Wondering what you should do on a 4-day Mackinac Island Itinerary? This detailed guide will help you plan your trip for Mackinac Island and surrounding areas.
On this guide, you will go from Mackinac Island to Sault Ste. Marie. With a side trip to Tahquamenon Falls, and then finally ending in St. Ignace, Michigan.
Along the way, you will be amazed at the feeling of going back in time on Mackinac Island. Then you’ll be mesmerized at the huge expanse of water falling at Tahquamenon Falls. And finally, you’ll marvel at the Soo locks filling up with water in Sault Ste. Marie.
Simply put, this area is a true gem of a vacation that creates wonderful memories!
So, let’s dive into what to do on your 4-day Mackinac Island Itinerary.
4-day Mackinac Island Itinerary
Day 1 – Discover Mackinac Island
Being that Mackinac Island is vehicle free, it’s one of the most unique and special gems of the Midwest. With its horse drawn carriages, the smell of fudge in the air, bicycles everywhere, it’s an enchanting destination to visit.
Whether you do a day trip or an overnight stay, you’ll start the day by taking the Ferry over to the Island from either Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.
Once you get to the island, start with some brunch at the famous Pink Pony. After your delicious meal, you’ll want to do some shopping on Main Street and try some delicious fudge along the way.
At this point, you can go on a carriage tour (first come, first serve) or rent a bike. On the carriage tour, you’ll see the Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory, Arch Rock, Surrey Hill Musuem, Fort Mackinac Avenue of flags, and be sure to ask about stopping at the Grand Hotel. And if you decide to rent a bike, be sure to ride around the island on highway M-185.
If you are just here for the day, you may have time before the ferry leaves to grab dinner at the Seabiscuit Cafe.
For a more in depth look at Mackinac Island, including more details on lodging, restaurants and what to do. Check out my post on doing a Day trip to Mackinac Island.
Day 2 – Mackinaw City to St. Ignace
While Mackinac Island is an amazing destination on its own, visiting the surrounding areas is just as amazing. One great thing about the surrounding towns is that it’s much cheaper to stay overnight in these areas versus staying on the Island.
We chose to stay one night in Mackinac Island and the rest of the time in St. Ignace. Whether you stay in Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, there are plenty of options for hotels in these areas. We stayed at the Kewadin Casino hotel in St. Ignace as we liked the idea of having a pool and the grounds were amazing.
However, Mackinaw City would be a fun town to stay in with its cute shops and many places to eat. We actually had lunch here at Weinerlicious and loved that the building was shaped like a hot dog. As you can imagine, there were plenty of hot dog options on the menu and the ones we tried had a good snap and were super tasty.
One of the must do things in this area is to drive across the mighty Mackinac Bridge. A suspension bridge that is 26,372 feet long and so incredible drive on. Note that you will have a toll fee of $4 to cross the bridge either way (more if driving a bigger vehicle.)
Day 3- Visit Sault Ste Marie and Tahquamenon Falls
One of the neatest towns to visit is Sault Ste Marie (pronounced Soo Saint Marie). Located only an hour north of St. Ignace and an easy add on to your trip. Start out your day at Oh Crepe and watch them make a sweet or savory crepe fresh right in front of you. So delicious.
Right across the street from Oh Crepe are the Soo locks. Where you can watch 1000-foot freighters pass from Lake Huron to Lake Superior via “locks” that raise or lower water 21 feet. A truly spectacular thing to watch. Afterwards be sure to do some shopping in the adorable town.
After you’ve finished checking out the town, head to Tahquamenon Falls. Located about an hour and a half away from Sault Ste Marie and such a gem to visit. There are actually 2 waterfalls at the park, upper falls and lower falls. But most people only go to the upper falls (shown in picture above). Another interesting thing at the upper falls is that there is a brewery and pub onsite. It’s not too often you see a brewery at a state park! For more information on both waterfalls and how to get to them, click here.
Day 4- Hanging out in St. Ignace
St. Ignace is north of the Mackinac Bridge and the perfect homebase for exploring the area.
Start your day at Java Joe’s Cafe for breakfast (open seasonally). A unique cafe with paintings on the floors and walls and an amazing selection for breakfast. Seriously, there are over 15 ways you can have your pancakes on the menu! Pretty remarkable. But if you didn’t want to sit down and eat, you can also just order coffee to go at the counter.
After breakfast, head to the Musuem of Ojibwa Culture (open May-Oct). Where you can get a glimpse into the Ojibwa Native life in the 1670’s. And if you are looking to do some shopping for souvenirs, check out the Indian Village that is close to the Ojibwa museum. Another fun thing to do is to climb Castle Rock for an amazing view of the lake and surrounding areas.
Last but not least, end your day at the Mackinac Grille for dinner. A fun restaurant with an amazing patio overlooking the water and the Wawatam Lighthouse. We tried their cherry wine and the fish tacos, and it was delicious.
Last thoughts on this 4-day Mackinac Island Itinerary
Visiting Mackinac Island and the surrounding areas is such a neat adventure. You will be captivated and amazed at all the different towns and what they offer. I can’t tell you how many times I watched in wonderment at the things I saw along the way. There’s just nothing like these areas!
I hope you get to visit Mackinac Island and the surrounding towns and have fun making those memories!
4-day Mackinac Island Itinerary
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