Discover Newport Rhode Island

Experience Newport at your own pace with our self-guided tours

Perched along Rhode Island’s southern coast, Newport blends seaside beauty with centuries of history. Once a playground for America’s elite, its opulent mansions still line the cliffs overlooking Narragansett Bay. Beyond the Gilded Age glamour, you’ll find cobblestone streets, sailing traditions, and vibrant neighborhoods filled with art, music, and coastal cuisine. Walk the famous Cliff Walk, explore the harbor front, or venture along Ocean Drive for breathtaking views. Whether you’re here for architecture, scenery, or maritime history, Newport invites you to slow down and explore at your own pace.

Self-Guided Tours in Newport, RI

Newport Cliff Walk Audio Tour

Walk Newport’s famous Cliff Walk, where crashing waves meet Gilded Age grandeur. This self-guided audio tour blends ocean views with tales of ambition, excess, and rebellion along the mansion-lined shore. Hear how tycoons, socialites, and servants each left their mark on this iconic stretch of coastline. It’s a journey through beauty, history, and the contrasts that shaped America’s seaside elite.

Walking Tour

Top Sights & Attractions

Beyond the Tour Bus: 6 Must-See Attractions in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island, is magnificent. It is a city defined by dizzying opulence, where 19th-century titans of industry built summer cottages that rival European palaces. Add in a rugged, crashing Atlantic coastline and a harbor filled with world-class yachts, and you have a destination that belongs on every traveler's bucket list.

Favorite Food & Restaurants

Newport’s Best-Kept Culinary Secrets: Where to Eat After the Cliff Walk

At Drives & Detours, we believe the best travel experiences happen at your own pace. If you’ve spent the morning on our Newport Cliff Walk Tour, you’ve earned a meal that matches the quality of the views.

Tips & Travel Information

Newport Cliff Walk: How to Promenade Like a Vanderbilt

The crown jewel of Newport is the Cliff Walk. It is a three-and-a-half-mile stretch of rugged coastline that serves as the literal backyard to some of the most ostentatious displays of American wealth ever constructed.