OBX Autumn: Itinerary for the Third Weekend in November

Friday, November 20: Northern Beaches and WinterLights Opening Night

8:00 AM - Breakfast at Stack'Em High! Start your weekend with pancakes, waffles, fruit, or eggs at Stack'Em High Pancakes & So Forth, an Outer Banks staple with locations in Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills. It's a great spot for singles, couples, and groups alike. View full menu.

9:30 AM - Climb the Currituck Beach Lighthouse! Head north to Historic Corolla Village (about 45 minutes from Kitty Hawk) and climb the Currituck Beach Lighthouse before its season closes on November 30. It's 220 steps to the top of this unpainted red-brick tower, first lit in 1875, and the view stretches across the Currituck Sound, the Atlantic, and the northern Outer Banks. The lighthouse is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, weather permitting, and climbing is $13 for ages 4 and up. Leashed pets are welcome on the grounds.

11:00 AM - Explore Historic Corolla Park! Right next door, stroll the grounds of Historic Corolla Park and admire Whalehead, the 1920s Art Nouveau mansion on the sound. Check Whalehead's website for daytime tour times, and come back next weekend if you want to see the house decked out for its Candlelight Christmas Tours, which begin Nov 27.

12:30 PM - Lunch in Corolla or Duck! Grab lunch in Corolla, or head south to Duck for a waterfront meal on your way back down the beach.

2:00 PM - Wild Horses or the Duck Boardwalk! With summer traffic long gone, a guided 4x4 tour into the Corolla wild horse area is relaxed and a great time to spot the herd. If you'd rather stay on pavement, walk the soundside boardwalk in Duck, then browse the town's galleries and boutiques for early holiday gifts.

5:30 PM - Dinner in Manteo! Head to Roanoke Island (about 40 minutes from Duck) and grab an early dinner on the Manteo waterfront before the lights come on. Striper's Bar & Grille and Lost Colony Tavern are perfect for a sit-down meal, and Poor Richard's Sandwich Shop is great for something quick.

7:00 PM - WinterLights Opening Night! More than a million lights transform the Elizabethan Gardens on Friday, November 20, the first night of WinterLights 2026. Grab a hot cocoa from the Gingerbread House, warm up by the open-air fire, and say hello to Santa, who visits from 6 to 8 PM every WinterLights night. The Gardens are open from 6 to 9 PM. Tickets are $22 for adults, $14 for youth ages 3–12, free for children 2 and under, and $6 for well-behaved dogs. Buy online in advance, and note that the event is weather-dependent.

Saturday, November 21: Day Trip to Ocracoke Island

7:00 AM - Coffee and an Early Start! Today is a big one, so grab breakfast in your vacation rental and hit the road. The drive from Nags Head to the Hatteras ferry terminal takes about 90 minutes, crossing the Marc Basnight Bridge and running the length of Hatteras Island. Watch for tundra swans and snow geese as you pass through Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.

9:00 AM - Ride the Ocracoke Ferry! Board the free Hatteras–Ocracoke vehicle ferry for a crossing of about an hour across the Pamlico Sound. The route runs a reduced off-season schedule, so check the NCDOT ferry schedule before you leave, and arrive early. The Ocracoke Express passenger ferry only runs in summer, so plan on bringing your car.

10:30 AM - Explore Ocracoke Village! From the ferry dock, it's about 13 miles to the village. Visit the Ocracoke Lighthouse, the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina (the grounds are open, but the tower isn't open for climbing). Then pay your respects at the British Cemetery, where four sailors from the HMT Bedfordshire rest after a German U-boat torpedoed their ship on May 11, 1942. The land is leased in perpetuity to the British Commonwealth. Afterward, walk out to Springer's Point Preserve and keep an eye on the water for the ghost of Blackbeard, who met his end just offshore in 1718.

12:30 PM - Lunch and Shopping in the Village! Grab lunch at one of Ocracoke's local eateries, then browse the shops and galleries within easy walking distance of Silver Lake Harbor.

2:30 PM - Visit the Ocracoke Ponies! On your way back to the ferry, stop at the Pony Pen along N.C. 12, where the National Park Service cares for Ocracoke's famous herd of wild ponies. A viewing platform lets you see them up close.

3:30 PM - Ferry Back to Hatteras! Aim to catch a mid-afternoon ferry so you can drive Hatteras Island with the last of the daylight and catch the sunset over the Pamlico Sound. Saturday lines can build, so give yourself a cushion.

5:30 PM - Dinner on Hatteras Island! Stop in Buxton or Avon on the drive north and order a bowl of clear-broth, Hatteras-style clam chowder. Once you try it, you'll understand why locals are so loyal to it. Then head home and soak those tired legs in your rental's hot tub.

Sunday, November 22: Nags Head, Lighthouses, and a Beach Bonfire

8:30 AM - Breakfast in Your Vacation Rental! Enjoy a slow, quiet breakfast after yesterday's adventure. Many of our homes have multiple refrigerators and dishwashers, so prep and cleanup are a breeze. Take your coffee down to the beach for a peaceful morning stroll. November is prime time for beachcombing.

10:00 AM - Jennette's Pier! Head to Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, where you can try your hand at the late-fall fishing run, check out the educational exhibits, or simply enjoy the fresh air 1,000 feet out over the Atlantic. Pier hours shorten in the off-season, so check before you go.

12:00 PM - Lunch in Nags Head! Settle in for lunch at Tortuga's Lie or Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe on the causeway, with views of the Roanoke Sound.

1:30 PM - Bodie Island Lighthouse! Drive a few miles south to the Bodie Island Lighthouse, the black-and-white striped tower surrounded by marsh. Walk the boardwalk to the observation platform. In late November, the ponds fill with migrating ducks and swans, so bring your binoculars.

3:00 PM - Holiday Shopping at Jockey's Ridge Crossing! Get a head start on Christmas shopping at Jockey's Ridge Crossing, then climb the dunes at Jockey's Ridge State Park across the street for the sunset. Seaside guests save at Kitty Hawk Kites with our Kitty Hawk Kites discount. Coming back for Thanksgiving weekend? Kitty Hawk Kites hosts Hangin' With Santa (Nov 27–28) and Kites With Lights (Nov 28) right here.

5:00 PM - Dinner in Kill Devil Hills! Awful Arthur's Oyster Bar is a local favorite with fresh oysters and a welcoming pub atmosphere (grab a sweatshirt from the gift shop on the way out). For something a little more special, The Colington Cafe serves seafood in a Victorian house tucked into the trees. Reservations are a good idea.

7:00 PM - Enjoy a Bonfire on the Beach! There are few things better than sitting around a bonfire on the beach on a cool autumn night. Listen to the ocean and cook up some s'mores for an unforgettable end to your weekend. Rules and permits vary by town, so check our bonfire guide before you light up. For an even more relaxing evening, let Outer Banks Beach Fires do the legwork. They'll build and tear down your fire, and you can add a S'mores Package, tables, coolers, speakers, and tiki torches. As a Seaside Vacations guest, mention Club Seaside when you book to get 10% off your Beach Fire Package!

Staying Through Thanksgiving?

This weekend rolls right into Thanksgiving week, and plenty of families turn it into a full holiday stay. Join the Tipsy Turkey Beer Mile in Kill Devil Hills on Wednesday, Nov 25, run a Thanksgiving morning 5K on Nov 26, and catch WinterLights again on Nov 25, 27, or 28. Our large homes and event homes have big kitchens and long dining tables made for a holiday feast, and many homes offer partial-week stays.

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