How Many Days Do You Really Need in the BVI

If you’re thinking about a holiday to the British Virgin Islands, one of the questions I’m asked most often is: how many days do I really need?

And the honest answer is… there isn’t one perfect number!

It depends on what you want from your holiday, whether you want to explore several islands or simply find a beautiful spot and stay put, and whether you’re travelling by land or sea.

But I can give you a few pointers.

5 nights – enough for a taste of the BVI

If you only have five nights, don’t let that put you off.

You can absolutely have a wonderful holiday in the BVI in five nights, but I’d recommend resisting the temptation to cram too much in. Choose your base carefully, enjoy the beaches, have a day on the water and explore a little.

For a first visit, Tortola can be a great choice, giving you plenty of opportunities to explore different beaches and restaurants, while also making it easy to get out on the water.

BVI Holidays Insider Tip: If your time is limited, don’t spend your whole holiday travelling from island to island. Sometimes less really is more and remember – you can always come back!

7 nights – my sweet spot for a first visit

For many people, seven nights is the perfect starting point.

It gives you enough time to settle in, get your bearings and experience some of what makes the BVI so special without feeling that you’re constantly packing and unpacking.

You could spend your week on one island and take a couple of day trips, or split your time between two islands.

For example, you might combine Tortola and Virgin Gorda, giving you a lovely contrast between the two. Virgin Gorda has a very different feel, with beautiful beaches, The Baths and plenty of opportunities simply to slow down and enjoy island life.

And, of course, if you’re sailing, seven nights can take on a whole different meaning…

A week on a yacht – see more, stay somewhere different every night

One of the great things about a yacht charter in the BVI is that you don’t necessarily have to choose just one island.

You can wake up somewhere different, swim and snorkel in beautiful waters, enjoy lunch on board or ashore and then sail on to your next anchorage.

The BVI is particularly well suited to exploring by boat, with its collection of islands and cays close together.

And you don’t have to be an experienced sailor to enjoy a yacht holiday. There are different charter options depending on your experience and the type of holiday you’re looking for. One of these is to book a By-the-Cabin charter where all your meals and some drinks are included and you are well looked after by an experienced crew. You will spend the week sailing between the islands of the BVI including Anegada and all you have to do is relax and enjoy the experience.

10 nights – now we’re talking!

If you can stretch your holiday to ten nights, you have much more freedom.

You could spend several nights on Tortola, add Virgin Gorda, and perhaps include a visit to Jost Van Dyke or Anegada.

And this is where the BVI really starts to come into its own.

Each island has its own personality. Anegada is completely different from the other main islands, being a low-lying coral island rather than volcanic, while Jost Van Dyke is tiny but packed with character, history and those famous beach bars.

You don’t have to see them all. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend trying.

The joy of the BVI is having time to enjoy where you are rather than constantly thinking about where you’re going next.

14 nights – time to really settle into island life

If you’re lucky enough to have two weeks, you can take things at a much more relaxed pace.

This is when I’d really encourage you to consider combining islands or accommodation styles.

Perhaps start with a hotel on Tortola, spend a few nights on Virgin Gorda, or finish with a few days somewhere quieter, like Guana Island or Peter Island.

Or maybe a week on land followed by a yacht charter is more your style.

There are so many possibilities that your holiday doesn’t have to fit neatly into one particular formula.

So, how many days do you really need?

If you ask me, seven nights is a great starting point for a first BVI holiday.

Five nights can work beautifully if that’s all the time you have. Ten to fourteen nights gives you more opportunity to explore and slow down. And if you’re sailing, the whole experience is different again.

But here’s the important thing…

Don’t feel that you have to tick every island off a list.

The BVI isn’t somewhere I think you should rush around trying to “do”. It’s somewhere to enjoy, and….leave something to come back for!

Have a lazy morning on the beach. Stop for a long lunch. Spend an afternoon snorkelling. Take a boat trip. Find a favourite beach bar. Go back to the beach you loved yesterday.

And leave a little time for doing absolutely nothing.

After all, isn’t that part of the reason you’re coming to the BVI in the first place?

Planning your BVI holiday

Whether you have five nights, a week or two weeks, I can help you work out how to make the most of your time in the BVI.

With over 30 years of specialising exclusively in the British Virgin Islands and first-hand knowledge of the islands, I can help you choose the right combination of hotels, villas and yachts for the holiday you have in mind.

Your perfect BVI adventure starts here.