Itinerary for 8 Days in the British Virgin Islands… on a boat!

Boating through the British Virgin Islands is the most postcard-perfect Caribbean vacation you can imagine. We were lucky to go during late May/ early June when the weather was 80 and sunny daily. I hadn’t realized before going that there is a big boating culture in the BVI—many tourists who visit rent boats to cruise between the islands; it’s a vibe! At night we often dined on the beach overlooking what we called the “sailboat skyline”—boats beautifully lit at night lining the harbor. Each island has its own feel to it—some are more remote, some have more shops, others have more gourmet food—so you will want to check out multiple islands while you are there. If you are sailing, and therefore sleeping on your boat, you may choose which islands you go to based on what the wind is doing each day. In general, though people tend to sail around the BVI in a loop. I’ve outlined our itinerary for you below, including a map, to hopefully help you on your planning journey! Don’t miss my article on my Top 5 Activities in the British Virgin islands here, where I highlight my favorite moments!

Here is Our Itinerary for 8 days in the British Virgin Islands:

Day 1: Arrival Day

We flew into St Thomas (which is in the US Virgin Islands), grabbed lunch and painkillers at Side Street Pub, and took a ferry to Tortola
We then picked up our sailboat from The Moorings marina! We had dinner on our boat because we had to keep isolating due to COVID, and we had Indian food from Omar’s Fusion, which was delicious. It also took time to get all of the right provisions on board. (Keep reading ‘til the end where I outline by favorite restaurant in Tortola, though.)

Day 2: Norman Island

Sailed to Norman Island, where we snorkeled and paddle boarded.
We had dinner delivered to our boat that night from Pirate’s Bight. Talk about ocean-to-table dining! The seafood was so fresh!
Enjoyed a picture perfect sunset from our boat at Norman Island

Day 3: Spanish Town

Sailed to Virgin Gorda, where we swam in a beach to ourselves in Spanish Town (the beach is a quick dinghy ride away from where you park your boat).
Enjoyed a private beach dinner with tiki lights and another gorgeous sunset at Coco Maya restaurant (seen on my top 5 favorite activities here).

Day 4: Baths & Leverick Bay

Snorkeled and swam in The Baths and climbed through rocks and caves to Devil’s Bay (also seen on my top 5 favorite activities here).
Enjoyed a casual and delicious lunch at Mad Dog at a picnic table
Sailed to Leverick Bay
Enjoyed sunset during happy hour and then took our dinghy into Leverick Bay resort for dinner overlooking the ocean

Day 5: Anegada

Shopped in Leverick Bay in the morning. There aren’t many stores, but the few that exist there have cute beach clothes, all close to the marina.
Sailed across the ocean (literally! It was so crazy and cool!) to Anegada
Snorkeled at Loblolly beach and enjoyed the best conch fritters at Big Bamboo
Had the BEST giant lobsters at Wonky Dog for dinner
Partied and danced at night long with friends on a neighboring boat and a DJ

Day 6: Scrub Island

Enjoyed a warm breakfast at Anegada Reef Hotel
Sailed across the ocean again, this time to Scrub Island
Visited the spa on Scrub Island, oh la la (photos here)
Relaxed in the most beautiful pool ever, which is open to anyone visiting the island, overlooks the ocean, and includes a fun waterslide that we obviously had to do over and over again
Ate dinner poolside at Donovan’s Reef

Day 7: Jost Van Dyke

Sailed to Jost Van Dyke
Had lunch and painkillers where they were invented, at the Soggy Dollar Bar (also highlighted here because it’s my favorite bar in the world)
Snorkeled in little Jost Van Dyke and had a close encounter with a 6-foot shark!
Had a lively dinner at Foxy’s where we all bought matching t-shirts, which is of course necessary when at Foxy’s

Day 8: Soper’s Hole

Enjoyed breakfast at Tipsy Shark in Jost Van Dyke
Sailed to Sopers Hole Harbor for some shopping therapy (we liked Pussers and Arwalk stores, and there was a nice photo gallery there for souvenirs)
Had lunch, and likely more painkillers lol, overlooking the boats at Pussers
Returned to The Moorings marina in Tortola
Had a magical sunset during happy hour and then a DELICIOUS dinner (one of my favorites of the entire trip!) at Brandywine restaurant

What are you waiting for? Honestly I would do this exact itinerary over and over again if I could!!!