5 Days in Aruba: The Perfect Aruba Itinerary

Need a planning guide for 5 days in Aruba? After going through travel withdrawals and A LOT of research, I finally built up the courage to spend five days in Aruba. This was my first international trip since visiting Lisbon this year, and I was very nervous.

With the fear of being travel shamed, I honestly wasn’t going to tell anyone, but as my trip approached, I felt it would be a disservice not to share my experience.

Aruba, also known as “One Happy Island,” is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, turquoise waters, perfect weather, and year-round sunshine. With its perfect blend of relaxation and adventure, the island of Aruba is a popular destination and offers many experiences for every type of traveler.

I did a quick Q&A in my Instagram stories, but if you missed it, here is a complete Aruba travel guide for spending five days on the island. This guide will share the best things to do in Aruba, where to stay, cultural experiences, and practical tips.

Things to know when traveling to Aruba =Palm Beach Aruba — Enjoying our first Day in Aruba on Palm Beach

Frequently Asked Questions About 5 Days in Aruba

Find answers to common questions about planning a 5-day Aruba itinerary, including the best things to do, where to stay, transportation, and travel tips.

Yes. Five days in Aruba was more than enough time for us. The island is small, so you can see the highlights without rushing: a day in downtown Oranjestad, a private island day on Renaissance or De Palm Island, a Jeep tour through Arikok National Park to the caves and the Natural Pool, an afternoon in San Nicolas and at Baby Beach, and a full beach day on Eagle or Palm Beach. If you want more downtime at the resort, or plan to dive or snorkel a lot, a week gives you room to slow down.

Not necessarily. We didn’t rent a car and got around easily with the Arubus public bus and taxis. The bus runs along the Palm Beach–Oranjestad strip and goes as far as San Nicolas and Baby Beach, and a one-way ride is about $2.60. Taxis don’t use meters. Fares are fixed by zone, so you’ll know the price before you get in. There’s no Uber or Lyft.
A rental car is worth it if you want to explore the quieter beaches and the island’s rugged north coast at your own pace. Just know that a regular car can’t make it to the Natural Pool. You’ll need a 4×4 or a Jeep tour like the one we did with ABC Tours Aruba.

The best things to do in Aruba include sunset sailing off Palm Beach, seeing the flamingos on Renaissance Island, a Jeep tour through Arikok National Park to the caves and the Natural Pool, the street art in San Nicolas, a day at Baby Beach, and shopping and eating in downtown Oranjestad.

Yes. You’ll need a passport that’s valid for your entire stay, plus an approved online ED card (Embarkation-Disembarkation card) for every traveler, including kids. You can only fill it out within 7 days before your trip, and most visitors pay a $20 sustainability fee by credit card when they do. Use the official site as copycat sites charge extra.

No. There’s no Uber or Lyft in Aruba. Taxis don’t use meters. Fares are fixed by zone and charged per car, not per person. We used taxis and the Arubus public bus, which runs along the Palm Beach–Oranjestad strip and accepts US dollars.

Yes. The official currency is the Aruban florin, but US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, including at hotels, restaurants, taxis and on the bus. You might get change back in florins. Carry small bills for taxis, tips and food trucks.

April to August gives you the best mix of lower hotel prices and great weather. January to March is perfect for a winter escape but expensive, and September and October are the cheapest months but very hot. Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt, so storms are rare.

On Flamingo Beach at Renaissance Island. It’s free for guests of the Renaissance hotel. Everyone else needs a day pass, which includes a meal and a drink.

Stay on Palm Beach if you want restaurants, water sports and nightlife within walking distance. That’s where we stayed. Choose Eagle Beach if you want a wider, quieter beach with low-rise hotels. They’re only about 10 minutes apart, so it’s easy to stay at one and visit the other.

Traveling to Aruba from the US

Aruba is located just a short flight away from the United States. Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA is the airport code for Aruba) offers direct flight service from major cities in North America and Europe. The flight time from NYC was 4 1/2-5 hours.

Best Time of Year for Traveling to Aruba

Like all Caribbean islands, Aruba has a dry and rainy season. Average temperatures range from 75°F (24°C) to 88°F (31°C), and the best time to visit is April to August. This is the time of year when hotel prices are low and temperatures are moderate. Due to its location outside the hurricane belt, Aruba doesn’t get threats from hurricanes and tropical storms.

The weather from January to March is great for a winter escape, but hotel and lodging area prices are very high. If you’re a budget traveler, prices are the cheapest in September and October, but the weather is extremely hot.

Where to Stay in Aruba

Choosing the right place to stay is essential for a memorable vacation experience. There is no shortage of accommodation options to suit every traveler’s preferences and budget. From luxurious beachfront resorts to cozy boutique hotels, Aruba offers a range of options that promise comfort, convenience, and hospitality.

We spent our 5 days in Aruba at the Holiday Inn Resort Aruba, a beach-front property in the Palm Beach area close to restaurants, shops, water sports, and nightlife. We also visited The Renaissance Resort and the Divi Aruba Phoenix, which are also beach-front properties.

Click the interactive map that shares accommodations with budget to luxury options.

where to stay in Aruba Holiday Inn Resort Aruba pool area — Holiday Inn Aruba Pool

Getting Around Aruba

Getting around Aruba is fairly easy. You can rent a car, take a taxi, or use public transportation. During our five days in Aruba, we used a combination of public transportation and taxis. Here’s how each one works and when it makes sense.

Taxis

Taxis wait outside the airport, the cruise terminal, downtown Oranjestad and the big Palm Beach resorts. At smaller hotels or after dinner, the front desk or restaurant can call one for you. Aruba’s taxis don’t have meters. The government sets fixed fares by zone, licensed cabs display a QR code that links to the official rate sheet, and the price is per car for up to four people, not per person. There’s a small surcharge at night, on Sundays and on holidays. Most drivers take US dollars, so carry small bills, since change for large notes can be hard to come by.

The Arubus

The Arubus public bus is the cheapest way to get around. We took it from our hotel into downtown Oranjestad. Routes run along the hotel strip between Palm Beach, Eagle Beach and Oranjestad, and continue south to San Nicolas and Baby Beach. A one-way ticket is 4.50 florins (about $2.60), a round trip is 8.75 florins, and a day pass is 26.25 florins. You can pay the driver in cash with US dollars or florins.

Renting a Car

A rental car gives you the most freedom, especially if you want to visit quieter beaches, the rugged north coast or Arikok National Park on your own schedule. Baby Beach is about a 40–45 minute drive from the Palm Beach hotels. If the Natural Pool is on your list, a regular rental won’t get you there. You’ll need a 4×4 or a guided Jeep tour.

Tours with Hotel Pickup

If you’d rather not drive, many tours pick you up at your hotel. We booked a private Jeep tour with ABC Tours Aruba for Arikok National Park, the caves and the Natural Pool. It was the easiest way to see the rougher parts of the island without renting a 4×4.

Tip: If you’re staying on Palm Beach or Eagle Beach and mostly plan to beach-hop, eat out and take a tour or two, you can skip the rental and use the bus and taxis. If you want to explore the whole island on your own time, rent a car for a day or two instead of the whole trip.

5 Days in Aruba: Best Places to Visit in Aruba

5 days in Aruba was more than enough time to find things to do around the small island. Aruba is known for its gorgeous beaches but is geographically a desert island. Here are the best things to do in Noord Aruba, around the island, and activities we were able to do on our extended holiday weekend trip.

Day 1: Downtown Oranjestad and a sunset sail from Palm Beach

We took the bus from our hotel to Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba. Here, you can explore on your own or learn about the city from a tour guide. Oranjestad also has tons of local and luxury stores for shopping.

What to do in downtown Oranjestad, Aruba — Exploring downtown Oranjestad, Aruba

Our sunset cruise with Jolly Pirate was within walking distance from our hotel. It sailed from Palm Beach to Eagle Beach, and cruisers enjoyed the views, music, and unlimited alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. Jumping off the boat for a nice swim is optional.

Jolly Pirate Sunset Sail Aruba — Jolly Pirate Sunset Sail

Day 2: San Nicolas and Baby Beach

San Nicolas is Aruba’s second-largest city and old capital, offering historic buildings, shops, restaurants, and bars. If you’re a fan of street art, there are a number of art murals here to view.

Spend the Afternoon at Baby Beach

On the southeastern tip of the island, about 40–45 minutes from the Palm Beach hotels, Baby Beach is a half-moon lagoon protected by a rocky breakwater. The water stays calm and about waist-deep for a long way out, which makes it one of the best beaches in Aruba for easy swimming and first-time snorkelers. The fish hang out along the rocky edges near the breakwater. Just stay inside the marked snorkel area, because the current gets strong where the lagoon opens to the sea, and there aren’t always lifeguards on duty.

Get there in the morning if you want one of the free palapa huts, since there’s very little natural shade and they go fast. Big Mama Grill and Rum Reef are right on the beach for lunch and drinks. Bring cash for chair rentals and the small restroom fee. Baby Beach is just past San Nicolas, so it pairs perfectly with a morning of street art and murals.

Day 3: A Private Island Day (Renaissance Island or De Palm Island)

Aruba has two private islands: Renaissance Island and De Palm Island.

To visit the famous wild flamingos in Aruba, you have to visit Flamingo Beach on Renaissance Island. Flamingo Beach is one of the island’s most popular places to visit. Here, you can rent private cabanas, feed the flamingos, and take pictures for social media.

If you’re a guest at the Renaissance Hotel, visiting the island is free. If you’re not a guest at the resort, you can purchase a day pass, which includes a meal and a drink.

De Palm Island is great for families and individuals looking for an adventure in Aruba, offering Seatrekking, SNUBA (a combination of snorkeling and scuba diving), zip-lining, and other water activities.

Day 4: Arikok National Park, Fontein and Guadirikiri caves, and the Conchi Natural Pool

20% of Aruba is designated to the National Park. Arikok National Park is home to home to various species and plant life indigenous to the island.

We took a private Jeep Tour with ABC Tours Aruba, which included several stops within the National Park, such as Moro, Boca Prins, and Dos Playa. If you rent a car, you can spend a few days exploring the park or do it in one day.

Fontein Cave and Guadirikiri Cave are within Arikok National Park. The caves include markings left by the Caquetio Indigenous people and quartz and limestone formations.

Conchi Natural Pool is a swimming hole protected by a wall of volcanic rock. Due to the rough terrain leading to the pool, visitors are encouraged to take a Jeep Safari.

Day 5: Beach Day at Eagle Beach or Palm Beach

End your 5 days in a Aruba with a full beach day. You can’t go wrong with either of the island’s two most famous beaches. They’re on the same stretch of coast, only about 10 minutes apart, but they feel completely different.

Palm Beach is where we stayed, and it’s the lively one: about two miles of calm, shallow water lined with high-rise resorts, beach bars, piers and water sports.

Eagle Beach is the quieter, wider option. The low-rise hotels sit back across the road, so there’s more open sand and far fewer vendors. It’s also where you’ll find Aruba’s famous fofoti trees, the wind-bent trees you’ve seen in every Aruba photo (they’re often mistaken for divi-divi trees). Sea turtles nest here from March to November, so give the trees and marked nests their space.

My pick: If you’re staying on Palm Beach, take a quick taxi or bus to Eagle Beach in the morning while it’s still quiet, take your photos at the fofoti trees, and come back to Palm Beach for lunch, water sports and one last sunset.

What to Eat in Aruba

Aruba is a very diverse country that offers a variety of food from traditional Dutch to Asian, African, Italian, American, and more. The best restaurants on the island offer fresh local seafood.

To try traditional Aruban cuisines, order pan bati (cornmeal pancake) or Aruba’s National Dish keshi yena (stuffed cheese) with papaya hot sauce. Visit local food trucks, known as “trucks di pan,” for traditional Aruban snacks like pastechi (fried pastries) and batidos (fruit smoothies).

The majority of restaurants in Aruba are in Palm Beach and downtown Oranjestad.

We dined at several restaurants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including Iguana Cantina, Moomba Beach Bar & Restaurant, The Pelican Nest Seafood Grill, The Dutch Pancake House, Che Bar, and Chillout Island.

Our favorite place to eat was Eduardo’s Beach Shack, which has the BEST smoothies, açai bowls, and poke bowls.

açai bowl from Eduardo's — açai bowl from Eduardo’s

vegan tacos at Eduardo's Beach shack — Vegan tacos from Eduardo’s

Aruba Safety Tips

Aruba is a perfect destination for travelers concerned about safety, but it’s always important to be aware of your surroundings.

Stay hydrated and protect your skin from the sun by wearing sunscreen. Carry cash for small purchases, but most establishments accept credit cards.

Tap water in Aruba is safe to drink, but consider using a reusable water bottle to reduce plastic waste.

social distance on vacation + aruba in 5 days — How to social distance on vacation

Whether you're seeking relaxation, adventure, or a little bit of both, Aruba is a tropical paradise that caters to all types of travelers.

From breathtaking beaches and vibrant culture to outdoor adventures and culinary delights, Aruba is the perfect place for a pleasant vacation.

Embrace the warmth of the Caribbean Sea and Aruban hospitality, explore the natural wonders, and create memories that will last a lifetime. So, pack your bathing suit, embrace the warm island vibes, and get ready to experience the magic in the "One Happy Island" that is Aruba.