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Offered languages
- English
This tour hits the highlights of Newport's Cliff Walk, including detailed stories of the Gilded Age and the families that inhabited the mansions found along the Cliff Walk. You can take this tour anytime during daylight hours. Once you make the booking, we will provide you with a link to download the app as well as a voucher code for the tour.
This tour includes about two hours of audio, making it one of the most comprehensive self-guided tours available. We cover a wide range of topics from the rise of the Vanderbilt family, servant life within the mansions, and the hierarchy of Newport's exclusive society at the turn of the 20th century. This tour is extremely affordable, convenient, and sure to answer all of your questions regarding this curious time in American history.
This tour uses the VoiceMap app and is GPS-enabled. The audio is delivered at the right place and time with turn-by-turn directions, meaning that you won't need to keep looking at your phone.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
This is a self-guided audio tour. No tour guide will be present during your tour. All audio files will be streamed through your smartphone or other compatible devices.
This tour ends at Bailey's Beach in Newport. There is a public trolley/bus that runs frequently and can shuttle you back to the starting location. The bus is free from Memorial Day through late October.
Itinerary
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1Cliff Walk
We embark on a 3.5-mile walk of Rhode Island's most popular attraction. Along the way, we pass by many Gilded Age mansions and discuss the origin stories and peculiarities of the families that lived there.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
We begin our tour at this breathtaking view of Narragansett Bay and explore how this stairway to the rocks below became a pavilion for ad hoc music and dancing parties for the servants who staffed the luxurious mansions at the top of the cliff.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Many of the buildings that comprise this Catholic University were once Gilded Age mansions or supporting buildings on the estate. Ochre Court and Vineland Estate are two former estates that were donated to the University when their owners finally couldn't bear the costs. Hear their stories as you walk past these elegant homes.
Admission ticket free -
3The Breakers
You will walk past the largest mansion in Newport, once the summer home to the Vanderbilt family. You may exit the Cliff Walk and tour the interior if you wish (separate fee applies).
5 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
Marble House (Pass by)
As you walk past this elaborate mansion, we will talk about its original owner, Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt, and how she tore open the previously closed door to Newport's polite society, reshaping its power structure.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
This mansion was the home of heiress and socialite Doris Duke, who led an eccentric lifestyle. Learn about "the richest little girl in the world," how she lived, and how she might have gotten away with murder (only the ghosts know for sure).
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
We end our tour at this private beach club. Although access is restricted during the height of summer, you may walk the sandy beach or take a dip where the Astors and Vanderbilts played during the Gilded Age during the shoulder seasons.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Tags
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
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Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Rating
You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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