USVI Itineraries: Multi-Day Routes in the US Virgin Islands
The US Virgin Islands reward both the long weekend and the extended voyage. The itineraries below are designed to be combined: a guest looking at the 3-day and 4-day routes can stitch them together into a full 7-day USVI adventure without repeating a single island or anchorage. Every itinerary is fully customisable – your Boatcrowd charter specialist and onboard captain will tailor stops, pacing and activities to your group’s interests and the conditions on the day.
3-Day USVI Yacht Charter Itinerary: St Thomas and St John
Day 1: Charlotte Amalie to Magens Bay and Water Island
Board your yacht at Yacht Haven Grande in Charlotte Amalie by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and a champagne toast on the flybridge, cruise north around the headland to Magens Bay – roughly 4 nautical miles, a relaxed 20-minute run. Anchor in the calm, sheltered waters of this heart-shaped bay and swim ashore to a mile of powdery white sand backed by coconut palms and lush green hills. The beach was famously described as one of the most beautiful in the world and it lives up to the billing. Snorkel the reef at the bay’s eastern edge, then enjoy a chef-prepared lunch on the aft deck: grilled mahi-mahi, Caribbean slaw, plantain chips and a chilled Cruzan rum punch.
In the afternoon, cruise south to Water Island (10 minutes from Charlotte Amalie) and anchor off Honeymoon Beach – a quiet crescent of white sand with a single beach bar, Dinghy’s, serving painkillers and grilled fish right on the sand. Swim, paddleboard and explore this peaceful island (population roughly 180, no cars, no crowds). Return to Charlotte Amalie for a sunset stroll through the historic town – Fort Christian’s red-brick ramparts, the Danish warehouses along the waterfront, and dinner at Oceana Restaurant in a restored 17th-century great house.
Day 2: St Thomas to Caneel Bay and Trunk Bay, St John
Depart early and cruise east across Pillsbury Sound to St John – just 3 nautical miles, 15 minutes. Pick up a mooring ball at Caneel Bay, a sheltered anchorage on the island’s western shore with seven pristine beaches spread across a 170-acre peninsula that was once Laurance Rockefeller’s private resort. Swim ashore for a morning hike through the ruins of historic sugar-mill estates along the Lind Point Trail, with views over the harbour and the surrounding cays.
After lunch on board, reposition a short distance east to Trunk Bay – arguably the most famous beach in the Caribbean. A wide crescent of white sand slopes into gin-clear turquoise water, and the underwater snorkel trail (225 metres of marked path with informational plaques) takes you through coral gardens alive with parrotfish, blue tangs, sergeant majors and sea fans. Anchor overnight in Trunk Bay or reposition to nearby Hawksnest Bay for a quieter evening. Your chef serves a Caribbean feast on the aft deck – conch fritters, jerk-spiced catch of the day, coconut rice and beans – as the sunset turns St Thomas’s silhouette to copper across the sound.
Day 3: Maho Bay, Leinster Bay and Return to St Thomas
Rise early for the short cruise to Maho Bay on St John’s north shore. This is the USVI’s legendary turtle beach: wade into the calm, shallow water and green sea turtles graze on the seagrass beds just metres from your fins, so habituated to snorkellers that they barely look up. Spend the morning swimming alongside these gentle creatures – your crew provides reef-safe sunscreen and full snorkelling kit.
After a light brunch on the aft deck, cruise east to Leinster Bay and the Waterlemon Cay snorkelling site – widely considered one of the finest reef snorkels in the entire Caribbean. A fringing reef surrounds the small cay in 2–5 metres of water, teeming with spotted eagle rays, stingrays, barracuda, angelfish and the occasional nurse shark resting on the sand below. After lunch, cruise back across Pillsbury Sound to St Thomas (roughly 30 minutes), arriving at Yacht Haven Grande by late afternoon with time for a final round of duty-free shopping on Main Street or a farewell dinner at The Old Stone Farmhouse, an 18th-century plantation stable turned candlelit restaurant in the hills above Charlotte Amalie.
4-Day USVI Yacht Charter Itinerary: St Croix and the Southern Islands
Day 1: St Thomas to Christmas Cove and St Croix
Board at Yacht Haven Grande by mid-morning and cruise south-east to Christmas Cove on the western tip of Great St James Island – just 4 nautical miles, a 15-minute run. This sheltered cove is a favourite lunch stop for charter yachts: crystal-clear water over a rocky reef alive with sergeant majors and blue-headed wrasse, and the legendary Pizza Pi – a floating pizza boat that has been serving wood-fired pizza from the water since 2014 (cash or card, pull up alongside in your tender). After a swim and a slice, set course south for St Croix – roughly 35 nautical miles, under two hours at cruising speed.
Arrive at Christiansted’s harbour by late afternoon. The approach is spectacular: a wide, reef-fringed bay leading to a compact waterfront of pastel Danish colonial buildings with arched colonnades and red-tiled roofs. Pick up a mooring or berth at the Christiansted Marina and stroll the boardwalk – Fort Christiansvaern (built 1749, one of the best-preserved Danish forts in the Caribbean, painted bright yellow) dominates the harbour entrance. Dinner at a waterfront restaurant – perhaps Savant, a candlelit courtyard with Thai-Caribbean fusion, or The Galleon for classic French-Caribbean cuisine overlooking the harbour.
Day 2: Buck Island Reef National Monument
A short 1.5-nautical-mile cruise north-east from Christiansted brings you to Buck Island, a 176-acre uninhabited island surrounded by a federally protected barrier reef and lagoon. This is one of the Caribbean’s great natural treasures: a marked underwater snorkel trail leads you through towering elkhorn coral formations where over 250 species of tropical fish – blue tangs, parrotfish, trumpetfish, four-eyed butterflyfish, angelfish – patrol in dense, fearless schools. Hawksbill and green sea turtles are regularly spotted, and the visibility on calm days exceeds 30 metres.
Spend the morning snorkelling the trail and exploring the reef’s outer edge, where larger species – spotted eagle rays, barracuda, the occasional nurse shark – cruise past. Lunch ashore on Turtle Beach (Buck Island’s pristine west-end beach, white sand backed by sea-grape trees) or on your yacht’s aft deck. In the afternoon, hike the short trail to Buck Island’s summit for a panoramic view across St Croix and the surrounding reef. Return to Christiansted for a sunset drink at the boardwalk and dinner at 40 Strand Eatery.
Day 3: Salt River Bay and Cane Bay
Cruise west along St Croix’s north shore to Salt River Bay – a national historical park and ecological preserve that packs an extraordinary amount into a small space. This is where Columbus’s crew made their first hostile contact with indigenous Caribs in 1493, and the bay is ringed by archaeological sites, mangrove wetlands and one of only seven full-time bioluminescent bays in the world. By day, the east and west walls of Salt River Canyon offer world-class diving: the canyon drops from 12 metres to over 300 metres, with black coral, barrel sponges, eagle rays and the occasional reef shark.
Continue west to Cane Bay – the USVI’s most famous dive and snorkel site. The reef starts in just 6 metres of water, with vibrant coral heads and abundant fish life, then plunges vertically over the Cane Bay Wall into the deep blue of the Puerto Rico Trench. Even snorkellers can appreciate the drama: the shallow reef is alive with parrotfish, trumpetfish and territorial damselfish, and the water clarity is often exceptional. Your chef serves lunch at anchor, and in the afternoon, arrange a bioluminescent kayak excursion at Salt River for after dark – paddling through glowing water in transparent-bottom kayaks is one of the most magical experiences in the Caribbean. Anchor overnight off Cane Bay.
Day 4: Frederiksted, Cruzan Rum and Return to St Thomas
Cruise the short distance south-west to Frederiksted, St Croix’s second town, built around a waterfront fort (Fort Frederik, completed 1760) and a pier that has become one of the Caribbean’s best shore dives – the pilings are encrusted with sponges, seahorses, frogfish and the occasional octopus, and the sandy bottom around the pier shelters garden eels and southern stingrays. Snorkel or dive the pier in the morning, then tender ashore for a visit to the Cruzan Rum Distillery (a 15-minute drive south of Frederiksted). Founded in 1760 and managed by the Nelthropp family for eight generations, the distillery has recently reopened with a new visitor centre, walking tour and tasting bar.
After a rum tasting, return to the yacht for a farewell brunch – johnnycakes, salt fish, fresh tropical fruit and Cruzan coffee – as the yacht departs for St Thomas (35 nautical miles, roughly 1.5–2 hours at cruising speed). Arrive at Yacht Haven Grande by late afternoon, bronzed and thoroughly charmed by the quiet side of the USVI.
Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day St Thomas–St John route with the 4-day St Croix route for a comprehensive 7-day USVI charter covering all three islands, world-class snorkelling, bioluminescent bays and dozens of Caribbean anchorages – without repeating a single stop.
