Visit Newport and Providence, Rhode Island

Updated October 2019

It took me a while to visit Newport and Providence in Rhode Island, as they’re so close to Boston, but a few weeks before leaving I made it – and using public transportation nonetheless! I started my trip from Newport and then worked my way up to Providence. The weather didn’t help much, but at least it didn’t rain, so I got to enjoy both cities without the need of an umbrella! Without further ado, here’s what I got up to!

Visit Newport, Rhode Island

The Breakers, Newport Rhode Island

Newport is a charming coastal town (which I’m a sucker for after visiting a couple of coastal cities in Lake Michigan years ago), famous for the “summer cottages” of prominent and wealthy New York families, like the Vanderbilts! I added the quotation marks there as we are talking about mansions here and not actual cottages (although some of them had humble beginnings size and style wise). Grand, opulent, gilded mansions that honestly put the Versailles to shame!

The Breakers, Newport Rhode Island

There are 9 mansions maintained by the Preservation Society of Newport County, which are open to the public. Those are: The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Rosecliff, Chateau sur Mer, Kingscote, The Isaac Bell house, Chepstow and Hunter House. I chose to visit The Breakers as it is the grandest! The entry fee was $20.99 (but you can check for combined tickets, which are value for money if you are visiting more than one mansion) and included free audio guide which I suggest you take as it’s the only way to understand the function of each room and learn details about the Vanderbilt family and the house itself. Photography is not allowed (a thing that always annoys me), so I ended up buying a book about the mansions so I could keep the memory of what I saw!

Next on my list was the Cliff road which goes around those mansions and you are walking by the coast. I chose to walk all the way from The Breakers to Ledge road, which proved to be a big mistake because the last mile is on uneven terrain. I’m used to hiking up and down to visit secluded beaches in Greece, but the hike was very time-consuming. As a result I had just a few hours to explore downtown Newport!

Newport Rhode Island Newport Rhode Island

I wandered around the wharves up to the bus stop. I also went to snap a few photos of the bridge and nearby houses, as they were so colorful! Then it was time to get in the bus and visit Providence!

Visit Providence, Rhode Island

The bus to Providence passed by the cities of Portsmouth and Bristol which looked very picturesque! As I reached the city I made my way to Faust, for a late lunch. Unfortunately, the restaurant is now closed. After lunch it was time to explore Providence. Therefore,  I made my way towards College Hill to check out Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). It was overcast but the bloomed magnolias made up for it. I cannot even recall how many photos of magnolias I shot!

Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

As I was wandering around Brown,  I stumbled upon an exhibition from the department of Textiles. As a fashion enthusiast I entered to look around and snap some photos. It was getting dark, so I visited the RISD Museum which was open until late. I loved the variety of exhibits, both modern and old ones. As a downside, the museum was difficult to navigate!

Before heading to Boston I stopped at Providence Place, which is a huge mall by the river. I bid the city farewell and hopped on the train home!

Have you visited Newport or Providence? Which aspect of these cities did you like the most?

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