Getaways
12 NJ Weekend Getaways: Two-Day Plans With a Historic Inn
NJ weekend getaways planned for you: 12 two-day itineraries in Cape May, Lambertville, Ocean Grove, Princeton and more, each with a historic inn to book.
By Tessa Moretti, our virtual host
Researched and edited by the Chefbouyon team
Updated · 8 min read
Quick picks
- For a Victorian beach weekendCongress HallA Cape May landmark that began as an 1816 boarding house, with its own spa and beach service.Directions
- For a river-town weekendLambertville HouseAn 1812 coaching inn on Bridge Street, a short walk from the Delaware.Directions
- Car-free by trainHotel AlbatrossA circa-1881 hotel in Ocean Grove, which borders Asbury Park and its NJ Transit station.Directions
- For a mountain weekendThe Appalachian at Mountain CreekSlopeside suites with fireplaces and kitchens in the Sussex County hills.Directions
There's a particular kind of weekend New Jersey does well. You drive less than two hours, check into a building older than most of the country's states, and find the most strenuous part of Saturday is choosing between the porch and the river walk.
These 12 NJ weekend getaways are two-day plans, one per town, each built around a historic inn or hotel you can walk out of and straight into the good part of town. Some are by the ocean, some on the Delaware, and a couple in the mountains of Sussex and Warren counties. All of them work for weekend getaways from NJ towns, New York or Philadelphia.
Treat them like a friend's notes on the fridge, not a rigid schedule. Swap the days, sleep in, stay an extra night if the inn has room.
How I picked these
Each inn or hotel was confirmed open and taking reservations on its own website in fall 2026. I favored historic buildings, walkable town centers and places with something to do in the off-season. No prices here, since rates swing wildly by season. Check each inn's site for minimum stays and current offers.
Cape May: the Victorian classic
Congress Hall
Known for Historic seaside hotel that began as a boarding house in 1816; Winter Wonderland each holiday season
200 Congress Place, Cape May, NJ 08204
More in Cape May · Also in Christmas in Cape May, NJ, Things to Do in Cape May, NJ, 12 Weekend Getaways From NYC, Each With a Historic Inn
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Cape May is the weekend most people mean when they say "a weekend at the shore." Congress Hall began as a boarding house in 1816 and was renovated in 2001. Today it's a grand yellow hotel facing the beach. It has the Blue Pig Tavern, the Brown Room, the Boiler Room downstairs and a Veranda Bar, plus its own Sea Spa, a pool, beach service and bikes for guests.
Day one: Bike the Victorian streets of the historic district, then take a long walk on the Promenade. Our things to do in Cape May guide has the full list.
Day two: Climb the Cape May Lighthouse at Cape May Point, then take a slow lunch in town. If you're staying longer, the Cape May–Lewes Ferry day trip makes a lovely third day.
If you'd rather stay somewhere smaller, our Cape May bed and breakfasts guide rounds up the classic porches. In December, see Cape May at Christmas.
Lambertville and New Hope: antiques on both banks
Lambertville House
Known for An 1812 coaching inn turned boutique hotel in the middle of Lambertville.
32 Bridge St, Lambertville, NJ 08530
- Wi-Fi
More in Lambertville · Also in 12 Weekend Getaways From NYC, Each With a Historic Inn
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Captain John Lambert opened Lambertville House as a coaching inn in 1812, and it's still on Bridge Street, a short walk from the Delaware. Select suites have gas fireplaces. Downstairs are Hadaka, an omakase restaurant, and the Lambertville House Bar, and the inn lists free Wi-Fi.
Day one: Wander Lambertville's antique shops and galleries, then walk the bridge to New Hope, Pennsylvania, for the other half of the town. See our Lambertville guide for the best stops.
Day two: Morning coffee, then a walk or bike ride on the D&R Canal towpath, which runs along the river through town.
Stockton and Frenchtown: the quiet end of the river
Stockton Inn
Known for A restored 1710 inn with a tavern, a small dining room and guest rooms with fireplaces.
1 S Main St, Stockton, NJ 08559
Also in 10 Romantic Getaways in NJ
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Stockton Inn dates to 1710 and was a speakeasy during Prohibition. It reopened in 2024 after sitting closed for more than seven years. There are nine rooms across the inn and two carriage houses, some with fireplaces. The Dog & Deer tavern has a raw bar, and there's a patio with a waterfall.
Day one: Visit Prallsville Mills, a ten-building mill complex on the National Register, and walk a stretch of the canal towpath beside it.
Day two: Drive or bike north to Frenchtown, a borough of about 1.3 square miles along the Delaware with galleries, specialty shops and a toll-free bridge to Pennsylvania. It hosts Riverfest and a Bastille Day celebration each year.
Spring Lake: the boardwalk without the noise
Chateau Inn & Suites
Known for A 36-room inn by Spring Lake's lake and park, with fireplaces in select rooms.
500 Warren Ave, Spring Lake, NJ 07762
- Wi-Fi
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Spring Lake's boardwalk runs about two miles with no arcades or shops, just ocean and two pavilions. That calm is the whole point of a weekend here. Chateau Inn & Suites sits by the town's lake and park, with 36 rooms and suites. Select rooms have wood-burning fireplaces and patios or balconies. The inn lists free Wi-Fi and parking and offers beach badges.
Day one: Walk the boardwalk in the morning, then circle Divine Park and the spring-fed lake the town is named for.
Day two: Browse the small downtown, or hop the North Jersey Coast Line one stop north to Belmar for a livelier afternoon.
Ocean Grove: porches and a pipe organ
Hotel Albatross
Known for A restored circa-1881 hotel on Ocean Pathway with 27 rooms, beach badges and bikes for guests.
34 Ocean Pathway, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Ocean Grove is a Victorian camp-meeting town founded in 1869, and the Hotel Albatross, built around 1881, sits on Ocean Pathway with a view toward the sea. It reopened in summer 2025 after a restoration and has 27 rooms, two of them suites, with the town's first hotel elevator. Guests get beach badges in season and free bikes. Ocean Grove is a dry town, so bring your own wine to dinner if you like.
Day one: Tour the 1894 Great Auditorium, home to a Hope-Jones pipe organ with more than 13,000 pipes. In summer, walk among the tent colony that rings it.
Day two: Walk the boardwalk north into Asbury Park for brunch, music and the Silverball Retro Arcade.
Asbury Park: music town by the sea
Asbury Ocean Club Hotel
Known for A 54-room oceanfront hotel with a spa, a pool terrace and The Drawing Room.
1101 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Also in 10 Romantic Getaways in NJ
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
If Ocean Grove is the quiet aunt, Asbury Park is the cousin with a guitar. The Asbury Ocean Club is a 54-room oceanfront hotel holding one MICHELIN Key. It has The Drawing Room, a pool and garden terrace, a spa and a yoga studio. Some lofts have 11-foot ceilings and private terraces.
Day one: Walk the boardwalk from Convention Hall to the Casino, then see a show. The Paramount Theatre and the Stone Pony are both in town.
Day two: Stroll south into Ocean Grove's Victorian streets, then take the NJ Transit train home from Asbury Park station.
Bay Head and Point Pleasant: a Victorian lady and a lively boardwalk
The Grenville Hotel & Restaurant
Known for An 1890 Victorian hotel and restaurant that calls itself the Grand Victorian Lady of the Jersey Shore.
345 Main Ave, Bay Head, NJ 08742
Also in 12 Weekend Getaways From NYC, Each With a Historic Inn
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Grenville was built in 1890 and calls itself the "Grand Victorian Lady of the Jersey Shore." It had Bay Head's first elevator, and it still has a restaurant on site. Rooms have private baths. Bay Head itself is small and residential, with a historic district of Shingle Style and Queen Anne houses, and it's the last stop on the North Jersey Coast Line.
Day one: Walk Bay Head's quiet beach and its historic streets.
Day two: Head just north to Point Pleasant Beach for Jenkinson's Aquarium, the boardwalk and the Manasquan Inlet.
Princeton: a college-town weekend
Nassau Inn
Known for Princeton's historic inn on Palmer Square, home of the Yankee Doodle Tap Room.
10 Palmer Square, Princeton, NJ 08542
More in Princeton
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Nassau Inn's original tavern was built in 1756 on Nassau Street, where the Committee of Safety met in 1775. The inn moved to Palmer Square in 1937. Its Yankee Doodle Tap Room has a Norman Rockwell mural from 1939, and there are Einstein and Rockwell suites.
Day one: Visit the free Princeton University Art Museum, which opened its new building in October 2025, then walk the campus. Our Princeton and Princeton coffee shops guides fill out the day.
Day two: Drive south to Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton. It has 42 acres of gardens and more than 300 sculptures, and you need a timed ticket booked ahead.
If you can't stay overnight, Haddonfield makes a lovely Princeton-style day trip in South Jersey. Take PATCO from Philadelphia to its downtown station, walk the King's Highway shops, and see where Hadrosaurus foulkii was found in 1858. We couldn't confirm an in-town inn currently taking guests, so we've left it off the overnight list for now.
Long Beach Island: barrier island, off-season calm
The Engleside Inn
Known for A family-owned, year-round beachfront hotel in Beach Haven with a pool and restaurant.
30 Engleside Ave, Beach Haven, NJ 08008
- Outdoor seating
More in Long Beach Island
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Engleside Inn is a family-owned beachfront hotel in Beach Haven, open year-round. It has 70 rooms, open hallways with ocean views, efficiencies and suites, and a lifeguarded pool. The restaurant and outdoor sandbar are open to the public. It offers free beach badges, and dogs are allowed from September 15 to May 15.
Day one: Walk the beach and Beach Haven's little downtown. Our things to do on Long Beach Island guide covers the whole island.
Day two: Drive up the island to Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and climb Old Barney if it's open, or walk the jetty walkway and the maritime forest trail.
Stone Harbor and Avalon: Seven Mile Island
The Reeds at Shelter Haven
Known for A year-round bayfront hotel in Stone Harbor with the Salt Spa and several restaurants.
9601 Third Ave, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247
Also in 10 Romantic Getaways in NJ
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Reeds at Shelter Haven is a year-round bayfront hotel. It carries on the name of the 1912 Shelter Haven Hotel and opened in 2013. It has the Salt Spa and several restaurants, including SAX Seafood & Steaks and Water Star Grille. Seating at some of them varies by season.
Day one: Browse Stone Harbor's walkable shopping streets, then walk out to Stone Harbor Point, a protected shorebird preserve.
Day two: Bike north to Avalon's dunes and boardwalk. The Wetlands Institute, just over the bridge, was reopening on fall and winter weekends from November 2026, so check its site.
Hope and Blairstown: Moravian stone and country roads
The Inn at Millrace Pond
Known for Guest rooms and event spaces in and around Hope's historic Moravian gristmill.
313 Johnsonburg Rd, Hope, NJ 07844
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Moravian settlers founded Hope in 1769, and the Inn at Millrace Pond occupies the village's old stone gristmill. It's now run by Frungillo Caterers and hosts many weddings, so check room availability for your dates early.
Day one: Walk Hope's small historic center and its stone buildings from the Moravian era.
Day two: Drive to Blairstown, whose Main Street appears in the 1980 film Friday the 13th, then continue to the Lakota Wolf Preserve near the Delaware Water Gap. Its guided tours must be reserved ahead.
Vernon and Sussex County: a mountain weekend
The Appalachian at Mountain Creek
Known for Slopeside studios and suites with fireplaces and kitchens, plus a year-round heated pool.
200 Route 94, Vernon, NJ 07462
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The Appalachian is a slopeside condo-hotel at Mountain Creek, with studio to two-bedroom units that have fireplaces and kitchens. A heated outdoor pool and hot tubs are open year-round, along with a fire pit and a market and bar called Jack & Otto's. Garage parking is heated, which matters in a Sussex winter.
Day one: Ski in winter. The rest of the year, use the resort as a base for the hills.
Day two: Drive south to the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg for the underground tour and the glowing Rainbow Tunnel. From September 2026 to June 2027, mine tours run on weekends only. For more trails nearby, see our NJ hikes.
Planning tips
- Book early for summer and October. Shore inns and river-town rooms fill first, and many have minimum stays on weekends.
- Check seasonal openings. Lighthouse climbs, tours and some restaurants scale back in winter.
- Pack for walking. Every plan here is built around a walkable center.
- Cross the state line. The same slow pace works just over the border: things to do in Lancaster, PA for Amish country, things to do in Jim Thorpe for a gorge train and a Victorian main street, or things to do in Mystic, CT for a seaport weekend.
Want more ideas? Browse things to do in New Jersey by region, compare Jersey Shore towns, or plan something slower with our romantic getaways. In December, many of these towns light up; see Christmas lights and Christmas markets.
Every place in this guide, on the map
- Congress Hall200 Congress Place, Cape May, NJ 08204
- Lambertville House32 Bridge St, Lambertville, NJ 08530
- Stockton Inn1 S Main St, Stockton, NJ 08559
- Chateau Inn & Suites500 Warren Ave, Spring Lake, NJ 07762
- Hotel Albatross34 Ocean Pathway, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
- Asbury Ocean Club Hotel1101 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
- The Grenville Hotel & Restaurant345 Main Ave, Bay Head, NJ 08742
- Nassau Inn10 Palmer Square, Princeton, NJ 08542
- The Engleside Inn30 Engleside Ave, Beach Haven, NJ 08008
- The Reeds at Shelter Haven9601 Third Ave, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247
- The Inn at Millrace Pond313 Johnsonburg Rd, Hope, NJ 07844
- The Appalachian at Mountain Creek200 Route 94, Vernon, NJ 07462
Questions people ask
Where should I go in New Jersey for a weekend getaway?
It depends on the mood. For a Victorian beach town, go to Cape May, Ocean Grove or Spring Lake. For antiques and river walks, try Lambertville and Stockton on the Delaware. Princeton suits museum lovers, and Vernon or Hope suit anyone after mountains and quiet. Each has a historic inn or hotel within walking distance of the main street.
Can I take a weekend getaway in NJ without a car?
Yes. NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line stops at Asbury Park, Spring Lake, Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head, all walkable shore towns, and Ocean Grove is next door to Asbury Park. Princeton is a short ride on the Dinky from Princeton Junction on the Northeast Corridor. Cape May and LBI are much easier with a car.
What is the most romantic weekend getaway in New Jersey?
Couples often pick Cape May for its Victorian streets and adults-only Virginia Hotel, Lambertville and Stockton for river walks and fireplaces, or Crystal Springs in Sussex County for a spa weekend. Our romantic getaways guide covers ten couple-friendly escapes, including wineries and inns with spas.
When is the best time for a weekend getaway in New Jersey?
September and October are hard to beat. The shore stays warm and calm after Labor Day, and the Delaware River towns and Sussex County turn gold with foliage. Spring is lovely for gardens and lower inn demand. In summer, shore inns book up early, so reserve well ahead and check minimum-stay rules on each inn's site.
Are there weekend getaways from NJ that stay close to home?
Most of these trips are under two hours from North Jersey, New York City or Philadelphia. Lambertville is next to New Hope, Pennsylvania, across a walkable bridge, so it feels like two towns in one weekend. Ocean Grove and Asbury Park are reachable by train from New York.
Spot something out of date, or know a place we should add? Tell us. Corrections are read first.
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