Day Trips from Boston: Salem, Plymouth, Cape Cod & Newport
The best day trips from Boston are all within two hours. Salem is the easiest: 30 minutes by commuter rail or a scenic fast ferry from Long Wharf in summer, for the witch-trial memorial, guided history walks and the Peabody Essex Museum. Plymouth (45 minutes) has the Mayflower II and the Plimoth Patuxet living-history village; Lexington and Concord (30 minutes) the battlefields where the Revolution began. Cape Cod and Provincetown are 90 minutes by fast ferry, Martha’s Vineyard a coach-and-ferry combo, and Newport’s Gilded Age mansions about 90 minutes south. In late September and October, foliage tours head for New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Guided tours with round-trip transport for each are compared below.
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Salem & Day Trips in Boston — FAQ
What are the best day trips from Boston?
Salem for witch-trial history (30 minutes), Plymouth for the Pilgrims and the Mayflower II (45 minutes), Lexington and Concord for the Revolution’s first battles (30 minutes), Cape Cod and Provincetown by fast ferry (90 minutes), Martha’s Vineyard by coach and ferry, Newport’s mansions (90 minutes) and White Mountains foliage in autumn.
How do you get from Boston to Salem?
The MBTA commuter rail from North Station takes about 30 minutes year-round; from May to October the Salem Ferry sails from Long Wharf in about an hour with harbor views. Guided day trips add transport and a walking tour, and book out in October around Halloween.
Can you do Cape Cod as a day trip from Boston?
Yes — the high-speed ferry reaches Provincetown at the Cape’s tip in about 90 minutes, leaving five or six hours for the beaches, dunes and galleries. Coach tours loop the mid-Cape lighthouses and Hyannis. For Martha’s Vineyard, guided trips include the ferry from Falmouth or Woods Hole; summer weekend sailings sell out.