Cape Cod is a summer seaside classic with sandy beaches, dune trails, lobster rolls and charming towns from Chatham to Provincetown. Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are short ferry rides away.
Good to know
- Book lodging months ahead for July and August.
- Ferry reservations to Nantucket and the Vineyard fill up; reserve cars well ahead or leave them on the mainland.
- Bring layers; sea breezes make evenings cool even in summer.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Climb the 252-foot granite tower for Cape views, then browse the small museum below.
Boat trips on Stellwagen Bank for humpbacks and finbacks.
Classic Cape Cod shack dinner under a roof, with chowder and fried clams.
40 miles of beaches and dunes with a red-and-white lighthouse.
Art-filled, LGBTQ+-friendly town at the Cape's tip with galleries and whale watching.
Watch fishing boats unload and walk to a sandy beach by the lighthouse.
Paved 22-mile bike path through dunes and forest.
Cobblestone streets, whaling history and beaches; ferry takes about an hour.
Casual roadside shacks serve roll with butter or mayo.
Glassmaking history and gardens in the Cape's oldest town.
Marine biology center and ferries to the island.
Raw bar and a beach bar with live music at Cahoon Hollow.
Small museum on the Kennedy family's summers on the Cape.