Booking choice: The Oak Bluffs island tour, from $70 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The island's bus company says to allow at least 8 hours to see every town. A Boston day trip gives you 5.5 to 6. So choose: the down-island towns of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, or a loop out to the Aquinnah Cliffs at the western tip.
The times below assume you land in Oak Bluffs around 10 AM and need to be back for an afternoon boat. Adjust them to your own ferry.
The quick answer
Plan A: walk Oak Bluffs in the morning, then take VTA route 13 or a bike to Edgartown for the afternoon. Plan B: join a 3-hour island tour from the Oak Bluffs terminal to Aquinnah, then spend what is left in Oak Bluffs. A Menemsha sunset usually does not fit a day trip.
Can you see Martha's Vineyard in one day?
You can see a lot, but not all of it: the bus company suggests 8 hours for every town, and a Boston day trip gives you about 6.
The island is about 20 miles long, and Aquinnah is around 45 minutes' drive from Edgartown. Trying to fit in every town means most of your day on a bus. Pick one plan below.
Short on time? The island tour covers Edgartown and the Aquinnah Cliffs in 3 hours from the Oak Bluffs terminal.
Check dates for the Oak Bluffs island tourPlan A: how do you spend a day in Oak Bluffs and Edgartown?
Oak Bluffs in the morning, Edgartown in the afternoon, linked by VTA route 13 or the bike path along the beach road.
- 10:00 AM: land in Oak Bluffs and walk up to the Flying Horses Carousel, built in 1876.
- 10:30 AM: the Camp Meeting grounds: 318 painted cottages around the 1879 iron Tabernacle. They are homes, so stay on the paths.
- 12:00 PM: lunch in Oak Bluffs.
- 1:00 PM: route 13 or a bike along the beach road, past Joseph Sylvia State Beach and the Jaws bridge.
- 1:45 PM: Edgartown: Main Street, the harbor, the lighthouse and, if you have time, the $5 Chappy Ferry.
- 3:45 PM: bus back toward your ferry, with time to spare.
Plan B: how do you fit in the Aquinnah Cliffs?
Join a 3-hour island tour from the Oak Bluffs terminal, then spend the rest of the day in Oak Bluffs.
- 10:30 AM: meet the tour at 1 Seaview Ave, across from the Steamship Authority ticket office.
- Around noon: the Aquinnah Cliffs and Gay Head Light ($6 to climb for ages 13 and over, 10 AM to 4 PM in season). The cliffs are Wampanoag tribal land and a National Natural Landmark: do not climb them or take clay.
- 1:30 PM: back in Oak Bluffs for a late lunch and the cottages.
By bus, the same loop needs connections in West Tisbury and most of the day.
Want the cliffs and Menemsha for less? The highlights tour stops at both, from the Oak Bluffs terminal.
Explore the highlights island tourWhich plan should you pick?
Plan A if you like walking and browsing; Plan B if the cliffs are the reason you came.
| Plan A: down-island | Plan B: Aquinnah by tour | Plan B: Aquinnah by bus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You see | Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, Jaws beach | Edgartown, Aquinnah, cottages (some pass-by) | Aquinnah, maybe Menemsha |
| Getting around | Walk, route 13 or bike | Van or bus with a guide | Free VTA buses with a change |
| Extra cost | Lunch only | From $65 per person | Lunch only |
| Free time | All day | About 2 to 3 hours | Little |
| Risk | Low | Low: guests report operators adapting to ferry changes | Missing a connection |
Can you catch the Menemsha sunset on a day trip?
Usually not: Menemsha is far up-island, 40 minutes or more from Oak Bluffs, and the sunset comes after most day-trip boats leave.
If you are set on it, check the last ferry back before you plan, and remember that route 4 to Menemsha runs only hourly. Otherwise, see Menemsha's fishing harbor by day on the highlights tour or the all-island bus tour, or stay a night.
Want Menemsha by daylight? The highlights tour stops there on the way to the cliffs.
Check dates for the highlights island tourWhere are the Jaws filming sites?
Edgartown played the town of Amity, and scenes were shot at Joseph Sylvia State Beach, the bridge on Beach Road and in Menemsha.
Jaws was filmed on the island in 1974. The bridge between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown is known as the Jaws bridge; jumping from it is a local tradition, but there have been drownings, so think twice. In Edgartown, the Rockland Trust bank on South Water Street displays a prop from the film. Most island tours point out the sites.
Where can you get a drink on Martha's Vineyard?
In Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, the two wet towns and the only ones with liquor stores; up-island towns are dry or limited, so bring your own.
Vineyard Haven changed its rules in December 2022 to allow cocktails without buying a meal. In West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah, restaurants often encourage BYOB, so plan a drink with lunch around Plan A's towns.
Ready to plan your day? The island tour starts by the Oak Bluffs terminal and ends back there.
Check dates for the Oak Bluffs island tourWhat should you eat and pick up?
Something from Morning Glory Farm in Edgartown, a doughnut from Back Door Donuts in Oak Bluffs, and lunch in either town.
Morning Glory Farm on Meshacket Road has been farming since 1975 and runs a farm stand and bakery, open 8:30 AM to 6 PM. Back Door Donuts ranked No. 4 in a 2026 USA Today reader poll. For a souvenir, the Black Dog brand was founded on the island in 1971.
Want a farm stand on the route? This 1 PM bus loop stops at Menemsha, the Aquinnah Cliffs and Morning Glory Farm.
Explore the all-island bus tourFrequently asked questions
How many hours do you need on Martha's Vineyard?
The VTA suggests at least 8 hours to see every town. With 5 to 6 hours, pick two towns or a guided loop.
Is Oak Bluffs or Edgartown better?
Do both: Oak Bluffs for the cottages and carousel, Edgartown for the harbor and captains' houses. VTA route 13 links them. See getting around without a car.
Can I see Aquinnah by bus in a day?
Yes, but it takes most of the day with a change in West Tisbury. A 3-hour tour from Oak Bluffs is quicker.
Is Martha's Vineyard worth it as a day trip from Boston?
Yes, if you accept a long day and pick one plan. See the day trip from Boston.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Small-Group Island Tour from Oak Bluffs
- 3-hour narrated tour in an air-conditioned van, up to 14 travelers
- Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, Aquinnah Cliffs and Lighthouse, Camp Meeting cottages
- Jaws filming spots, including Joseph Sylvia State Beach
Highlights Half-Day Island Tour
The cheapest guided loop to Aquinnah, up to 14 guests
All-Island Bus Tour with Photo Stops
Menemsha, Aquinnah and a farm stand stop
