4-Day Family Adventure Getaway Itinerary
Sometimes you’ve only got a few days to spend on the Outer Banks, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be a thrilling and exciting adventure for the whole family while you’re here! Make memories to last a lifetime by sharing these experiences with the whole family. When you spend your vacation on the Outer Banks, there’s a little bit of something for everyone and each day is a new adventure. Below is our recommendation for a 4-Day Family Adventure Getaway Itinerary with something exciting to do each day that you’re on the Outer Banks. All of these adventures can be experienced during the off-season (fall, winter, and spring), so there’s never a bad time to book your 4-Day Family Adventure Getaway!
Day 1: Go Kayaking
There’s just something special about dipping your own boat in the water and heading out on an adventure through the beautiful nature on the Outer Banks. Kayaking is the perfect way for the whole family to get some exercise, explore the flora and fauna of the Outer Banks, and spend some time together on the water having an adventure unlike any other. Navigate the waterways through the Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Preserve or take a sunset paddle from the Sanderling Resort. If you’re staying a little further south, why not journey through the Bodie Island Wildlife Refuge or take a step back in time and paddle through the waters around Roanoke Island, traversing the very same spaces that brought the English to the area more than 400 years ago.
When you book your tour with Kitty Hawk Kites, your guide will also give you more insight into the local history and ecology of the area and both single and tandem kayaks are available. Plan ahead and choose a trip that’s suitable for everyone in your family, including the kids, and share the excitement of a kayak adventure with the ones you love the most. And when you choose to stay with Seaside Vacations for your family’s adventure getaway on the Outer Banks, you can save $10 per person on your chosen tour!
Kitty Hawk Kites
Jockey's Ridge Crossing
3933 N. Croatan Highway (the Bypass, MP 13)
Nags Head, NC 27959
Day 2: Take Surfing Lessons
On Day 2 of your Outer Banks Family Adventure Getaway, head back to the water for surfing lessons! While you may think about Hawaii or California first for a great surfing experience, the Outer Banks has a worldwide reputation for being one of the best places to catch a wave! With over 100 miles of coastline, you’re sure to find the perfect spot to paddle out and enjoy a surfing experience that you and your kids will be talking about for years to come.
The Outer Banks has several different companies that offer surfing lessons for surfers of all ages, from beginner to intermediate experience. Robert "Farmdog" Farmer is an NSSIA and CPR Certified Surf Instructor who has been helping surfers young and old get their feet under themselves on the Outer Banks since 1997. In addition to the Farmdog, staff members include local pro surfer Noah Snyder and other local surf legends. If you’re further north, check out Corolla Surf School or Outer Banks Surf School for lessons close to your vacation rental. Kitty Hawk Kayak & Surf School also offers several different lesson options and small instructor-to-student ratios. So wherever you choose to have your family surfing experience, it’s sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the record books.
Farmdog Surf School
2500 South Virginia Dare Trail
Nags Head, NC 27959
Corolla Surf School
807 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927
Kitty Hawk Kayak and Surf School
6150 N. Croatan Hwy.
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
Outer Banks Surf School
118 E. Becker St.
Nags Head, NC 27959
Day 3: Go On a Wild Horse Tour
No Outer Banks adventure is complete without a visit to the northern beaches to see the Corolla wild horses that freely roam the dunes and forests of the 4x4 area. Everyone in your family will love the chance to explore the Outer Banks from an open jeep as you enjoy the cool breezes, brilliant sights, and wild roaming mustangs and other wildlife that you have to see to believe. These awesome animals have been a part of the Outer Banks for hundreds of years and while it is illegal to approach or interact them directly, a Wild Horse Tour is the perfect way to see these epic animals while getting some great pictures and a lifetime of memories in the process.
With their Back Country Safari Tour’s Corolla Wild Horse Safari Tour, you'll travel through the beaches of Corolla and the Spanish Mustang Preserve on one of their custom Open Air Safari Cruisers that give you the priceless opportunity to see the wild horses of the Outer Banks, as well as other beautiful wildlife like dolphins, deer, and nearly 400 species of birds that call this area of the world home! Bob’s Wild Horse Tours also gives you another option to enjoy an open-air safari adventure of the 4x4 area of Corolla. Enjoy the rich exploration of the surrounding area as your tour guide gives more information about the ecology, folklore, and history of this unique strip of barrier islands.
Back Country Safari Tours
1159 Austin Street
Corolla, NC 27949
Bob’s Wild Horse Tours
817 B. Ocean Trail Hwy. 12
Corolla, NC 27927
Day 4: Go Beachcombing
Adventures come in all shapes and sizes and one of the best adventures that every member of your family can enjoy is a beachcombing day exploring the surf and sand. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt as you scour the oceanside looking for shells, shark teeth, and sea glass that you can bring back with you once it’s time to head back home. You’ll never be able to forget the joy on your little one’s face when they find that perfect shell or see the exoskeleton of a horseshoe crab for the first time. Give everyone in your family group the chance to feel like an archeological explorer as you comb the beaches of the Outer Banks for that special natural treasure.
Be sure to bring your pail or tote and spend the day strolling alongside the sand to see what you can find. There are over 100,000 different types of shell-dwelling animals in the ocean, meaning that the different types of shells that you can hope to find are endless! You also might be lucky enough to find a skeleton, a fossil, an egg case, or even some brightly-colored sea glass that is perfect for making jewelry or gluing to a picture frame. Check out our guide to Beachcombing on the Outer Banks for even more tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your Outer Banks beachcombing adventure. And for even more fun, why not spend the evening looking for ghost crabs as they dart in and out of the sand? And don’t forget your camera because these kinds of adventures make for the best candid family photos.
BOOK YOUR OUTER BANKS FAMILY ADVENTURE GETAWAY TODAY!
Any time of the year is a great time to book your quick and easy Outer Banks Family Adventure Getaway. We offer a great selection of homes for families of all sizes up and down the Outer Banks. Choose one of our fabulous homes for your next Outer Banks adventure and get ready to make memories that will last a lifetime.
About the Author: Lauren is the author of two books and a travel enthusiast. She grew up on the Outer Banks and only left for a few years to get her degree at UNC-Chapel Hill and complete a tour in the Coast Guard before making her way back to the beach in 2017. The only thing Lauren loves more than writing is sharing her love of the Outer Banks and its rich history with visitors and locals alike. When she isn’t writing for the Seaside Vacations Travel Blog, Lauren can usually be found with a book and cup of tea in hand, planning her next travel adventure and trying to figure out what happened to the Lost Colony.
