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The best places to see around the Boston area are Cambridge, just across the Charles River; Lexington and Concord, about 20 miles northwest, where the Revolutionary War began; Walden Pond; Salem and Marblehead on the North Shore; Plymouth to the south; and Cape Cod farther out. Cambridge, Concord, Salem and Rockport are reachable without a car on the T or the commuter rail, and Salem also has a seasonal ferry from Long Wharf.
Distances below are road miles from Boston Common, from Google Maps. Each place links to our fuller guide where we have one.
Places to visit near Boston at a glance
| Place | Miles by road | Without a car | Go for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge (Harvard Yard) | 4 | Red Line | Harvard, MIT, museums |
| Concord (Old North Bridge) | 19 | Fitchburg Line from North Station, then a 1.5-mile walk | Revolutionary history, authors' houses |
| Walden Pond | 18 | Not practical; drive | Thoreau, swimming, a pond walk |
| Lexington (Battle Green) | 21 | Red Line to Alewife, then the 76 bus (not Sundays) | Battle Road Trail |
| Marblehead | 20 | Drive | Harbor and sailing town |
| Salem | 26 | Commuter rail from North Station; ferry May to October | Witch trials history, maritime Salem |
| Rockport | 44 | Rockport Line from North Station | Cape Ann coast |
| Plymouth | 42 | Drive | Plymouth Rock, Thanksgiving history |
| Hyannis, Cape Cod | 73 | CapeFLYER train on summer weekends; buses | Beaches, ferries to the islands |
Cambridge: Harvard and MIT across the river
Cambridge is a separate city, not part of Boston, but it is the closest trip out: about four miles from Boston Common to Harvard Yard. Spend the day at Harvard's free art museums and campus, then cross to MIT. Our Cambridge day trip guide has the details.
Lexington and Concord: where the Revolution started
Minute Man National Historical Park covers the battle sites of April 19, 1775, across Lexington, Lincoln and Concord. Without a car, the National Park Service suggests the Fitchburg Line from North Station to Concord station on Thoreau Street, then a 1.5-mile walk to the North Bridge. You can also ride the Red Line to Alewife and take the 76 bus toward the Minute Man Visitor Center in Lexington, Monday to Saturday only, then walk or bike the Battle Road Trail to Concord. See a day in Concord, Lexington and Lincoln and more things to do west of Boston.
Walden Pond
Walden Pond State Reservation in Concord, the pond that inspired Henry David Thoreau's Walden, has a replica of his one-room cabin, swimming and a walk around the pond. Go by car and go early: daily parking is $8 for Massachusetts plates and $30 for out-of-state vehicles, and the lot closes when the park reaches capacity. Street parking is not allowed.
Salem and Marblehead on the North Shore
Salem, 26 miles by road, is best reached by train or boat. Commuter rail on the Newburyport/Rockport Line runs from North Station, and in season the Salem Ferry leaves 1 Long Wharf for a crossing of about 50 minutes; the 2026 season runs May 22 to October 31, with fares from $43. Salem Maritime National Historical Park, established in 1938 as the first National Historic Site in the United States, preserves nine acres of the waterfront. In October, Salem's Haunted Happenings brings heavy crowds and road closures, so plan accordingly. Read how to get to Salem from Boston and things to do in Salem.
Marblehead, which its chamber of commerce bills as the birthplace of the American Navy and the yachting capital of America, is a harbor town about 17 miles north of Boston by the chamber's measure. For more of the coast north of the city, see things to do north of Boston.
Plymouth and Cape Cod to the south
Plymouth, about 42 miles by road, has Plymouth Rock and Plimoth Patuxet Museums, and its America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade falls on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Cape Cod is farther: Hyannis is about 73 miles away. The CapeFLYER train runs from South Station to Hyannis on summer weekends, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, so it is not running again until next summer. Read how far Cape Cod is from Boston and the bus from Boston to Cape Cod.
Around Boston without leaving the city
Not every escape needs a train ticket. Inside Boston's own limits:
- The Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain is free and open sunrise to sunset; take the Orange Line to Forest Hills.
- The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on Columbia Point overlooks the harbor; take the Red Line to JFK/UMass and the free UMass Boston shuttle.
- The Boston Harbor Islands are reached by ferry from Long Wharf from mid-May to mid-October; the 2026 season's last day is October 12.
Sources: Minute Man National Historical Park; Walden Pond State Reservation; MBTA Newburyport/Rockport Line; MBTA Fitchburg Line; Salem Ferry; Salem Maritime National Historical Park; Destination Salem; Marblehead Chamber of Commerce; CapeFLYER; See Plymouth. Checked October 1, 2026.