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All jokes aside, I love New England in the summer, it’s hard to beat! The beaches, the mountains, the Red Sox games, the seafood & the weather make New England come alive in the summer there is just something special about New England vacations in the summer. I spent every summer of my childhood visiting the places on this list, and they’re all places I stil love to visit today, even now after I’ve ventured to 35 other different countries.
Despite how much travel I do now, I try to stay in New England as much as possible during the summer (I live in Boston), because I hate to miss any of it. I’ve narrowed down my 10 favorite places to visit during summer in New England below! Also see a map of all these spots here.
Best Summer Weekend Trips in New England (in order of my favorites!)
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
Maine
Portland
Portland is one of my favorite cities to visit in the summer! It’s a short drive from Boston, has amazing food, tons of awesome bars & breweries, and is so pretty just to walk around all the winding streets lined with old brick buildings!
Top Portland Recommendations
- See Portland Head Light
- Grab drinks by the water & catch some live music at The Porthole
- Get donuts at the Holy Donut
- Check out a few breweries. My top picks: Bissel Brothers, Shipyard & Liquid Riot
- Head to the speakeasy at Blyth and Burrows
- Barhop on Wharf Street. My top pick: Bonfire
Where to Stay in Portland
Canopy by Hilton Portland Waterfront
My top pick in Portland for it’s absolutely stunning rooftop bar and it’s perfect location. Only drawback is no pool, but the rooftop sells me on this spot!
Portland Harbor Hotel
A classic Portland stay with a stuning patio/garden and restaurant. Conveniently located right along the Portland harbor!
Hilton Garden Inn Portland Downtown Waterfront
For more of a budget option still in a great location try Hilton Garden Inn Portland Downtown Waterfront – they also have an indoor pool, so this is a great option if you’re traveling with kids!
Acadia National Park & Bar Harbor
Acadia National Park is a long drive from Boston, but it’s so beautiful up there and definitely worth a trip! The hikes and views are stunning! Bar Harbor is a small, picturesque coastal town right near Acadia and is the best place to stay/grab dinner etc.
Top Acadia & Bar harbor Recommendations
- Hike Cadillac Mountain (preferably for sunrise- this is the first place in the US where the sun rises daily!)
- Check out the Gorham Mountain trailhead & Thunder Hole
- Drinks at the Thirsty Whale
- Seafood at Geddy’s
- Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse (for sunset)
Where to Stay in Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor Manor
Classic, simple hotel walkable to the small downtown area of Bar Harbor. No frills, but convenient for visiting Acadia!
Ogunquit
Ogunquit is a tiny coastal town in Maine that’s a great spot to spend a weekend. There’s tons of cute shops, bars and restaurants surrounded by those quintessential rocky New England coast line views!
Top Ogunquit Recommendations
- Walk Marginal Way
- Check out Ogunquit Beach
- Head to some of the best bars: Maine Street, The Front Porch & That Place
- Do some shopping on Main Street & Shore Road
- Take a drive to the Cliff House for dinner or drinks
Where to Stay in Ogunquit
Anchorage by the Sea
This hotel is pricy but SO stunning and in a great location to explore Ogunquit. They also have a stunning pool!
Norseman Resort
For a cheaper option right on the beach the Norseman Resort is a great option and so great if you’re traveling with kids to be that close to the beach.
New Hampshire
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is one of my favorite cities to take a weekend trip to. It’s close to Boston, small & walkable, but with tons of things to do, and I love the rustic look & feel with the working harbor and all the old brick buildings and streets! Most times I go to Portsmouth we spend about 85% of the day just wandering, eating and drinking.
Top Portsmouth Recommendations
- Drinks on the water at Lazy Jack’s
- Exploring the shops on Congress & Market Street
- Prescott Park
- Rooftop drinks at the Envio Hotel
- Dinner on the water on Bow Street (Top picks: River House or Surf)
Where to Stay in Portsmouth
Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Portsmouth
The best location for being easily accessible & walkable to the main streets of Portsmouth. There’s a pool and parking available!
North Conway
North Conway is a town nestledin the White Mountain Valley of NH. It offers stunning mountain views, lakes, rivers, hiking & more. My family heads to North Conway at least once every summer, spends most Thanksgivings there, & snowboards there in the winter, so, I’m a little biased when I say this is one of my favorite places not just in New England, but anywhere! Which makes it hard to trim down to a few recommendations, so you can check out my full summer guide to North Conway here.
Top North Conway Recommendations
- Spend a day at White Lake
- Brave the natural rock slides at Lower Falls
- Get bar pizzas and hear some live music at the Shannon Door
- Hike in to Diana’s Bath
- Swim at Jackson Falls
- Explore the shops in Downtown North Conway, especially Zeb’s
- Drive or hike up to Cathedral Ledge!
Where to Stay in North Conway
North Conway Grand Hotel
North Conway Grand Hotel is one of my favorite places to stay, right on the main strip of North Conway behind Settlers Green Shopping Outlets – this hotel has mountain views, an on-site restaurant, a heated outdoor pool open year round (my favorite!) with a fire pit & more!
This spot can be pricy, but I love staying here. It’s also a great place to bring kids
Golden Gables Inn
My family has been staying at Golden Gables for years! This motel is in the perfect location right on the main strip of North Conway is clean and recently updated, has an outdoor pool/fire-pit and games area, and generally reasonably priced!
Vermont
Burlington
Burlington, the town where the University of Vermont is located, is a great summer weekend trip spot. It sits right on the beautiful Lake Champlain and has lots of great breweries for weekend exploring!
Top Burlington Recommendations
- Spend a day at a beach on Lake Champlain
- Visit the Ben & Jerry’s flagship shop. They were founded in Burlington!
- Explore the UVM campus
- Do some shopping on Church Street
- Check out some breweries (Top picks: Zero Gravity, Switchback)
Where to Stay in Burlington
Hotel Vermont
A great hotel in an ideal location. The highlight for me was the on-site restaurant and fun bar!
Courtyard Marriott Burlington Harbor
Another convenient downtown hotel with an indoor pool and walkable to the Church Street area! Plus, a lovely rerrace with lakeside views
Massachusetts
Salem
Salem is a unique town not far from Boston, most known for the infamous Witch Trials, but it’s actually a great spot to spend a day or a weekend. It’s a cute coastal town with nice views, bars & restaurants, and plenty of Witch-y things to explore, if that’s what you’re interested in.
Top Salem Recommendations
- Beers at Notch Brewing
- Explore Salem Willows Park
- Visit the House of Seven Gables
- Grab dinner downtown (My picks: Finz for seafood on the water or Howling Wolf for Mexican!)
- Take the Salem Ferry into Boston – it offers some of the best views of the stunning Marblehead neck coastline
Truthfully, I find all the witch museums/attractions a bit tourist-y and not totally worth it BUT if you want there are tons of options for that stuff, like:
- The Salem Witch Museum
- Witch History Muesum
- Witch Trials Memorial
Where to Stay in Salem
The Hotel Salem
A new hotel right in downtown Salem with Salem’s only rooftop bar!
Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites
A classic Salem spot located rigjht on the harbor and short walk from all the highlights of Salem. They offer an indoor pool and an on-site bar and restaurant with water views.
Newburyport
Newburyport is another pretty Massachusetts coastal town on the North Shore that’s a good spot to spend a day exploring! I’d recommend doing Newburyport as a day trip from Portsmouth or Boston vs. staying there as it’s quite small and the hotel options are limited!
Top Newburyport Recommendations
- Spend the day on the beach at Plum Island
- Drinks with views at the Deck
- Walk the boardwalk at Waterfront Park
- Catch some live music at the Grog
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is located on the South Shore of Massachusetts is one of the most famous & stunning areas of the state. Cape Cod is a series of cute coastal towns that are filled with picturesque houses covered in weathered gray shingles, hydrangeas & classic sandy beaches. It’s the ultimate summer spot for New Englanders
Top Cape Cod Recommendations
- Falmouth – a town located at the beginning of the Cape with a great downtown area and several beach options, some of my favorite spots in Falmouth are:
- Shipwrecked – beach bar and restaurant with an awesome patio view
- Old Silver Beach
- Anejo – great Mexican food & margaritas
- Chart Room – awesome patio for drinks on the water with the best mudslides!
- Day trip to Martha’s Vineyard
- Welfleet – a town located near the end of the Cape with some of the most stunning beaches. Some of my top recommendations in Welfleet are:
- Cahoon Hollow Beach
- The Beachcomber
- The Drive-in Theatre
- Dennis – located in the middle of the Cape Dennis has some of the top rated beaches in the Cape
- Mayflower Beach
- Sesuit Harbor Cafe – known for having the best Lobster Rolls
- Kream n Kone – the best fried seafood on the Cape!
Where to Stay in Cape Cod
There are so many amazing places to stay on Cape Cod & the whole area is massive. We usually rent a house when I visit, my favorite towns to stay in are Dennis, Hyannis, Yarmouth (middle of the cape) as it’s easy to explore everywhere! The best part about Cape Cod is it’s so big you can find more reasonable prices than in some other popular New England summer spots.
Falmouth Hotels
- InnSeason Resorts Surfside – right on the beach with a pool, kids playground, about a 10 minute drive from downtown Falmouth
- Falmouth Tides – stunning beachside spot, walking distance from the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard!
Rhode Island
Newport
Newport is another great oceanside town to visit in New England. It’s known for it’s infamous mansions lining the coast, but the downtown has a fun, casual vibe that makes for a great weekend trip. Newport can be expensive to visit & hotels can get extra pricy in peak season, you can also visit as a day trip from cheaper locations nearby!
Top Newport Recommendations
- The Cliff Walk
- Explore the coast by taking Ocean Drive
- Head to Easton’s or Atlantic Beach
- Catch some live music at Pelham (One Pelham East)
Where to Stay in Newport
Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection
Stunning, pricy, aesthetic resort in historic downtown Newport with a pool and an on-site restaurant. Great place to splurge!
The Brenton Hotel
Oceanside spot with harbor views, and conveniently located in downtown Newport. The perfect spot for a weekend getaway!
New England Summer Getaways Map
Other New England Travel Content
Planning a New England trip? See some of my other New England Travel Guides here
