Start at the King Neptune statue, at 31st Street and the boardwalk.
The 34-foot bronze king rises over Neptune's Park, trident in hand — the resort's meeting point and most photographed resident. Hotels and stages run north and south from here.
Virginia Beach: your first hour after landing
You have just landed at Norfolk International, 17 miles from a beach city with no airport of its own — three miles of boardwalk, a 34-foot King Neptune, Lynnhaven oysters and Navy jets overhead. This guide covers the ORF ride in and its real fares, where to sleep from the 1927 Cavalier to an all-suite boardwalk bargain, the 15% plus US$2 tax stack, the first crab cake, and the boardwalk, inlet and ghost walks that fill day two.
In this guide
Airport to your accommodation
Getting around
Getting connected and paying
Settle in
Where to stay
Where to stay your first nights
Where to eat first
Where to eat first
See and do
Day trips and more
Costs and best time
When to go and what it costs
Packing
What to pack
Related destinations
Related destinations
The short version
You just landed in Virginia Beach. There is no airport in the city — Norfolk International sits 17 miles west, about 25 minutes by taxi or rideshare down I-264 — with an Airalo eSIM live for maps and ride apps, 15% plus US$2 a night in lodging taxes to price into every oceanfront rate, and the boardwalk, inlet and First Landing days that fill first worth booking ahead through GetYourGuide.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through one, After You Land may earn a commission — at no extra cost to you.
Quick facts
Airport
No airport in the city Norfolk International (ORF), about 17 miles west in Norfolk — ORF is the gateway: about 25 minutes by road to the oceanfront. Newport News and Williamsburg (PHF), about 44 miles and an hour away, is the smaller alternative.
Getting in
Taxi about US$50 to 65, rideshare similar, HRT buses from about US$2 with changes, about 25 minutes by road There is no rail link and no direct airport bus to the beach. Taxis, Uber and Lyft run door to door; Hampton Roads Transit buses are the budget route at the cost of time.
Currency
US dollar (USD) Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry small bills for tips, boardwalk vendors and parking meters.
Languages
English Hotel and attraction staff work in English; Spanish is the commonest second language in shops and kitchens.
Time zone
Eastern Time UTC-5, UTC-4 in daylight time — Virginia changes its clocks in March and November; October arrivals are still on daylight time until the first Sunday of November.
Emergency
911 for police, ambulance and fire anywhere in the United States For non-emergencies, Virginia Beach police run a separate line; hotels will dial it for you.
Plugs
Type A and Type B sockets, 120 volts North American plugs fit directly; British and European plugs need an adapter.
Tap water
Safe to drink in Virginia Beach the city supply is treated and locals drink it — Refill before boardwalk and First Landing days; beach showers and fountains line the resort area in season.
Tourist tax
15% on oceanfront rooms plus US$2 a night 9% city transient occupancy tax plus 6% Virginia sales tax — The 6% is 4.3% state, 1% local and 0.7% Hampton Roads regional tax. Sandbridge, in its special service district, pays 10.5% city tax instead of 9%, for 16.5% plus the US$2. One older listing shows the city tax at 8% — the city's own lodging-tax page says 9%, and this guide prints 9%.
Best months
May to June and September to October warm sea, thinner crowds, festival season — July and August are hottest and busiest. Late September brings the Neptune Festival; October is shoulder season, with mild days and falling room rates.
Map
Find your arrival stop, hotel, and first meal. Stays, sights, and landmarks in Virginia Beach — live hotel prices plus the key places from this guide.
Map not loading? Open the map directly ↗
Settle in
Touch down at Norfolk International and treat the first hour as admin
The airport sits 17 miles west of the beach, and the ride in is the part to sort before you land.
Set up data before you leave home
An Airalo eSIM loads in minutes, so maps and ride apps work from the arrivals hall. For a longer US trip, compare Saily and Yesim.
The arrival checklist, in order
Keep your ride booked or the taxi rank in mind — there is no train and no direct bus waiting outside arrivals.
Keep a card handy
Oceanfront rooms carry 15% tax plus US$2 a night on top of the quoted rate.
Expect jet noise at the north end
Naval Air Station Oceana flies over the resort area, and locals barely look up.
If a delayed or cancelled flight wrecked the arrival
AirHelp checks whether the airline owes you compensation.
Getting around
Journey times are approximate and refer to the listed stop — not necessarily your hotel. Allow extra time for waiting, walking, and connections.
In a hurry? Taxi is the fastest option listed, at about 25 min.
Watching the budget? HRT bus is the cheapest option listed, at US$2.
Heavy bags, a group, or a late arrival? Taxi takes you door to door — about US$55, about 25 min.
Taxi
The rank sits outside ORF arrivals; metered and flat estimates to the oceanfront cluster at US$50 to 65; the ride runs I-264 east and takes about 25 minutes off-peak
Priceabout US$55Journeyabout 25 min
Rideshare with Uber or Lyft
Uber and Lyft pick up at ORF's rideshare area; the price is quoted in the app before you ride and surges on summer weekends and after events
Priceabout US$50Journeyabout 25 min
HRT bus
Hampton Roads Transit buses from the airport area with a change onto the oceanfront routes; the honest budget ride, but plan on changes and the best part of 90 minutes with bags
PriceUS$2Journeyabout 90 min
Rental car
Counters at ORF, then I-264 east; a car earns its keep for Sandbridge, Back Bay and First Landing — oceanfront hotels charge for parking, so price that in
Pricefrom US$45 a dayJourneyabout 25 min
Virginia Beach has no airport of its own: every flight lands at Norfolk International (ORF), about 17 miles west, and the oceanfront run down I-264 is the arrival that matters. The rides in from ORF:
Choose a taxi or rideshare first time — per car, they beat juggling buses with bags. The HRT bus is the honest budget option at about US$2, with changes and 90 minutes. A car earns its keep for Sandbridge and First Landing, not the boardwalk.
Prefer to be met? A Kiwitaxi transfer or a Welcome Pickups driver puts a name board in arrivals at a fixed price. Driving, price the pickup on AutoEurope first.
In town, the resort area walks and cycles well: the boardwalk runs about 3 miles from 2nd to 40th Street with a separate bike path. HRT buses run along Atlantic and Pacific Avenues, and a free seasonal trolley loops the oceanfront in summer. PHF, about 44 miles northwest, is the alternative gateway — about an hour by road, with fewer flights.
In the city
Walk or cycle the boardwalk end to end.
Three miles of promenade from 2nd to 40th Street, a separate bike path, stages at 7th, 17th, 24th and 31st Streets, and ramps down to a very wide beach. Go early for sunrise.
Cross to the ViBe Creative District, two blocks inland.
Murals, galleries and coffee roasters around 18th and 19th Streets, with the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art at its edge — the oceanfront's local counterweight.
End the day at Rudee Inlet, at the boardwalk's south end.
Watch the charter fleet come in, then eat dockside. Browse GetYourGuide for the water days below, comparing Klook when stacking activities.
After you land in Virginia Beach: Bookable experiences
Where to stay your first nights
Splurge
The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, Autograph Collection.
Best for the grand historic splurge — the restored 1927 landmark across from its private Beach ClubSleep at 4200 Atlantic Avenue, across from its private Beach Club — the restored 1927 landmark: 85 rooms and suites, the Becca restaurant, a spa and a bourbon bar. Book it for the grand, historic version of the city.
Mid-range
Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Best for full-service oceanfront by Neptune's Park — rooftop infinity pool and Catch 31 seafoodStay at 3001 Atlantic Avenue beside Neptune's Park — 289 rooms in a 21-story tower: a rooftop infinity pool, Catch 31 seafood and balconies over the boardwalk. Book it for full-service oceanfront.
Budget
Comfort Suites Beachfront.
Best for budget space on the boardwalk — every room an oceanfront suite, hot breakfast includedBed down at 2321 Atlantic Avenue on the boardwalk — every room a one-bedroom oceanfront suite with a balcony, a living room and free hot breakfast. Book it for space and value mid-strip.
Base on the oceanfront on a first visit — boardwalk, beach and stages at your door. The North End, beyond 40th Street, is quieter and residential; Sandbridge, 20 minutes south, is houses, not hotels.
Book ahead for summer weekends and the Neptune Festival in late September, when the oceanfront fills. Price the tax stack into every rate: 15% plus US$2 a night outside Sandbridge.
Where to eat first
Eat seafood, then eat it again: Lynnhaven oysters, blue crab and whatever the Rudee fleet landed. Three first stops:
Waterman's Surfside Grille, on Atlantic Avenue at the south end.
Map → Eat orange crushes and crab cakes on the deck of an institution since 1981 — she-crab soup first. Go at sunset; it fills fast.
Tautog's Restaurant, on 23rd Street in the ViBe district.
Map → Dine in a 1927 cottage a block off the beach — seasonal fish, oysters and a porch made for slow evenings. It is the locals' answer to the boardwalk fry shops.
Blue Pete's, down in Pungo, the rural south of the city.
Map → Drive 20 minutes inland for crab and creek views at a marsh-side landmark. Start with the she-crab soup.
For food tours and oyster crawls, browse the Virginia Beach listings on GetYourGuide and book a slot for your first free evening.
Order this
- the she-crab soup. She-crab soup first at Waterman's Surfside Grille, the institution since 1981 at the south end of Atlantic Avenue.
- the crab cakes. With orange crushes on Waterman's deck — go at sunset, it fills fast.
- the Lynnhaven oysters. Lynnhaven oysters head the first order, with blue crab and whatever the Rudee fleet landed.
Day trips and more
Three bookings cover the essentials: the boardwalk's story, an inlet cruise, and the haunted after-dark walk. All three run in Virginia Beach itself — the Norfolk combo on the same hub was excluded, and Sources says why.
Virginia Beach Boardwalk historian-guided tour
One hour with a professional historian: the historic hotels, monuments and churches of the boardwalk, and how a 20th-century beach culture grew on this sand. Rated 4.5 from recent reviews. From about US$19. Check availability →
Virginia Beach Lynnhaven tiki tour
Cruise the Lynnhaven inlet from the boat ramp: hidden sandbars, sunny coves and dolphins alongside, with coolers of water, soda and juice on board and a bring-your-own option for the rest. From the hub listing — see Sources. Check availability →
Buried Beneath the Boardwalk ghost tour
One hour after dark, rated 4.2 from 35 reviews: the Surf and Rescue Museum, the ghosts of the 1891 shipwreck, and the sirens, pirates and witches of local legend, walked with a local guide. From about US$24. Check availability →
DIY instead: First Landing State Park, where colonists first came ashore in 1607, fills a day with cypress trails and a bay beach; the Cape Henry lighthouses stand at the north tip, inside Fort Story.
When to go and what it costs
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Be honest about the seasons: this is a summer resort with a long, gentle shoulder. June to August is the full show — warm Atlantic, nightly music, the highest rates. May and September to October are the sweet spot: swimmable water, mild days, and the Neptune Festival closing September across 35 boardwalk blocks. Winter is calm, cheap and bracing.
Budget in dollars. An HRT bus ride is about US$2; a crab-cake dinner with a crush sits around US$30 to 45.
A backpacker on trolley buses and boardwalk lunches: US$70 to 95 a day. Mid-range — an oceanfront suite, a seafood dinner, one guided day: US$190 to 260 a day. A splurge day at the Cavalier passes US$450, most of it the room.
What to pack
Tap items to check them off — your list is saved on this device.
Pack for a walking beach city with real sun and a sea breeze that turns cool after dark. This is the full list:
- Shop walking shoes on Amazon →
- Shop sunscreen on Amazon →
- Shop water bottle on Amazon →
- Shop power bank on Amazon →
- Shop daypack on Amazon →
- Shop sunglasses on Amazon →
- Shop rain jacket on Amazon →
Add the Virginia Beach extras: a fast-drying swimsuit, a warm layer for October evenings, and reef-safe sunscreen for inlet days.
Language, visa and entry
! Check visa requirements before you fly
English runs everything, in a Tidewater accent shaped by the Navy and the beach trade. Resort City meets fleet town: NAS Oceana's jets overhead, surf shops on Atlantic Avenue, and pride in the 1607 first landing.
Sort entry paperwork before anything non-refundable. US citizens need only normal ID for domestic flights. Visa Waiver Program nationals — most British, European, Japanese and Australian visitors among them — enter with an ESTA, US$40.62 for an approved application since 16 October 2026, for stays up to 90 days; apply only through the official CBP site, at least 72 hours ahead. Everyone else generally needs a B-1/B-2 visa arranged before travel.
Formalities happen at your port of entry, usually a hub before ORF: passport control, customs, then a domestic hop. Keep proof of onward travel and your hotel address on your phone.
Safety and health
Respect the rip currents
They are the real hazard on this coast: swim near a lifeguard, read the flag and the posted warnings, and if a current pulls you out, swim parallel to the beach until it releases, then angle in. Never fight it straight back to shore.
Take the sun and the heat seriously
The beach offers almost no shade and summer humidity pushes heat indexes past 100°F. Hydrate, reapply sunscreen after every swim, and shade-hop at midday.
Share the boardwalk with care
Cyclists, surreys and walkers split the promenade and bike path: keep to the walking side, look both ways crossing the bike lane, and use lit blocks late. Lock bikes.
Know the water rules and the number
Alcohol is banned on the public beach, lifeguard hours shrink after Labor Day, and October swimming is unguarded at most stands. For anything serious, dial 911; the oceanfront has a resort-area police precinct and seasonal first-aid stations.
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The AmericasFrequently asked questions
The airport run, the tax stack and the rip currents, in short.
Transfers checked against ORF route data and taxi estimates, lodging tax against the City of Virginia Beach lodging-tax page, and ESTA against CBP Federal Register reporting, October 2026.
There is no airport in Virginia Beach itself. Fly to Norfolk International (ORF), about 17 miles west: a taxi or rideshare reaches the oceanfront in about 25 minutes for roughly US$50 to 65. Hampton Roads Transit buses cost about US$2 but take around 90 minutes with changes. Newport News and Williamsburg (PHF) is the smaller alternative, about an hour away.
Oceanfront rooms carry 15% in percentage taxes plus a flat US$2 per night: a 9% City of Virginia Beach transient occupancy tax plus 6% Virginia sales tax (4.3% state, 1% local and 0.7% Hampton Roads regional). In Sandbridge the city tax is 10.5% instead of 9%, for 16.5% plus the US$2. Older listings still showing an 8% city tax are out of date against the city's own lodging-tax page.
May to June and September to October: warm sea, mild days and thinner crowds. The Neptune Festival closes September with sand sculpting and concerts along the boardwalk. July and August are the full summer show at the highest rates; winter is quiet, cheap and bracing.
Only near a lifeguard and never against a rip current. Read the flags and posted warnings; if a current pulls you out, swim parallel to the beach until it releases, then angle back in. Lifeguard cover shrinks after Labor Day and most October swimming is unguarded.
US citizens need only normal ID for domestic flights. Visa Waiver Program nationals enter with an ESTA — US$40.62 for an approved application since 16 October 2026, for stays up to 90 days, applied for through the official CBP site at least 72 hours ahead. Everyone else generally needs a B-1/B-2 visa arranged before travel.
Yes — expect it, mainly at the North End near 42nd Street. Naval Air Station Oceana, the Navy's East Coast master jet base, sits inside the city, and its jets pass over the resort area on training routes. Locals call it the Sound of Freedom; light sleepers should book mid-boardwalk rooms and pack earplugs.
Fares change — the airport, Hampton Roads Transit and your ride app always win.
Virginia Beach, Saved for After You Land
Landing soon? Get the printable PDF — the essentials from this guide, formatted for your phone:
- The airport transport cheat sheet, with ticket links
- Our 3 restaurant picks, with maps
- The packing checklist
One email with your Virginia Beach PDF (guide version: Oct 2026). Fare changes and new guides after that. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Sources and last verified
Airport: ORF is about 17 miles and 25 minutes from the oceanfront (road distance 17.1 miles); taxi estimates cluster at US$50 to 65, printed here as about US$55. PHF is about 44 miles and an hour away — sources split between 40 and 44 miles by route. Lodging tax against the city's lodging-tax page (vb311): 9% city tax plus 6% sales tax plus US$2 a night outside Sandbridge; 10.5% plus 6% plus US$2 inside Sandbridge. Conflict printed: some hotel and tax-study listings still show the city tax at 8% (14% in total with the US$2) — the city's current page says 9%, for 15% plus US$2, and this guide follows the city. The 6% is 4.3% state, 1% local and 0.7% Hampton Roads regional. Boardwalk: about 3 miles, 2nd to 40th Street; King Neptune is 34 feet in city and festival sources — one retail listing says 24 feet, and the guide prints 34. Neptune Festival: last weekend of September, about 35 blocks. ESTA at US$40.62 from 16 October 2026 against CBP Federal Register reporting. GetYourGuide hub virginia-beach-l32304 opened and heading-verified as Virginia Beach; the historian tour (t1101698, US$19) and ghost tour (t401764, US$24) were opened and read; the tiki tour (t1198640) is from the opened hub listing and is flagged hub-listed here. The hub's Norfolk zoo and Battleship Wisconsin combo was excluded as a Norfolk product. Hotels: Hilton Expedia page opened and read (h1155964; 3001 Atlantic Avenue, 289 rooms); the Cavalier (4200 Atlantic Avenue) and Comfort Suites Beachfront (2321 Atlantic Avenue) were verified on the properties' own channels — their Expedia URLs stay empty pending the confirmation pass. Photo credits as in the guide data. Last verified October 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: hotel names, transfers, experiences, and products linked in this guide may earn After You Land a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and times were checked in Oct 2026 and change often — confirm before you book.