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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Edgartown
Base here 2–3 nights if you want walkable inns, harbour views and South Beach; day-trippers from Oak Bluffs get about 4 usable hours.
Edgartown is Martha's Vineyard's county seat and its most polished village: white clapboard captains' houses, a small harbour with a climbable lighthouse, and the ferry to Chappaquiddick. It is the island's upscale base, quieter than Oak Bluffs and pricier than Vineyard Haven. Two nights covers the village, South Beach and Chappaquiddick; three if you add a bike day.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Sep; late May and September for lower prices and open businesses
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (many inns and restaurants close); peak Jul–Aug for crowds and rates
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $120–180 excl. bed · Mid $180–300 excl. bed · High $300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Edgartown Police (non-emergency) 508-627-4343
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–6 |
| Deli sandwich | $10–16 |
| Lobster roll | $25–35 |
| Sit-down dinner, mid-range | $30–60 per person |
| Edgartown Lighthouse climb | $5 per person, under 12 free (check) |
| Martha's Vineyard Museum entry | about $7 adult (check) |
| VTA bus ride | $2–8 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MVY · Martha's Vineyard Airport
- About 15 min by car or taxi from Edgartown; seasonal flights from Boston, New York and Washington.
- BOS · Boston Logan
- Bus to Woods Hole, then the Steamship Authority ferry to Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs, then a 10–20 min taxi or bus to Edgartown.
Typical fares
- On Time ferry, Edgartown → Chappaquiddick
- about $5 walk-on, more with a bike (check)
- VTA Edgartown → Oak Bluffs
- about $2–4, 15 min (check)
- Taxi Edgartown → MVY airport
- about $25–35, 15 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The village is walkable end to end in about 15 minutes. Bikes are the best way to reach South Beach and Chappaquiddick; the VTA bus links Edgartown with Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. Cars help for Katama and up-island, but parking near Main Street fills by mid-morning in summer.
See and do
Known for
- Edgartown Harbor Light
- Chappaquiddick Island and the On Time ferry
- South Beach at Katama
- Whaling-captain architecture and the Martha's Vineyard Museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chappaquiddick Island | On Time ferry from Dock Street, 1 min crossing, then bike or car | About 30 min to the ferry landing |
| Oak Bluffs | VTA bus or bike on the paved path, about 15 min by bus | About 20 min |
| Vineyard Haven (Tisbury) | VTA bus, about 20 min | About 25 min |
| Aquinnah and the Gay Head Cliffs | VTA bus or car via up-island roads, about 45–60 min | About 1 h |
| West Tisbury | VTA bus or car, about 20–25 min | About 30 min |
Sleep
- Main Street and North Water Street
- Inns and the harbour, all walkable; the most expensive beds in town.
- Katama and South Beach
- Resorts and rentals near the beach, 3 miles (about 5 km (3.1 mi)) south; you need a car, bike or shuttle.Resorts and rentals near the beach, 3 miles (about 3.1 mi (5 km)) south; you need a car, bike or shuttle.
- Upper Main Street
- Motels and larger hotels on the road out of town; cheaper, a 15–25 min walk to the harbour.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the ferry? | Where is the ferry? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer lodging and car-ferry space sell out months ahead; book both before flights.
- The Chappaquiddick ferry (On Time) takes cars and bikes only, no walk-on foot passengers with luggage — check current rules.
- Cape Poge and Wasque need a 4WD or a long bike ride on sand roads; ordinary cars get stuck.
- Restaurant kitchens close early outside Jul–Aug; check last orders before you walk in.
Very safe for tourists; the real risks are rip currents at South Beach, deer ticks in the woods and bikes sharing narrow roads with cars.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Edgartown yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Edgartown Harbor Light
- Chappaquiddick Island and the On Time ferry
- South Beach at Katama
- Whaling-captain architecture and the Martha's Vineyard Museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Town of Edgartown: www.edgartown-ma.us/
- Steamship Authority: www.steamshipauthority.com/
- Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA): www.vineyardtransit.com/
- Martha's Vineyard Museum: www.mvmuseum.org/
- Wikivoyage: Edgartown, revision 5243063 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243063
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Edgartown
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Edgartown Police (non-emergency)508-627-4343
No embassies on the island; nearest consulates in Boston, embassies in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/edgartown). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.