Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth), the United States: things to do, when to go and how to get there

Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, preserves in its downtown streets the sites where the revolution against the British crown began in the 18th century. A red line on the ground, the Freedom Trail, connects 16 of them, from Boston Common park to the USS Constitution ship in Charlestown. The city also has first-rate art museums, a waterfront and the oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in use.

Across the Charles River, Cambridge is the home of the country’s two best-known universities, Harvard and MIT, a few minutes by subway from downtown Boston.

To the north along the coast, Salem keeps the memory of the 1692 witch trials and prospered with the ships that sailed for tea, silk and spices in the East. To the south, Plymouth preserves the memory of the colony founded by the Mayflower passengers in 1620, with a replica of the ship and an outdoor museum about the lives of the colonists and the Wampanoag people.

This destination brings together 4 cities: Boston, Cambridge, Salem, Plymouth.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth) is

Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau / geoBoundaries (public domain). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth)

✈ Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), in Boston · 5 km to Boston

Logan (BOS) is across the bay, a few minutes by subway from downtown. South Station receives Northeast Corridor trains from New York. Salem and Plymouth have regional trains departing from Boston. Entry into the country depends on nationality: confirm requirements before traveling.

Suggested arrival point: Boston

Massachusetts · Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth) Capital Suggested arrival point

Boston

Capital of Massachusetts and one of the country’s oldest cities, founded in 1630. The Freedom Trail runs through the independence sites, from Boston Common to the USS Constitution. The city has the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the New England Aquarium on the harbor and Fenway Park stadium, as well as brick-house neighborhoods like Beacon Hill and Back Bay.

Massachusetts · Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth)

Cambridge

Neighboring city to Boston, across the Charles River, home to Harvard University, founded in 1636, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT. Harvard Square has bookstores, cafés and the historic Harvard Yard campus; Kendall Square brings together MIT, its museum and tech companies. Both connect to Boston via the Red Line subway.

Massachusetts · Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth)

Salem

Coastal city north of Boston, known for the 1692 witch trials, when 20 people were executed. It was also one of the country’s wealthiest ports for trade with China and India. It has the Salem Witch Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum with art and objects brought by sailors, and the house that inspired the novel The House of the Seven Gables.

Massachusetts · Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth)

Plymouth

Coastal town south of Boston where the Mayflower pilgrims settled in 1620. Along the waterfront are Plymouth Rock, the stone traditionally pointed to as the landing site, and the Mayflower II, a replica of the ship. South of downtown, an open-air museum recreates the daily life of the English settlers and the Indigenous people who already lived there.

The local experience

Things to do in Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth)

Boston · Massachusetts · Historic route

Freedom Trail

An approximately 4 km route marked by a red line on the ground that connects 16 sites related to American independence, from Boston Common to the USS Constitution.

Plymouth · Massachusetts · Historic monument

Plymouth Rock

The granite stone traditionally pointed to as the pilgrims’ landing place in 1620, protected by a neoclassical portico on the waterfront.

Salem · Massachusetts · Museum

Salem Witch Museum

Museum housed in an old stone church, which tells the story of the 1692 witch trials with life-size scenes and narration.

Cambridge · Massachusetts · University

Harvard University

The oldest university in the United States, founded in 1636. The historic Harvard Yard and the art and natural history museums welcome visitors.

See 10 more places in Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth)

Boston · Massachusetts · Park

Boston Common and Public Garden

The two central parks: Boston Common, the country’s oldest public park, and the Public Garden, a botanical garden with a pond and swan-shaped boats.

Plymouth · Massachusetts · Historic ship

Mayflower II

Full-scale replica of the ship that carried the pilgrims to America in 1620, built in England in the 1950s and docked in Plymouth Harbor.

Cambridge · Massachusetts · Museum

MIT Museum

Museum of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Kendall Square, with robots, holograms, artificial intelligence and the institute’s inventions.

Salem · Massachusetts · Museum

Peabody Essex Museum

Museum of art and culture with objects brought by Salem sailors, maritime art and Yin Yu Tang, a reconstructed Chinese house from the Qing dynasty.

Salem · Massachusetts · Historic house

House of the Seven Gables

A 1668 wooden house on Salem harbor that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, with a hidden staircase and gardens.

Boston · Massachusetts · Museum

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Museum with collections from ancient Egypt to contemporary art, including one of the largest collections of Japanese art outside Japan and Impressionist painters.

Plymouth · Massachusetts · Open-air museum

Plimoth Patuxet

Open-air museum that reconstructs the English village of 1627 and a Wampanoag dwelling, with educators who demonstrate 17th-century life.

Boston · Massachusetts · Museum

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

House-museum in the style of a Venetian palace, with an enclosed courtyard garden and works by Titian, Rembrandt, and Sargent arranged as the collector left them.

Boston · Massachusetts · Stadium

Fenway Park

Baseball stadium opened in 1912, home of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest ballpark in the major leagues still in use, with guided tours year-round.

Boston · Massachusetts · Aquarium

New England Aquarium

Aquarium on Boston Harbor with a four-story cylindrical tank that mimics a coral reef, penguins and a seal area.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

From May to June and from September to October days are usually mild; in early October trees turn red and yellow. July and August are hot. From December to March it is very cold, with snow, and several attractions in Salem and Plymouth operate reduced hours or close.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

Four days: two in Boston, half a day in Cambridge and one day split between Salem and Plymouth. With five days, each coastal town gets its own day.

Which city to stay in

Back Bay and Beacon Hill have old streets and nearby subway access; Downtown and the Waterfront are along the Freedom Trail and the harbor. In Cambridge, Harvard Square and Kendall Square are good bases for staying near the universities.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth)

How to get to Boston?

Via Logan Airport, about 5 km from downtown, or by train on the Northeast Corridor, which arrives at South Station from New York.

How many days to stay in Boston?

Four days allow you to see Boston, Cambridge, Salem and Plymouth; two are enough for the city and Cambridge.

What’s the best time to go to Boston?

May to June and September to October; in early October the foliage often colors the parks and surrounding area.

Do you need a car in Boston?

No. Boston and Cambridge have subway systems, and Salem and Plymouth have regional trains. A car only helps for longer New England itineraries.

Can you visit Salem and Plymouth on a day trip?

Yes: Salem is about 25 km and Plymouth about 65 km from Boston, both served by regional trains.

What time zone is Boston in?

The East Coast time zone: UTC−5, or UTC−4 during daylight saving time, which runs from March to November.

Boston (Boston); Cambridge (Cambridge); Salem (Salem); Plymouth (Plymouth)

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

The cities on this trip