8 Best Day Trips from Boston
Boston is a great base because so much of New England sits within two hours of it. You can wake up downtown, spend the day in a fishing village or a Gilded Age mansion and still be back for dinner in the North End.
In this guide
Some of these trips work by train or ferry, and some really need a car. I’ll tell you which is which. Here are the eight best day trips from Boston.
1. Salem
Salem is the easy one: about 30 minutes on the commuter rail from North Station. It’s best known for the 1692 witch trials, and the town leans into it with museums, ghost tours and a lot of black cats.
Don’t skip the less spooky side. The Peabody Essex Museum is one of the best art museums in New England, and the old sea captains’ houses along Chestnut Street are gorgeous. One warning: in October, Salem is packed. Go on a weekday if you can, and book the train, not a parking spot.
2. Concord and Lexington
This is where the American Revolution started. In Lexington, you can stand on the green where the first shots were fired in April 1775. A few miles on, at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, the Old North Bridge marks the spot where colonists fought back.
Concord is also a literary town. Visit Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women, then walk around Walden Pond, where Thoreau built his cabin. You’ll want a car to link everything, and the whole loop makes a full, easy day.
3. Rockport and Gloucester
Cape Ann, about an hour north, is the coastal New England you picture. Gloucester is a working fishing port with a famous fishermen’s memorial. Rockport, next door, is smaller and prettier, with art galleries crammed onto a narrow spit called Bearskin Neck.
The red fishing shack in Rockport’s harbor is called Motif No. 1, because so many artists have painted it. Get a lobster roll, walk out to the end of the neck and watch the boats. The commuter rail runs to both towns, which makes this a great no-car option.
4. Plymouth
Plymouth is where the Pilgrims landed in 1620. The famous Plymouth Rock is, honestly, a bit underwhelming. It’s a smallish rock under a stone portico. The rest of the town is better.
Climb aboard the Mayflower II, a full-size replica of the original ship, and see how cramped the crossing must have been. Then drive a few minutes to Plimoth Patuxet, a living history museum with a re-created 1627 village and a Wampanoag homesite. Allow most of a day.
5. Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is where the richest families of the Gilded Age built their summer “cottages,” which are actually enormous mansions. The Breakers, built for the Vanderbilts, is the one to tour if you only pick one.
Then walk the Cliff Walk, a 3.5-mile path that runs between the mansions’ back lawns and the ocean. The first stretch is paved and easy. The southern part gets rocky, so wear proper shoes. It’s about 90 minutes by car, and well worth the drive.
6. Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is underrated, and the train gets you there in about an hour. It’s a compact city with a great food scene, a lively university crowd and a historic East Side full of colonial houses.
If you’re there on a WaterFire night, stay late. Bonfires are lit on braziers down the middle of the river, music plays and gondolas drift past. Check the schedule before you go, since lightings are mostly from spring to fall.
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7. Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a small, charming harbor town about an hour north. The downtown is walkable and full of independent shops, cafes and good restaurants, all centered on Market Square.
Visit Strawbery Banke, an outdoor museum with restored homes from four centuries, then walk down to Prescott Park on the water. Bonus: New Hampshire has no sales tax, so shopping here is a little cheaper than in Boston.
8. Provincetown
Provincetown sits at the very tip of Cape Cod. It’s about two and a half hours by car, which is too far for a comfortable drive there and back. The fast ferry from Boston is the trick. It takes about 90 minutes and runs from May to October.
Once you’re there, walk Commercial Street, climb the Pilgrim Monument for the view, then rent a bike and ride out into the dunes of the Cape Cod National Seashore. It’s colorful, artsy and a lot of fun.
Which day trips work without a car?
Salem, Rockport, Gloucester and Providence are all easy by commuter rail or Amtrak. Provincetown works by ferry in season. Concord, Plymouth, Newport and Portsmouth are much easier with a car, although there are bus tours to most of them if you’d rather not drive.
When to go
Late spring through October is the best window. Fall is especially pretty, with foliage across the region from early to late October, but Salem gets very busy then. Many seasonal businesses in Rockport and Provincetown slow down or close in winter.
How to pick the right day trip
It depends on what you want from the day. For history, go to Concord and Lexington or Plymouth. For the sea and a lobster roll, pick Rockport or Portsmouth. For grand houses and ocean views, choose Newport. For a city with great food and a bit of nightlife, Providence is the one.
If you’re traveling with kids, Plymouth is a strong pick, since the ship and the living history museum keep them busy. If you’re short on time, Salem and Concord are the closest, and both fit easily into half a day. And if you have two free days, combine Newport and Providence, which are only about 40 minutes apart, and spend a night in one of them. Whichever you choose, leave early. Traffic out of Boston on Friday afternoons and back on Sunday evenings is brutal.
Common questions
What’s the easiest day trip from Boston?
Salem. It’s a 30-minute train ride and everything is walkable once you arrive.
Can you do Newport as a day trip?
Yes. It’s about 90 minutes by car, which leaves time for one mansion and the Cliff Walk.
Is Plymouth Rock worth seeing?
It’s worth a quick look, but the Mayflower II and Plimoth Patuxet are the real highlights.
How do I get to Provincetown without a car?
Take the fast ferry from Boston, which runs from May to October.
Which day trip is best in the fall?
Concord and Lexington, for the history and the foliage, or Salem if you don’t mind crowds.
