A $1,500 Budget Outer Banks Vacation (2024)

On average, Village Realty’s 700+ vacation rental options have the lowest rates during the following dates:

• Early to mid-September
• The second week of January to early March
• Late-May to mid-June
• Early August to mid November

The roof over your head and cushy bed to sleep in are a very important part of your budget-friendlyvacation (and your human instinct if you’ve followed Maslow) so this is probably the biggest decision you’ll make regarding your trip. While Village Realty specializes inquality, this doesn’t always meancostly. There are a number of affordable vacation rental homes and condos that work out to fit in our very fixed budget of a$2,000complete vacation. Be sure to check out those rentals located in theVictoria Place condos,Hughes Retreat condos, andLinksidehomes in the Village at Nags Head.You can also go to ourrental home search pageand sort by price. The first two pages or so should yield homes with a similar price range.

Expert BudgeterTip:Don’t forget that all Village Realty homes come with linens, towels, WiFi, and beds made and ready when you arrive. This saves not only money, but time and effort on your end. When you get to your home it’s time for vacation, not housekeeping.

The exact origins of “Ghost Crabbing” are unknown… but there’s something oddly intriguing and entertaining about hunting down and/or runningfrom nocturnal crustaceans on the beach. You may see them poke their heads out for a few minutes during the day on the beach, but Ghost crabs are most active at night, and “hunting” for them isan excellent free activity. Head out just after the sun sets down, and bring your nets, flashlights, and buckets. Most people just go out and spot for them on the beach and down by the waterline, other dogo ahead and gently handle them. Please make sure to use your best judgment and not wind up getting pinched! If you do try and handle the crabs be careful/respectful with them. Alsokeep your eyes peeled for the juvenile Ghostcrabs as they are much smaller and theyblend in with the sand.

Expert BudgeterTip:Don’t forget to bring your flashlights and other gear so you don’t need to buy anything once you arrive. Bug spray is also key if the wind is blowing out of the west.

What feels like it should be a wonder of the world, Jockey’s Ridge State Park covers 400 acres and has the tallestactive sand dunes in the eastern United States. There is no admission charge and plenty to do! Bring the whole family out for a walk and climb the dunes. You’ll be able to see for miles out over the oceanas well as over the soundand into Manteo.Jockey’s Ridge is also an excellent place to fly a kite, race down the hills, and get the dogs out and about if you have them. Remember, if the sand is too hot for your bare feet it’s too hot for dogs to walk on. Keep your eyes peeled on our events calendar as Jockey’s Ridge and Jockey’s Ridge Crossing (shopping center across the road) offer free events year round, the most popular ones include giant flying kites.

Expert Budgeter Tip:If you’re luckyand the wind has been blowing in the right direction, you may be able to get a bonus photo-op and possiblyspotwhat’s hidden under the dunes! Also, if you don’t have a kite, the Wings gift shops are typically 50% off the entire store after Labor Day until Januaryso you can snag a new kite for pennies on the dollar.

Nothing captures the memories of an Outer Banks vacation quite like photos of your family. Whether you have a group of 5 or 50, all Village Realty guests are eligible for a free 30-minute family portrait sitting with Sarah D’Ambra of Beach Portraits OBX. There is no limit to the number of people and after your session, you’ll be given a special code to receive 10% off your print order. Check out thefull details for this free offer, as well as view ourother VIP offersthat include other discounts and free activities. This is a great free service for your family while you’re at the beach, then you can order whatever you’d like after getting home with your special discount offer.

Besides Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills,Village Realty also represents hundreds of homes in the northern Outer Banks and Corolla area, so if you’re staying theremake sure to check out thislist of free activities in Corolla, NC.

The Wright Brothers put Kitty Hawk on the map and gave birth to aviation as we know it…that should be all the reason you need to visit their memorial park in Kill Devil Hills, NC. You can climb the tall hill that they launched their aircrafts from, walk the flight path, and view the markers where they touched down. How cool is that!? There are also indoor exhibits featuring a full-size replica of the Wright Glider and other preserved artifacts. Many festivals and presentations take place here year-round as well. Admission to the park grounds and exhibits will cost us$7per adult 16 and over and the younger kids are free.$14…we’re off to a good start! Visit theWright Brothers’ National Memorial websitefor more details.

Expert BudgeterTip:There are several free admission days for the Wright Brother’s National Memorial, none fall during our “planned” vacation but they include: MLKJr. Day, President’s Day weekend,National Park Week opening weekend (April); National Park Service anniversary (August 25); National Public Lands Day(September 26); and Veteran’s Day.

Cliché? Yes. Do I care? No. Putt-Putt/Mini golfing at the beach is popular because it’s an excellent, inexpensiveway to get the family out for a night of entertainment. You’ll haveplenty of choices on the Outer Banks, so if one course doesn’t fit your fancy you’re not more than a few minutes away from another! Not a good golfer? Neither are the 50 other people behind you, but they’re all out just to have a good time in the night air and enjoy their families and talk about the fun they had that day together. I’ve used Mutiny Bay Adventure Golf for our example course. It’s located near the Tanger Outlets in Nags Head, and is one of the newest and most exciting mini golf courses on the Outer Banks.Adults are$8.50each and children ages 4-10 are$7.50. This brings our total activity price, tax included, to$39.50. What a deal!If golf isn’t your cup of tea (or half tea, half lemonade) feel free to substitute with another activity like go-kartsor bumper boats. More details about Mutiny Bay Adventure Golf and the neighboring go-kart track can be found atOBXFamilyFun.com.

Expert BudgeterTip:Get the most bang for your buck! You can play unlimited games and plan out several visits to Mutiny Bay during the day with your ticket purchase (before 4pm). Why not get a round in during the morning, hit the beach, and play another before dinner time?

No visit to the Outer Banks would be complete without visiting one of the many fishing piers located here. Variously constructed, each OBX pier is unique and special in its own way. The most popular piers in the Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills are are the Avalon Pier and Jennette’s Pier. For sake of our trip planning we’ll go for a stroll on Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. The pier is the newest on the Outer Banks as well as the longest. It is a replacement to the old Jennette’s pier that was destroyed during Hurricane Irene, and now stretches 1,000 feet over the ocean and is solidly constructed out of concrete.If you have the desire to fish on your visit, this is certainly one of the best places to do so, however we’re going to just plan this as a sight-seeing activity. Walk-on rates for the pier are$2for each adult, and$1for each child. For$7this activity can’t be beat. Bring your cameras for photos of the beach from far outand take your time perusing the pier and see what the anglers are bringing up!

Expert BudgeterTip:Jennette’sPier is truly an unique experience. It’s owned by the NC Aquarium so there are exhibits and informative plaques throughout. Don’t miss these “extras” as part of your visit!

Let me preface this activity with the fact that if you didn’t need a fishing license it could certainly go in our free section… but a Coastal Recreational Fishing License is required to fish during your visit to the Outer Banks. The good news is there are practical and affordable options to do so. A license is required for anglers ages 16 and older, and vary in price for in-state and out of state residents. For our trip, we’ll assume you are an out of state resident and will only require one license as the kids are free. If both adults wish to fish go ahead and get two licenses. This will add$10to our trip costs, plus a few dollars for some bait and tackle.All said and done we will spend just over$20assuming you bring your own fishing rods. Even if you’re not into fishing you should give it a try. The late summer/early fall months are the best for surf fishing on the Outer Banks and the kids will really love seeing what you can pull out of the water. You can buy your license at any bait and tackle store on the beach, or visit theNC Division of Marine Fisheries websiteto see the varioustypes and buy online.

Expert BudgeterTip:If you want to catch fish and not guess around on bait/tackle, your best bet may be a few bottom rigs and a bag ofbloodworms. Just about anything swimming in the water will pick up the smell and take the bait fast.The kids will love it! Don’t want to pay for bait? You could have the young ones dig in the wash for sand fleas. They work well near shoreand under piers/structures. Your license also allows you to go crabbing – which is awesome! Some stringand chicken drumsticks are all you need for another fun activity.

If you tear and slash this proposed trip apart, please do not take this off the list. Through a sequence of 25+ years of vacations to the Outer Banks, I can tell you the most engaging and captivating part of them for me were the continual doses of wildlife/natural/environmental education. There is no other place on earth like the Outer Banks, and that’s not because of gift shops, rental homes, or room to park your beach chair. People forget how fortunate we are to enjoy such a small strip of land and sand, surrounded by a plethora of varied ecosystems, that’s constantly under threat of disappearing forever. The weather and landscapeis so volatile, yet thousands of species of animals survive and thrive here. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the amazing, often missed world around us,both above and underwater.

The NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island featuresa wide variety exhibitsincluding river otters, freshwater tanks,a very popular skate touchingtank, and a massive 285,000gallon saltwater tanks featuring large fish and sharks that you can walk underneath. Don’t forget tohunt for sharks teeth in the pit outside afterwards! What’s this afternoon of fun going to cost us? Adults are right around$13each and$11eachfor the kiddos. This is our most expensive activity ringing in at approximately$63. Still, not bad for a family of 5! Visit theNC Aquarium websitefor more information and updated exhibit lists.

Expert BudgeterTip:Like the Wright Brother’s National Memorial, The NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island also offers free admission on MLK Jr. Day and Veteran’s Day. Make sure to also take advantage of thefree programs included with your admission.

Well, that just about wraps it up for our paid activities. After adding in some “getting around” gas money at$50that brings our grand total just under$200.

Well, that just about wraps up my plan for your budget vacation to the Outer Banks. Here’s a quick summary of our expenditures, and remember, you can give and take from any category you’d like to make this work for you:

• Free Activities $0
• Paid Activities $150
• Meals In $250
• Meals Out $250
• Lodging $850
• Grand Total $1,500

Hopefully this blog has inspired you to be thrifty in your vacation planning and/or take the leap of faith and plan out a visit to the Outer Banks. Your trip is only going to be as expensive as you want it to be. Keep your priorities and remember why you’re taking time away together… to be away together! Get out and enjoy our beautiful beaches and scenery, say “hello” to any of us locals… we really don’t mind it. Feel free tocontact any of our helpful staff right here, or just swing by our office. Thank you so much for reading. We’ll see you at the beach!