Newport RI Bachelorette Party Ideas (3 Days of Fun!)
Hi friends! I’m a little late in posting this article, but couldn’t forgo talking about my three-day Newport RI bachelorette party on this platform. Not only did my friends, family, and I have a blast, but we didn’t break the bank either.
Are you looking to do your bachelorette party in New England? Check out this great itinerary! Perfect for any fun-loving girls to copy!
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Visiting Newport RI on a Budget
If you’re familiar with Newport, you may know that it is a pricy place to visit.
But, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the place. So when it came to decide on a location for my bachelorette party, Newport was an obvious choice.
Before I reveal my three-day Newport RI bachelorette party itinerary, here are a few things I thought about during the planning stage to help keep costs low. These cost-saving “hingepoints” don’t just apply to bachelorette party trips, but can be applied generally to any trip:
Timing
Because holiday weekends are generally more expensive, I decided to do my bachelorette party over a non-holiday weekend and take a day off from work on Friday (Day 1). Also, because Newport is a destination, I chose to do my bachelorette party the first weekend in June. This is generally before school districts get out. Warm weather + no crowds = 1 happy bride to be!
Lodging
I’m a little nontraditional so I decided to invite my mother, my future mother-in-law, my aunts along with cousins, my future sister-in-law, and friends. In total, there were about 13 of us. Because of the size of our group, it would’ve been extremely expensive to get our own space in downtown Newport.
So, I opted to get an Airbnb just outside of the city.
It had plenty of space for all of us, not to mention plenty of bathrooms. I would 10 out of 10 recommend an Airbnb for a big group, as a cost saving measure.
Food & Drink
Although we did eat out at a few different restaurants, we packed a lot of our own food and drinks, primarily buying in bulk from wholesale clubs, like Costco. This helped tremendously in reducing the costs for the girls attending.
With a thoughtfulness to the overall cost, my three day Newport RI bachelorette party itinerary was as follows:
Newport RI Bachelorette Party - Day 1
Lunch in Downtown Newport
By the time we woke up and drove down to Newport Rhode Island it was about lunchtime. We stopped at a local favorite: Brick Alley Pub. I ordered a vodka lemonade and a crispy chicken sandwich, both of which were delicious.
It was here that my girls also came up with a drinking game for me. Every time I said, “I feel bad”, I would have to take a shot. And I said it quite a lot the first day!
One of the girls suggested a white tea shot and that became my “shot of choice” during my bachelorette party weekend!
And so it began…
Scavenger Hunt Around Newport
With full stomachs, we began our first activity: a scavenger hunt around Newport. We use an app called Let’s Roam. Although it wasn’t free, the cost per person was only $12.99*. Let’s Roam also offers a bachelorette party themed scavenger hunt for up to 20 people for $99 ($4.95/person)*. In either case, I think this is great value when you consider it kept our group busy for hours and it was a super fun way to see downtown Newport.
Plus, we took lots of goofy photos and videos, which made for memorable keepsakes.
Following the scavenger hunt, we checked into our Airbnb and spent some time getting cleaned up and ready for our evening festivities.
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Dinner and Murder Mystery Train Ride
What followed was a two hour murder mystery dinner aboard a train. It’s theme – ironically – was death at a wedding. Perfect for any bachelorette! Costumes were recommended, and of course, my group embraced the theme. I even won the best dressed award, wearing my mom‘s old prom dress.
Tickets were not cheap, costing $151.95 per person*, but I consider it well worth the money as this was definitely a highlight of the trip.
The cast was engaging from the moment we boarded the train. Dinner tasted great! And to top it all off, my group enjoyed the sweet taste of success when we correctly solved the mystery.
I would hands down recommend the Grand Bellevue murder mystery dinner for any Newport RI bachelorette party! Make sure to book in advance, since space is limited.
Newport RI Bachelorette Party - Day 2
Breakfast
As I mentioned, we packed a lot of our own food and drinks. This meant breakfast at the house prior to departure. Not only did this save us money, but it also saved us time. Had we decided to have breakfast out instead we would’ve had much less time for activities.
Coordinate With Matching T-Shirts
My aunt really made the weekend special for me by creating matching t-shirts for the group, using a Cricut machine. We received lots of comments and “congratulations to Mikaela”.
Take the Block Island Ferry
After we ate breakfast and donned our matching t-shirts, we were off for the day! For day 2 of my Newport RI bachelorette party weekend, we actually didn’t spend much time in Newport. Instead, we visited Block Island.
For those who’ve never heard of it, Block Island is primarily a vacation spot, off the coast of Rhode Island. Although there are residents who live there year-round, most people on the island are visitors.
The easiest way to visit Block Island is by ferry. And that’s exactly how we traveled!
Round trip Block Island ferry tickets from Point Judith costs $21.80 for an adult* with discounts available for children, infants, and seniors. The ride over takes about an hour on the traditional ferry.
You may also opt to take the high-speed ferry, which takes about a half an hour. The cost for the high-speed ferry is $56 for an adult*.
Moreover, you may choose to ferry your car over to Block island. The cost to ferry over a standard size vehicle is $40.20 one-way or $80.40 round-trip*.
But be forewarned, parking on the island is limited. We decided not to ferry our cars, and instead left them in the designated parking area on Point Judith, the departure site. Parking on Point Judith costs $5-$15/day depending on the time of year*.
If you get seasick easily, make sure to take Dramamine before getting on the ferry (or at least pack some). I also recommend bringing a sweatshirt because it does get chilly with the seabreeze if you choose to sit outside on the top deck.
Check Out the Local Block Island Shops
Block Island is known for its array of quaint, coastal shops. These shops are only a few steps away from where the ferry drops you off, on the main street. Once we arrived, my group eagerly scattered to check out the shops and agreed in advance to meet up again at noon for lunch.
Eat Lunch At The National Hotel
We ate lunch at a historic Block Island locale, called The National Hotel. If you sit outside on the deck, you’ll enjoy a beautiful view of the ocean.
Might I also recommend (for those of drink age, of course!) a frozen lemonade cocktail! Perfect refreshment for a hot summer day.
Take a Tour of Block Island
Following lunch, we saw the remainder of the island by disembarking on an island tour. Tour vans are available in plenty, across the street from the shops and near the ferry terminal.
Our tour guide was a local high school teacher who lived on the island for years. He talked about the island’s history, gave us plenty of restaurant recommendations (none of which we were interested in, since we just ate!), and brought us to some of the most scenic lookout points.
Once the tour concluded and we had our fill of Block Island, we took the ferry back to the mainland.
Enjoy a Catered Meal from a Local Restaurant
We then returned to our Airbnb and had a fun night in! The evening started with a catered dinner from Trattoria Romana, a local restaurant that my friends and I ate at regularly while in college. I’m drooling now just thinking about how delicious the food was!
My mother-in-law was kind enough to pay for the dinner. Although it wasn’t cheap, it was still cheaper than had we went out to dinner. Plus, we went home with plenty of leftovers!
Make Your Own Sugar Scrubs
I came across the idea of DIY sugar scrubs after scrolling through Pinterest. And I knew I wanted a crafty-activity to incorporate into my bachelorette party weekend. If you know me, you know I enjoy my creative hobbies!
What’s better?! All the girls got to leave with a little souvenir.
My cousin, Sara, was the sugar scrub queen! She made one for everyone…because apparently no one else had the attention span for it, myself included!
Play a Prank on Your Fiancé
One of my favorite memories from my bachelorette party was the prank the girls and I played on my then-fiancé (now husband).
The prank definitely took some planning! Prior to leaving for the trip, I ordered temporary tattoos off Etsy. The cost: $11.39.
Throughout the night, I called my then-fiancé and pretended I was really drunk and sent his some texts that were pure gibberish. After a while, my girls helped me apply the temporary tattoo. I also held an ice pack up to my wrist to make the skin around it look red.
All it took was 1 poorly-lit photo before my fiancé was calling to ask about it. He may have believed it for a minute…he claims he knew it was fake the whole time!
Regardless of whether he believed it or not, the prank was still a fun activity for me and the girls!
Get Temporary Tattoos of the Groom's Face
In addition to the temporary tattoos I purchased as part of my tattoo prank, I also bought tattoos of the groom’s face. These were definitely a little more expensive than the other ones I purchased and didn’t seem to be as good of quality either. I spent $16.25 for 15, enough for one for each girl.
It was a fun, cheesy little ode to my fiancé!
Throw a Dance Party in the Living Room
The next activity of the evening was an impromptu dance party! The TV in the living room was connected to YouTube, so we just threw on a few songs and it wasn’t long before we were all on our feet dancing.
Not only did we have a blast, but this activity cost us nothing (over the cost of the Airbnb, of course)!
A few favorites from the night: “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper.
Enjoy Some Midnight Pasta
I’m a sucker for tradition! And there was no way I wouldn’t incorporate some traditional element to my bachelorette party!
My family is Italian and we have a tradition to cook spaghetti aglio e olio at midnight. And that’s exactly what we did during my bachelorette party! This is, of course, despite the fact that no one was hungry after our large supper.
My mom was a superhero, having bought all the ingredients in advance!
Newport RI Bachelorette Party - Day 3
Breakfast
Day 3 started off with another quick breakfast. Included in the spread was the original Costco supplies and leftovers from last night’s dinner.
And then we were off!
Fort Adams State Park
For our first activity of the day, we visited Fort Adams State Park.
Fort Adams was once a military stronghold that served the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. In 1965, the fort was deeded to the State of Rhode Island and today, it is open to the public for tours.
Unfortunately, that’s all I can tell you because my group did not see much of the fort before high-tailing it back to downtown Newport. It was a rainy morning and none of us were dressed accordingly.
Fort Adams State Park admission fee is $20 for an adult*. Discounts apply for children, students, members of the military, and seniors.
Shopping in Downtown Newport
Well you know what they say: when mother nature gives you rain, it’s time to go shopping!
Ok! I suppose they don’t say that. But, that’s exactly what we did in this situation!
It goes without saying all the girls were much more agreeable to getting rained on when running in and out of shops versus standing out in the rain to view an old fort.
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The Cliff Walk
By the afternoon, the rain cleared and the sun had parted the clouds. That meant it was time to partake in another one of Newport’s iconic activities…walk the Cliff Walk!
The Cliff Walk in Newport is 3.5-mile path along the coast. Enjoy panoramic ocean views on one side and century-old, Gilded Age mansions on your other.
Don't Forget to Stop for Ice Cream!
Of course, no trip is complete without ice cream. Or a milkshake in this case!
There’s a plethora of ice cream joints in downtown Newport, but might I recommend Kilwins?
Other Fun Activities for a Newport RI Bachelorette Party
Visit the Mansions
Although we didn’t have time for it, visiting the Newport mansions is another fun activity. Take a step back in time to enjoy the extravagance and beauty of these architectural wonders!
The most popular of these are The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms. Personally, I’ve been to The Breakers several times before; it’s so cool to see and I loved learning about it’s history through the self-guided tour.
Go on a Winery Tour
Another activity that you might enjoy is a tour at Newport Vineyards. Newport Vineyards boasts its 100-acres of historically preserved farmlands and locally-grown wines.
Winery tours are offered daily and prices start at $30 a person*.
Final Thoughts from My 3-Day Newport RI Bachelorette Party
I hope this gave you some great ideas for a Newport RI bachelorette party!
All in all, I couldn’t have been happier with how my 3 day Newport RI bachelorette party turned out. It was affordable, we all had a ton of fun, and we built memories that will last a lifetime. What more could you ask for?
As a reminder, many of my outfits from the trip came from my favorite online boutique, Pink Lily. If you haven’t already, check out my post, Why I am a Pink Lily Ambassador, to find out why I’m an advocate for the brand.
Also, don’t forget to check out some of my other favorite travel destinations!
Thanks for reading friends! I hope this post gave you some great ideas for a Newport RI bachelorette party!
*Prices as of August 25, 2024, the date this article was published. Prices are subject to change.