6 Day Antigua Itinerary: English Harbour, Shirley Heights, and Barbuda

The base assumption is arrival on Tuesday and departure on Monday morning. If your week starts on another day, use the arrival-weekday table at the end, then run your version through the itinerary validator to confirm the fixed days still line up.

Quick answers and timings

Which day to visit Barbuda from Antigua: Saturday, because the 8:30am departure from Antigua and 4:00pm return make a same-day trip workable and come the morning after a free Friday, not after Thursday's late night. Tuesday and Friday also work, on the 6:15am out and 3:00pm back sailings.

Which days rule Barbuda out: Monday, because the boat returns from Barbuda at 9:00am, and Wednesday, which has a 6:15am departure and a 9:00am return on the same schedule.

Which dock: the operator's boarding notice says that, effective 1 Nov 2023, the Barbuda Express departs from Jolly Harbour Marina, but its table header still reads St. John's. Confirm with Barbuda Express before you book.

Sourced hours in one place:

• Barbuda Express, Tuesday and Friday: depart Antigua 6:15am, depart Barbuda 3:00pm.
• Barbuda Express, Saturday and Sunday: depart Antigua 8:30am, depart Barbuda 4:00pm.
• Nelson's Dockyard National Park: Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm.
• Shirley Heights Lookout lunch: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 3pm; closed Monday and Sunday.

Day 1 — Tuesday, V.C. Bird International Airport to English Harbour: arrive and orient

Airport to English Harbour

English Harbour is on the opposite side of the island from the airport, so treat the transfer as part of the day. Book a taxi or hotel transfer before you fly. Your hotel or the taxi dispatcher is the source for the fare and the journey time, and you should have both in writing before you land.

The licence, in two lines

If you want a rental car later in the week, Tourism Antigua and Barbuda's driving page gives the temporary local driving licence as EC$50 or US$20. Traffic drives on the left, and the same page says an International Driving Permit does not replace the temporary licence. Do not drive after dark on the first night. Take the taxi and collect a car on a later morning.

Evening: settle the fixed days

Tuesday evening is for logistics, and it is the evening that saves the week. Walk the water's edge in Falmouth Harbour, choose a dinner table near the hotel, then send three messages: ask Barbuda Express to confirm the dock and Saturday's sailing, ask National Parks Antigua for the Clarence House tour slot, and agree a driver for Thursday night and Saturday morning.

Why Tuesday works

Tuesday is a Barbuda ferry day, but the boat leaves Antigua at 6:15am from 3 Nov, which is the wrong start after a flight. Treat Tuesday as a rest day.

Day 2 — Wednesday, Nelson's Dockyard and Clarence House: the historic day

Morning: Nelson's Dockyard National Park

Nelson's Dockyard is the old Royal Navy dockyard at English Harbour, and the stone buildings around the quay are what remains of the working naval base. National Parks Antigua lists the park open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm. Arrive at opening, before the heat builds, and walk the quay first. The day-pass price is published on the same National Parks Antigua page.

Afternoon: Clarence House tour

This plan treats Wednesday as the Clarence House tour day. National Parks Antigua runs the tours, so confirm the slot and the fee on its tours page or at the park gate when you buy your dockyard ticket. Settle the tour slot first and fit the rest of the day around it.

Late afternoon: Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre

Dow's Hill gives context on the area and works as a short add-on after the tour. Its opening hours are set by National Parks Antigua, so check with them before you climb.

Why not Sunday

The National Parks Antigua listing runs Monday to Saturday and gives no Sunday hours. The historic day therefore stays on a weekday, and Sunday is left for the party.

Day 3 — Thursday, Half Moon Bay and Reggae Heights: beach by day, music at night

Morning: Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay is a curved beach east of English Harbour. Take a taxi from your hotel and agree a pick-up time with the driver before you are dropped off. Go early, swim, walk the length of the sand, and leave by early afternoon for lunch and a rest at the base.

Evening: Reggae Heights

Reggae Heights is the fixed Thursday night in this plan, and it is the lighter alternative to Sunday's lookout party. The venue, start time and entry fee are set by the organiser, so confirm all three with Reggae Heights directly before you commit the evening. Because Friday is a free beach day, nothing early follows this night.

Getting home

Pre-arrange a taxi back. The road above English Harbour is not one to drive tired and in the dark, so agree the pick-up time with a driver at the start of the evening.

Day 4 — Friday, Pigeon Point Beach: the flex day

Morning: Pigeon Point Beach

Pigeon Point Beach is on the south coast, on the Falmouth Harbour side, so it needs only a short taxi from your hotel. Ask the driver to return at an agreed time, and bring water and shade.

Afternoon: stay near the base

Leave the beach by mid-afternoon. If rain sets in, take a taxi into St. John's for the market streets and shops instead.

Evening: early night before Saturday

Saturday's sailing leaves at 8:30am from a dock across the island, so eat near the hotel, reconfirm the driver, and be in bed early. This is why Friday is a rest day and not a Barbuda day: Thursday's late night would otherwise run straight into the 6:15am Friday sailing.

Day 5 — Saturday, Barbuda by Barbuda Express: the day trip

Morning: the dock and the crossing

On Saturdays the Barbuda Express leaves Antigua at 8:30am from 3 Nov 2026 and leaves Barbuda at 4:00pm. The operator's boarding notice says that, effective 1 Nov 2023, the boat departs from Jolly Harbour Marina, boarding at the dock in front of Sea Dream Restaurant near the old casino. Jolly Harbour is across the island from English Harbour, so book a taxi for first light. Barbuda Express gives the check-in time when you book; add it to the driver's quote and work backwards.

Confirm the dock before booking

The same page's table header still reads Depart Antigua (St. John's), which conflicts with the Jolly Harbour notice. Confirm the dock and the sailing by email, phone or WhatsApp using the contact details on the Sea Bridge Ferries schedule page, and keep the reply with your booking.

On the island: Codrington, Two Foot Bay, the frigate birds

Codrington is the island's town and your arrival base. From there, plan two stops. Two Foot Bay National Park is the nature stop, and the Frigate Bird Sanctuary is reached by boat tour; Hillside Tours is the operator to ask about it, and it sets its own price and pick-up time. Book that tour before you travel so you are not negotiating on the dock. Do not assume an Antigua rental car is valid on Barbuda; ask your rental company first.

Weather and the return

The operator reserves the right to delay or cancel sailings for weather, so recheck the 4:00pm return on the morning you travel and be back at the Barbuda dock early. Barbuda Express publishes the fare when you book.

If Saturday is cancelled

The next sailing that returns the same day is Sunday, on the same 8:30am out and 4:00pm back timings. That collides with the party, so choose one: Barbuda or Shirley Heights.

Day 6 — Sunday, Shirley Heights Lookout: the party day

Morning: eat before you go up

Keep the morning quiet with a late breakfast or a short beach stop. Do not plan the dockyard, since National Parks Antigua lists no Sunday hours. Shirley Heights Lookout lists its lunch service Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 3pm, and closed Monday and Sunday, so eat before you go up.

Afternoon: claim a spot

A first-hand account from August 2025 describes the party as packed by 5pm, with long bar and food queues. Arrive in the afternoon to claim a spot and buy food and drinks early. Shirley Heights Lookout sets the party's start time, end time and entry fee, so confirm all three with the lookout before you leave.

Evening: the steel band and the harbours

The steel band was the standout in that account. Confirm who is playing on the night rather than relying on a name. From the lookout, English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour both lie below you, which makes the late afternoon the time to stand at the edge.

Getting back

Arrange a taxi in advance and agree a driver for the end of the night. The queue for rides at the end is long, so do not count on flagging one at the lookout.

Monday departure

Monday is not a Barbuda day, because the boat returns from Barbuda at 9:00am. Keep the morning free for the airport transfer, since the airport is across the island, and ask your transfer company for the pick-up time the day before.

How to choose: who should cut, swap, or extend a day

Cut a day

If you have a day fewer, drop Day 4. Saturday becomes your only Barbuda slot, with no fallback that avoids the party. If a cancelled ferry would wreck your plans, skip Barbuda instead and keep both beach days.

Swap Thursday for Sunday

This is a choice of which night out to keep. Keep Sunday if you want one big evening at the lookout. Keep Thursday if you would rather skip the crowds and queues. Neither is the better choice.

Extend a day

Add a night for a second Barbuda option, a longer English Harbour stay, or a rest day after the party.

Adjust by arrival weekday

The fixed points stay on their days: Clarence House on Wednesday, Reggae Heights on Thursday, the party on Sunday, Barbuda on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and no Barbuda on Monday or Wednesday.

If your dates fall outside this table, rebuild the week in the Fortrip AI trip planner. For other destinations built the same way, browse the itinerary selection.

Who should not use this plan

Skip it if you want only a resort week, since this plan moves around the island on fixed days. It also does not suit a stay that ends on Wednesday: you would keep Clarence House and lose Reggae Heights, Barbuda and the lookout party.