My husband and I are attending a wedding in Charlottesvile, VA in early June. We are flying into Richmond on Wednesday morning, and would like to be in Charlottesville around lunch time on Friday. as that is when my daughter arrives. The thought is to see Williamsburg as we have not been since the late 70’s, thinking that one day should be enough. My husband was also thinking we could maybe see a bit of Norfolk, but I am thinking that may be too much in a short amount of time. We plan to see Monticello either Friday morning, or afternoon depending on my daughter and SIL’s plans. We have dinner Friday at 6:00, so hopefully we will have enough time.
How long should we allow for Williamsburg? Are there must sees in Norfolk? If we can do Williamsburg in a day, and see something Wednesday’s afternoon in Norfolk, we could try that. I will say my husband is one that reads everything when we go to museums, so it takes him much longer than most when we tour!
We went to Williamsburg, and really one day was plenty. BUT we spent the night because they have some night time events that are really good.
My husband will never forgive me for not being willing (with two young kids) to also drive to Jamestown and Yorktown. My husband would have LOVED those…he’s one who reads everything too…
It’s funny how people are different. We stayed a week in Williamsburg and I felt like it wasn’t enough time to see everything! My kids didn’t agree, so some of the time D& and I would leave them at the hotel and explore on our own.
The museum is very interesting, so your husband may want to stay there awhile!
Definitely a full day in Williamsburg, especially if you enjoy that kind of stuff. Lunch at the cheese shop, their special sauce is yummy! Grab some sandwiches and cheese and if the day is nice have a picnic on the lawn in front of the Governor’s Palace. Yorktown and Jamestown are close by as well. Norfolk is about one hour away, they are doing road construction on Interstate 64 in the Willamsburg Area so it could take longer. It takes about an hour and half from the Richmond Airport to get to Norfolk.
What to do in Norfolk? Nauticus, the battleship Wisconsin and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum are in the same place. The MacArthur Memorial is within walking distance. The Chrysler Museum of Art is close by. The Botanical Gardens are nice.
Virginia Beach is right next to Norfolk. Activities there include the Virginia Aquarium, the Oceanfront Boardwalk, The Cape Henry Lighthouse, and Mount Trashmore…our only hill which used to a landfill and has now been turned into a park.
Have Fun! I love Willamsburg!
Interesting things in Norfolk- Chrysler Museum, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, MacArthur Memorial Museum, waterfront area with Battleship Wisconsin. Virginia Beach is nearby. The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News is wonderful. Enjoy your trip!
We are fans of Williamsburg and have been there several times. We like staying at least a week when we visit, but everyone’s different and some others get bored after a day or so. I agree that the nighttime activities are fun, as are many of the other activities. Our kids enjoyed Williamsburg as well. Many of the places to eat at Williamsburg were great and interesting cuisine.
Went to Carter’s Grove, Mt Vernon and Monticello.
We spent quite a bit of time at Yorktown as well. H is a history buff and they had informative exhibits.
Try not to do too much in one trip or folks will glaze over.
Yes to the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News! They have artifacts for the USS Monitor including the gun turret. Very interesting!
It is closer to Williamsburg and would be easier for an afternoon visit.
Yes, for the casual visitor a day in Colonial Williamsburg is likely fine. If you stay at one of the Colonial Williamsburg hotels, admission to the town is discounted as part of a package.
I would recommend driving the Colonial Parkway and seeing Jamestown and Yorktown. Both have lovely sites on the water. The walk between the Yorktown battlefield and the village of Yorktown is nice also.
Nearer Charlottesville, if you are up for more historic homes, Madison’s home at Montpelier is interesting also. It has been fully restored, has a new visitor’s center. If I recall correctly it is between Gordonsville and Orange. There’s also James Monroe’s home just a few miles from Monticello.
Tired of history? There are a lot of wineries and cideries in the Charlottesville area with nice tasting rooms and views of the hills.
I should also mention as you are flying into Richmond, that Richmond has very nice art museum with a collection of Faberge eggs. (Virginia Musuem of Fine Arts) There is also a very nice arboretum in Richmond. The flowers should be lovely in early June. The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
We do plan on staying in the Williamsburg area on Wednesday night, and will probably buy the 3 day ticket as it is only $10 more than the single day ticket. AAA use to offer a discount on Williamsburg tickets, but I didn’t see it online with my brief look, but will double check on that. If we get done early on Thursday, we may try to get over to Norfolk if we think there is enough time to actually see anything. If not, we might head to Charlottesville early as we have never been there either.
We have a family friend with a brewery in the area, so will definitely be visiting him Wednesday evening. While this trip is really for the wedding, we figured we could spend a couple of days for a mini vacation. Actually, we were suppose to join my daughter and SIL for a few days, maybe at a beach, but my daughter “forgot” she mentioned that to us They booked an Airbnb for themselves, and said they would just see us in Charlottesville on Friday. If I didn’t love this kid, I would have been a bit POed!
I read that attendance at Williamsburg has fallen off dramatically over the years. It’s too bad. It was one of my very favorite places to visit when I was in high school. I thought it was cool to get a feeling for what it would have been like to live during colonial times. That’s why I was excited to take my family there. They were not impressed at all! Oh, well.
You can actually walk through the historic area in Williamsburg without buying a ticket. That is an option for anyone visiting with very limited time. There are interesting shops in the area there and William and Mary is right there as well.
In the Charlottesville area, Monticello (which you plan to visit) and Montpelier are both great. The grounds of UVA are lovely.
I spoke at length to one of the interpreters there on my last visit. Attendance is down. They had to remove some of the animals at the farm to save money and I think he said they were closing that little farm all together. It’s sad because so many kids come there and can’t identify any crops. They can’t tell what is corn, what is wheat or what is tobacco.
In addition to Colonial Williamsburg, there are wineries, golf and tennis resorts like Kingsmill and Golden Horseshoe, Bush Gardens (and Water Country in Summer), Jamestown, Yorktown, shopping. There is a race track not too far away. Check opening hours. As indicated, you don’t need a ticket to go to Colonial Williamsburg. There are two wide rivers with picnic areas, etc. You can walk through it and go to the restaurants, I believe. Not needing a ticket is a big part of the problem for Colonial Williamsburg. They can’t restrict access without the city’s permission and many just stroll around and see the sights.
I agree with @MaineLonghorn . A week never seems like enough time for us in Williamsburg and we’ve been there a dozen times! There’s no way you can see everything in a day but you could pick and choose a few things, I suppose. The Williamsburg Inn is lovely. With only one day there, I can’t imagine worrying about what is in the surrounding area. Choose one of the taverns for a meal but book ahead if you want to guarantee you’ll get in. Reservations fill up quickly. Two of my favorite buildings are the Capitol and the Governor’s Palace (be sure to walk the grounds and try the maze). Stop at the Raleigh Tavern Bakery for some gingerbread and a cup of cider. The Wythe house is beautiful and the trade shops are interesting. The Bruton Parish Church is lovely and walking through the churchyard and reading the tombstones is a nice way to end the tour there. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum is wonderful, as are the many evening programs offered.
Honestly, I’d skip Norfolk this trip - was just on 64 today and there is a big road-widening project that starts right at W’burg and goes east (I think 64 has been under construction for at least the last 45 years! The traffic will only pick up in June. Enjoy the burg (Cheese Shop, Blue Talon) and Yorktown and Jamestown, then hustle back to C’ville and get a pot roast grilled cheese sandwich at South Street Brewery, along with a Satan’s Pony. Trust me. You can thank me later.
The worst times for that stretch of 64 are rush hours and Saturdays, when Busch Gardens is open.
If you don’t want to go as far as Norfolk (the HRBT can be far worse than the congestion on 64 in NN/Wburg), then Hampton has the Air and Space Museum and Fort Monroe. The Casemate museum on Fort Monroe is small, so history buff can get their fill without driving everyone else crazy.
I mentioned Mariners’ Museum already in Newport News and also agree that the Casemate Museum in Hampton is very interesting. There is also a craft brewery at Fort Monroe, Oozlefinch. https://oozlefinchbeers.com
My husband was in charge of planning this trip as it was his choice; we leave Wednesday, guess who hasn’t looked at one thing? 8-| We have decided to only do Colonial Williamsburg due to the lack of time. I have heard that taking one of the Williamsburg Walking Tours is a nice way to start the visit. They offer a 90 minute Walk about History tour that we should be able to get to at 2:00 on our arrival day. I was thinking this might be a good introductions for us before we start wondering on our own. As the buildings close at 5:00pm, we wouldn’t have a ton of time the first day, but this might allow us the full day on day two to see what we want to see. I have also hear the evening ghost tour is nice.
Any thoughts on the Walking Tours? Other must see or need to skip for Colonial Williamsburg? Assuming the weather is nice, we are both happy to walk around all day, but want to make sure we see what others consider the not to miss buildings. I am not a history lover, so I think 1.5 days will be enough for me! While we will grab lunch while there, I don’t think we need to have dinner in the area unless everyone thinks the restaurants are to die for!
Yes, the walking tour is a great idea. From that, I think you’ll be able to tell which buildings you will want to go back to see more of. Since you’re not a history buff, I think a day and a half will be plenty. Have fun - I’m envious!
They booked an Airbnb for themselves, and said they would just see us in Charlottesville on Friday. If I didn’t love this kid, I would have been a bit POed!