The Perfect Saint Lucia Honeymoon Itinerary

Before You Arrive: What to Book in Advance

Four things should be confirmed before you land: your accommodation (six to nine months in advance for peak season), your helicopter transfer from Hewanorra Airport if you are doing one (see our helicopter transfer guide), your private catamaran charter date, and your private beach dinner date. Everything else can be arranged on arrival through your resort concierge, but these four are the ones where late booking means no availability or a significantly inferior version of the experience.

If you are planning a proposal during the honeymoon — which many couples do, choosing to save the formal proposal for the island — book your photographer and proposal styling coordinator at the same time. See our Saint Lucia proposal guide for the complete planning framework.

Day 1: Arrival and First Evening

If you are flying from the UK, most direct flights to Hewanorra arrive in the early afternoon local time. You have been travelling for 9–10 hours and your body knows it. Resist the temptation to go straight to the Piton hike or the tour of Soufrière — Day 1 is for arrival and decompression.

Helicopter transfer from Hewanorra to the Soufrière corridor: 15–20 minutes (vs 90 minutes by road). The transfer over the rainforest and coastline is extraordinary, and arriving at Jade Mountain or Sugar Beach directly from the helicopter pad means your first impression of the resort is correct rather than dulled by a nauseous winding road. Cost: $200–$400 per person. Details: helicopter transfer guide.

Afternoon: check in, unpack, swim in your pool, order room service or eat at the resort restaurant without making it a production. The Jade Mountain Club and Dasheene are there for every night of your stay. Tonight is for the plunge pool and the view.

Evening: resort dining at your property. Watch the Pitons lose the last light. Go to bed early. You are on honeymoon and you have a week — there is no need to start at full speed.

Day 2: Soufrière Town and the Diamond Falls

Day 2 is a gentle acclimatisation to the south of the island. Arrange a driver (your resort concierge will recommend one; budget $80–$100 for a half day) and head to Soufrière town for a morning visit to the Saturday market if your dates allow, or simply a walk through the colourful Victorian streets. Soufrière is a working town with genuine Caribbean character — not curated for tourists in the way Rodney Bay is.

From Soufrière, a 15-minute drive takes you to the Diamond Botanical Gardens and Diamond Falls. The mineral baths heated by the Soufrière volcano are one of the island's genuinely distinctive experiences — soak for 20–30 minutes. The falls themselves are modest but beautiful. Cost: $15–$20 per person.

Afternoon: back to the resort for spa time. Most Soufrière-area resorts have on-site spa facilities — a couples massage on a hilltop treatment room overlooking the Pitons is one of the quintessentially Saint Lucia experiences. Book this in advance (it sells out). Evening: Dasheene at Ladera if you are not staying there (call ahead to book a table as a non-guest), or the Jade Mountain Club if you are staying at Jade Mountain. Target a 5:30pm seating to catch sunset light on the Pitons.

Day 3: Private Catamaran Charter

This is the day that most couples describe as the highlight of their Saint Lucia trip. A private catamaran charter typically departs from Soufrière Bay at 9:00–9:30am and returns at 2:30–3:00pm, covering: snorkelling at the Anse Chastanet reef (15–25 metres visibility, turtles, dense coral, batfish), a stop at the sulphur springs shoreside, sailing north along the Piton coastline with both peaks visible above you, and a return with champagne and lunch on deck.

On a private charter, the boat is completely yours — you set the pace, the music, the snorkel stop duration, and the cocktail timing. Cost: $600–$1,200 for a private half-day charter for two, all-inclusive of crew, food, drinks, snorkel equipment. See our private catamaran guide for operator recommendations and what to expect.

Afternoon after the catamaran: quiet. You have been in the water for three hours. Afternoon at the resort, pool or beach, then a resort dinner. This is not the night for a big restaurant booking — it is the night for room service on your terrace with the Pitons in front of you at dusk.

Day 4: Gros Piton Hike

Gros Piton (771 metres) can be hiked in 3–4 hours round-trip from the base on the island's southwest coast. The trailhead is at the Gros Piton Heritage Site near La Fond; guides are mandatory and arranged through the Saint Lucia Forestry Department or your resort. The first 45 minutes are through rainforest, then the trail opens to steep volcanic rock for the upper section. The summit view — both Pitons, the southern coast, the Caribbean to the west — is extraordinary and worth every step of the ascent.

Logistics: depart by 7:00am to avoid the midday heat. Bring two litres of water per person, sun protection, and shoes with grip. The trail is physically demanding but does not require technical skill — consistent fitness and a reasonable pace is enough. Cost: $50–$80 per person with a guide.

Afternoon after the hike: recovery. Pool, spa treatment if you pre-booked one for this day (highly recommended — your legs will appreciate it), room service. This is not the evening for an ambitious dinner out.

Day 5: Free Day

The temptation on a honeymoon is to fill every day with experiences. Resist it on Day 5. This is a free day — no planned activities, no transfers, no schedules. Sleep late. Order breakfast from room service. Swim. Read. Lie in your plunge pool and look at the Pitons without having anything else to do.

If you want to move, a morning drive through the interior rainforest road (Barre de l'Isle Trail area, or the road through Fond St Jacques) is one of the island's lesser-known pleasures — high jungle forest, completely quiet, no tourist infrastructure. Your resort concierge can arrange a trusted driver for $60 for a two-hour morning drive and return.

Evening: The Mango Tree at Stonefield Estate near Soufrière is a worthwhile dinner option if you want something different tonight — smaller property, beautiful garden terrace, good Creole cooking. Book 24–48 hours ahead.

Day 6: Private Beach Dinner

Day 6 is the private beach dinner. This is the evening version of what the catamaran was for the daytime — the experience that sits outside normal resort life and becomes a memory rather than just a meal. A fully set table, your own chef and server, candlelight on an otherwise dark beach, the Caribbean in front of you, the Piton silhouette in the distance.

If you are staying at Sugar Beach, the in-house beach dinner setup with the Pitons behind you is one of the most visually extraordinary settings on the island. If you are at Jade Mountain or Anse Chastanet, the beach below has equal claim. Cost: $300–$600. See our private beach dinner guide for what to request and how to book it properly.

Arrive at the beach 5–10 minutes after sunset. The candles against the dark are more beautiful than the candles at dusk. Take your time. This is not a night to rush.

Day 7: Departure Day

If your flight home is in the afternoon or evening (most UK-bound flights depart Hewanorra in the early-to-mid afternoon), you have a morning at the resort. Breakfast on your terrace, one final swim, a slow coffee looking at the Pitons before checking out.

Helicopter transfer back to Hewanorra: 15 minutes. You arrive at the airport relaxed rather than nauseous and running late. For the departure day especially — having just completed a week of the island's best — the helicopter transfer is worth every dollar. It ends the trip the way it began: from the air, looking down at one of the world's most beautiful islands.

Budget and packing notes: Saint Lucia honeymoon budget guide. What to pack: what to wear in Saint Lucia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is seven nights enough for a Saint Lucia honeymoon?

Seven nights is the recommended minimum. It gives you one arrival/recovery day, four or five activity days, and at least one completely free day — which is the right balance. Couples who go for less than a week consistently feel they missed something; couples who go for ten nights often describe it as the ideal length. If you can extend to ten nights, the extra days allow for a day trip north to Rodney Bay, a morning at the chocolate estate, and more genuinely unscheduled time.

Which resort is best for a honeymoon in Saint Lucia?

Jade Mountain is the most extraordinary resort experience but also the most expensive (from $1,500/night). Sugar Beach offers comparable luxury with a slightly more social atmosphere and the island's finest private beach (from $800/night). Ladera offers the most dramatic daily view at a more accessible price point (from $700/night). Anse Chastanet is the best choice for couples who want nature immersion and direct snorkelling access (from $600/night). Full breakdown: most romantic resorts guide.

Should we stay north or south for our honeymoon?

The south (Soufrière corridor) is strongly recommended for a first honeymoon in Saint Lucia. The Piton setting, the private beach dinner options, the catamaran routes, and the island's best resort accommodation all cluster here. The north is better for couples who have been before and want to explore the island's social scene. Full comparison: Soufrière vs Rodney Bay guide.

What does a Saint Lucia honeymoon typically cost?

A midrange seven-night honeymoon (Anse Chastanet or Ti Kaye, flights, four experiences) typically runs $6,000–$9,000 total for two. A luxury week at Jade Mountain or Sugar Beach with helicopter transfers, catamaran, and private beach dinner typically runs $12,000–$18,000 total for two. Full breakdown: honeymoon budget guide.