Duration
3:00 Hours
Activity Level
Moderate
Experience Details*
Enjoy a walk along a portion of the Cliff Walk Trail, designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1975. With New England’s rocky shore and crashing surf on one side and Newport’s most extravagant mansions on the other, the trail has become one of Newport’s top attractions.Your guide will be happy to share the stories of America’s Gilded Age and the cast of characters that made Newport one the nation’s wealthiest summer resorts.
Close by to the Cliff Walk is ‘The Breakers’ mansion, designed by an American architect, Richard Morris Hunt, for Cornelius Vanderbilt II. ‘The Breakers’ is an Italian Renaissance palace, and it was completed in less than 3 years and stands as one of the grandest of Newport's cottages. Perhaps its most impressive features are the Grand Hall and the Music Room, constructed from beautifully carved stone and marble and rising to almost 50 feet, ranking it the largest room in any Newport mansion.
At a glance*
Duration: Half-day guided tour
Activity: Moderate level of walking
Transport: By coach
Why Book: To enjoy a walk along a portion of the Cliff Walk Trail, designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1975.
Itinerary*
Depart Pier for Cliff Walk > Arrive at start of Cliff Walk and walk to Breakers > Arrive Breakers for tour and free time > Depart Breakers for bus ride back to pier
What's included*
Local guide
Independent exploration
Panoramic tour
Photo opportunities
Essential information
This excursion operates by coach and on foot. The Cliff Walk will take up to 1 hour at a leisurely pace. The terrain is uneven in parts with some inclines. There are 40 steps leading to and from the Cliff Walk and a further 20 steps during the walk. Flat, comfortable walking shoes are advised. Due to the popularity of the Newport mansions, you may experience some queuing. Photography is permitted inside the mansions, but flash, selfie sticks, tripods and stairway photography are prohibited. Guests are advised that there is a flight of 30 steps to climb at the mansion. Highlights may operate in reverse order. There is now an official Newport Mansions mobile app available from your app store. To save time and to enhance your experience, it is recommended to download the app prior to your cruise. Simply search for ‘Newport Mansions’ identified with the green pineapple icon in your app store. Photography is permitted inside the mansions; however, flash, selfie sticks, tripods, and stairway photography are prohibited. Tours of the Preservation Society Mansions (The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, and Rosecliff) are self-guided audio tours using the Newport Mansions App. Guests must bring their own smart device and earbuds. The official Newport Mansions mobile app (green pineapple icon) is available from your app store. To save time and enhance your visit, guests are strongly encouraged to download the app prior to the cruise. The self-guided audio tour is available in English, French, Spanish, German, and Chinese. The app also provides floor plans, historic photos, and additional house information. Printed house narratives are available at the entrance of each mansion.
ACTIVITY EXCURSIONS, You and all those in your party should be aware that, in undertaking activity excursions, you will be involved in a degree of physical exertion and/or activity such as hiking, biking, snorkelling, kayaking, diving etc. By booking the excursion you confirm that you and all those in your party are in good physical and mental condition, with no history of conditions such as seizures, dizziness, fainting, heart condition, respiratory problems or back/neck problems (by way of example only). You should also ensure that no one in your party is taking medicine that carries a warning about impairment of physical or mental abilities. If you are pregnant this type of excursion may not be appropriate for you. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fit and well enough to take part in the activities booked and you are reminded to take care for your own safety. Because of the risks associated with activity excursions, you may be asked by the excursion provider to sign a document which may affect or limit the excursion provider’s liability. Comfortable flat walking shoes are recommended.
BEACH/WATER RELATED EXCURSIONS, For any excursion involving water, passengers are reminded to exercise particular care. Alcohol and eating a full meal should be avoided before swimming. If buoyancy aids are provided for an activity they must be worn at all times. You should bear in mind that the sea is unpredictable. Lifeguards are unlikely to be present and there may not be a flag system to indicate whether or not it is safe to go in the water. In addition, beach activities may not be supervised or accompanied and so you should take care to satisfy yourself as to the safety of the beach and/or the sea at the time of your excursion. Please exercise caution when entering the sea as the seabed and aquatic environment is capable of springing surprises and we have not inspected the beach or seabed for its safety. Children must be supervised by you at all times near water. All activities on the beach, water and in the sea are undertaken at your own risk. You’ll need to take swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and flat shoes that can be worn in the water.
SCUBA DIVING, All passengers wishing to participate in a certified dive tour must hold a PADI open water scuba certification or BSAC Ocean Diver certification. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate divers with either a PADI Junior Open Water or a PADI Scuba Dive rating due to the depth limitations imposed by these qualifications. In line with the recommendations by the sports-diving industry, we strongly recommend that divers undertake a refresher course if they have not been diving within the last six months. You must be aged 15 or over, carry your dive certification card with you and we recommend that you carry your diving log or proof that you’ve recently completed a refresher course. If you are a certified diver, but are unable to meet our requirements we recommend taking the Discover Scuba excursion as an alternative. For Discover Scuba courses you don’t need any scuba experience but you must be 15 or over and be able to swim. You’ll also need to complete a medical/liability consent form before you go - but if you suffer from asthma, diabetes, heart problems or other medical conditions you won’t be able to take part. Please visit www.padi.com/padi/en/sd/whatsrequired.aspx for more information.