How to Spend 3 Days in Guam

Three days is enough to see the island’s full range if you rent a car: west-coast war history, a summit climb in the south and the wild beach at the northern tip. The pace is brisk but never frantic, with one region per day and back in your bed in Tumon each night. A rental car does all the work here, at roughly US$40 to 70 a day from the airport, because neither the trolley nor the island buses reach the south or Ritidian in any useful way.

Day 1: Hagåtña and the Asan landing beaches

Sleep both nights in Tumon and start in Hagåtña, the capital, where the Spanish-era plaza and the colonial ruins show the island’s more than 200 years under Spain. Ten minutes west, the War in the Pacific National Historical Park spreads along the shore where American forces landed in July 1944. Walk the Asan unit along the water, then drive up to the overlook on the ridge, where a wall lists the names of the islanders and soldiers who died. Head back north for a late swim and sunset at Gun Beach, the reef … read more 👉

Three days is enough to see the island’s full range if you rent a car: west-coast war history, a summit climb in the south and the wild beach at the northern tip. The pace is brisk but never frantic, with one region per day and back in your bed in Tumon each night. A rental car does all the work here, at roughly US$40 to 70 a day from the airport, because neither the trolley nor the island buses reach the south or Ritidian in any useful way.

Day 1: Hagåtña and the Asan landing beaches

Sleep both nights in Tumon and start in Hagåtña, the capital, where the Spanish-era plaza and the colonial ruins show the island’s more than 200 years under Spain. Ten minutes west, the War in the Pacific National Historical Park spreads along the shore where American forces landed in July 1944. Walk the Asan unit along the water, then drive up to the overlook on the ridge, where a wall lists the names of the islanders and soldiers who died. Head back north for a late swim and sunset at Gun Beach, the reef beach at the end of Tumon Bay with a WWII gun in the cliff.

Day 2: The southern loop

This is the big day, about 3 to 4 hours of driving with stops. Leave Tumon by 6 am to hit the Mount Lamlam Trail before the heat: a short, steep climb on red clay to the crosses at 406 meters, 1 to 2 hours round trip. Continue down to Umatac Bay, a horseshoe of a village where the Magellan monument and the cannons of Fort Soledad look over the water. Finish on the east side at the Inarajan Natural Pool, a calm sea pool enclosed by black rock where local kids leap off the concrete platforms. Pack food and water, because southern villages have few places to eat.

Day 3: Ritidian and Two Lovers Point

Drive 40 minutes north through the limestone forest of the Guam National Wildlife Refuge and down the cliff road to Ritidian Point. The sand is white, the water turns turquoise over the reef, and the jungle trails behind the beach pass latte stones and caves with ancient pictographs. Swim only where the water stays calm, as currents off the point are strong. On the way back, finish at Two Lovers Point, where the cliff platform looks straight down the length of the west coast.

On the southern loop, pull over at the Cetti Bay Overlook just south of Lamlam for a view straight down into a roadless bay ringed by red hills.