Are you craving sun and sand? There’s truly no better place to visit the beach than in Ocean City, New Jersey. Unlike other resort towns, we’ve curated a family-friendly environment — meaning the whole family can enjoy great activities on the Boardwalk all day and into the night!
Whether you’re here for three, five or seven days, these Ocean City, New Jersey, itineraries will ease your vacation stress and make for the perfect family trip!
Ocean City is the ideal spot for a three-day vacation, whether you’re taking a long weekend off work or visiting as part of a more extended road trip. While three days may seem like a short time for a vacation, you’re bound to have a wonderful time in Ocean City. We have the perfect activities to entertain you and your family during your short trip.
You’ll see sparkling water surround you as you drive over the bridge into Ocean City. Hotels and bed and breakfasts are perfect stays for three-day trips to the beach — you get the convenience of maid service and other amenities so you can focus your time on having fun. Ocean City has many award-winning luxury hotels and quaint bed and breakfasts perfect for the whole family.
If you want to hit the beach as soon as possible, you can buy your beach tags in advance online! There are eight miles of beaches, so you’ll be sure to find a great spot to set up your chairs and relax in the soft, white sand. We have a variety of lifeguarded beaches to ensure the safety of you and your family.
After a day at the beach, grab a bite to eat on the 2.5 mile-long Boardwalk. Grab a slice of pizza or a hot dog, and satisfy your sweet tooth with fresh, local ice cream, or head to another of our many family-owned restaurants nearby. If your day one falls on a Thursday in July or August, you can enjoy Family Night on the Boardwalk with live music, games and performers the whole family will love.
If you’re an early riser, there’s nothing quite like waking up to the view of the sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean. Grab a coffee from a nearby cafe to start your day off right, and get an early start to the beach to secure a prime location. If you want a break from the beach, however, there’s plenty to do on land!
Cool down and learn about all the local and exotic sea life at the aquarium in nearby Atlantic City. Kids will marvel at the exotic wildlife on display, and they can enjoy a host of interactive exhibits. The aquarium even puts on exotic animal shows to display the wondrous creatures of the ocean.
End your day with a few wild rides at one of our many amusement parks. Choose from classic roller coasters and Ferris wheels or daring slides and adventures at one of our water parks. For those looking for a little less thrill, enjoy competing against the whole family at an arcade or mini-golf course. Finally, end your day with a yummy meal and a sunset view at one of our many restaurants with outdoor seating.
Start your final day off right with a delicious brunch from one of our local cafes. Enjoy a few more hours on the beach, and then explore some of our wonderful shops on your way out of town. Don’t forget to snap a few photos of the family to have as a reminder of your wonderful three days in Ocean City!
If you want a longer vacation, this five-day itinerary for Ocean City is sure to entertain. Have plenty of time to relax on the beach and enjoy our many family-friendly attractions and activities. Plus, you get a few extra days to try even more amazing restaurants!
When planning your vacation, be sure to reserve your lodgings in advance, as bookings can fill up quickly during the busy season. Ocean City’s hotels and bed and breakfasts are amazing, but if you want a space of your own, rent a beach house or condo. Many rentals come with a full kitchen, and some even have laundry facilities so you can throw your beach towels in the dryer and wash dirty clothes.
If you’ve had a long drive, the whole family might want to stretch their legs on the Boardwalk. A round or two of mini-golf at a pirate-themed course should give everyone back their sea legs. You’ll also find a variety of food options on the Boardwalk, including world-renowned pizza joints, restaurants famous for their french fries and even locally made ice cream.
Gather your beach tags, towels, chairs and umbrella to have a gorgeous day on the beach. Bring along some buckets and shovels to take part in a family sandcastle-making competition, or simply splash around in the surf. You can find many places in Ocean City that offer surfing and paddleboard lessons for an added adventure on the water.
After a busy day on the beach, there’s nothing like kettle corn at the arcade. Old meets new at these joints, where you can find retro games and pinball machines mixed in with modern video games.
After a day at the beach, it’s nice to relax and enjoy an activity indoors. Luckily, Ocean City has a plethora of indoor activities to rejuvenate you for the day. The aquarium in nearby Atlantic City will wow kids, and there are plenty of museums where you can discover and learn new things.
In the cooler hours of the afternoon, you can rent a bike at one of many locations around the city to take in the sights and explore the area. There are several biking trails to explore a bit of nature, or you can just take a ride along the streets near the Boardwalk. As the last stop on your tour, check out the Music Pier, a historic auditorium offering live music all year round.
After a day of rest, you’re ready to return to the beach. Since our beaches are family-friendly, you can feel comfortable bringing fun toys and games for other families to join in on. Popular beach games include hacky sack, cornhole and ladder toss. Frisbee and volleyball are other great games, but only if you have room to play without interfering with others’ space.
If you’re looking for a fun evening activity after spending all day in the sun, try out one of Ocean City’s many amusement parks. There are locations right on the Boardwalk as well as all over the city. Get a thrill on a roller coaster, or enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city from the top of a Ferris wheel. Carnival snacks will delight everyone, so grab that funnel cake and cotton candy and enjoy the sugar rush.
You’ve had a wonderful few days at the beach, so you might be sad to go. Comfort yourself with a little retail therapy at one of the hundreds of shops in the area. Grab some beach souvenirs like T-shirts and hats at a local seaside shop on the Boardwalk, or look around one of the cute clothing boutiques to take home a new outfit. Don’t forget to buy some saltwater taffy for the trip home!
There’s nothing like a week-long escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As one of the best vacation spots on the east coast, Ocean City is the perfect place to let your worries melt away. We believe a week-long vacation is a perfect way to experience the city. Follow this one-week plan for OCNJ, and you’re sure to have a good time!
If you’re spending a whole week in Ocean City, renting a beach house or condo is a great option for some added privacy, as well as options to cook from the comfort of your lodgings. On day one, acquaint yourself with the beach and surrounding area with a short stroll along the Boardwalk.
A classic beach activity, nighttime crab hunting is fun for the whole family. After dinner, grab a flashlight and head to the beach to watch the sand come to life. Ghost crabs, for example, will come up out of their burrows, and you can watch them scurry along the sand at night. Just be careful to keep your distance and step carefully, and never handle wild sea life. And no, they aren’t edible.
Wake up refreshed and ready for a day at the beach on your first full day of vacation. You can purchase beach tags online in advance or from city employees on the beach. Proceeds from these tags go toward keeping Ocean City’s beaches beautiful for everyone to enjoy. Stroll along a few miles of beach, relax in the sun and play in the water throughout the day. You can purchase boogie boards from local surf shops to ride the waves.
After a beach day, there’s nothing like a hearty meal. Do something unique for dinner and pick up fresh-caught seafood from a local market to make a delicious home-cooked meal. After dinner, the whole family will love taking part in an escape room.
Ocean City is close to many beautiful state parks where the whole family can enjoy the outdoors. For example, at Corson’s Inlet State Park, you can explore one of the last undeveloped plots of coastline in New Jersey. Swimming is prohibited, but there are opportunities for biking, sunbathing and even a wildlife viewing station. Additionally, there are many opportunities for hiking at parks all around the city.
After exploring the outdoors, enjoy the air conditioning in a museum. Learn about the history of Ocean City and explore artifacts from shipwrecks. For dinner, enjoy a relaxing meal at one of the numerous local restaurants in the city.
Return to the beach on your fourth day in Ocean City and make it a rejuvenating day in the sun. Bring an umbrella and a book, and knock off some items from your reading list. For the kids, a simple bucket and shovel can entertain them for hours building the biggest and best sandcastle on the shore.
After the beach, don’t bother drying off — head to one of the many water parks in the area for more water-based fun. The whole family can have a blast on one of the many slides, relax on the lazy river and frolic at the water playground.
Ocean City is a bike-friendly city, so bring or rent bikes to get around quickly without worrying about parking. Bike along the Boardwalk in the morning hours, then explore the city and trails in the afternoon. While biking, a fun activity for the whole family is geocaching, which is essentially a worldwide treasure hunt. If you look hard, you might be able to discover some geocache items in the Ocean City area.
Use your bikes to explore all the shopping opportunities in the city, from boutiques to laid-back surf shops. Then, end the day with some ice cream to reward yourself for all those miles you trekked.
There’s nothing quite like a day out on the water. Ocean City has a host of water sports activities for the whole family. Whether you’re a novice or seasoned sports expert, there’s a water sport for you. Try windsurfing, sailing or parasailing for a unique activity, or zoom around in rented water skis. You can also find half-day, full-day and week-long kayak rentals.
The avid fisher in the family will enjoy an early morning or late night fishing charter, and companies also offer nature sightseeing tours the kids will love.
Bid farewell to the beach on your last day of vacation. Grab a coffee from a local cafe and greet the day with an early sunrise on the beach. Your final day is an excellent opportunity to pick up souvenirs for friends and family back home, so check back in at some of those shops you saw on your bike tour.
As you drive away from Ocean City, we know you’ll want to come back. Remember, it’s never too early to start planning your next trip!
Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make the most of your trip:
Everyone can find something they love in Ocean City! These three-, five- and seven-day itineraries pack a whole lot of fun in them, and we’re sure they’ll be perfect for your family vacation. Plus, since we’re a family-friendly resort town, kids can enjoy just as many activities as adults. Whether for a long weekend or a whole week, Ocean City has so much to offer and so much to explore.
Request a free visitor’s guide to start planning your trip to America’s greatest family resort today, and see what amazing adventures await you!
