7 Day New England Road Trip Itinerary
New England is the perfect destination for a road trip. Plan your trip with this 7-day New England road trip itinerary through Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. This trip was on my travel wish list for a while, and last summer my family and I made it happen! Keep reading to plan a trip of your own!
A Quick Look: 7 Day New England Road Trip Itinerary
- Day 1: Fly into Portland, Maine and drive to Bar Harbor, Maine
- Day 2: Spend the day exploring Acadia National Park
- Day 3: Second day in Acadia National Park
- Day 4: Drive to Bethlehem, New Hampshire
- Day 5: Explore Flumes Gorge State Park and drive to Burlington, Vermont
- Day 6: Spend the day exploring Burlington, Vermont
- Day 7: Fly from Burlington, Vermont back home
Where should I stay on a New England Road Trip?
You have multiple options when looking for lodging including hotels, Airbnbs, and bed and breakfasts. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Bar Harbor, Maine and utilized Airbnbs in New Hampshire and Vermont.
When is the best time to take a New England Road Trip?
This trip is best suited for summer or early fall. Winter road conditions can be unpredictable. We went to New England in August and the weather was perfect. However, fall foliage in New England looks beautiful in pictures and I’d love to take another trip in the fall. For my next New England road trip, I plan to go back in the fall!
7 Day New England Road Trip Itinerary: Daily Details
Day 1: Travel Day + Bar Harbor, Maine
I went on this trip with my family, and we all had different starting points. My parents drove from West Virginia to Portland, Maine. I flew from Tampa to Baltimore where I met my sister at the airport and we flew into Portland, Maine. Once we were all in Portland, we finished out the travel day by driving to Bar Harbor, Maine and checking into our bed and breakfast.
- Fly (or drive) to Portland, Maine
- Complete drive to Bar Harbor, Maine and check into bed & breakfast
- Explore the shops of Bar Harbor, Maine
- Grab dinner and a drink in Bar Harbor
- Stroll along the Shore Path in Bar Harbor
- Stay the night at The Elmhurst Inn
Day 2: Acadia National Park
We woke up early and headed straight for Acadia National Park. This gave us the entire day to enjoy exploring the park. We spent the evening enjoying the cute town of Bar Harbor. Below are the details of what we did!
- Grab and go breakfast at the B&B
- Morning hike and sightseeing around Acadia
- Enjoy a packed lunch in the park
- Visit the Acadia National Park Visitor Center
- Hike the Bar Island Path and explore Bar Island
- Dinner at Bar Harbor Lobster Co
- Blueberry soft serve Ice Cream at CJ’s Big Dipper
- Stay at The Elmhurst Inn
Day 3: Acadia National Park Day 2
We woke up early to watch the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain which allowed us to start our hiking bright and early! We enjoyed another full day in Acadia National Park.
- Grab & go breakfast from the B&B
- Watch the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain
- Early morning hike at Jordan Pond
- Second breakfast at Jordan’s Restaurant in Bar Harbor
- Drive the scenic Park Loop through Acadia National Park
- Stop for an afternoon hike along the coast
- Drinks at Fogtown Brewing Company
- Dinner at Galyn’s
- Stay at The Elmhurst Inn
For the full details of everything we did in Acadia National Park, be sure to check out this post.
Day 4: Travel from Bar Harbor, Maine to Bethlehem, New Hampshire
We took advantage of a less full day and slept in before enjoying a relaxing breakfast at The Elmhurst Inn. Once we had breakfast and packed all of our things we got back on the road for our next destination.
- Breakfast at the bed and breakfast
- Drive to Bethlehem, New Hampshire (~4.5 hours)
- Afternoon drink at Rek Lis Brewing Company
- Dinner and drinks at Schilling Beer Company
- Stay at Airbnb in Bethlehem
Day 5: Travel from Bethlehem, New Hampshire to Burlington, Vermont
This was one of our shortest drives on the trip which was nice after multiple days of travel.
- Breakfast at the Airbnb
- Hike The Flumes Gorge Trail at Franconia Notch State Park
- Stop at the Littleton Coin Company
- Drive to Burlington, VT (~2 hours)
- Dinner at The Old Post
- Watch the sunset over Lake Champlain
- Stay at Airbnb in Burlington
Day 6: Burlington, Vermont
Today we had the day to explore Burlington, Vermont! It was nice to have a day with no time in the car. We briefly checked out Church Street, but I was honestly disappointed, and it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. However, we found other activities to enjoy the day.
- Breakfast at Feldman’s Bagels
- Walk along the Burlington Bike Path
- Spirit of Ethan Allen Scenic Narrated Cruise of Lake Champlain
- Drinks and snacks at Foam Brewers
- Dinner at Zero Gravity Brewing
- Stay at airbnb in Burlington
Day 7: Travel Day back Home
Our last day of the trip was mostly a travel day with everyone taking off at different times to different places. My parents were continuing their road trip to Niagara Falls, my sister was flying back to Baltimore, and I was flying back to Tampa!
- Flight from Burlington, Vermont to Tampa, Florida
Final thoughts on a 7 day New England Road Trip Itinerary
We had an amazing time exploring New England! My personal favorite part of the trip was Acadia National Park and my favorite hike was Gorham Mountain. However, I enjoyed everything we did on this trip so it’s hard to pick a favorite! My sister and mom also really enjoyed Maine. The Flume Gorge trail was my dad’s favorite. There are so many places to explore in New England, but I hope you find our road trip itinerary to be helpful when you plan your next trip!
Looking for other Road Trip Itineraries?
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