Amazing New England road trip itinerary to discover all the best and cool things to do in New England. Coastal charm and best seafood places.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

Cool Things To Do In New England

New England is a coastal area in the northern part of the United States. It stretches around the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. New England is known for its beautiful coastline, historical heritage and landmarks, great seafood, coastal charm, some of the best universities in the country, and gorgeous fall foliage forests and mountains.

Discover coastal charm in our Call It Adventure 4 days New England road trip itinerary.

Day 1

Start your trip at New Haven, Connecticut, the home of Yale University.

8:00-9:30 Breakfast

Have a savory and substantial Breakfast at Bella’s Café. Choose from all favorite classics and new modern twisted options.

Address: 896 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT 06515
Hours: Tue-Sun 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Price range: $11-30

10:00-12:00 Yale University

Among other cool things to do in New England, I recommend visiting Ivy League Universities even if you’re not going to apply. I graduated from university a couple of years ago, and I like going to different campuses and see how students live, what are the activities and hobbies, traditions, and fun stories. It is like a peek into a whole new universe. When we speak about Ivy League Universities, it is a place where famous and important figures had studies, and you can learn about their success stories as well.

There are tours around the campus. I suggest taking the 10:30 tour to the or you can always download mp3 tour here.

Address: Yale Visitor Center, 149 Elm Street, New Haven, CT 06520

12:00-2:00 Tour the city

New Haven might be a university city, but it is also a very old and historically significant city. Walk the Chapel street, a historic downtown area in New Haven. Visit Harvey Cushing and John Hay Whitney Medical Library and explore exhibitions, halls and old times atmosphere.

Address for Medical Library: 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510

2:00-2:30 Lunch at the Birthplace of Burger

Family owned and operated, run by the 4th generation Louis’ Lunch is a small rustic cafe that is recognized by the Library of Congress as the birthplace of the hamburger. The burger is grilled in an old oven and served on a toast, not on a bun. The whole place looks like from a history movie or a museum, plus it’s a cheap eat with good quality of food.

Address: 263 Crown St, New Haven, CT 06511
Hours: Tue-Wed 11:00 am – 3:45 pm, Thur-Sat 12:00 am – 2:00 am
Price range: under $10

3:00-5:00 Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum is a coastal museum that stimulates a 19th century New England coastal village and has lots of different expositions and exhibits about coastal life in New England. My favorite part is to walk around the coastal village and stop by shops and houses to see how people used to live and work centuries ago in New England.

Address: 75 Greenmanville Ave, Mystic, CT 06355
Hours: Mn-Sun 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tickets: $18.95 and up

6:00 Dinner at the Mariner

Enjoy New England fresh seafood in the Mariner. A classic American and seafood restaurant with nice ambiance and wide selections in the menu. While in coastal areas, especially in New England, I usually vote for lobsters and lobster dishes. For example,  a lobster roll at the Mariner is an upscale classic cheap eat that is both delightful and tasty. And for those who love food and cooking here is a great cookbook with New England style recipes, called New England Open-House Cookbook: 300 Recipes Inspired by the Bounty of New England. The book has mouthwatering and easy to follow recipes that you’ll enjoy.

Check the book on Amazon.

Address: 21 W Main St, Mystic, CT 06355
Hours: Sun-Thur 12:00 am – 10:00 pm, Fri-Sat 12:00 am – 11:00 pm
Price range: $11-30

Day 2

Continue the New England road trip with the next city of Providence.

8:00-9:00 Breakfast in Historic Downtown of Providence

Here is a great place for breakfast, late breakfast, brunch, or even lunch: Ellie’s. It may look like a bakery and a coffee shop, but it is like an upscale hipster bakery. Just check their bites and sandwiches. Everything is delicious and looks very beautiful.

9:00-11:00 Old town stroll

Ellie’s bakery is situated in the Historic Downtown of Providence. Walk around the Downtown, check the shops and galleries. Make sure to stop by The Westminster Arcade at 65 Weybosset St, Providence. It is the very first shopping mall in the United Stated that was opened in 1828.

11:00-12:00 Brown University

Brown University is one of the best-known universities in the country and a very nice campus to walk around. Take a tour led by a student to learn about stories and famous alumnus. Again, the same with as Yale, you don’t need to be on the path to enter a university. I just think it is a very nice landmark that is worth visiting.

Information about tours is here. Tours are free of charge.

Address: Campus Center, 75 Waterman St, Providence, RI 02912

12:00-2:00 Explore Federal Hill

Federal Hill is a historic neighborhood in Providence, RI with beautiful architecture, wide streets and charming vibes. Stop by Old State House (150 Benefit Str) to see where politicians worked centuries ago and John Brown House Museum to check the first mansion in Providence, owned by a John Brown, one of the early benefactors of the Brown University.

Old State House
Address: 150 Benefit St, Providence, RI 02903
Hours: Sat 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Tue-Fri 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Tickets: free admission

John Brown House Museum
Address: 52 Power St, Providence, RI 02906
Hours: Sat 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Tue-Fri 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Tickets: $6 and up

2:00-3:00 Lunch

Here is another great place any foodie will love: Mokban Korean Bistro. Great food, healthy choices, and nice staff. The place is checked by my friends and me, and we all love the food here at Mokban Korean Bistro.

Address: 217 Westminster St, Providence, RI 02903
Hours: Sun-Thur 11:30 am – 10:00 pm, Fri-Sat 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Price range: $11-30

4:00-6:00 Cliff walk start at Forty Steps

There is a very nice, gorgeous scenic walk called Cliff Walk. It is a seaside walk along the wonderful New Atlantic seashore and beautiful houses and mansions nearby.

Cliff walk starts at Forty Steps. Park at Easton’s beach on Memorial Boulevard, then head to staircase called Forty steps.

Also, the area near Cliff Walk has some of the greatest mansions in Rhode Island and the United States in general.

The Breakers Mansion

Address: 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, RI 02840
Hours: Sun-Sat 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Rosecliff house

You can recognize this mansion from The Great Gadsby movie. It is grand, gorgeous and very beautiful.

Address: 548 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840
Hours: Mn-Sun 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

7:00 Dinner

I like the outdoor patio at Salvation Cafe. It is very nice and relaxing. Plus great seafood options including New England lobsters.

Address: 140 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840
Hours: Mon-Sun 4:30 pm – 12:00 am
Price range: $11-30

Day 3

On the third day of New England road trip, I suggest heading to historic Plymouth, the place where Mayflower landed, and first pilgrims settled.

8:00-9:00 Breakfast

I adore little places that look like a home. Blue Blinds Bakery has exactly that ambiance. Located in an old charming house Blue Blinds Bakery, in my opinion, is a perfect place for having breakfast in the historic New England region.

Address: 7 North St, Plymouth, MA 02360
Hours: Mon-Thur 6:00 am – 9:00 pm, Fri 6:00 am – 3:15 pm, Sun 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Price range: under $10

9:00-12:00 Walk around Plymouth

Start exploring Plymouth at Plymouth Rock, the rock that was used by pilgrims as a step to get from the Mayflower to the New World land. Just imagine the huge historical importance of that rock. I’m sure it is worth visiting.

Plymouth Rock
Address: 79 Water St, Plymouth, MA 02360

After visiting Plymouth Rock head to Pilgrim Hall Museum to enjoy the exhibits about pilgrims life, Plymouth Colony and artifacts from Mayflower.

Pilgrim Hall Museum
Address: 75 Court St, Plymouth, MA 02360
Hours: Mon-Sun 9:30 am – 4:30 pm, Fri 6:00 am – 3:15 pm, Sun 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tickets: $8 and up

12:00-1:00 Lunch

The Plymouth waterfront is so peaceful and beautiful. That’s why it is a great idea to have a quick lunch right here, at the scenic boardwalk. Head to Lobster Hut to taste fresh lobster roll and delicious chowder.

Address: 25 Town Wharf, Plymouth, MA 02360
Hours: Sun-Thur 11:00 am – 8:00 pm, Fri-Sat 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Price: $11-30

2:00-5:00 Plimoth Plantation

Plimoth Plantation is an open-air museum that replicates the first settlement of Pilgrims. It was founded in the middle of the 20th century, and now it shows how things were in the 17th century. Guides in traditional clothes tell stories about English colonists and how Pilgrims lived during the first steps of settlement in the new world.

Address: 137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA 02360
Hours: Mn-Sun 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tickets: $18 and up

7:00 Dinner

Here is a charming hidden farm with a restaurant that serves divine food, called Just Right Farm. The dining here is pricey, but the whole experience is totally worth it.

Address: 140 Palmer Rd, Plymouth, MA 02367
Hours: Fri-Sat 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm, Sun-Thur 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Price: above $61

New England is much more than a couple of cities and landmarks that can be covered in one road trip. It is an area of endless exploration and enjoyment. I tried to create a perfect New England road trip itinerary to cover all the main aspects New England is famous for, starting with history and seafood following by grand architecture and seashore charm.

Here is a separate guide to Boston, the biggest New England city, that definitely deserves a visit. You can extend your New England road trip and visit Boston, which is a the city worth visiting.

Thanks for reading Call It Adventure!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.