Last updated: August 25, 2026
Bon bini! This is the exact 7-day Aruba itinerary we plan for our own friends — free, printable, and honest. Press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P) to save it as a PDF for the plane. Subscribers get it by email too, along with our seasonal price tips.
Day 1 — Land & unwind
Check in, drop the bags, and walk Eagle Beach at golden hour — the fofoti trees are your first photo. Dinner with your toes in the sand, nothing else; you just flew. Tip: buy water and sunscreen at a supermarket tonight, because resort-shop prices sting.
Day 2 — Palm Beach day
Calm water all morning on the high-rise strip. Try a jet ski or parasail if you feel it, then happy hour from late afternoon. Easy, social, zero logistics.
Day 3 — The wild side
UTV or jeep through Arikok National Park to the Natural Pool — dusty, bumpy, unforgettable. Book before you fly, because small groups sell out first: compare the off-road tours here.
Day 4 — Boat day
Catamaran snorkel cruise over the Antilla shipwreck, open bar included. Morning sails mean the calmest sea and best visibility. Our catamaran guide compares every boat.
Day 5 — Go south
Baby Beach morning in the waist-deep lagoon, then San Nicolas street art, then a late lunch at Zeerovers — fried fish straight off the boat. The most local day of the week.
Day 6 — Snorkel small
Mangel Halto or Boca Catalina from shore — bring water shoes. Slow evening after; you have earned it. Entry points are in our beach guide.
Day 7 — The lazy day
No plan. Beach, book, long lunch, long sunset. This is the most Aruban day of them all. Fly home happy.
Three tips that save every trip
- Arrive 3 hours early for US-bound flights — US preclearance is real.
- Tap water is excellent. Refill, do not buy.
- September to November: same island, roughly half the price — see September and October.
Want this plan tuned to your dates? Sign up below and reply to our email — we read everything. Meanwhile, the tours worth booking and where to stay take you deeper.
To make this week real, reserve the catamaran and UTV days ahead — they fill first in high season.