Jersey itinerary: 2, 3 and 5 days
Three ready-made routes around the island, grouped by coast so you spend your time looking at Jersey rather than driving across it.
Short answer: give Jersey three full days. Day one for the east coast and Mont Orgueil, day two for the south-west beaches and sunset at Corbière, day three for the north coast and Jersey Zoo. Add a fourth day for Occupation history and Elizabeth Castle, and a fifth for a boat trip to the Écréhous.
Every plan below assumes you check the tide table each morning — the causeway walks, sea caves and rock pools only exist at low water.
Want it tailored to your dates, pace and budget? The free AI trip planner builds a tide-aware version in about a minute.
2 days in Jersey
Enough for the two defining sights and one proper beach afternoon. Base yourself in St Helier or St Brelade.
- Day 1
Castles and the east coast
- Morning
- Start at Mont Orgueil Castle above Gorey Harbour — allow two hours and climb all the way to the top.
- Afternoon
- Lunch on Gorey Pier, then head inland to La Hougue Bie to walk inside a 6,000-year-old passage tomb.
- Evening
- Dinner in St Helier — the Central Market area and the marina both work — and a walk through Royal Square.
- Day 2
South-west beaches and sunset
- Morning
- St Brelade's Bay for swimming and a promenade breakfast; walk up to the Fishermen's Chapel beside the parish church.
- Afternoon
- Head west to St Ouen's Bay for surf, or take the cliff path down to Beauport Bay if you want quiet.
- Evening
- La Corbière Lighthouse an hour before sunset, then dinner at one of the west-coast beach cantinas.
3 days in Jersey
The version most first-time visitors should book. Adds the wild north coast and Jersey Zoo.
- Day 1
Castles and the east coast
- Morning
- Start at Mont Orgueil Castle above Gorey Harbour — allow two hours and climb all the way to the top.
- Afternoon
- Lunch on Gorey Pier, then head inland to La Hougue Bie to walk inside a 6,000-year-old passage tomb.
- Evening
- Dinner in St Helier — the Central Market area and the marina both work — and a walk through Royal Square.
- Day 2
South-west beaches and sunset
- Morning
- St Brelade's Bay for swimming and a promenade breakfast; walk up to the Fishermen's Chapel beside the parish church.
- Afternoon
- Head west to St Ouen's Bay for surf, or take the cliff path down to Beauport Bay if you want quiet.
- Evening
- La Corbière Lighthouse an hour before sunset, then dinner at one of the west-coast beach cantinas.
- Day 3
North coast and wildlife
- Morning
- Jersey Zoo (Durrell) in Trinity — a conservation park rather than a traditional zoo. Give it three hours.
- Afternoon
- Walk a section of the north coast path — Devil's Hole to Grève de Lecq is a manageable two hours — or drop down the steps to Plémont at low tide.
- Evening
- Sunset at Les Landes headland, then dinner at a granite village pub such as Le Moulin de Lecq.
5 days in Jersey
Room for the Occupation sites, a trip out by boat, and the slower things — markets, lidos, harbours at high tide.
- Day 1
Castles and the east coast
- Morning
- Start at Mont Orgueil Castle above Gorey Harbour — allow two hours and climb all the way to the top.
- Afternoon
- Lunch on Gorey Pier, then head inland to La Hougue Bie to walk inside a 6,000-year-old passage tomb.
- Evening
- Dinner in St Helier — the Central Market area and the marina both work — and a walk through Royal Square.
- Day 2
South-west beaches and sunset
- Morning
- St Brelade's Bay for swimming and a promenade breakfast; walk up to the Fishermen's Chapel beside the parish church.
- Afternoon
- Head west to St Ouen's Bay for surf, or take the cliff path down to Beauport Bay if you want quiet.
- Evening
- La Corbière Lighthouse an hour before sunset, then dinner at one of the west-coast beach cantinas.
- Day 3
North coast and wildlife
- Morning
- Jersey Zoo (Durrell) in Trinity — a conservation park rather than a traditional zoo. Give it three hours.
- Afternoon
- Walk a section of the north coast path — Devil's Hole to Grève de Lecq is a manageable two hours — or drop down the steps to Plémont at low tide.
- Evening
- Sunset at Les Landes headland, then dinner at a granite village pub such as Le Moulin de Lecq.
- Day 4
St Helier, Occupation history and the tide
- Morning
- Jersey War Tunnels — the German Occupation hospital complex. It is heavy going and worth every minute.
- Afternoon
- Back into town for the Jersey Museum and Central Market, then walk the causeway to Elizabeth Castle if the tide is out (the amphibious ferry runs when it is in).
- Evening
- Havre des Pas for a swim at the Victorian lido and dinner along the seafront.
- Day 5
On the water
- Morning
- A RIB trip to the Écréhous reef — a scatter of huts and sandbars halfway to France, and the single most memorable half day on the island.
- Afternoon
- Back on land: the Railway Walk on foot or by bike, or the oyster beds along Grouville Bay.
- Evening
- A last dinner in St Aubin, watching the tide come in across the harbour.
Where to base yourself
St Helier gives you restaurants, the bus hub and the ferry terminal. St Brelade and St Aubin are quieter and better for beaches. The north coast is beautiful, but you will want a car.
Itinerary FAQ
Is 3 days enough for Jersey?
Yes for a first visit. Three days gets you a castle, a full beach day, a north-coast walk and an evening or two in St Helier. Five days lets you add a boat trip and the quieter bays without rushing.
What is the best order to see Jersey in?
Group by coast rather than by theme. The east (Gorey, La Hougue Bie), the south-west (St Brelade, Corbière), the north (Plémont, Devil's Hole, Bonne Nuit) and St Helier each work as a self-contained day, which keeps driving to a minimum.
Do I need to plan around the tides?
For some things, yes. Elizabeth Castle's causeway, Plémont's caves, the rock pools and any tidal-zone walk only work around low water. Jersey's tidal range reaches roughly 12 metres, so a plan that ignores the tide table will fail.
Can I do Jersey without a car?
Comfortably. LibertyBus serves the whole island from Liberation Station in St Helier, and an AvanchiCard caps daily fares. Hire a car for one day if you want the north coast at your own pace.