The Outer Banks are a long chain of barrier islands off North Carolina, with wide beaches, wild horses, lighthouses and the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kill Devil Hills. Weekly house rentals dominate, but the central towns also have plenty of hotels and motels.
Finding cheap rooms in Outer Banks is easier when you know where to look. We compare live hotel rates across the top booking sites and point you to the neighborhoods where hotels are cheap but the location is still great.
Rooms come in more shapes than hotels — in Outer Banks you can also compare apartments with kitchens, vacation rentals for families, B&Bs and budget hostels in one search.
Classic beach town with oceanfront motels, piers and Jockey’s Ridge dunes.
Central, with many hotels and the Wright Brothers memorial.
Just north, with beach hotels and easy access to the northern beaches.
Upscale northern beaches known for rentals and wild horses.
Remote southern islands near Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, popular with anglers.
Zoom and pan the map to compare hotel prices by neighborhood; rates come live from the booking sites.
Summer is peak season; late spring and early fall are cheaper with warm weather, though fall is also hurricane season.
Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills have the most hotels and are central to the main sights.
Outside June to August — spring and fall bring lower rates, and many places close or cut prices in winter.
The horses roam the beaches north of Corolla, which can only be reached by four-wheel-drive vehicle or guided tour.