St. John
Covers 25 islands from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to Aruba, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cozumel and Roatán, with prices, flights and entry rules checked at the source.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices, schedules or seasonal facts checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
St. John is the smallest and quietest of the three US Virgin Islands, and the one most visitors remember. Virgin Islands National Park covers most of it, so the north shore is a run of protected bays with white sand, calm water and reef a few strokes out. There is no airport and no cruise pier. You arrive by ferry, and that keeps the island calm.
It costs for that calm. On Kayak, only three hotels rated 3 stars or better showed rooms for our dates. The cheapest, St John Inn in Cruz Bay, was $382 a night with tax for Wednesday, January 13, 2027, and $263 for Wednesday, July 14, 2027. The next cheapest were over $600. Most St. John lodging is villas, campgrounds and condos, which Kayak does not rate.
At a glance
- Best for
- Couples, snorkelers and hikers who want quiet national park beaches
- Skip it if
- You want nightlife, big resorts or a budget trip
- Getting there
- Fly to St. Thomas (STT), taxi to Red Hook, then a 15-minute ferry to Cruz Bay ($8.15 one way)
- Hotel, mid-January
- $382 with tax at the only 3-star hotel under $900; $263 in mid-July
- Island size
- About 20 square miles (51 km2); most of it is national park
In this guide
How St. John scores
Six factors, scored 0 to 10 the same way for all 64 islands. There is no island-level visitor count we trust, so crowds are left out and the other five factors are re-weighted. How we score
- WeatherData · 20%9.2
- Beaches & seaEditors · 25%9.0
- Things to doEditors · 25%6.0
- Getting there from the USData · 10%7.3
- ValueData · 10%3.4
- Room to breatheData · 10%Not scored
Weather month by month
Best months by our weather score: January, April, December. Daytime highs, rain and sunshine are 2016–2025 averages at Cyril E. King Airport (Open-Meteo historical weather archive); sea temperatures are 2022–2025 averages for the nearest sea area (Open-Meteo marine archive). Months marked in the storm row fall in the Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 to November 30); the score takes that risk into account.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 79 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 81 |
| Sea °F | 81 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 82 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 1.9 |
| Weather score | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.3 | 8.5 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 7.7 | 9.9 |
| Storm season | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
The numbers behind the score
- Gateway airport
- Cyril E. King Airport (STT)
- US nonstops
- None. No airport on St. John. Fly to St. Thomas (STT, nonstops from 16 US airports), then taxi to Red Hook for the 15-minute ferry to Cruz Bay ($8.15 one way for non-residents, plus $4 per bag), or take the ferry from Charlotte Amalie or Crown Bay ($20).
- Distance
- 3,444 mi from Los Angeles, 1,627 mi from New York
- Passport
- Not needed for US citizens
- Hotel, one night
- $382 on Jan 13, 2027 · $263 on Jul 14, 2027 (Cruz Bay)
- Visitors a year
- 471,074 overnight visitors (2025)
- Bringing a dog
- Easy: No quarantine. A USDA-accredited vet's health certificate (APHIS 7001, state CVI or approved eCVI) issued within 10 days of arrival, showing current rabies vaccination, emailed to the USVI Department of Agriculture at least 1 business day before you land.
Hotel prices: Cheapest 3-star-or-better double, 1 night, 2 adults, Kayak 'stay total' including taxes and fees, member-only and private deals excluded, checked 2026-10-20. Both dates: St John Inn, Cruz Bay; only 3 hotels rated 3 stars or better showed (the next were the Westin St. John Resort Villas at $927 in January and Gallows Point at $617 in July). Most St. John lodging is villas.. Visitor figures: National Park Service, Visitor Use Statistics, Virgin Islands National Park (VIIS) recreation visits 2025.
Where St. John ranks
Who St. John is for, and who should skip it
St. John is the USVI pick for couples and honeymooners who want empty coves, a villa with a view and dinners in Cruz Bay or Coral Bay. It is also very good for teens and adults who snorkel and hike, because the reefs and trails start at the beach.
Skip it if you want big resorts, a casino or late nights, or if the budget is tight. In that case stay on St. Thomas, where the cheapest 3-star room was $93, and take the ferry over for the day. Compare all three on our US Virgin Islands ranking.
Virgin Islands National Park: status and fees
The park is open and charges no entrance fee, according to the National Park Service. The one charge most visitors meet is at Trunk Bay: an Expanded Amenity Fee of $5 per person aged 16 and up, from sunrise to sunset, by card or mobile payment only, since cash is no longer accepted. The fee is not waived on fee-free days. Boaters pay $26 a night for park moorings.
Visits are rising. The NPS counted 471,074 recreation visits in 2025, up from 423,029 in 2024. Cinnamon Bay Resort and Campground, inside the park, is open again with bare sites, eco-tents and cottages, a restaurant and water-sports rentals. The Cruz Bay Visitor Center is open Monday to Thursday, 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday to 1:30 p.m.
Beaches: the calm north shore
- Trunk Bay: the best known, with an underwater snorkel trail. Busy with day-trippers; $5 fee.
- Cinnamon Bay: long and sandy, with the campground, food and rentals.
- Maho Bay: shallow, calm water where sea turtles graze on seagrass. Good with children.
- Hawksnest: close to Cruz Bay, calm and small.
- Honeymoon and Salomon: reached on foot by the 1-mile Lind Point Trail from the Cruz Bay Visitor Center, or by boat.
- Salt Pond Bay: on the quieter southeast, with snorkeling and the trail to Ram Head.
The park warns that winter cold fronts can push big waves onto the north shore, so heed posted warnings. USVI law allows only mineral sunscreen; oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene are banned. We score the beaches 9, the highest of the three US Virgin Islands.
Things to do
- Snorkeling from the beach at Trunk, Maho and Waterlemon Cay off Leinster Bay.
- Hiking: the Reef Bay Trail past petroglyphs and sugar mill ruins, Ram Head for the views, and the Lind Point Trail from town.
- Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins above Leinster Bay.
- Sailing and snorkel boat trips from Cruz Bay around the island and to nearby cays.
- Coral Bay, the quiet east end, for a slower lunch and harbor views.
Things to do scores 6. St. John is outstanding for water and trails and thin on everything else, which is the point for most people who choose it.
What a trip costs
St. John is the most expensive of the three US Virgin Islands. Four nights at the cheapest 3-star hotel we found would be about $1,050 in July and $1,530 in January, with tax, and the choice is so thin that the next room up cost $617 or more. Add the ferry ($16.30 round trip per adult from Red Hook, plus $4 a bag each way), taxis or a rental Jeep, and beach fees at Trunk Bay.
Two ways to cut the bill: stay in the Cinnamon Bay campground inside the park, or stay on St. Thomas and come over by ferry. For a honeymoon, compare it on our list of the best islands for couples and honeymoons; for more beach-first options in the region, see the Caribbean ranking.
Getting there: fly to St. Thomas, then the ferry
There are no airports on St. John. Fly to Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas (STT), which has nonstops from 16 US airports, then:
- Red Hook to Cruz Bay: the short route, about 15 minutes. The Virgin Islands Port Authority lists $8.15 one way for non-residents, $1 for children 2 to 11 and $4 per bag. Taxi from the airport to Red Hook first.
- Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay: three sailings a day on the posted schedule, close to the airport. Check the fare when you book.
- Crown Bay to Cruz Bay: Inter Island Boat Services, $20 one way for adults.
- Car barge: from Red Hook to Enighed Pond, $50 one way or $65 round trip for a car, SUV or small truck.
Many visitors rent a Jeep on St. John itself; you drive on the left. No passport is needed, but on the way home you clear federal inspection at STT, so carry a passport or a raised-seal birth certificate plus photo ID.
When to go
December to April is the dry, busy and most expensive season. Summer is quieter and cheaper; our July price was $119 below January's. The park notes that winter brings stronger trade winds and less rain, and summer brings more rain and lighter winds. Our 12-month weather table below gives the numbers.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Center, peaking around September 10. Ferries stop in dangerous seas. See our hurricane season guide.
Dogs: a vet health certificate within 10 days of arrival, emailed to the USVI Department of Agriculture a business day ahead, with no quarantine.
Tickets and tours you can book
Kayak & Snorkel with Sea Turtles, National Park, St. John
Gear, water and gratuities are included. Most of Virgin Islands National Park has no entrance fee (Trunk Bay charges a beach fee), so you can snorkel the north-shore beaches yourself; the tour adds the guide and the kayaks.
Rating as shown on Viator
St. John Jost Van Dyke & Soggy Dollar Snorkel Sail with Breakfast - Westin
A valid passport is required because you clear BVI customs, and parking at the Westin costs extra. Breakfast and an open bar are included; confirm whether customs fees are included when you book, as the page is unclear.
Rating as shown on Viator
St. Thomas: Sailing Trip with Snorkeling, Breakfast, & Lunch
It starts on St. Thomas, so it suits visitors staying there. Tips and towels are not included.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an airport on St. John?
No. Fly to St. Thomas (STT) and take a ferry. The Red Hook to Cruz Bay ferry takes about 15 minutes and costs $8.15 one way for non-residents.
Does Virgin Islands National Park charge an entrance fee?
No. The only common fee is $5 per person aged 16 and up at Trunk Bay, paid by card or phone; cash is not accepted.
What is the best beach on St. John?
Trunk Bay is the best known, with an underwater snorkel trail. Maho Bay is calmer and better with children, and Cinnamon Bay has the most facilities.
How much does it cost to stay on St. John?
On Kayak, the cheapest 3-star hotel was $382 with tax for January 13, 2027, and $263 for July 14, 2027. The next options were over $600. Villas and the Cinnamon Bay campground are the alternatives.
Can you visit St. John as a day trip from St. Thomas?
Yes. Take the ferry from Red Hook, then a taxi to the north-shore beaches or walk the Lind Point Trail from Cruz Bay to Salomon and Honeymoon beaches.
Further reading
Official sources
- Kayak hotel search, St. John, January 13-14, 2027 (2 adults, 3 stars and up) – Cheapest stay total with taxes and fees $382 (St John Inn); July 14-15, 2027: $263; only 3 hotels rated 3 stars or better; checked October 20, 2026
- National Park Service, Virgin Islands National Park, Fees and Passes – No entrance fee; Trunk Bay $5 per person 16 and older, card only; $26 overnight moorings; checked October 20, 2026
- National Park Service, Virgin Islands National Park, Directions and Alerts and Conditions – No airports on St. John; ferry from Red Hook; Lind Point Trail 1 mile; seasonal winds and winter north-shore waves; checked October 20, 2026
- National Park Service, Visitor Use Statistics (IRMA), Virgin Islands National Park – 471,074 recreation visits in 2025, 423,029 in 2024; checked October 20, 2026
- Virgin Islands Port Authority, Ferry and Cargo Schedules – Red Hook-Cruz Bay $8.15 non-resident, $1 child, $4 bag; Charlotte Amalie schedule; Crown Bay $20; car barge $50/$65; checked October 20, 2026
- Cinnamon Bay Resort and Campground – Campground open with sites, eco-tents, cottages, restaurant and rentals (operator site); checked October 20, 2026
- USVI Department of Tourism, Know Before You Go (travel FAQ) – Proof of citizenship on departure; drive on the left; mineral sunscreen law; checked October 20, 2026
- Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, Animal Import Regulations – Health certificate within 10 days, emailed 1 business day ahead; checked October 20, 2026
- Wikipedia, Cyril E. King Airport: Airlines and destinations – 16 US nonstop airports to St. Thomas; checked October 20, 2026
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology – Atlantic season June 1 to November 30, peak September 10; checked October 20, 2026
