East Hampton
A string of villages on the South Fork of Long Island, ocean beaches behind the dunes, an old whaling harbour on the bay, and a town airport three miles from East Hampton.
- Arrival
- John F. Kennedy International · JFK
- To the village
- About 35 minutes from Manhattan by helicopter
- Private jets
- East Hampton Town Airport and Gabreski
- Best time
- June to July
The city
The South Fork, village by village.
The Hamptons run along the South Fork of Long Island, a string of villages between the Atlantic and the bays: Westhampton, Southampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, East Hampton and, at the very end, Montauk. They range from the old whaling harbour of Sag Harbor to the wide ocean beaches below the dunes of East Hampton.
Summer is the season. June and July bring days of 23–27 °C and the driest weeks of the year; August is as warm and the sea reaches 21 °C, but it is wetter. Winters are cold, and many houses close until May.
Arriving
By rotor, by float, or by runway.
There is no fast road to the Hamptons in summer. The drive from New York takes about two hours with no traffic and often more than five on a July Friday, which is why so many arrive by air.
- Washington 1 h 00
- Chicago 2 h 05
- St Maarten 3 h 50
- Geneva 8 h 10 long-range jet
- Beijing 14 h 25 long-range jet
When to go
June to July.
Four true seasons, tempered by the ocean. June and July are the best months: 23–27 °C, the lowest rainfall of the year, and a sea that warms to 20 °C. August is as warm but wetter, and from November to March the days are cold.
- 3° J 110 6°
- 4° F 101 4°
- 8° M 121 4°
- 13° A 101 6°
- 18° M 96 10°
- 23° J 80 16°
- 27° J 78 20°
- 27° A 110 21°
- 23° S 95 20°
- 18° O 94 16°
- 12° N 120 13°
- 6° D 121 9°
What to see and do
Days in and around East Hampton.
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Landmark
Main Beach
East Hampton's ocean beach, a broad strand of sand below the dunes.
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Landmark
Sag Harbor
A former whaling port on the bay, with a working waterfront and a Main Street of old storefronts.
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Landmark
Montauk Point
The lighthouse at the eastern tip of Long Island, where the land runs out into the Atlantic.
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Culture
Guild Hall
Since 1931 the village arts centre has combined exhibition galleries with the John Drew Theater, programming films, plays and talks all year.
Official site -
Culture
Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center
Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner lived and worked here; guided tours include the studio with its paint-splattered floor.
Official site -
Nature
LongHouse Reserve
Jack Lenor Larsen's 16 acres of gardens hold more than 60 outdoor sculptures, among them works by Yoko Ono and Willem de Kooning.
Official site -
Culture
Parrish Art Museum
Herzog & de Meuron designed the Water Mill building of 2012 for a collection strong in William Merritt Chase and Fairfield Porter.
Official site -
Food & wine
Wölffer Estate Vineyard
Christian Wölffer planted this Sagaponack estate in 1988; its tasting room and Wine Stand sit beside 55 acres of vines.
Official site -
Racing & sport
Hampton Classic Horse Show
Eight days of show jumping end with a $400,000 Grand Prix on the Bridgehampton showground used since 1982.
Official site -
Nature
Mashomack Preserve
On Shelter Island, a short ferry ride from North Haven, 2,350 acres and 11 miles of coast shelter one of the East Coast's largest osprey colonies.
Official site -
Golf
Montauk Downs State Park
Robert Trent Jones redesigned the 18 holes in 1968, and New York State has run them as a public course since 1978.
Official site
Where to stay
On the harbour and by the canal.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Faraway Sag Harbor The former Baron's Cove on the waterfront, renovated in 2025–26, with a heated saltwater pool and Amalfi Coast cooking at Zagara.
- Canoe Place Inn & Cottages Twenty-five rooms in a historic inn, hillside cottages and canal-front houses, with a cherrywood grill at Good Ground Tavern.
Where to dine
Where to book in the village.
No MICHELIN Guide covers the Hamptons. These two fine-dining rooms are picked by Social Life, the Hamptons magazine, in its 2026 restaurant guide.
- The 1770 House Social Life Magazine American Main Street, East Hampton
- The American Hotel Social Life Magazine French-American Sag Harbor, about 10 km north-west
Elsewhere in United States
More reasons to come.
- New York Manhattan, with Teterboro and Westchester for private aircraft.
- Los Angeles Bel Air, Malibu and the canyons between them.
- Miami South Beach, the art fairs, and the gateway to Latin America.
- Palm Beach An island of winter residences, a bridge away from its airport.
- Aspen A silver-mining town turned ski resort, with its runway minutes away.
- Napa Wine country, an hour north of San Francisco.
- Las Vegas The Strip, the residencies and the title fights.
Flying to East Hampton?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.