How to Spend a Weekend in Ocean City

If you’re wondering what to put on your Ocean City bucket list, this guide will show you how to get the most out your stay and enjoy a magical weekend in Ocean City.

Friday Evening

Start your 72 hours in Ocean City by checking into the Lighthouse Club Hotel, a plush boutique hotel offering bay views and an outdoor pool. Book a room with a Jacuzzi and a balcony, and you’ll have the perfect spot for unwinding in style.

After checking in, head out for a taste of Maryland’s famous crab. The Original Greene Turtle is a long-standing institution offering a range of crab dishes, including mammoth handmade crab cakes, and crab dip served with warm pretzel sticks. Its easy-going vibe makes it the ideal venue for wading into Ocean City’s nightlife, and no trip is complete without sampling an Orange Crush – a regional favorite combining orange vodka and triple sec.

After dinner, hit the boardwalk and cut loose at the Purple Moose Saloon, a lively bar popular with locals. The Purple Moose offers high-energy rock bands, DJs, and signature drinks in a rough-and-tumble atmosphere.

Saturday Morning

Kick off your Saturday morning with a jaunt to Coastal Coffee Roastery, the only roastery in the county. Coastal offers cold brews and its own supercharged Boardwalk Blend. After a cup of joe, head to the funky Barn 34 for an order of Portabella Benedict or a crab omelette.

Fueled by a hearty breakfast, you’re ready for something special. Book a cruise to explore the backcountry of Assateague Island, an idyllic, salt-licked land populated by wild horses and snowy egrets. You can rent a kayak, hike the maritime forests, or take a breezy bike ride along Bayberry Drive. Don’t forget the camera, as this is a prime spot for snapping some unforgettable wildlife pics.

The salt in your hair and the sand in your shoes won’t be a problem if you grab lunch at Bull on the Beach, a relaxed restaurant that’s a throwback to the summers of yore, when secret recipes were closely guarded and open-pit BBQ was an art form.

Saturday Evening

Theater-lovers should check the schedule for the Performing Arts Center, a modern venue offering everything from opera and Rat Pack tributes to the latest musicals. If you’re traveling with a family, than spend Saturday Night strolling the iconic 2-mile wooden boardwalk, where you can hop on the country’s oldest continuously operating carousel, catch a magic show, take in the views from the Ferris wheel, or go head-to-head in a go-kart race.

Diners looking to add a splash of spice to their dinner should head to Jamaica, USA, a sprawling bayfront property with a Caribbean restaurant, a distillery, a beach stage, and a tiki bar.  Chow down on a ribeye, and then catch a band or work up a sweat in the neon-soaked nightclub. For something a little more intimate, dig into the delectable scallops maitre d’ hotel at Ristorante Antipasti, an acclaimed Italian restaurant boasting warm hospitality and old-world charm.

Sunday Morning

With only 24 hours in Ocean City left, there’s no time to sleep in. Sea Bay Café is open from 7 am, and the modest, family-run restaurant slings classic dishes like sweet potato waffles and homemade creamed chip beef, making it a great spot to do the Sunday crossword over a mimosa and the sounds of the bay.

After a lazy start to Sunday morning, kick the day into gear with an adventure on the high seas. Ocean City offers plenty of beaches to unwind on, but to really get the pulse racing, hop on a jet ski, or rent a surfboard, book a lesson, and hang 10 around the popular 8^th Street jetties.

Your final Ocean City lunch calls for revisiting its calling card dish, so chow down on some crab cakes or jumbo steamed crabs with slaw at the Crab Bag, a quaint slice of Americana on the Coastal Highway.

Sunday Evening

Sunday night in Ocean City is bittersweet, as you’ll soon be leaving this charming Mid-Atlantic hamlet. Perhaps there’s no better way to bid farewell to the city than to step back into its past and see some now-familiar places in a whole new light. Chesapeake Ghost Walks offers tours that take in some of Ocean City’s most fascinating locales, including the Henry Hotel and Dolle’s Candyland, giving you a slice of history with a spooky slant.

If you’re visiting in July or August, don’t miss Sundaes in the Park, a free family concert series in Northside Park. Whether you decide to create your own ice cream sundae or bring a picnic, it’s a great site for catching the sunset over Assawoman Bay.

Enjoy your last Ocean City meal at Fagers Island Restaurant and Bar, a Pacific Rim-influenced restaurant serving lobster tails, prime rib, and oysters Rockefeller, as well as locally brewed stouts and ales: an elegant place to say arrivederci.

From its famous boardwalk to its lively clubs and succulent seafood, Ocean City promises a great getaway. Book a weekend in Ocean City today!