New York Circular 36 – A scenic, comprehensive and highly recommended route in New England (in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont) and in New York State that includes Cape Cod, Acadia National Park, the White Mountains, the Green Mountains, the Adirondacks, the Finger Lakes, as well as the Niagara Falls and the city of Boston. In summer there are many water activities along this route (and other attractions such as zipline, alpine slides and whale watching), while in autumn these regions are colored by a spectacular fall foliage. It is of course recommended to add a few days in New York City at the beginning or end of this route.
Day 1 – Land in New York and drive to the Finger Lakes region, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Ithaca
Day 2 – Visit the gorges around Ithaca
Lodging location: Ithaca
Day 3 – Drive to the Niagara Falls, on the way visit the Corning Museum of Glass, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Niagara Falls (Canadian side)
Day 4 – Visit the Niagara Falls
Lodging location: Niagara Falls (Canadian side)
Day 5 – Cross the border back to the USA and drive east to the Adirondack Mountains, 6 hours drive
Lodging location: Lake Placid
Day 6 – Enjoy a day of activities in Whiteface Mountain or Saranac Lake
Lodging location: Lake Placid
Day 7 – Continue driving east and travel in the Adirondack Mountains, in the afternoon take the ferry ride that crosses Lake Champlain towards Vermont, 2 hours drive plus 30 minutes ferry ride
Lodging location: Stowe
Day 8 – Enjoy activities in the Green Mountains, around Stowe
Lodging location: Stowe
Day 9 – Cross the White Mountains from west to east through route 112 (Kancamagus Highway) and visit sites along the way, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: North Conway
Day 10 – Travel in the eastern part of the White Mountains
Lodging location: North Conway
Day 11 – Enjoy one more day in the White Mountains
Lodging location: North Conway
Day 12 – Drive to Acadia National Park and take a whale watching tour, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Bar Harbor
Day 13 – Visit East Acadia National Park
Lodging location: Bar Harbor
Day 14 – Visit West Acadia National Park
Lodging location: Bar Harbor
Day 15 – Drive to Boston, 5 hours drive
On the way south stop at the small coastal town of Cape Elizabeth (3 hours south of Acadia) which has a beautiful lighthouse. You may also choose to drive the northern portion of this route through HWY 1 and the scenic town of Camden (in this case the total drive for this day will be 5.5 hours)
Lodging location: Boston
Day 16 – Visit Boston
Lodging location: Boston
Day 17 – Enjoy one more day in Boston
Lodging location: Boston
Day 18 – Drive to the Cape Cod Peninsula and visit Cape Cod National Seashore, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Provincetown
Day 19 – Enjoy a day of leisure in the Cape Cod National Seashore
Lodging location: Provincetown
Day 20 – Drive to the town of Mystic and on the way stop for a visit in Newport (Rhode Island), 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Mystic
Day 21 – Visit Mystic and take the ferry to Long Island (from New London to Orient) and drive to NYC, 1.5 hours ferry ride plus 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: New York
Day 22 – Fly home
– In order to fill this route with content – see our Northeast USA destinations pages, where you can find articles that include suggestions what to do in various locations along this route.
