Islands of New England

Discover the natural beauty that lies along the shores of New England. Come to know its coastal charm, friendly people, and fresh-from-the-sea cuisine. Your tour opens in Providence, the capital of Rhode Island. As arrival flights vary greatly, there are no included activities today.
Hotel Name: Aloft Providence Downtown

This morning, enjoy a panoramic city tour with your Tour Manager on your coach and see highlights including the Brown University Campus and Waterplace Park. Later, get to know the self-proclaimed Creative Capital of Providence where it’s your choice! Learn all about Providence’s art and architecture scene on a walking tour through the city -OR- spend part of your afternoon wandering through the RISD Museum* where more than 2,000 pieces of art and design are displayed. In 2026, America turns 250! Tonight, celebrate the beginning of your journey and this historic year with your fellow travelers at a lively, Colonial-themed welcome dinner.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Newport
A major 18th-century port city, Newport, Rhode Island has the highest concentration of colonial buildings in the United States. However, the town is best known for being the summer resort of the newly rich American millionaires from the mid 19th century to the early 20th century. This Gilded Age was often expressed with sumptuous mansions called "cottages."

Head to Newport, a colonial port city that later turned into a summer home to America’s wealthiest industrialists. On your way, look to the calm water and see why the city has earned the moniker of the “Sailing Capital of the World” and was home to the America’s Cup sailing competition for more than 50 years. In Newport, travel along Bellevue Avenue. Lined with extraordinary 19th-century summer "cottages," this road is home to 7 mansions designated National Historic Landmarks. These extravagant homes were used by affluent families like the Astors and Morgans, for fewer than two months each year. Step back in time and get a taste of the Gilded Age at The Breakers, the most opulent of the Newport Mansions and 70-room summer getaway of the Vanderbilt family.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Lobster Trap Pull Demonstration and Cruise
Dive into the cuisine and culture of Maine when you join a local lobsterman on a lobster boat. See how lobster traps are retrieved from the ocean and watch the cages get pulled to the surface.

This morning, venture to the home of the first permanent colonial settlement in the country: Plymouth. Here, board a boat and cruise Plymouth Harbor.** Your captain will share the importance of lobstering to New England culture and demonstrate how lobsters are pulled from the water. After returning to land, stop in the town of Plymouth to see where the Pilgrims disembarked the Mayflower in 1620: Plymouth Rock. Later, arrive at your beachfront hotel for a 4-night stay on the Cape.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Sea Crest Beach Hotel

Visit Area: Plymouth Rock
The traditional site of landing by the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded the Plymouth colony in 1620. While no mention of "The Rock" is listed until over 100 years after the landing it has long represented the beginning of U.S. settlement.

Catch a glimpse of the Camelot era in Hyannis Port, home of the Kennedy compound, and visit the poignant Kennedy Memorial. Next, set off via ferry to explore the idyllic island of Nantucket. From its cobblestone Main Street to its beaches and lighthouses, this place lives up to its reputation. During time at leisure, meander the waterfront where sailboats and yachts sway in the harbor or shop for a famous Nantucket basket. Next, head to the Nantucket Whaling Museum and learn about this island’s history as the former whaling capital of the world. Peruse exhibits about the danger of this industry in the 18th century and even see the skeleton of a 46-foot-long whale. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a popular local restaurant.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Cape Cod, MA
Just south of the metropolis of Boston lies a island with 300 miles of shoreline characterized with quaint villages, sand dunes and bicycle trails. Cape Cod has become a popular escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Join a tradition of artists and industrialists who revered the Cape for its beautiful sunsets, natural preserves and fresh seafood.

Take in Cape Cod your way because today, it’s your choice! Take advantage of the amenities at your waterfront hotel, perhaps sitting by the pool or visiting the private beach on the resort’s property -OR- join your Tour Manager for a trip to Sandwich where you’ll visit the Heritage Museums & Gardens*** with 100 beautiful acres to explore followed by a visit to the Sandwich Glass Museum for a glimpse into the delicate artform of glassblowing. No matter which choice you choose, your evening is at leisure.

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Nantucket, MA
Glacially formed, 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, this half-moon-shaped island takes its name from a Native American word meaning "far away place". Nantucket was a whale hunting center during the 1830s-1840s. Somewhat decimated by the decreased whaling industry, Nantucket has emerged as a popular art and summer resort as well as a home for wealthy Northeasterners.

A ferry ride transports you to beautiful Martha’s Vineyard. Known for visits by presidents and royalty, this summer home of many artists, writers and celebrities is full of surprises. You’ll see all the highlights of "the Vineyard" (as the locals call it), including quaint gingerbread-styled cottages and a once-famous whaling port resplendent with sea captains’ homes and widows’ walks. Later, depart the island and cruise back to Cape Cod. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner and traditional New England experience as you indulge in a lobster feast.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Martha's Vineyard, MA
A small island south of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard was settled by the English in the 1640s. Today the island is marked with 18th-century homes, gingerbread cottages, beaches and lighthouses. Enjoy lobster rolls or homemade ice cream while shopping for souvenirs, such as scrimshaw, in the island's boutiques.

Your tour comes to a close, leaving you with many fond memories.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Lobster Dinner
When the first European settlers reached North America, lobsters would reportedly wash up on shore in piles up to two feet high. Routinely fed to prisoners, slaves, apprentices and children during the Colonial era and beyond, lobster became known as the poor man's protein. Considered a delicacy by WW II, American lobsters (or Maine lobsters) can grow up to 40 lbs (18 kg) and be 3 feet long (91 cm).