DAY 1

Arrive Boston

Tour begins: 5:00 PM. Transfers are included upon arrival from Boston's Logan Airport or Boston's Back Bay, North and South train stations to The Lenox Hotel, ideally located in Boston's historic Back Bay, steps from Newbury Street and a 20-minute walk to iconic Fenway Park, famed home of the Boston Red Sox. Join us this evening for a welcome dinner at a classic city chophouse, a short drive from the hotel.

Dinner

DAY 2

Drive to Cape Cod

Leave the city behind as you drive to your beachfront hotel in North Falmouth, stopping en route for a guided visit at the Heritage Museum & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It is set amidst 100 acres of flower-filled gardens and exhibits showcasing the history of the region, from antique automobiles to folk art and vintage memorabilia including a carousel built in 1908. Enjoy lunch in the town of Sandwich, the oldest town on the Cape and settled in 1637. While its name suggests a popular noonday meal, Sandwich is famous for the glassware produced here in the 1800s. Continue on to North Falmouth and settle into your historic waterfront hotel, once a summer refuge for the likes of Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart and later owned by Barbara Walter's father when it enjoyed a reputation as the Cape's most popular watering hole. Today the resort is frequented by guests who have stayed here for generations, enjoying a true taste of Cape Cod hospitality. Dinner tonight is a traditional New England clambake.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 3

Cape Cod National Seashore, Provincetown & a whale-watching cruise

Visit the Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Visitors Center this morning, providing a fascinating introduction to the protected marshlands, uplands, ponds, lighthouses and outer islands of Cape Cod National Seashore. Museum exhibits include the history of the Wampanoag tribes who first inhabited these lands, and the arrival of European settlers, the pilgrims, through artifacts, artwork, photos and captivating oral histories. Have lunch as you wish in Provincetown before embarking on an exciting whale watching cruise for a glimpse of the giant marine mammals who frequent the waters here. It was the hunt for the whale that largely built Provincetown. By 1870, largely due to its whaling activities, Provincetown was one of the richest towns in Massachusetts. As Provincetown went from a whaling town to a Portuguese fishing village to the artsy town it is today, whales are now playing a part in its important conservation efforts to help prevent the whales' extinction. You may spot a variety of marine life during your afternoon whale watching cruise, from humpback, fin and right whales to dolphins, seals and sea turtles who may happen by. Dinner is at leisure tonight at your hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 4

Ferry to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard

Board a fast ferry this morning bound for the summer resort island of Nantucket, where a guided sightseeing drive around the island is followed by free time to explore as you wish. Once known as the whaling capital of the world, this compact island is renowned as a getaway for captains of industry who relish its endless beaches, rose-covered shingled homes and the cobblestoned charms of its historic harborside town. An afternoon ferry speeds you to Martha's Vineyard for a two-night stay at an iconic hotel in Edgartown. Dine at your leisure tonight at your hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 5

From island towns to the Carnegie Museum

An orientation tour this introduces you to the towns that line the shores of Martha's Vineyard, from Victorian-inspired Oak Bluffs to Vineyard Haven where the ferries dock to the fishing village of Menemsha to West Tisbury, the island's agricultural center and Aquinnah, home to the Wampanoag Indian tribe and clay cliffs. Martha's Vineyard also includes the smaller adjacent Chappaquiddick Island. You will have time to experience life in Edgartown before a special Tauck experience at the Carnegie Museum. Join a docent for a tour of the museum, learning about its start as a free library inspired by Andrew Carnegie, and viewing its collection of artifacts and photos of island landscapes and landmarks. An optional walking tour takes you to the Chappy Ferry Line, the Old Sculpin Gallery, the Norton Boat House and the Edgartown Memorial Wharf. The evening is free to enjoy as you wish.

Breakfast

DAY 6

From New Bedford whales to Newport, Rhode Island

Board a ferry bound for Woods Hole, Massachusetts, disembarking for lunch and a self-guided tour of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, recalling the town's heyday as a whaling port. Surrounded by cobblestone streets once strolled by Frederick Douglass and Herman Melville, the museum is located in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Inside you'll find a 66 ft. skeleton of a blue whale and a smaller skeleton of a sperm whale for an up-close look at the whales that are found in the oceans nearby, as well as a fully rigged, half-size replica of an actual whaling ship. Learn about the history of whaling and view paintings by famous maritime artists during your visit. The museum showcases the world's largest collections of scrimshaw, whaling logbooks, and journals, chronicling just about everything you wanted to know about whales in visually engaging displays. Drive to Newport, Rhode Island, enjoying a guided sightseeing tour before free time to explore the sights. Your hotel is centrally located on the waterfront, an easy stroll from dining venues, shops and more.

Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 7

The Gilded Age in Newport

Wake up for an optional stroll with your Tauck Director along Newport's famed Cliff Walk, taking in million-dollar views of the ocean shore. Later this morning, take in the views from the 70-room Renaissance Revival summer vacation cottage known as The Breakers, built between 1893 and 1895 by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, renowned as one of the most magnificent of Newport's opulent mansions. Boasting Italianate inspired rooms, the house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994. Listen to stories about the history, the family, the décor and the guests as you don audio ears for an informative self-guided tour at our own pace. The designers decked the house with imported marble from Italy and Africa, along with rare woods and mosaics from countries around the world, including a library mantel purchased from a French château. The mansion occupies nearly one acre and has 70 rooms including the great hall with its 45-foot ceiling, the Gold Room, the dining room, library, 48 bedrooms for family and staff and 27 fireplaces. Of special note, the home has electricity, a novelty in houses during the Gilded Age, as well as gas for lighting. A stroll on the 13-acre property brings you to the storybook Children's Cottage, built in 1878 with an open porch overlooking the ocean. Your Tauck Director will provide you with Trolley Tickets should you wish to visit any other mansions during your free time this afternoon. Join us at one of Newport's popular restaurants tonight for a memorable farewell reception and dinner.

Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 8

Journey Home

Tour ends: Boston. Depart Newport after breakfast and drive to Boston's Logan International Airport, a distance of 73 miles, for your flight home. Flights should be scheduled after 2:30 PM. Guests staying an additional night in Boston will be transported to The Lenox Hotel.

Breakfast

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The Lenox Hotel

The Sea Crest Beach Hotel

Harbor View Hotel & Resort

The Newport Marriott

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