A loop from Boston north to New Hampshire's Kancamagus Highway and Mount Washington, then west over the Green Mountains to Stowe, its covered bridges and cider mills, and back. Colour peaks in the north from late September and moves south through mid-October.
Road trip route for your dates
5 days from Sat, Dec 5.
- Days 1–2 Boston
- Days 3–4 White Mountains, New HampshireDrive from Boston to White Mountains, New Hampshire (about 2.5 hours)
- Day 5 Stowe, VermontDrive from White Mountains, New Hampshire to Stowe, Vermont (about 2.5 hours)
Last day: about 3.5 hours back to the start (from Stowe to Boston on I-89 and I-93).
Good to know
- Foliage moves fast; check a New Hampshire or Vermont foliage tracker the week before and shuffle days if needed.
- Book places to stay months ahead for the mid-October long weekend (Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day), the busiest of the season.
- Mount Washington's weather can be wintry in October; the Auto Road closes in high wind.
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.
2.5-mile red brick line linking 16 Revolutionary sites, from Boston Common to Bunker Hill.
Boston's Little Italy, for cannoli at Mike's Pastry or Modern, and old-world restaurants.
Student-led tours of the oldest university in the US, plus bookshops and cafes in Harvard Square.
One of the largest museums in the country, strong on Impressionists and ancient Egyptian art.
Venetian-style palace with an indoor courtyard garden and the site of a famous unsolved art heist.
Historic food hall and marketplace by the harbor, a good place for chowder.
Brownstones, boutiques and cafes, ending at the Public Garden and its swan boats.
Waterfront restaurants for oysters, lobster and a harbor view.
34 miles of mountain road with overlooks and waterfalls, the classic New England foliage drive.
Boardwalks through a narrow granite chasm with waterfalls and covered bridges.
The world's first mountain-climbing cog railway to the summit of the Northeast's highest peak.
Grand 1902 resort hotel where the Bretton Woods conference shaped the postwar economy; drinks on the veranda.
An easy forest walk to a series of cascades and rock pools.
Outlet shops, a historic railroad station and a good brewery in the Mount Washington Valley.
A narrow pass between cliffs and boulders, ablaze with colour in early October.
White-steepled church, shops and a gentle 5-mile riverside path for walking or biking.
The original ice-cream factory tour with a tasting and a 'flavour graveyard'.
Watch cider being pressed and eat warm cider donuts.
The Sound of Music family's Austrian-style lodge, with a lager brewery and mountain views.
The Gondola SkyRide climbs Vermont's highest mountain to the Cliff House, with long views over the colour; the summit ridge is under a mile's hike further.