Day trip to Mackinac Island

Are you planning a day trip to Mackinac Island? Here is your perfect 24-hour guide for visiting Mackinac Island!

If there was ever a town that truly embodies what summer is, it’s Mackinac Island.

Seriously, the town is like summer on steroids.

Imagine feeling like a kid again riding your bicycle everywhere. Where you’ll see beautiful Victorian buildings, along with views of sparkling, turquoise, blue water. Meanwhile, you’ll pass by the horses’ clip clopping as they pull their carriages. Then you’ll kick out the kickstand on your bike and stroll into the fudge shop and decide what flavor to get…

And I swear you’ll feel like you are in perfect summer heaven.

My childhood friend, Amber, and I, recently took both our Moms here and I’m excited to share our itinerary with you!

So, let’s see all you can do on a day trip to Mackinac Island!

Where is Mackinac Island?

Mackinac Island is surrounded by Lake Huron and situated between two peninsulas in Northern Michigan. Incredibly, the Island is only 4.35 square miles in total miles and about 8.2 miles circumference around the island.

On the mainland, the cities (the two peninsulas) closest to Mackinac Island are St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. Interestingly, these two cities are separated by water but connected by the Mackinac Bridge.

Lady’s Tip: Mackinac Island is really pronounced Mackinaw Island. Which is super confusing as there is Mackinaw City as well. So, you’ll catch yourself a million times saying “Mackinac, I mean, Mackinaw!”

When is the best time to go to Mackinac Island

Weather in Mackinac Island — View from the Arch Rock lookout area

Mackinac Island is open all year round, but most of the lodging and restaurants are only open seasonally. (Late May to mid October.)

Therefore, the most popular time to go is in the summertime. But late springtime is a great time to go as the crowds are less and lodging is cheaper. And fall is beautiful with the pretty leaves and end of season sales.

If you did want to go in the winter, there are a couple hotels and restaurants left open to accommodate those brave enough to visit when it’s cold.

How to get to Mackinac Island?

Mackinac Island Day Trip — Small plane at Chippewa County International Airport

Getting to Mackinac Island is half the fun of your vacation!

If you haven’t noticed by now, Mackinac Island is completely motor free. Yep, meaning no cars are allowed on the island. Besides having one or two emergency vehicles, the island has strictly adhered to the no motor policy since 1898.

First thing you might ask is can you fly right into Mackinac Island? Well, kind of. There is a very small airport on the island that you can charter a flight from St. Ignace (a 7-minute flight). So, you’ll still need to get to St. Ignace first in order to fly to the island.

While there are no major airports close by, there are a couple of smaller airports you can choose from.

Here are the two smaller airports close to Mackinac Island:

Chippewa County International Airport (CIU)- 35 minutes north of St. Ignace. Super small airport that offers non-stop flights from Minneapolis and Detroit.
Pellston Regional Airport (PLN)- 25 minutes south of Mackinaw City. Offers non-stop flights from Detroit.

If you fly in, be sure to look at the airport website for car rentals or a shuttle service that can bring you to the ferries.

Another popular way to get to the island is by doing a road trip and driving (almost) there. Meaning, driving to either Mackinaw City, or St. Ignace, parking your car and taking the ferry over to the island. More on this in the next section.

Taking a ferry over to Mackinac Island

Shepler Ferry — On the upper level of Shepler’s Ferry

Shepler’s Ferry and Star Line Ferry are the two ferry lines that operate out of Mackinaw City and St. Ignace.

We opted on taking Shepler’s Ferry in Mackinaw City as we wanted to visit this area before or after our trip to the island.

Shepler’s has a couple parking lots in Mackinaw City, an economical one farther away, or one right by the dock. We paid more money for the convenience of being right by the dock. Be sure to check the ferries websites for current information on times, pricing, parking, and luggage.

Where to stay on Mackinac Island

Mission point hotel — Mission Point hotel

Day Trip to Mackinac Island — Lawn at Mission Point

I’ll be honest, the hotels here are spendyyyy. Especially in prime summertime. Because of this, you might question whether you need to stay on the island or just go for the day. Either way is totally fine as you can certainly see most things in a day. But it’s also worth staying overnight as well.

We opted to stay one night on Mackinac Island and the rest of the time we stayed in the nearby town of St. Ignace. The hotel we chose was Mission Point, which is a lovely hotel with beautiful grounds and a beach area (and pet friendly). The only (very minor) downfall is that it’s a 15-minute walk to the main town.

If I were to go back again, I would stay in one of these hotels:

Harbor View Inn– A little closer into town (5-minute walk) but still far enough away from all the hubbub of town.
Lilac Tree Suites – An all-suite hotel right in the heart of town if you want to be in the middle of the action.
Hotel Iroquois– A boutique Victorian style hotel right on the waterfront.
The Grand hotel– The most spectacular hotel on the whole island. It’s definitely going to cost you a pretty penny but it’s an experience!

Lady’s tip #1: Keep in mind that most of the hotels are older and do not have elevators. Some may not even have air conditioning either. So, be sure to do some research if these things are important to you.

Lady’s tip #2: Go in the late spring or fall to save money on hotel rooms.

Ok, now that we’ve figured out the logistics, let’s dive into all you can do on a day trip to Mackinac Island!

1. Start the morning with a delicious coffee

Here are a few fun coffee shops you can visit for that morning or afternoon pick me up.

Watercolor Cafe has amazing views and a great breakfast menu.
Lucky Bean Coffee house is located in a fun shopping area one street up from the main town.
Good Day Cafe is a great option on main street and bonus that you can get ice cream flights here.
Boxwood Coffee Shop located at Mission point hotel and open late if you needed something later in the day

2. Rent a bike and ride around Mackinac Island

A Tricycle in Mackinac Island — Amber and I rented Tricycles- so fun

riding bikes in Mackinac Island — Our Moms way ahead of us

You know that saying, “it’s just like riding a bike”? Yep, even if it’s been a million years, it comes right back to you! And if you are still nervous, rent a tricycle, easiest bike you can ride. And so fun!

But seriously, riding a bike is the quintessential thing to do on Mackinac Island. Mainly because it’s the perfect way to ride the full 8-mile perimeter of the island on highway M-185.

However, it can be expensive. So, be sure to have a plan of how long you are renting for and what it will cost you. Check out the bike rental places on the island here.

Lady’s Tip: Be sure to bring a backpack to wear while riding your bike. Or get a basket on the bike to hold your belongings.

3. Ride in a horse drawn carriage.

Going on a carriage ride is another must do on the island.

You can choose between a horse and carriage “taxi” that shuttles people to and from Main Street. (To get the taxi, you need to call and arrange ahead of time as they are radio dispatched. Click here for more information.)

Or there are tours that go to parts of the island as well. These tours are first come, first serve. (Cannot reserve ahead of time.) Perfect option for those that don’t want to ride a bike.

Lady’s tip: If you have your dog with you, they can go with you on the carriage!

4. Visit Arch Rock

Arch Rock is a neat nature phenomenon that is so amazing to see in person. This formation happened 4000 years ago due to lake waters dissolving away the softer material of the rock. Therefore, leaving behind this incredible breccia limestone arch.

The arch is located after the Mission Point hotel on Hwy M-185, perfect place to go for a bike ride. But note that from the highway it will be 207 steps to get up to the arch. However, you can see the arch from the ground looking up as well. Or if you didn’t want to do the steps, you can also get here by taking the trolley tour.

5. Eat lots of Fudge!

Murdicks Fudge shop — Murdick’s Fudge Shop

It’s so neat to see the fudge makers work the fudge on their marble counters. Even if you don’t care for fudge, try some fresh from the fudge maker. They will offer you a sample and the texture is more ooey gooey and so much better in my opinion.

Murdick’s is the original fudge shop opening in 1887 but May’s is the longest continuously run shop on the Island. Be sure to stop at one of these shops or one of the many others on the island.

6. Visit the Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel is famous for having “the longest porch in the world” and is truly a spectacular place to visit. If you are not staying here, you can visit for a $10 fee and it’s definitely worth it. Note that there is a dress code after 6:30PM where ladies cannot wear slacks and gentlemen need to wear a coat and tie.

If you have enough time, be sure to do their afternoon tea or eat a meal in their beautiful dining room. My biggest regret is not doing either of these things due to our limited time.

We did, however, try their famous “pecan ball” (vanilla ice cream rolled in pecans, topped with fudge). The pecan ball is their famous dessert that they normally have after dinner, but you can get a mini one at Sadie’s ice cream parlor. Delicious!

7. Where to eat on Mackinac Island

So, arguably, the most popular place to eat is at the Pink Pony. A primo spot on main street that has fun drinks, food, and atmosphere. Not to mention, the backyard patio is just so picturesque with the views of Lake Huron.

There’s typically a wait for a table, so put your name down and go shopping in their cute shop for all things Pink Pony. Don’t worry, the experience lives up to the hype and worth the wait.

Here are some other places we had on our list:

Seabiscuit Cafe – Horse themed popular hangout spot on Main Street.
Great Turtle Brewery and Distillery – Brewery with craft beers and also a distillery serving cocktail flights and wood fired pizza
The Chuckwagon for breakfast or lunch in the heart of Main Street.
Mighty Mac Hamburgers– on Main Street serving down to earth burgers.
The Dining room at The Grand Hotel.

8. Visit the spa

Spa in Mackinac Island — Lakeside Spa & Salon

If you are in need of some relaxation, there are a few spa options available on Mackinac Island. We visited the Lakeside Spa & Salon at the Mission Point Resort, and our massages were incredible.

Here are a couple other Spas you can visit on the island:

Lilac Tree Hotel and Spa – located on Main Street in the Lilac Tree Suites hotel
Astor’s Salon and Spa– located at The Grand Hotel

9. Visit Fort Mackinac

If you love history, be sure to visit Fort Mackinac. A Military outpost that was started in 1780 by the British. After the war, it became fur trading post and then a summer resort. It is now restored as a museum to what it would’ve looked like as a Military outpost.

Learn how they operated as an Outpost and visit the 13 buildings on site. You can also see a rifle demonstration, and they even have a cannon that you can fire! They allow one person every morning to fire the cannon at a cool cost of $75. Check out more information on their website.

10. Go shopping on Mackinac Island

Shopping on Market Street in Mackinac Island — Shops on Market Street

Main Street is full of cute one-of-a-kind shops where you will find the perfect keepsakes of your Mackinac Island trip.

But be sure to go one street up to Market Street and check out the shops here as well. This area a little more tranquil experience as this is more where the locals shop. This is also where you will find some museums like the Biddle House and the Blacksmith shop.

Final thoughts on taking a Day trip to Mackinac Island

Lake Huron view — View from Mission Point Resort

Discovering Mackinac Island is an amazing experience as it’s such a special place to visit. Watching the horses clip clop by you on main street is so surreal and really takes you back in time. I hope you get to visit this adorable town and have fun making those memories!