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Trip ideas  /  North America  /  United States  /  Rehoboth Beach, Delaware  /  6-day itinerary
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Rest & Recharge
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware: 6 days of slow beach time on the Delaware shorePhoto by Gökhan Kara on Unsplash
Rest & Recharge ExhaleTrip idea · Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

6 days of slow beach time on the Delaware shore

The 3-day plan, rearranged for 6 days: every place stays and a few more are added, and each day keeps to one part of town.

6 daysAbout 0.3 mi on foot a daySeptember to October18 places
Copy this plan to your own trips, then change anything you like.
Rehoboth Beach
Photo: Dough4872, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Rehoboth Beach
Photo: Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
How many days?Pick yours and the plan rearranges.
Rearranged from the 3 day plan. See it as written

Best time to go

June to September are the best months for a beach trip.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Arrival day

Before Day 1. A beach town has little parking in summer, so a room within a short walk of the boardwalk saves time.Details
Getting here
Most visitors drive from Philadelphia, Baltimore or Washington, or fly into one of them and rent a car. A car ferry also crosses Delaware Bay from New Jersey, so check ahead. Summer weekends bring heavy traffic, so check the road ahead.
Wear and pack
Bring a swimsuit and a towel in warm months, a sun hat and a light layer for the wind off the water. The beach is cool in spring and fall, so a sweater is useful. Flat shoes help on the boardwalk and the old streets of Lewes.
Beach rules
Beach tags, lifeguard cover and rules vary by beach and by season, and rip currents can form on any ocean beach. Check ahead on the day, ask a lifeguard where there is one, and keep out of the water when you are told to.
First evening
Settle in and take an easy walk on the sand or the boardwalk. Day 1 starts at Cape Henlopen State Park, a short drive north, so keep the evening light.

How much walking? On foot, about 0.1 to 0.4 miles a day, and 62.0 miles by car or transit in all across 6 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.

Day 1. Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island

4 stops · 11.7 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. 1
    Morning

    Fenwick Island State Park

    A long, narrow state park on Fenwick Island between the ocean and Little Assawoman Bay, largely undeveloped compared with the towns around it.

    Go when Morning or late afternoon (about 7:08 PM).

    Local tip A long, narrow park with little built on it, between the ocean and a bay. Take water and sun cover, and check ahead on beach rules and lifeguard cover before you swim.

    Fenwick Island State Park, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Patrick Nouhailler's…, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 11 min by car or transit2.1 mi
  2. 2
    Morning

    Assawoman Wildlife Area

    A state wildlife area of three large tracts of former farmland near Little Assawoman Bay, with marsh, fields and woods for walking and watching birds.

    Go when Morning, when birds are most active.

    Local tip A state wildlife area of marsh, fields and woods near Little Assawoman Bay. Wear closed shoes and bug spray, keep to marked paths, and check ahead on access and on hunting seasons.

  3. Lunch

    Crab soup

    A tomato and vegetable soup with blue crab meat in it, served hot with crackers. A local bowl that fits the shore.

    Local tip It comes in a red broth, so ask if you want it mild.

    About 16 min by car or transit3.6 mi
  4. 3
    Afternoon

    Fenwick Island Lighthouse

    A brick lighthouse finished in 1858, on the line between Delaware and Maryland. It is the oldest lighthouse in the state, 87 feet tall. Look at it from the street and the small grounds, and check ahead on whether you can go into the base.

    Go when Late afternoon (about 7:08 PM), as the light softens.

    Local tip The lighthouse stands on the line between Delaware and Maryland, so a small marker on the ground shows you where the state changes. Check ahead on whether the base is open.

    Fenwick Island Lighthouse, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Lionsatthegate37, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 23 min by car or transit6.1 mi
  5. 4
    Afternoon

    Bethany Beach

    A small beach town with a broad sandy beach and a short boardwalk, set just south of the state park. It is one of the so-called Quiet Resorts, with Fenwick Island and South Bethany. Beach rules and lifeguard cover vary, so check ahead.

    Go when Afternoon, with the beach and then a stroll on the boardwalk.

    Local tip The boardwalk is short, so it is a stroll rather than a walk. Beach rules and lifeguard cover vary by beach and season, so check ahead before you swim.

    Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach: Ocean waves crashing on a sandy beach
    Photo by Michael Geyer on Unsplash
  6. Dinner

    Peach pie

    A slice of peach pie, made with fruit from the farms of southern Delaware, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, after a day on the coast.

    Local tip Peaches are in season in summer, so ask whether the pie is made with fresh fruit.

If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.

Day 2. Delaware Seashore State Park and the inlet and Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach

4 stops · 19.5 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. Travel from Bethany BeachAbout 25 min by car or transit6.5 mi
    Where Day 1 ended.
  2. 1
    MorningIndoor

    Indian River Life-Saving Station

    A station built in 1880 to rescue sailors wrecked on this coast, in a board-and-batten style with decorative brackets under the eaves. It is now a museum run by the state parks. Look at the boat room and the ramp to the water, and check ahead on opening.

    Go when Morning, as an indoor stop before the beach.

    Local tip Crews here rowed surfboats out to wrecked ships. Look at the boat room and the ramp, and check ahead on opening. It sits on the grounds of Delaware Seashore State Park.

    Indian River Life-Saving Station, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Smallbones, CC0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 10 min by car or transit1.6 mi
  3. 2
    Midday

    Delaware Seashore State Park

    A long state park between the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay on the west, with ocean beach, fishing and boating. Pick a spot on the sand and stay a while. Beach rules, tags and lifeguard cover vary, so check ahead.

    Go when Midday into afternoon, with a hat and water.

    Local tip The park runs between the ocean and the bays, so choose the ocean side for waves and the bay side for calm water. Beach tags, lifeguard cover and rip currents vary, so check ahead.

    Delaware Seashore State Park, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 16 min by car or transit3.8 mi
  4. 3
    Afternoon

    Holts Landing State Park

    A small state park on the southern shore of Indian River Bay, northwest of Bethany Beach, with a pier built for crabbing and a boat ramp. A former family farm.

    Go when Morning or late afternoon (about 7:08 PM).

    Local tip A small park on Indian River Bay with a pier built for crabbing. Check ahead on the rules for crabbing and fishing before you try it, and take shade and water.

    Holts Landing State Park, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: en:User:SheepNotGoats Ori…, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 28 min by car or transit7.6 mi
  5. 4
    Evening

    Dewey Beach

    A small beach town on a narrow strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Rehoboth Bay, a short drive south of Rehoboth Beach. Walk to the water on the ocean side, then cross to the bay side for the light at the end of the day. Beach rules and lifeguard cover vary, so check ahead.

    Go when Late afternoon into evening (about 7:08 PM), on the bay side for the light.

    Local tip The town is a narrow strip, so the ocean and the bay are a short walk apart. Beach rules and lifeguard cover vary by beach and season, so check ahead before you swim.

    Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach: pair of black boots
    Photo by The Tampa Bay Estuary Pro… on Unsplash
  6. Dinner

    Crab cakes

    Lump blue crab meat mixed with a little binder and seasoning, shaped into a patty and broiled or fried. A local plate on the bay side, with a side of corn or slaw.

    Local tip A good one is mostly crab, so look for one with little filler.

If it rains. Indian River Life-Saving Station is covered, so keep it. Move Delaware Seashore State Park, Holts Landing State Park and Dewey Beach to a dry day if you can.

Day 3. Cape Henlopen State Park and Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach

3 stops · 10.9 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.

  1. Travel from Dewey BeachAbout 15 min by car or transit3.5 mi
    Where Day 2 ended.
  2. 1
    Morning

    Junction and Breakwater Trail

    A flat rail trail between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach along the edge of Cape Henlopen State Park, with a railroad bridge over a glade and views of the wetlands.

    Go when Morning, when the trail is cool.

    Local tip A flat rail trail between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, with a railroad bridge over a glade. Bring water and bug spray in summer, and share the path with bikes.

    Junction and Breakwater Trail, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 15 min by car or transit3.3 mi
  3. 2
    Midday

    Fort Miles

    A World War II fort on Cape Henlopen, built to guard Delaware Bay, with concrete gun batteries and tall observation towers in the dunes. Wear flat shoes, take water, and check ahead on tours and access.

    Go when Morning or late afternoon, outdoors.

    Local tip A World War II fort on the cape, with concrete gun batteries and tall observation towers still in the dunes. Wear flat shoes, take water and sun cover, and check ahead on tours and on which parts are open.

    Fort Miles, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 17 min by car or transit4.1 mi
  4. 3
    Afternoon

    Rehoboth Beach boardwalk

    The boardwalk of Rehoboth Beach, along the sand at the edge of town, with arcades, small shops and stands for fries and sweets. The first boardwalk here was built in 1873, and storms have changed it over the years. Walk it slowly, then step down to the sand.

    Go when Afternoon, then again as the light softens (about 7:08 PM).

    Local tip Walk it end to end, then take a bag of boardwalk fries with vinegar down to the sand. Salt water taffy is the sweet to look for. Watch for bikes and gulls, and check ahead on beach rules.

    Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach: a group of people playing instruments
    Photo by Zara Watkins on Unsplash
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.

Day 4. Lewes

3 stops · 0.4 mi on foot, 5.3 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. Travel from Rehoboth Beach boardwalkAbout 21 min by car or transit5.3 mi
    Where Day 3 ended.
  2. 1
    Morning

    Lewes Historic District

    A national historic district that covers most of the 17th century town. It holds more than 100 buildings, from small working houses to Victorian homes, with the shops of Market Street and a church among them. Walk the side streets and read the signs on the houses.

    Go when Morning, before the day warms up.

    Local tip Wander the side streets rather than only Market Street, and read the plaques on the older houses. It is a living town, so keep your voice low near homes.

    Lewes Historic District, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Smallbones, CC0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 5 min walk0.2 mi
  3. 2
    Morning

    Lewes Presbyterian Church

    A church building of 1832 on Kings Highway, with a Gothic Revival chancel added in 1869 and a tower in 1886. Governors are buried in the churchyard. A working church, so stay quiet and respectful.

    Go when Morning, outside the hours of services.

    Local tip A church building of 1832 with a tower added later, beside a churchyard where two governors are buried. It is a working church and a burial ground, so stay quiet and respectful.

    Lewes Presbyterian Church, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0 on Wikimedia Commons
  4. Lunch

    Steamed blue crabs

    Blue crabs steamed with a spicy seasoning, served on paper with a mallet and a bucket. A messy, slow meal that suits a day with nowhere to be.

    Local tip Crab season runs in the warm months, so check ahead. Wear something you do not mind getting messy.

    About 3 min walk0.2 mi
  5. 3
    Midday

    Zwaanendael Museum

    A museum built in 1932 for the 300th anniversary of the first European settlement in Delaware, modeled on the town hall of Hoorn in the Netherlands, with a stepped gable and terra cotta roof tiles. Exhibits cover the history of the county, shipwrecks and lighthouses. Check ahead on opening.

    Go when Midday, as an indoor stop.

    Local tip Look at the stepped gable and the carved stone on the front before you go in. Exhibits include shipwrecks and lighthouses, and the opening can change, so check ahead.

    Zwaanendael Museum, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
  6. Dinner

    Fresh corn and a seafood plate

    Sweet corn on the cob, in season, with a plate of broiled or fried fish from the bay and the ocean, and a slice of tomato from a farm stand.

    Local tip Corn is a late summer crop, so ask what is in season.

If it rains. Lewes Presbyterian Church and Zwaanendael Museum are covered, so keep them. Move Lewes Historic District to a dry day if you can.

Day 5. Lewes and Cape Henlopen State Park

3 stops · 0.1 mi on foot, 6.2 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.

  1. Travel from Zwaanendael MuseumAbout 14 min by car or transit3.1 mi
    Where Day 4 ended.
  2. 1
    Morning

    Cape Henlopen State Park

    A large state park on the cape where the bay meets the ocean, with a beach, a bathhouse, walking and bike paths and a fishing pier. William Penn set the beaches of the cape aside for the people of Lewes and Sussex County in 1682. Beach rules and lifeguard cover vary, so check ahead.

    Go when Morning, when the beach is open and the air is cool.

    Local tip Walk a path to the dunes first, then settle on the sand. Beach tags, lifeguard cover and rip currents vary by beach and season, so check ahead before you swim, and carry water and sun cover.

    Cape Henlopen State Park, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 14 min by car or transit3.1 mi
  3. 2
    MiddayIndoor

    Ryves Holt House

    A house on Second Street dated to 1680, said to be the oldest surviving house in Delaware, once an inn. It is run by the local historical society, so check ahead on tours.

    Go when Midday, as an indoor stop.

    Local tip A house of 1680 on Second Street, said to be the oldest surviving house in Delaware. It is run by the local historical society, so check ahead on tours.

    Ryves Holt House, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 3 min walk0.1 mi
  4. 3
    Afternoon

    Lightship Overfalls

    A preserved lightship, a ship moored at sea to do the work of a lighthouse. The Overfalls was the last lightvessel built for the United States Lighthouse Service and now rests in Lewes as a museum ship. Check ahead on visits, and mind the steep steps and low doors on board.

    Go when Afternoon, on the harbor side of town.

    Local tip A lightship is a floating lighthouse, so look at the hull and the lantern mast. Decks and ladders are steep and the doors are low, so check ahead on visits and wear flat shoes.

    Lightship Overfalls, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
If it rains. Ryves Holt House is covered, so keep it. Move Cape Henlopen State Park and Lightship Overfalls to a dry day if you can.

Day 6. Prime Hook, Milton and Broadkill Beach

1 stop · 8.3 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. Travel from Lightship OverfallsAbout 29 min by car or transit8.3 mi
    Where Day 5 ended.
  2. 1
    Morning

    Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

    A wildlife refuge on the western shore of Delaware Bay, with marsh, ponds, woods and grasslands, walking trails, a canoe trail, a bird blind and a visitor center. It needs a car.

    Go when Morning, when birds are most active.

    Local tip A wildlife refuge of marsh, ponds and woods on Delaware Bay, with walking trails and a bird blind. It needs a car. Take bug spray and water, and check ahead on the roads and trails.

    Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Rehoboth Beach
    Photo: Moreau1 on Wikimedia Commons
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 roads home can fill on a summer Sunday, so leave room for it.Details
Leaving town
Pack the night before and ask your host to hold bags if your trip home is later in the day. On summer weekends the roads to the cities fill, so check the road ahead and allow extra time for fuel and for returning a rental car.
Small things to carry home
A box of salt water taffy, a jar of local peach preserves or a tin of crab seasoning travels well. Wrap anything made of glass, and check the rules for food on your trip home.
If you have a few hours
Walk the boardwalk once more at Rehoboth Beach, or sit on a bench by the water in Lewes and watch the boats go by.

Questions people ask

When is the best time to visit Rehoboth Beach?

By average weather from 2021 to 2025, June to September are the best months for a beach trip to Rehoboth Beach. This plan is built for september to October, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.

How many days does this plan cover?

It covers 6 days in Rehoboth Beach, planned for september to October. 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 0.1 to 0.4 miles a day, and 62.0 miles by car or transit in all across 6 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.

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