A Wheelchair Accessible Travel Guide to Virginia Beach, Virginia

Hotels.com asked me to share these accessibility suggestions for Virginia Beach, so I’m thrilled to bring you this article! As travel today remains uncertain, please keep your safety and the safety of others in mind at all times. If you are comfortable with traveling, please travel responsibly and within regulation. Any travel is at your own risk.

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Virginia Beach, Virginia is a popular vacation destination, as the shoreline and beaches are family friendly and predominantly inclusive. In addition to being a great place to relax near the ocean, this is also a fantastic wheelchair accessible travel spot. Many tourist spots and outdoor activities, like hiking trails and state parks, are wheelchair accessible. 

Choosing to travel to Virginia Beach gives you multiple opportunities to go your own way, from connecting with nature at the beach or the park to visiting museums, the aquarium, and of course, the always busy boardwalk. This travel guide will give you accessibility insight into a few popular Virginia Beach destinations, as well as how to travel while in town and where to stay in wheelchair accessible hotels along the beachfront.

Where to Stay

Virginia Beachhas plenty of options available for accommodations and many are wheelchair friendly. Here are some of the accessible accommodations to consider when planning your trip:

1: The Ramada on the Beach at 7th and Oceanfront

This hotel comes highly recommended, as it is accommodating to both hotel guests and anyone dining at the restaurant. There is a ramp at 7th Street that makes it easy to navigate to and from the hotel. The hotel offers free valet parking to anyone visiting the hotel, which is nice for restaurant dining if you aren’t staying here. 

The hotel itself is almost completely accessible with self-park, a fitness center, front desk, and pool all offering accessibility. The rooms have accessible routes, so you can navigate through the hotel easily and focus on where you’re headed and what you want to enjoy. This is a great location for exploring the area and getting a resort style experience right on the property.

2: Holiday Inn and Suites Virginia Beach – North Beach 

Another hotelrecommendation for both comfort and convenience is located a bit further down the boardwalk near North Beach. This hotel offers both king and queen ADA rooms in addition to ADA suites, giving a range of visitors an option to suit their needs. Each room has a private oceanfront balcony to give it a resort vibe, offering a secluded place to enjoy if you’re looking for a private vacation. 

The rooms have resort-style amenities,including a microwave and refrigerator, along with one parking pass if you’d like to park on the property. There are two pools, a restaurant on-site, and room service to round out your stay. This is a great hotel for getting away from the touristy experience of Virginia Beach, while still being close enough to explore the boardwalk and beachfront.  

Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in Virginia Beach

1: Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center

Virginia Beach is a great location for spending time outside, from visiting the beach to hiking and even dining outside. While outdoor activities highlight the beauty of the location, indoor activities like the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center give you a retreat from the sun, while offering a fun, air conditioned location for learning about the local wildlife. From the range of creatures inside to the outdoor excursions, such as a Boat Trip, there’s something for everyone.

The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center strives to provide a fulfilling experience to every visitor, no matter their ability. There is wheelchair accessible parking available on site. The aquarium is fully accessible, but if you have any specific questions or requests for accommodations, you can call or email the aquarium. 

The aquarium is ADA compliant, with the main building and nature trail accessible to both manual and power wheelchairs. If you are taking a Boat Trip, the dock and boat are accessible for manual wheelchairs only. The crew can assist with any wheelchair transfers from a power wheelchair to a manual for this excursion. 

2: Virginia Beach Boardwalk

A must visit location in Virginia Beach is the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. This is an oceanfront path that stretches a full three miles from 2nd Street to 40th Street. The path itself is 28 feet wide, which makes it one of the best ways to get around the beachfront properties. In addition to the footpath, there is a bike path, giving you options to explore and ways to get around near the shore. 

The boardwalk is the perfect destination for exploring, shopping, and dining, in addition to a place to scope out the beach situation and take in the view. There are many restaurants near or right on the boardwalk, which makes everything accessible within a short distance. 

The Virginia Beach Boardwalk is wheelchair accessible, as the path is a wide paved path designed to cater to the pedestrian traffic in the area. One side of the boardwalk meets the sandy shore and beachfront, while the other connects to shops and restaurants. There are paved spots along the beach with umbrellas to provide shade for stopping to enjoy the ocean views. There are several pathways to connect to the bike trail as well, if you’d like to use that path to explore.

3: First Landing State Park

Virginia Beach isn’t just a beach destination. There’s also First Landing State Park, which is great for getting into nature, away from the traditional beach crowds, and take a hike or stroll along the trails. The park itself is 2,888 acres, which includes 1.25 miles of beach and 19 miles of interpretive hiking trails through a range of natural habitats. This is a great place for hiking, along with camping, cabins, picnics, and kayaking. 

First Landing State Park is wheelchair accessible with boardwalks to provide access to the beachfront. The most wheelchair accessible section of the park is the first section of the 19 miles of hiking trails, the Bald Cypress Trail, which is a one-mile trail that crosses the dunes. This trail is perfect for a self-guided tour, which can be conducted with a trail map from the Trail Center. Picnic spaces, along with camping and cabin rentals, can be done in advance with a call to the Reservation Center. 

4: Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, MOCA

MOCA, or the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, provides a fun indoor and outdoor setting to enjoy contemporary art exhibits. This unique museum offers free tickets with online reservations, so be sure to plan your visit ahead of time to ensure you have tickets for when you’d like to visit. The exhibits do change over time, so check in with their schedule to see what’s being shown. The facilities inside include the atrium with skylights and live trees, an auditorium, and the galleries, while the outdoor facilities include the sculpture gardens and the grounds. 

MOCA is completely wheelchair accessible, as all areas are designed to be accessible to every visitor. There are two on-site parking areas, both of which offer free parking. The location of the museum is only 6 blocks from the oceanfront on Parks Avenue, so depending on where you’re staying, you may be able to visit the museum as part of a short walk. MOCA is located on a park-like location with seasonal foliage and sculptures to continue your visit outside as well.

5: Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge 

Another location for hiking in Virginia Beach is the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This is a great destination for exploring the wetlands and hiking, in addition to outdoor hobbies like foliage and bird observation. The refuge spans 8,000 acres of freshwater marshes and ponds, along with ocean beachfront. There is a boardwalk overlook for observing the water and the wildlife. This is a popular location for wildlife viewing in the warm months, but come prepared, as you’ll need water and bug spray for most visits. The refuge is also open during cooler months, but it can get cold with the wind off the ocean. 

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is wheelchair accessible, primarily for the hiking trails. There are three boardwalk trails that are all around 0.1 mile in length each. These trails all have a gentle grade and are good for wildlife photography. There are also 2 admin road trails that provide longer hikes, at about 3 miles each. The grade of each trail is pretty gentle and gives you the opportunity to connect with nature, as well as explore a large portion of the refuge.

6: Virginia Beach Beachfront

Of course, it isn’t a trip to Virginia Beach without stopping at the beach. The beachfront is a popular destination, as the sandy shoreline is a great place to relax and enjoy the ocean, while the boardwalk keeps everything close by for dining, shopping, and exploring the location. The Virginia Beach beachfront is a wide strip of sand between the ocean and the boardwalk. The beach is accessible from the boardwalk in multiple locations, with specific locations offering beach wheelchairs and other accessibility options. 

The wheelchair accessibility of the beachfront provides access from the boardwalk to the beach at every street from 2nd to 40th. Free beach wheelchairs are available along the boardwalk, each on a first come first serve basis. The locations along the boardwalk to borrow beach wheelchairs are 2nd Street, 17th Street, and 24th Street. Beach wheelchairs may only be available to borrow during the tourist season, from April to October. If you’d like to borrow a beach wheelchair outside of peak season, there are a range of rental options in the area. 

For beach access and ramps, along with wooden walkways in the sand stretching towards the water, visit street locations 8th, 16th, 24th, 30th, and 40th. 

7: JT’s Grommet Island Park

Lastly, one of the most accessible places along the boardwalk and beachfront is JT’s Grommet Island Park. This location is a wheelchair accessible beach playground designed for children and adults of all abilities. The equipment includes soft play structures and accessible play equipment, so everyone can play and explore together. There’s a narrower concrete path that runs through the sand on the other side of the island park for the ability to circle the park. Off of this path are a few paved spots for sitting under an umbrella and either observing the playground or looking out over the beach and to the water.

The wheelchair accessibility here is completely accessible, from the grounds themselves to the structures. For beach exploration at the park, there are beach wheelchairs available to borrow for free on a first come first serve basis. These wheelchairs are specifically reserved for beach use near the island park, other locations are available along the boardwalk for a day at the beach. 

How to Get Around Virginia Beach

The best way to get around Virginia Beach is to use the main boardwalk path to navigate from a hotel along the beach to the shops, restaurants, and other attractions. Many of the popular destinations are along this strip or within a few blocks, so it’s fairly easy to move from the hotel to your activity. The hotels may also be able to help with transportation to popular destinations that are farther away from the beach, such as the aquarium. If you plan to walk or travel by pedestrian path for most of your stay, it may be best to choose a centrally located hotel and to ask about the distances before booking.

Another way to get around in Virginia Beach is with the Bayfront Shuttle. The trolley and shuttle service is a popular way to get around the boardwalk and shoreline, as it does stretch for many blocks. The trolley and shuttle have set schedules and routes, just like a bus system, taking visitors between 3rd street and 40th street. A bus may be necessary to get to the aquarium, but the shuttle can take you to First Landing State Park. 

A Paratransit service is also available to book your trips, which can be done with the use of an app or calling ahead. This may be useful for wheelchair users, depending on how frequently you’d like to use the shuttle service.

Virginia Beach is a very wheelchair accessible destination with plenty to explore and do. A trip to Virginia Beach can be as action packed or as slow paced as you’d like, with space to visit the beach, take a hike, and relax all in the same trip. With everything centrally located along the boardwalk and beachfront, you can plan the big ticket items and fill in the rest as you relax and explore this popular beachfront destination.

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