six months out.
Sep – Nov
Fall
Water: 78°F → 64°F
Locals' favorite. Lighter crowds, world-class surfing on Hatteras, the OBX Marathon, and the warmest evenings on the porch.
Dec – Feb
Winter
Water: 47°F → 52°F
Wide-open beach walks, brewery tap rooms, holiday markets in Manteo, and rates at half of high-season.
Getting here
The Outer Banks is technically an island chain, so plan your route in.
Drive in
Most visitors cross the Wright Memorial Bridge from Point Harbor on US-158, or the Virginia Dare Bridge from Mann's Harbor to Manteo. Both routes back up Saturday mornings — leave early or arrive Sunday.
Fly in
Norfolk (ORF) is the closest major airport — 75 minutes from Kitty Hawk. Raleigh-Durham (RDU) is 3 hours; Richmond (RIC) is 3 hours 15 minutes.
Ferry to Ocracoke
The free 60-minute Hatteras → Ocracoke NCDOT ferry runs every 30 minutes in summer. The Swan Quarter and Cedar Island runs are 2½ hours and need reservations.
4×4 to Carova
The wild horse beach north of Corolla is only accessible by four-wheel drive on the sand. Drop tire pressure to 20 psi and stick to the established tracks.
What to pack
Beyond the beach basics — these are the things first-time visitors wish they'd brought.
- Reef-safe sunscreen + lip balm
- Hooded UPF rashguard
- Beach umbrella & low chairs
- Cooler with ice
- Cash for the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry (free) and tipping deckhands
- Bug spray for dusk on the soundside
- Bike helmet (Manteo + Ocracoke are best biked)
- A book for the porch
The 5-day OBX itinerary
Layer in events →- 1
Day 1 — Northern Beaches
- • Coffee at Duck Donuts
- • Walk the Duck Boardwalk on the Currituck Sound
- • Currituck Beach Lighthouse climb (220 steps)
- • Dinner at Blue Point with a sound-side sunset
- 2
Day 2 — Wright Brothers & Jockey's Ridge
- • Wright Brothers National Memorial
- • Hang glide or sandboard at Jockey's Ridge State Park
- • Sunset at the top of Kill Devil Hill
- • Dinner at Outer Banks Brewing Station
- 3
Day 3 — Roanoke Island
- • Breakfast at Front Porch Cafe in Manteo
- • North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
- • Lunch at Avenue Waterfront Grille
- • Evening: The Lost Colony (summer) or sunset cruise on the Crystal Dawn
- 4
Day 4 — Hatteras Island
- • Bodie Island Lighthouse climb
- • Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
- • Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — newly reopened in 2026
- • Lunch at Buxton Munch, surf or paddle at Frisco
- 5
Day 5 — Ocracoke ferry
- • 8:00 AM ferry from Hatteras Village
- • Bike the Ocracoke village loop & climb the lighthouse
- • Lunch at Howard's Pub or 1718 Brewing
- • Afternoon swim at Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach
- • Sunset ferry back
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