This is a MUST. The #1 thing you should do. Walk along the cliff (see if you can spot the venue from it) and see all of the Newport mansions and lavish private properties, too. Make sure you enter from the Webster Street entrance or you will get halted by restoration work.
More generally, starting on Thames Street and heading up the hill there are a ton of restaurants, bars, shops, fudgeries, art galleries, antique stores, etc. And it's all walkable! Up here, we recommend [TKTKTK]. The welcome party is walkable from downtown Newport, so feel free to hang out there before or after!
Bowen's Wharf is the hub of downtown Newport. Great restaurants, waterfront dining and drinking, boutiques, art galleries, and corny gift shops. We recommend the Clarke Cooke House, 22 Bowen's, the Landing, and Diego's!
Castle hill is the coolest place to eat or get a drink! Gorgeous views and great photo op. Also on the drive there you get to see a lot of great houses and views.
No one really knows why this is in RI, but it is. It's very cool if you're into tennis! There's a court they play on, too.
Aka "First Beach." This one is not my favorite but it is closest to everything including the cliff walk!
Aka "Second Beach." My preferred beach! Check out Purgatory Chasm, too.
If you have a car with you, I recommend crossing the bridge (one of them) to Jamestown and going to Beavertail park! It has an old lighthouse and you can walk out and sit on the rocks. It's very peaceful. There's also Fort Wetherill in Jamestown! But you kind of need to know where to go there. If you go to Jamestown, eat at JB's on the Water at sunset.
This is a really cool activity that you'll have to Google, but slightly active and great views! It's a drive to get there. As seen on the Real Housewives of Rhode Island!