HAMPTONS TRAVEL GUIDE
The Hamptons is one of America’s most storied summer destinations — and one of its most misunderstood. The version most people imagine, the flashy Southamptons and Montauk party scene, is only one corner of the East End. The stretch we cover is quieter, more local, and in our view far more worth your time: the villages between East Hampton and Montauk, where the Hamptons still feels like the place it’s always been.
Everything here is based on firsthand visits across seasons. Nothing is sponsored.
Where we cover in the Hamptons:
Amagansett — Tucked between the buzz of East Hampton and the wildness of Montauk, Amagansett is the East End village that most people overlook and regulars never want to share. It has quietly excellent shopping — Ulla Johnson, Love Adorned, Amber Waves Farm Store — a restaurant scene that punches well above its size, and beaches that feel genuinely uncrowded even in peak season. Indian Wells Beach is one of the best family beaches on the East End. Il Buco al Mare is one of the best restaurants. And the whole village is small enough to park once and spend an entire day on foot. Read our full Amagansett travel guide for the best restaurants, beaches, shops, and how to spend a perfect weekend there in any season.
The East End beyond Amagansett: The Hamptons rewards those who explore. East Hampton’s Main Street has some of the best independent retail in the region. Montauk — at the very tip of the South Fork — has transformed from a surf town into a genuinely interesting food and hotel destination while still feeling more low-key than the villages further west. Deciding between Amagansett v. Montauk, read our article comparing the two. Shelter Island, accessible only by ferry, is a world unto itself. We’re expanding our coverage across the East End — sign up below for updates.
Best time to visit: Memorial Day through Labor Day is peak season — the Hamptons is fully alive but expensive and crowded, particularly on summer weekends. The shoulder seasons are the secret: late May and early June before the crowds arrive, and September through October when the light is extraordinary, the beaches empty out, and most restaurants are still open. Many locals consider September the best month of the year out here. Winter is quiet but atmospheric — a very different experience worth trying at least once.
Getting there: From New York City, the Hamptons is approximately 2–2.5 hours by car from Manhattan in light traffic — plan for longer on summer Friday afternoons. The Long Island Rail Road runs to Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Amagansett, and Montauk, making a car-free trip entirely feasible.
