10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Beaufort That You Shouldn't Miss

Experience the beautiful Crystal Coast from hundreds of feet in the air, where every seat is a window seat. We offer parasailing trips that have breathtaking views of Cape Lookout, Shackleford Banks, Fort Macon, and so much more. Come fly with us! Call or check out our website to join our Flight List and book your trip today!

Exciting boat rides to Shackleford Banks, Rachel Carson Reserve and Stingray Shoal. Climb the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and visit the Keepers Quarters Museum. Search for wild horses, dolphins, seashells and sand dollars. Visit an oyster farm. Private boat charters are our specialty. An authorized tour operator of the Cape Lookout National Seashore for 10 years.

Visitors can pedal or walk through 300 years of Beaufort's history as we explore "America's Favorite Town." Your guide will entertain you with fascinating details, historical narratives and true stories that make up the rich history of this seaport town. Choose from several unique walking, bike, culinary and history guided tours. Open year-round. A Ride to Remember takes visitors to several locations in Beaufort as described in Nicholas Sparks' bestselling novels "The Choice" and "A Walk to Remember." Explore Beaufort's local restaurants on our guided culinary tours. You'll enjoy Southern culinary dishes from restaurants offering fresh, local products that support our local fishermen and farmers. You'll nosh and sip on some of the most delicious flavors on the Crystal Coast. Tour departures take place daily.

Island Express Ferry Service is the ONLY ferry service out of Beaufort and Harkers Island, NC that is authorized by the National Park Service to drop passengers off at Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout. Shackleford Banks is the southernmost barrier island in Cape Lookout National Seashore. Shackleford Banks is a pristine island with one of the best shelling beaches in North Carolina. Famous for the wild banker horses that roam the uninhabited island, this is one of the few places in the eastern United States where wild horses can still be seen. Enjoy the beauty and tranquility of Cape Lookout, famous for the Cape Lookout Lighthouse Station. While you are there, take time to collect some of the most beautiful shells in the world. Bird watch, swim in the ocean, climb the lighthouse, or ride our famous Beach Shuttle. There is something for everyone to enjoy on this island paradise. Island Express Ferry Service is an authorized National Park Service Concessionaire. Although our name has, at times, been confused with smaller services that do not go to Shackleford Banks or Cape Lookout, there is only one ISLAND EXPRESS FERRY SERVICE. Be sure to add an S for Services when looking for us online.

Premier museum that has a large collection of boats, models, decoys and dioramas about life in coastal North Carolina.

Located five miles from the Atlantic Ocean, this 14,480-acre refuge consists of a variable landscape of brackish marsh, pocosin and woodland habitats, which are dominated by an abundant variety of birds and wildlife.

The Rachel Carson component of the North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve is located between the mouths of the Newport and North rivers in southern Carteret County, directly across Taylor's Creek from the historic town of Beaufort. It is accessible only by boat (local ferry vendor, private vessel, or canoes and kayaks).

#1 Touring company in town. We have a brand-new 49 passenger catamaran with a covering. You can enjoy the sun, or catch the breezes while in the shade. Enhanced sight seeing on the longest tours in the area. Our all new Islands of the crystal coast tour allows you to enjoy the calm waters on the Crystal Coast Islands with narration.

North Carolina's third oldest town, Beaufort lies on the coast bordering the southern tip of the Outer Banks. Originally a fishing village and port of safety dating from the late 1600's, Beaufort has been visited by patriots, privateers, merchants, and skilled craftsmen who built Bahamian and West Indian style homes and public buildings. On the Beaufort Historic Site, you can take advantage of the six professionally restored buildings, tour the Old Burying Grounds, and take a tour aboard a vintage English Double Decker Bus. Beaufort, NC truly is where history meets the sea.