North Carolina
The Outer Banks are a 200-mile chain of barrier islands curving out into the Atlantic off North Carolina, and they pack an unusual amount of American history and wild scenery into a narrow ribbon of sand.
This is where Orville and Wilbur Wright first flew in 1903, where Jockey’s Ridge rises as the tallest living sand dune system on the East Coast, where descendants of Spanish mustangs still roam the beaches north of Corolla, and where a string of historic lighthouses, from the black-and-white spiral of Cape Hatteras to the unpainted red brick of Currituck Beach, guard what sailors called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Roanoke Island adds the Lost Colony story, an outdoor drama and a harbor town in Manteo, while Pea Island, Ocracoke and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore deliver empty beaches, birdlife and a free ferry ride. Twenty tours, parks, museums and day trips are collected here, along with ten places to stay from Corolla to Buxton and six practical guides to planning the trip.
Wright Brothers National Memorial
The Kill Devil Hills site where Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered, controlled flights on 17 December 1903, with a granite memorial, reconstructed camp buildings and markers showing where each flight landed.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
The tallest living sand dune system on the East Coast, a free state park in Nags Head for kite flying, sandboarding, sunsets and a sound-side nature trail.
Outer Banks Wild Horse Tour by 4WD Truck
A two-hour guided 4WD truck tour along the beach north of Corolla to look for the wild Spanish mustangs that have lived on the Outer Banks for centuries.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse and Historic Corolla Village
An unpainted red-brick lighthouse from 1875 in Corolla, open to climb in season, with a restored keepers’ house and the village’s wild horse museum nearby.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
The Kill Devil Hills site where Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered, controlled flights on 17 December 1903, with a granite memorial, reconstructed camp buildings and markers showing where each flight landed.
A helicopter flight over the northern Outer Banks themed on the Wright Brothers story, with views of the dunes, beaches, sound and the first-flight coast from the air.
The tallest living sand dune system on the East Coast, a free state park in Nags Head for kite flying, sandboarding, sunsets and a sound-side nature trail.
A beginner hang gliding lesson on the soft Outer Banks dunes, with an instructor, short low-altitude glides and a nod to the area’s flying history.
A two-hour guided 4WD truck tour along the beach north of Corolla to look for the wild Spanish mustangs that have lived on the Outer Banks for centuries.
An unpainted red-brick lighthouse from 1875 in Corolla, open to climb in season, with a restored keepers’ house and the village’s wild horse museum nearby.
America’s first national seashore, a long chain of protected barrier-island beaches, dunes, marshes and lighthouses running south from Nags Head through Hatteras Island to Ocracoke.
The tallest brick lighthouse in the United States, a black-and-white spiral tower in Buxton that was moved 2,900 feet inland in 1999 and can be climbed in season.
A 156-foot tower with bold horizontal black and white bands, a short drive south of Nags Head, open for climbing in season with a wildlife boardwalk beside it.
A narrow barrier-island refuge on Hatteras Island, with a visitor center, a pond trail and huge winter flocks of snow geese, swans and ducks.
A restored 1911 life-saving station in Rodanthe, the best place on the Outer Banks to hear how surfmen rescued shipwreck victims, including the heroic 1918 Mirlo rescue.
A car-free-feeling island village reached by free ferry, with Silver Lake harbor, the oldest working lighthouse in North Carolina, wild-pony history and Blackbeard legends.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Duck
A long-established oceanfront resort in Duck with a full-service spa, two restaurants, outdoor pools and sound-to-sea access on the quiet northern Outer Banks.
Check rates →Kitty Hawk
A reliable chain hotel in Kitty Hawk with direct beach access, handy for the Wright Brothers sites and the northern beaches.
Check rates →Corolla
A chain hotel in Corolla, close to the wild horses, Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the quiet northern end of the islands.
Check rates →Corolla
A resort-community inn in Corolla Light, with access to a large residential resort area and the northern end’s beaches, shops and wild horse country.
Check rates →Nags Head
An oceanfront chain hotel in Nags Head with an indoor pool, fitness room and breakfast, a short drive from Jockey’s Ridge and Bodie Island Lighthouse.
Check rates →Nags Head
A historic, wood-shingled inn in Nags Head with porches, a traditional atmosphere and breakfast on the property, popular with couples and history lovers.
Check rates →Kill Devil Hills
A well-placed hotel in Kill Devil Hills close to the Wright Brothers National Memorial and the beach, a convenient base for the northern Outer Banks.
Check rates →Manteo waterfront
A waterfront inn in downtown Manteo with continental breakfast, a terrace and an easy walk to the harbor, shops and restaurants of Roanoke Island.
Check rates →Historic downtown Manteo
A Victorian bed and breakfast in Manteo with breakfast service, a walk to the waterfront shops and a romantic, small-inn atmosphere.
Check rates →Buxton
A modest inn in Buxton with a pool, Wi-Fi and parking, a few minutes from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, surf breaks and the Hatteras ferry.
Check rates →A first-timer’s primer for the Outer Banks: how the barrier islands are laid out, which sights to prioritise, what to book ahead and how to get around.
A guide to choosing where to stay on the Outer Banks, comparing the northern beaches, Roanoke Island and Hatteras Island by atmosphere, distances and who each suits.
A three-day Outer Banks itinerary covering the Wright Brothers site, Jockey’s Ridge, Roanoke Island, the Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras lighthouses and the wild horses.
A guide to the Outer Banks lighthouses, comparing Currituck Beach, Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke by look, height, climbing and how to visit them in one trip.
When to visit the Outer Banks: how summer, shoulder seasons and winter differ in weather, water temperature, crowds, prices and what is open.
How to plan a long day or overnight on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke, with the NC 12 drive, Pea Island, Rodanthe, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the free ferry.
