New England Fall Foliage Trip
- Danielle Castrence
- Oct 15, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Dec 14, 2025
How to Start Planning a Fall Foliage Trip to New England
Are you planning a trip to catch the leaves this year? But don't know where to start? Look no further! The fall foliage in New England is the perfect road trip for those in love with fall or who want to visit multiple states simultaneously.
If you live outside the East Coast, the cheapest and easiest way to get to New England is by flying into Boston. Once you fly into Boston, you can rent a car. There are several options to consider.
Option 1: You can rent a camper van from Walden Camper Van. Keep in mind that many roads can become congested during the fall, and parking options for camper vans may be limited.
Option 2: Rent a car. You can rent a car through regular means at the airport or with your credit card. However, I found Turo to be the most economical option, and you can postpone your payment until the month of your trip!
Another tip: Purchase the America the Beautiful Pass! This pass will allow you to access national parks, forests, and other natural landmarks without incurring parking fees. I'll mention if the pass doesn't work for any of the sites mentioned.
Where to start the trip?
This itinerary is designed so that you only have to drive roughly 2 hours every day. However, you can start wherever you'd like. Depending on when you book, I would look at the fall foliage prediction map to see where you can expect to see the peak colors. You can find the fall foliage map here.
How long should your trip be?
Many people recommend staying in New England for two weeks. Realistically, many people can't spend that much time away. I would recommend at least 5-7 days.
Day 1: Boston/Pick up Rental Car - Drive to New Hampshire
After arriving in Boston, we drove to New Hampshire, where we explored Boston at the end of the trip. New Hampshire has an interesting motto, "Live Free or Die," and it makes a lot of sense once you drive through the state. This state has wonderful hiking trails and beautiful landscapes that you can't miss.
One of the most breathtaking places to visit in New Hampshire is Franconia Notch State Park. Many of the sites we saw are located in this park. Our first hike in the park is the Artists Bluff Trail. It's 1.4 miles and a pretty easy hike. You can park off Rt 18 in the big dirt lot across the street from the Cannon Mountain base area. I would recommend stopping at Mount Baldy as well to get the view, which is another pathway along the hike to see.
After hiking for a few hours, we went to the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway to see the fall colors from above. This tramway is a short ride but offers more walking trails to take in the wonderful fall colors. Be sure to wear several layers, as it can get very cold at the top!
To end the day, we went over to Last Chair for some good old-fashioned burgers and beer. For accommodations, you can find charming bed and breakfasts, inns, and Airbnbs. I would recommend booking them at least three months in advance, as the fall time is one of the busiest times of year in New England.
If you have more time and don't take a red eye (like we did), I would recommend adding Flume Gorge, which is only 30 minutes away. Flume Gorge is a gorgeous, narrow valley with steep rock formations. There is a 2-mile walkway that takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete. Please note that this site requires reservations. You can make a reservation here.
Day 2: New Hampshire
The next day, we headed for the most popular scenic driveways on the East Coast: The Kancamagus (Kan-kuh-MOG-us) Highway. The Kanc is a 34.5-mile scenic drive that has the most spectacular views in New Hampshire. Named after the Indian chief of the Pennacooks, Chief Kancamagus brought the Indian tribes together into a federation until they were forced to flee by the English settlers.
After being exiled, Kancamagus found his way back and got his revenge by chopping the English Major Waltron into pieces. If you want to learn more about the fascinating history, I would download the Viator tour here to gain insights on the drive. Make sure to leave early (before 8 am) as the parking lots can get full at most of the sites. If you bought the America the Beautiful Pass, you won't have to pay for a parking pass.
Some of my favorite sights off the Kanc include:
Russell Colbath House: Where you can see remnants of the town of Passaconaway, as well as the house of the famous Ruth Priscilla Russell, whose husband left one night and said he would return before supper. She waited for her husband to return every night for 39 years by leaving a lamp outside the window.
Lily Pond: Off the side of the highway, you can find a beautiful pond where you might even see some wildlife!
Sabbaday Falls: A .7 mile walk to a waterfall with a connection to other hiking trails.
Rocky Gorge: Great place for a stroll! There are giant rocks to stand on and lots of picturesque places to take pictures. If you want to add a hike to it, you can go on the Lovequist Loop.
Albany Covered Bridge: One of the many covered bridges you will find in New England, but it is still iconic! It is also a great photo up to take a picture at the bridge with the foliage in the background!
Depending on how fast or how many stops you make and if you add hikes, it can take anywhere from 2-6 hours. We started at 9 and ended around 1 pm.
After our scenic drive, we found some delicious food called Mountain Moose. We decided to take a gander at the Mountain Valley Mall to do some shopping before heading back to our cozy bed and breakfast.
Day 3: Woodstock, Vermont
Our first stop in Vermont was Woodstock, where we stopped at the Sugar Bush farm. Vermont is one of the leading producers of maple syrup, and the Sugar Bush Farm is a great place to see how maple syrup is made. It's been open since 1948 and still produces cheese and maple syrup. It's a great place to get souvenirs and experience the small town of Woodstock.
After exploring the farm, we headed over to downtown Woodstock to see some sights, including the Taft Covered Bridge, Yankee Bookshop, Pleasant Tree Books, the Woodstock Museum, Marsh Billings Rockefeller Park, Au Comptoir, and ending the day at the Worthy Kitchen. You can make a reservation at Worthy Kitchen here.
One of my favorite things in Woodstock was the museum; it was great to learn more about the people of Woodstock, how one of the residents used their house as a site for the Underground Railroad, as well as experience the rooms from the 1800s and how they lived.
Since this is a small town, it might be difficult to find parking. I would recommend bringing walking shoes and comfy clothing. Also, the lunch options can be limited, so it might be best to pack a sandwich and make reservations in advance for dinner.
Day 4: Stowe, Vermont
Another one of my favorite towns in Vermont is Stowe. We started by heading to the scenic drive route of Smuggler's Notch. In 1807, Jefferson passed an embargo forbidding trade with Canada. As a result, Smuggler's Notch became a route to smuggle goods as well as for enslaved slaves who would use it to escape to Canada for freedom. Smugglers' Notch has great hiking trails to experience the Green Mountains. It's about a 30-minute scenic drive. If you decide to go hiking, I would recommend going on the Pinnacle Trail to see some fall colors from above. You can find more hiking trails here. Most of the trails are very easy and usually take about 1-2 hours max.
After Smuggler's Notch, we headed to town to see some sights. Some sights would include the Welcome to Stowe mural (located at the Lake Champlain Chocolates), the Giles W. Dewey Memorial Bridge, the Country Store on Main, the Cold Cider Mill, Von Trapp Brewery, and Ben Jerry's Ice Cream. The Cold Cider Mill is a great place to try some apple cider donuts that are famous in Vermont.
Another place to check out is the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. This is the original factory and has a cute flavor graveyard where you can see all the flavors that are no longer available.
For dinner, I would recommend going to The Von Trapp Brewery and is named after the family that inspired the Sound of Music. Unfortunately, we weren't able to go since we didn't make reservations ahead of time. However, you can make reservations for Von Trapp here.
Day 5: Boston, MA & Salem, MA
One of the most quintessential things to do in New England in the Fall is to visit Salem, MA. Salem is right on the outskirts of Boston and contains the most Halloween sites there are. Salem is a town where Halloweentown was filmed and where you can find more spooky sites, such as the Hocus Pocus Tour, Salem Witch Museum, House of the Seven Gables, Pioneer Village, and the Salem Halloween Museum.
This town gets "Disneyland" crowded on weekends in October. I'm not going to lie, there were times when I felt severely uncomfortable. However, it is cool to see everyone dressed up in costume. We went on our DIY Hocus Pocus tour and visited the sites of Salem Common, Old Town Hall, Ropes Mansion, and 4 Ocean Ave, Salem (Dani's house). We also took a picture in front of the House of Seven Gables. We walked to the Halloween market where they had a bunch of booths of vendors selling different types of spooky things. If we had more time, I would've loved to go to the Salem Witch Museum and the Pioneer Village, but make sure that you purchase tickets way in advance!!
After Salem, we headed over to Boston to explore the city. Our first stop was Acorn Street. Acorn Street is a historic cobblestone path that still has preserved Federal-style houses. It helps you imagine what Boston would've been like in the 19th century. Keep in mind that these are still neighborhoods that people live in, so be respectful!
Our next stop was the Public Gardens and Boston Commons. The Public Gardens are the first public botanical gardens in the US. It has several sculptures of public figures such as George Washington and MLK Jr, as well as a pond with a swan boat. If you have ever seen the movie "Good Will Hunting", you can sit on the Robin Williams bench.
Next, we headed over to Newbury Street for some shopping and boba. This is quite a popular street with a lot of college students. We decided to end the day at Faneuil Hall for some much-needed grub. Faneuil Hall is a historic site that was an important event site in colonial times, where many gathered to protest. Today, you can find food vendors, Boston souvenirs, and other regular shopping sites.
Day 6: Boston, MA
Another day calls for another historical site adventure! The day begins with going on a do-it-yourself tour of the Boston Freedom Trail. The trail can take about 90 minutes to 2 hours. I would recommend downloading this tour from Viator, or you can check out some in-person tours here. The Freedom Trail allows you to see all of the historic sites (Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, Paul Revere House, Bunker Hill Monument, and much more). To find out more about the Freedom Trail, check out this site. My favorite part of the tour was going to Bunker Hill and imagining the war unfolding before you.
After exploring the town, you can choose one of the museums that they have in Boston. Some of my favorite art museums are the Isabella Stewart Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. Both museums are equally pleasing, with lots of different art periods. If you are looking for more historical museums, I would recommend going inside the Paul Revere House and the Boston Tea Party Museum (where you can even throw environmentally friendly tea in the harbor).
For dinner, I would recommend eating in the North End, which is also known as Boston's Little Italy. This neighborhood has been the home of Italians for generations. I would recommend eating at Bencotto's, where they have freshly made pizza and pasta. After dinner, make sure to get dessert at either Mike's Pastry or Modern Pastry to get some cannolis.
Day 7: Boston, MA
As it is your last day in Boston, you can choose to explore the neighborhood of Cambridge and see the college campuses of Harvard and MIT. Boston has over 50 colleges and universities, but visiting Harvard is a must! You can also check out the numerous free museums on the Harvard campus.
After your college tour, head on over to the Time Out Boston Market to see all the different food offerings that Boston has to offer. This is a great place for groups where everyone can choose what kind of food they are craving, and all eat together. Time Out also hosts different music-themed nights!
End your day by checking out Fenway Stadium. Fenway Stadium is home to the baseball team, the RedSox. You can also sign up for a tour here.
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