DaylightSunset about 8:26 PM. Long evenings, so the sunset stops stay light late.
HappeningWarm and bright, with the beaches and boardwalks open. Lifeguard cover and beach tag rules start for the season in many towns, so check ahead. The sea is still cool.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: warm, sunny days with little rain score highest (the air stands in for the sea, which is not included). Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. Cape May sits at the far southern tip of New Jersey, so plan to arrive with the evening ahead of you.Details
Flying in
Most visitors from abroad land at Philadelphia, Newark or New York and drive south, or fly to Atlantic City International and drive on. Cape May is at the end of the state, so the last stretch is a long road. Check ahead on the road and on traffic, especially on summer weekends.
Getting around
A car makes the whole shore easy, and the days below assume one. Cape May itself is flat and walkable, so once you have parked at your room you can leave the car for the first day. Check ahead on parking rules near the beach.
Sun, wind and sand
Pack a hat, sun cream, a light layer for the sea breeze and shoes you can slip off at the beach. Beach tags, lifeguard cover and water conditions change by town and by day, so check ahead before you plan a beach day.
Day 1 starts on foot
Day 1 begins in the old streets, so drop your bags, take a slow walk toward the sea front and keep the evening open.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.6 to 1.1 miles a day, and 25.7 miles by car or transit in all across 4 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Day 1. The Wildwoods and the peninsula
3 stops · 5.6 mi by car or transit
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
Morning
Wildwood Boardwalk
A boardwalk of about 1.8 miles with amusement piers, shops and a tram car that runs along it. Walk it end to end at a slow pace, share a funnel cake or a slice, and keep the beach for the afternoon. Check ahead on the tram and on what is open.
Go whenMorning, before the heat and the crowds build.
Local tip Walk it end to end for the full stretch, then sit with a slice or a funnel cake, which is fried batter dusted with sugar and heavy for one. The tram car runs along it, so check ahead on that.
A small lighthouse of 1874 in North Wildwood, on the shore of Hereford Inlet at the north end of Five Mile Beach. Walk around it and look out at the inlet. Check ahead on visiting the grounds and the house.
Go whenMidday, on the way up the peninsula.
Local tip A small and gentle stop on the shore of the inlet. Look at the house and tower, and check ahead on what visitors may go into.
A hot slice of pizza, then funnel cake, which is batter fried in a swirl and dusted with sugar. It is rich and fried, so share one.
Local tip Eat the savory first and share the sweet, and keep a napkin for the sugar.
About 17 min by car or transit3.9 mi
3
AfternoonIndoor
The Wetlands Institute
A center on thousands of acres of protected salt marsh in Stone Harbor, with exhibits, tours and research. Look out over the marsh and the birds, and check ahead on what is on and on walks.
Go whenAfternoon, as an indoor stop with a view of the marsh.
Local tip Take in the salt marsh from the center, and look for wading birds. Bring a hat and bug spray, and check ahead on tours, walks and what is on.
Patties of crab meat bound with a little crumb, fried or broiled and served with lemon, a dish of the salt marsh and the bays.
Local tip Choose a plate where the crab is the first thing you taste, not the filler, and add a squeeze of lemon.
If it rains. The Wetlands Institute is covered, so keep it. Move Wildwood Boardwalk and Hereford Inlet Lighthouse to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. Cape May town
3 stops · 0.6 mi on foot, 11.2 mi by car or transit
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from The Wetlands InstituteAbout 33 min by car or transit11.2 mi
Where Day 1 ended.
1
Morning
Cape May Historic District
The old heart of Cape May, over 600 buildings in Victorian styles, many with gingerbread trim and deep porches. The town says it is the first seaside resort in America. Walk the side streets, look at the porches and colors, and keep to the pavement in front of private homes.
Go whenMorning, when the streets are calm and the porches catch the light.
Local tip Walk the side streets, not just the main ones, and look up at the trim and the colors. The houses are private homes and inns, so stay on the pavement and keep your voice down near porches.
A Victorian house museum in the district, a short walk from the old streets. Go in for the rooms and the porch, or just walk the grounds. Check ahead on tours and on what is open.
Go whenMidday, as an indoor stop out of the sun.
Local tip A house museum of the Victorian years, with rooms to walk through and a porch to look at. Check ahead on tours and on what is open, and wear shoes you can stand in.
In late summer, a thick slice of a locally grown tomato on bread with a little salt and mayonnaise, as simple and fresh as a lunch gets. Out of season, ask for a salad or a crab roll instead.
Local tip Ask whether the tomatoes are local, and eat it with a napkin close by.
About 10 min walk0.5 mi
3
Afternoon
Harriet Tubman Museum
A small museum in a house of the historic district, about the abolitionist Harriet Tubman and her time living in Cape May. It opened in 2020. Read the displays slowly and quietly, and check ahead on the opening.
Go whenAfternoon, as an indoor stop and an unhurried visit.
Local tip A small museum about the abolitionist Harriet Tubman and her time living in Cape May. Take it slowly and read the displays, and check ahead on the opening.
Blue crabs steamed with spice and piled on paper, with a buttered ear of corn when it is in season, the kind of messy supper the shore is known for.
Local tip Wear something you do not mind getting messy, and ask for a mallet and a stack of napkins.
If it rains. Emlen Physick Estate and Harriet Tubman Museum are covered, so keep them. Move Cape May Historic District to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. Cape May Point and the bay and Cape May town
3 stops · 6.9 mi by car or transit
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Harriet Tubman MuseumAbout 11 min by car or transit2.1 mi
Where Day 2 ended.
1
Morning
Cape May Lighthouse
A lighthouse built in 1859 at the tip of the cape, still working today. You can climb the 199 steps for a view over the town, the bay and the sea. It is a tight stair, so check ahead on climbing and on the weather.
Go whenMorning, when the air is clear and the climb is cooler.
Local tip The stair is tight and there are 199 steps, with people coming down as you go up. Take your time, and check ahead on climbing, on the wind and on the weather.
A wildlife management area on the Delaware Bay side of the peninsula, with a beach and trails and a good look at the birds. Keep to marked paths, and check ahead on seasonal rules.
Go whenMorning, when the beach is calm and the light is soft.
Local tip A wildlife area on the Delaware Bay side of the cape, for a quiet walk and a look at the birds. Check ahead on seasonal rules, bring water and bug spray, and keep to marked paths.
A bowl of clam chowder in the creamy or the tomato style, or clams fried in a light crust and served with lemon, a seaside lunch after a walk by the water.
Local tip Choose clams that come out hot, and ask for lemon and tartar sauce on the side.
About 13 min by car or transit2.8 mi
3
Afternoon
Washington Street Mall
A pedestrian street of three blocks in the middle of town, with shops, cafes and benches, and the beach a few steps away. Stroll it slowly, buy a sweet to take home, and then give the rest of the afternoon to the sand.
Go whenAfternoon, for a stroll and a sweet before the beach.
Local tip A pedestrian street, so there is no traffic to dodge. Look at the shop windows, buy a box of saltwater taffy or fudge if you like, and sit on a bench for a few minutes.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 4. Cape May Point and the bay
3 stops · 1.1 mi on foot, 2.0 mi by car or transit
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Washington Street MallAbout 11 min by car or transit2.0 mi
Where Day 3 ended.
1
Midday
Cape May Point State Park
A state park around the lighthouse, with walking and nature trails, a beach and an exhibit gallery. Take an easy loop, bring water and a hat, and check ahead on the water and the beach rules before you plan a beach day.
Go whenMidday, on a trail with water and a hat.
Local tip Take an easy loop on the trails beside the lighthouse and stop at the exhibit gallery. Check ahead on the beach, the water and the park rules, and keep to marked paths.
A concrete ship of the First World War era. The hulk was towed here in 1926 to be a ferry pier, the plan failed, and the wreck lies just off the shore. How much shows depends on the tide and the sea, so look from the beach and keep out of the water around it.
Go whenAfternoon, at a lower tide if you can check one.
Local tip Look for the dark shape of the hull from the sand. How much shows changes with the tide and the sea, and it is not a place to climb or swim around, so look from the beach.
A beach on the Delaware Bay side of the peninsula, close to the concrete ship and the lighthouse. Walk the sand, look for pale pebbles and sit for the end of the day. Check ahead on beach rules, tags and water conditions.
Go whenLate afternoon into evening (about 8:26 PM), with a layer for the breeze.
Local tip A good place to do nothing for an hour. Look for pale pebbles in the sand, and check ahead on beach rules, tags and water conditions before you plan a beach day.
A fillet of local fish grilled with lemon and butter, with sweet corn on the cob in season and a slice of tomato, an easy supper after a day outside.
Local tip Ask what came in that day, and let the fish arrive plain with the sauce on the side.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. The one road north fills on summer weekends, so leave time before a flight.Details
Leaving the cape
Cape May is at the end of the road, and the way north builds up with traffic on summer weekends. Check ahead on the road and keep a cushion before a flight or a train.
Taffy, fudge and cranberry
Saltwater taffy, fudge and a jar of cranberry sauce all travel well. Wrap sweets against the heat, and check the airline rules on jars before you pack one.
If you have a few hours
Walk the old streets once more, or sit on the sand with a coffee and watch the sea. Keep your bags with you or ask your room to hold them.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Cape May?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, July to September are the best months for a beach trip to Cape May. This plan is built for june to September, which is a good month. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 4 days in Cape May, planned for june to September. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
On foot, about 0.6 to 1.1 miles a day, and 25.7 miles by car or transit in all across 4 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
3 days of slow beach time on the Delaware shoreAbout 20 miles awayAn easy add-on
3 days of bells, brick alleys and museums in PhiladelphiaAbout 70 miles away
4 days of a naval academy, a harbor city and the Eastern ShoreAbout 80 miles away
