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For being such a small coastal town, there are still so many things to do in Jekyll Island. We went in December, so we had some fun holiday things to do which are only available at that time of year (as you'll read below), and many places were decorated for Christmas. Jekyll Island is a great place to spend a long weekend, because it has something for everyone. 

Disclaimer: There are some links in this article that are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This is never an extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.

December is a very busy month for most people with Christmas. For us, December is also a popular birthday month. I share my birthday with my mom and Roman's birthday is two weeks later. He got his own special day. I didn’t always love sharing my birthday when I was a kid. But, now that I’m older, I’ve come to appreciate all the ways my mom made that day special. It’s always been our tradition to do something fun on that day. To us, that usually meant travel whether locally (carriage ride in Central Park) or long distance (weekend getaway to North Carolina). So now as a mom myself, I want to continue this special birthday tradition.

Best Time to Visit Jekyll Island

I think this question is best answered by what you anticipate doing while you are here. All the excursions, tours, and activities listed below can be done all year long with a few exceptions. Firstly, the beach. While you can go to the beach anytime, if you really want to be in the water swimming, then you'll probably want to come in the warmer summer months. Lastly, in our case, we came in December, so there are special holiday activities that are only available this time of year.

Directions to Jekyll Island

The nice thing about living in Northern Florida is that there is so much so close especially right at the Florida – Georgia state border which is where Jekyll Island is located. So, we didn’t have to wake up insanely early to start driving and it only took us a couple of hours to get there. You do have to pay a toll to come onto Jekyll Island and the pricing depends on the length of your stay. There are some very small airports nearby and on Jekyll Island, so you'll frequently see smaller planes flying overhead. But if you are not driving here, then the larger international airports are going to be about an hour away to either Jacksonville, Florida to the south, or Savannah-Hilton Head, Georgia to the north. You can read about our visit to Charleston, South Carolina which also isn't far.

Restaurants on Jekyll Island

• Gluten Free Dairy Free

The Wharf Restaurant

The Wharf Restaurant is located on the property of the Jekyll Island Club Resort where many of the excursions are located. It was a very relaxing atmosphere with most of the interior encompassed in glass windows for a panoramic view of Fancy Bluff Creek. The Jekyll Island Georgia Regional Airport was located close by, so we saw small charter planes fly by from our window which Roman loved! They did have quite a selection of gluten free items on their menu. I went for a shrimp burger and fries and it was delicious.

Driftwood Bistro

Driftwood Bistro was listed as gluten free friendly on my Find Me Gluten Free app. Although once there, I didn’t feel like they had as many gluten free options to choose from. I basically ate three sides as my meal, but the food we did have tasted good. 

Eighty Ocean 

Located within the Jekyll Island Ocean Club, is Eighty Ocean Kitchen and Bar. We stopped in there for breakfast since we were staying at that resort. They were able to accommodate me being gluten free and dairy free and I was able to eat a delicious breakfast. 

Jekyll Island Resorts

Jekyll Island Ocean Club

We stayed at Jekyll Island Club Hotel's newest property, the Jekyll Island Ocean Club. It's a boutique hotel located right on the ocean. The front reception area had couches and a fireplace and outside had a fire pit near the bar and pool. The room itself was perfect for our needs. The room was split into 3 sections with beds in one, bathroom and kitchen area in another, and living room in another. We set up Roman’s pack and play in the living room area and closed the door to not disturb him and it worked out wonderfully. The rooms were a generous size with a large balcony overlooking the beautiful quiet ocean area. I’m new to staying in boutique hotels, but this exceeded my expectations. I certainly have nothing to complain about from our stay there and I felt rather like a luxury traveler.

Things to Do in Jekyll Island

Jekyll Island Club Hotel 

• Cost: History Tour is *Free* with Stay

If you are staying at their sister hotel, the Jekyll Island Ocean Club then it's also included. Although if you aren't staying at either, then you could call the front desk to ask for details about the tour. The hotel tour is about 45 minutes or so, likely depending on the size of the group. Our hotel tour guide was a wealth of knowledge and the history surrounding the hotel was so interesting. Plus as part of the tour, you are taken to areas of the hotel that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise. One such place was into one of the largest suites which has access to the turret, with stairs and ledge that offers a stunning lookout over Fancy Bluff Creek and the Jekyll Island Club Hotel property. If you do choose Jekyll Island Club Hotel, make sure to check out their website for all the different ongoing special events available.

Jekyll Island Beaches

Jekyll Island Driftwood Beach

I didn’t really know or look into what driftwood was other than having seen knick-knacks people handmade from it. So, when we pulled off the road to a little parking area and walked the short path to the beach, it was just WOW. I have never seen a beach like this before. I just assumed it's sand and sea and that's it. But this was a forest on the sand. Tall large trees completely on their side with root systems standing larger than we were. For my fellow Lord of the Rings nerds, this was Fangorn Forest and Treebeard was on his way. Driftwood Beach is located on the north side of Jekyll Island. If you are looking for the more idyllic beach vacation of sand and sea, then would recommend staying to the south side of Jekyll Island.

Jekyll Island Bike Rentals

• Cost: Varies by bike. Hourly, daily, or weekly rates available and resort guests receive a discounted rate. 

• Open everyday from 8am to 6pm

If you are staying at Jekyll Island Club Hotel then Jekyll Wheels is located right on the property. Jekyll Wheels has many different bike choices to cater to every member of the family. With miles of bike paths on the hotel property as well as a trail that runs along both the ocean side and the riverside of the island this another one of the fun things to do in Jekyll Island.

Horseback Riding on Jekyll Island

• Cost: 1 Hour Public Group Ride $65, at sunset $85, and at moonlight $110: Private rides are available and they start at $125.

• Other Info: Minimum age is 5. No weight limit, but must be able to mount horse unassisted using mounting blocks. Group rides are usually around 6 people, but larger groups can be accommodated as well.

This has always been a dream of mine to horseback ride on the beach. I've been horseback riding a few times like in Charleston, South Carolina and Denali, Alaska, but never while on a beach. I was pregnant with Eden during our time in Jekyll Island, so I didn't get to do this. For those who can this is a great excursion to see the natural beauty of the island. While horseback riding on Jekyll Island, you take the trails through the forest and salt marshes and end your ride on beautiful Driftwood Beach. 

Turtle Sanctuary

• Georgia Sea Turtle Center

• Cost: Adults (13+) $10, Seniors (62+) $9, Children $8, Ages 3 and under are free

• Times: Open everyday from 9am to 5pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. 

Come see the animals that call Jekyll Island their home, the beautiful sea turtles. At the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, it's a turtle sanctuary, because they rescue and rehabilitate these amazing animals. This turtle sanctuary is one of the fun things to do in Jekyll Island especially for your littles ones. They can meet the rescued turtles and see how they get the care they need up close.

Tram Tour

• Holidays in History on Jekyll Island

Now, if you’ve read my about page, you know my mom loves all things trains. I’ve taken a bit after her with plenty of train travel myself, like in Florida, Georgia, and Alaska, so this little tram tour had me sold. Jekyll Island Club Hotel is on about 240 acres of historic property. The tram tour takes you all over the grounds and inside some of the historic cottages along the way. It was such a delight and I do love a historic tour. Probably because it makes history come alive in a tangible way, just like some of the places in Virginia. While the tram tour runs all year long, it's called Holidays in History during the winter and the cottages are decorated for Christmas. Also being December when we went, the weather was so cool and pleasant, it made being outside on the tram tour much more enjoyable.

Jekyll Island Christmas Lights

• Holly Jolly Jekyll

Jekyll Island Club Hotel has a Christmas lights display every year running from Thanksgiving till New Years. They also have days with special events, so check out their website for more information on what is happening during your visit. It's a beautiful display once it gets dark. There really are so many beautiful places to see and things to do in Jekyll Island.

Carriage Rides

The Holidays in History tram tour typically runs its last tour while it's still pretty light outside. So, if you really want to see the Jekyll Island Club Hotel in all it's Christmas-decorated glory, then a carriage ride is ideal. The carriage rides run all year long, but during the holidays is when you get to see these amazing lights and decorations. Be turned into Cinderella and Prince Charming in this beautiful horse drawn carriage ride while you learn about this historic property. 

Hope you get a chance to check it out soon. Have you been to Jekyll Island, Georgia before? What did you enjoy most about your visit there? Please leave it in the comments below or connect with me on social media to share your story. Check out our 2019 birthday celebration on The Polar Express.

Disclaimer: There are some links in this article that are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This is never an extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.