There are many places you can visit in the world to see fall leaves transform into vibrant yellows, oranges, browns and reds. But few compare to the US northeast’s New England, where science and nature combine to dazzle visitors with an extraordinary light show every autumn.
We’ve driven two New England fall road trips totaling almost 6 weeks, and we can honestly say they’re some of the most memorable trips we’ve ever taken. From our experiences, the very best colors, towns, attractions, hikes and foliage spots are in Vermont and New Hampshire – so this guide focuses mainly on those two states.
Hi, we’re Mark and Kristen Morgan. We left our science careers in 2018 to become travel writers and photographers, and since then our expert guides have helped millions of travel planners take better trips. Read more about us.
Why trust us? Because we’ve personally spent nearly 6 weeks exploring the popular and hidden spots across New England in the fall. We know where to go and what to do. As always, we took every photo in this guide.
Want the truth? There is no perfect, one-size-fits-all 7-day New England fall road trip. Most guides try to pack in Boston, Burlington, Acadia and every other must-see town, but that just isn’t realistic if you only have one week. Instead, this guide focuses on what makes New England in fall unforgettable – the colors.
We’ll show you the most practical Boston start/end route so you can follow a doable 7-day loop, hitting the major highlights like Stowe, Woodstock, the Green Mountains and White Mountains in the best order. If you have more time, we’ll also explain how to plan a longer foliage itinerary for 10 days or 2 weeks, share our favorite alternate routes and give expert tips from our extensive New England travels.
Are you a serial planner like us? Take a look at our popular New England fall road trip guidebook which goes into far greater detail with exclusive maps, tons more itinerary ideas and bonus extras.
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7-Day New England Fall Foliage Road Trip Itinerary (Boston Start + End)
Allow us to be blunt – it’s impossible to cover everyone with a single itinerary for this popular road trip route. Why? Because of three major planning differences: start/end points, trip lengths, and hikers vs non-hikers.
So what’s the best approach? We’ll show you the most common 7-day loop road trip from Boston Logan Airport, hitting the must-see foliage spots, towns and easy-to-moderate hikes that most visitors can handle.
Is 7 days enough? Honestly, no. We don’t think a week gives you the full New England fall experience. But it is long enough to hit the major towns, sample some iconic hikes and see spectacular foliage along the way. Think of this as the “highlights reel” of New England in fall.
Here’s exactly how we’d plan 7 days in New England if it were our first time again, but with the benefit of everything we learned after 6 weeks on the road:
Day 1: Manchester VT
Boston Logan Airport MA to Manchester VT
- Distance: 162 miles
- Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
We would plan our trip with a flight into Boston the afternoon or evening before our 7-day itinerary began, then we’d hire a car at Boston Logan Airport, drive to Manchester, go out for dinner and get an early night. We ate at Ye Old Tavern – it was a bit pricey but the food was great and we had 3 courses.
For hotels – we’ve stayed at two awesome places in Manchester: On a lower budget we loved the Arcady Mountain Motor Lodge and with a healthier budget the luxurious Inn at Manchester was fantastic. We recommend both.
With our first full day in Manchester, we’d start by driving the Skyline Auto Toll Road to the summit of Mount Equinox for stunning views over the rolling Green Mountains, before exploring the nearby Hildene – the Lincoln Family Home (closed Tuesday and Wednesday).
Next we’d drive through the delightful old village to the newer and more modern Manchester Center to visit the American Museum of Fly Fishing Museum and Northshire Bookstore.
Later in the afternoon we would personally hike Lye Brook Falls Trail, but if you’d rather skip the hike you can drive to Bennnington to see the Battle Monument and Robert Frost stone house museum instead.
There’s also a few covered bridges you can visit around Manchester, and one of our favorite things to do here is simply drive around the narrow maze-like roads in the Green Mountains – this is how you’ll see the best fall foliage colors.
Read our guide to the best things to do in Manchester VT to learn more about this area.
Day 2: Woodstock VT
Manchester VT to Woodstock VT
- Distance: 57 miles
- Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
The second day is an absolute treat. We love Woodstock, it’s the most quaint and lovely small town in New England. But the drive on Vermont’s super-scenic Route 100 from Manchester to Woodstock is equally as impressive – so we would get an early start and take our time on the way up.
First we’d stop in Weston to take a look around the awesome Vermont Country Store (there are dozens of similar stores dotted along the route but this was our favorite). And here’s a top insider tip – there’s a fantastic photo spot at The Old Mill Museum, especially when the fall colors are in peak.
Next, we’d stop in Ludlow to grab brunch at The Hatchery, before continuing north to spend an hour walking around the Calvin Coolidge Homestead and Plymouth Cheese. It’s not far to Woodstock from there, and we would stop at the Lincoln Covered Bridge on the way.
After arriving into Woodstock we’d prioritize visiting Billings Farm and Museum. We loved walking around this working farm both times we passed through the area – it’s one of the best stops in New England if you’re taking a road trip with the kids.
Then we’d drive to see Quechee Covered Bridge and Taftsville Covered Bridge, before arriving back into the charming town to see Woodstock Middle Bridge.
But there are some downsides to Woodstock. It’s tiny, and it gets extremely busy in peak fall season so parking is a nightmare. Plus, it’s the classiest and most upscale place you’ll visit on this New England road trip, so hotels and even restaurants are expensive.
The Vesper and The Woodstocker are two very highly rated B&B’s, but if you have the budget available you have to stay at the legendary Woodstock Inn. We haven’t stayed there yet but we will next time.
Read our full guide on what to do in Woodstock VT so you don’t miss anything.
Important: Two photos you’ll find on every New England fall calendar are Sleepy Hollow Farm and Jenne Road Farm near Woodstock. We photographed them in 2020 (you can see our photos above), but roads leading to the farms were closed when we visited in 2023 because inconsiderate tourists were littering and even entering the properties, which is a real shame.
Day 3: Stowe VT
Woodstock VT to Stowe VT
- Distance: 81 miles
- Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Stowe is our favorite New England fall foliage destination. It’s got everything we love – hikes, photo spots, scenic drives, mountains, waterfalls, craft breweries, an addictive outdoorsy vibe and an alpine feel.
To get there from Woodstock you could go a quicker route up I-89 but we recommend getting back on the scenic Route 100 to see more fall colors and more of Vermont’s covered bridges.
Even with just 7 days for this whole road trip, we would still allocate 2 days to Stowe because it’s such a fun spot for every type of visitor.
And the first thing we’d do is stop at Ben and Jerry’s on the way into Stowe – this place is amazing for ice cream lovers and families. Don’t miss the flavor graveyard and make sure you book a factory tour well in advance otherwise you won’t get a spot.
Next we’d stop at Cabot Creamery Store to buy cheese and Cold Hollow Cider Mill to try their famous cider donuts. We really enjoyed Cold Hollow (and we ate far too many donuts) but boy was it jam-packed with tourists.
And that goes for Stowe in general, too. It’s the most popular stop in New England, so expect crowds and traffic. Here’s our top insider tip for Stowe – book your dining reservations ahead of time.
After arriving into Stowe we’d grab lunch at Edelweiss Mountain Deli and drive to the famous von Trapp Brewery for a beer. It’s a bit out of the way but it’s well worth it – and it’s likely to be busy so expect a line at the bar.
Then we’d stop at The Alchemist (Mark’s favorite) or Stowe Cider (Kristen’s favorite) on the way back into town for another quick beer. These craft breweries are truly exceptional, and they have just as much pulling power for Stowe as hiking or fall colors.
Back in town we’d park at Stowe community church viewpoint to snap one of the most iconic New England fall photos. If the foliage is in peak you’re in for an absolute treat – just don’t forget your telephoto lens.
Then we’d take a quick walk around town (the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum was way better than we expected) and head up to Sunset Rock in time to watch the sun go down – we got eaten alive but it was a nice view. And we’d finish the day with a lovely dinner at Doc Ponds.
Day 4: Stowe VT
The fourth day is one of the best on this trip because there’s less driving and more activities. We’d start early and drive up the narrow and twisting Smugglers Notch road before it gets busy (you don’t want to be there when it’s packed). The Notch is incredibly photogenic, and it’s a great place to put your drone up if you have one.
Next we’d hike either Sterling Pond (2.1 miles, 1,000-ft elevation gain, moderate) or Bingham Falls (0.5 miles, 150-ft elevation gain, moderate – steep and slippery). We’ve done both and they’re fun trails to blow the cobwebs off before heading up Mt Mansfield which is the star attraction.
First, we took the SkyRide Gondola and honestly we found it underwhelming for $55 each. There’s just a small area to walk around and an overpriced restaurant at the top. Here’s an insider tip – we only think it’s worth taking the gondola if you hike the steep Cliff Trail to Mt Mansfield summit, but it’s a tough climb.
For us, the better way to do Mt Mansfield was to drive the auto toll road. It still cost us $66 (vehicle and driver plus 1 passenger) and the road condition was terrible, but the full nose to chin hike on the summit ridgeline was easy and had majestic views.
Later in the day after all the hiking we’d grab dinner in the outdoor seating area at Idletyme to soak up the fun atmosphere. It might be chilly so make sure you have layers.
When it comes to lodging, there’s plenty of great places to stay in Stowe including in town, on the Mountain Road and up in the Mountain Resort area.
Our favorites include Green Mountain Inn for it’s location in town, the Von Trapp Lodge because it’s iconic and Sun and Ski Inn for its family rooms if we visited with our daughter next time.
Our complete things to do in Stowe VT guide for first timers goes deeper into what you can’t miss.
Families: Visiting with younger kids or don’t want to do the hikes? Two great alternative family activities are walking the Stowe Rec Path and riding bikes through the Lamoille Valley.
Day 5: Mount Washington NH
Stowe VT to Mt Washington NH
- Distance: 92 miles
- Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
That’s the end of small town Vermont – it’s time to move into New Hampshire for mountains, hikes, unbelievable fall foliage scenery and dramatic views.
We would start by going up Mt Washington (tallest peak in New England and highest recorded wind speed by a staffed weather station at 231mph), but there’s three different ways you can summit, so let’s go through them.
Your first option is to take the cog railway, which starts at $84/adult (so it’s pricey) but it’s a fun and unique way to summit the mountain. The second option is to hike, and the most popular route is via Tuckerman Ravine Trailhead (very hard). And your final option is to drive the Mt Washington auto toll road to the summit.
We drove up for $36/adult and overall we think it’s the best way to do it. Why? Because it’s cheaper than the cog, it’s quicker and easier than the hike, it’s a seriously fun (and nerve wracking!) drive, and we could spend as long as we wanted at the top.
Plus, here’s a top insider tip – near the beginning/end of the toll road, there’s a short but scenic hike called Glen Ellis Falls Trail that we think is true hidden gem. Don’t miss it.
The other place in this area we would absolutely prioritize is Crawford Notch State Park, namely a hike called Mt Willard Trail that leads to a wonderful U-shaped valley summit view.
If we chose the cog train, we’d do it first and then hike Mt Willard. Otherwise we’d hike Mt Willard first and then either drive or hike up Mt Washington – that’s how it works best for logistics from Stowe.
Later in the day we’d head to North Conway. If we had time left over we’d visit Diana’s Baths waterfalls and maybe Cathedral Ledge Lookout for sunset.
In town we’d eat at Delaney’s Hole in the Wall and we’d stay at either Kearsage Inn or White Mountain Hotel.
Day 6: Kancamagus Highway NH
North Conway NH to Lincoln NH
- Distance: 40 miles
- Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
This is one of our favorite days on the itinerary. Driving the Kancamagus Highway is about as good as it gets for fall foliage in New England – it’s an exceptionally scenic 35 mile drive with waterfalls, hikes, photo spots and special views over the White Mountains.
Do you need a full day to drive the Kancamagus Highway? No, absolutely not. But it works well in this itinerary because you can start with anything you missed in North Conway from the day before, which could also include the fall foliage railway journey or even the outlet malls with no sales tax.
We’d start the morning with breakfast at Peach’s Restaurant (we arrived before it opened at 8am and it quickly filled).
Next we’d stop to see the Swift River and Saco River covered bridges, before turning onto the Kancamagus Highway. We actually stopped at Cheese Louise for a tomato soup and grilled cheese the second time we drove the Kanc, and the food was excellent.
Here are the stops we’d make on the Kancamagus Highway from east to west:
- Albany Covered Bridge
- Lower Falls
- Rocky Gorge Scenic Area
- Russell-Colbath House
- Sabbaday Falls (photo above)
- Sugar Hill Scenic Vista
- CL Graham Wangan Overlook
- Pemigewasset Overlook
- Panoramic Overlook
- Hancock Overlook
- Otter Rocks
- Lincoln Woods
At the end you’ll arrive at one of our favorite restaurants on the entire New England road trip called the Common Man Lincoln. We ate there on both our trips and it really is a great spot.
For hotels – the area around Lincoln and Loon Mountain is filled with resorts, motels and chain hotels. Our top choices would be InnSeason Resorts, Holiday Inn Express or Profile Motel + Cottages for lower budgets.
Day 7: Franconia Notch NH
Lincoln NH to Boston Logan Airport MA
- Distance: 132 miles
- Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Our last day would be split between outdoor activities in Franconia Notch State Park and driving back to Boston Logan airport. Assuming our flight was later in the day, we’d still be able to tick off the major highlights near Franconia before hitting the road.
We’d start with a hearty and delicious breakfast at Flapjacks Pancake House – again, arriving before it opened to get in line. There aren’t many other options so this place gets busy.
Afterwards, we’d drive a few minutes north and get an early start to hike through Flume Gorge – one of our favorite stops on the road trip. It’s got two striking covered bridges, waterfalls, views and a rugged gorge so don’t miss this one.
Next we would stop at The Basin to hike the Basin Cascade. Most people miss this one but we highly recommend it for strong hikers because there’s three waterfalls to see – Aliya Falls, Kinsman Falls and Rocky Glen Falls which we found to be exceptionally photogenic.
You don’t have to go all the way up to Rocky Glen Falls because it is a bit of a climb and the trail is treacherous when wet. But we’re glad we stuck with it for the photo you can see above.
Our next stop would be Artists Bluff, which is probably the most famous and iconic New England fall foliage hike. And it’s well worth the hype.
You can do it quickly via a short but steep out and back trail to the summit from Cannon Mountain RV Park, but we recommend doing a longer version – which is to hike Bald Mountain and Artists Bluff loop. We’ve done both and the full loop is a much better experience, but it does have some steep rocks to climb.
That’s a lot to get through, so we think it would be time to leave for the airport. But if you do have more time or a full seventh day, you might want to take the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway which leads to the 4,080-ft summit for $34/adult.
And that’s it, the major highlights of Vermont and New Hampshire ticked off in 7 action packed days. That’s exactly how we would recommend our family and friends planned a one week itinerary if it was their first time.
Route Map
- Total distance: 564 miles
- Total time: 11 hours 40 minutes
How to use this map: Click or touch the route map to activate, zoom in and out, and scroll around. If you’d like to see a bigger version – click the “view larger map” icon in the top right, and if you’d like to see any individual location – click the arrow and square icon in the top left.
Need help planning your New England fall road trip?
Our expert guidebook is all you need to have the best possible experience. We show you where and when to go with detailed itineraries, insider tips, our exclusive map and more.
With More Time
If you have more than a week to explore New England in fall, you can see even more of the region’s best foliage, charming towns, scenic drives and hiking hotspots. This section shows how we’d extend the trip to 10 or 14 days, adding extra stops and hikes that aren’t possible in a condensed 7-day itinerary.
We’ll also highlight our favorite alternate route for travelers who don’t need to start and end in Boston – a more flexible itinerary that follows the colors at their peak and includes some of our personal must-see spots.
10 Days New England Fall Foliage Road Trip Itinerary (Boston Start + End)
We think 10 days strikes a nice balance for this road trip. Those extra 3 days make the world of difference in terms of being able to slow down or see more places, and it won’t cost a fortune.
Here’s a few ideas about how we would consider extending the 7-day highlights loop to a 10-day trip:
Add Lake Placid: Yes, we know Lake Placid is in New York, which technically isn’t New England (gasp!) and it’s quite a detour on the leg between Woodstock and Stowe, but we really like the Adirondacks’ most charming mountain town. It’s surrounded by fun outdoorsy activities and the foliage colors are just as vibrant as nearby Vermont. Here are our favorite things to do in Lake Placid.
Add Acadia: Another option would be to follow the 7-day itinerary but adapt the second half to Stowe > Franconia Notch > Kancamagus Highway > Mt Washington, before driving across to Acadia. It adds on a ton of driving, but Acadia is amazing – easily one of our favorite national parks. Here’s our guide to the best hikes in Acadia.
Relax the pace: More days doesn’t have to mean more places. If we wanted a slow and easy trip, we’d add an extra day in Woodstock, Stowe and the White Mountains. There’s so much to see and do, but it’s also nice to have a few days with little-to-no driving.
Hit the coastline: New England’s coastline is a unique place to explore. If we hadn’t done it before this trip, we’d be tempted to combine our foliage experience with a few days eating lobster rolls and clam chowder in the likes of Portland, Kennebunkport, Provincetown and Newport.
14 Days New England Fall Foliage Road Trip Itinerary (Boston Start + End)
We think 14 days is the perfect amount of time for first timers taking this road trip. Two weeks makes Acadia feasible for hikers, and leaf-peepers can really slow down in the most scenic and beautiful parts of Vermont and New Hampshire. But the major downside is that it really starts to get expensive.
Here’s a few ideas about how we would consider extending the 7-day highlights loop to a 14-day trip:
Add more hikes: We would definitely add Lake Placid and Acadia for great trails if we had 2 weeks. Another spot we’d personally add to the itinerary on the very first day after leaving Boston Logan Airport is Mt Monadnock near Keene, NH (see the photo above) – it’s one of our favorite hikes in New England.
See new places: With a full 14 days we would consider squeezing in a night in Killington Mountain Resort near Woodstock, and a day or two driving around Lake Winnipesaukee at the very end of the itinerary. These places work for people who want calm, relaxing and quieter spots.
Slow down: If we really wanted to relax and get to know the core fall foliage spots better, we would consider staying in places like Manchester, Woodstock, Stowe and Franconia for three days. It would mean way less driving, more time to try restaurants and cafes, and the chance to find hidden gem foliage spots away from the crowds.
Split foliage with the coastline: A popular way to do 2 weeks in New England in the fall is to tick off the classic foliage spots like in our 7-day highlights itinerary, then spend the second week town-hopping along the coastline. If it were us, we’d drive straight to Acadia after New Hampshire and then slowly make our way down from Bar Harbor to Boston.
Our Favorite Alternate Route
If you have more flexibility with logistics and don’t need to start/end in Boston – or even NYC which isn’t much further away – we highly recommend starting in the north and working south to follow the peak colors.
With 7 days you could fly into Burlington VT and drive straight to Stowe. Next, head for Mt Washington, drive the Kancamagus Highway and do Franconia Notch. Then cross into Vermont and spend the last few days in Woodstock and Manchester.
But our favorite New England fall foliage route is a 10-day road trip starting in Lake Placid NY and ending in Manchester VT. We started both our trips in Lake Placid because we originated in New York’s Finger Lakes region, so it was just a 5 hour drive across the state.
Here’s our preferred route:
- Day 1: Lake Placid NY
- Day 2: Stowe VT
- Day 3: Stowe VT
- Day 4: Franconia Notch + Crawford Notch NH
- Day 5: Mount Washington NH
- Day 6: Kancamagus Highway NH
- Day 7: Woodstock VT
- Day 8: Woodstock + Killington VT
- Day 9: Route 100 VT
- Day 10: Manchester VT
Most people take a one week trip starting and ending in Boston, but if we had complete flexibility over logistics and time we would do 10 days starting in Lake Placid and ending in Manchester. This route is efficient, has less driving and follows the peak fall colors zig-zagging from north to south.
The only downside to this itinerary is not including Acadia. But we did Acadia in the fall and while it was an amazing experience, the fall colors weren’t a patch on Vermont and New Hampshire, and the park was far too busy. So we’d argue that it’s better to do Acadia in early September, late October or even November outside of the peak colors.
Want more options? We show you 15 different itineraries in our New England fall guidebook.
Places To Visit + Skip
You’re probably wondering why we haven’t included anywhere in Massachusetts, Rhode Island or Connecticut – and only Acadia in Maine as a maybe with more time?
It’s not because we don’t like those places! We loved driving the New England coastline. But if it’s radiant fall foliage colors, iconic hikes and calendar-worthy photo spots you want – you need to prioritize Vermont and New Hampshire.
In this section we’re going to explain why we chose the places included in our itinerary, and why we didn’t include other places we visited on our New England road trips.
Must-Visit Spots
Stowe: If you only go to one place, make it Stowe. It has hiking, photo spots, endless views of fall foliage, breweries, great restaurants and a fun vibe. It’s the first name on the team sheet.
Woodstock: If you want to see a quintessential New England small town, look no further than Woodstock. It’s lovely, full of character, has a chilled atmosphere and tons of great photo spots.
White Mountains: This is the place you can’t miss if you enjoy hiking. Artists Bluff, Flume Gorge and Mt Willard are our three favorite trails but there’s tons more hidden away if you have more time.
Green Mountains: The southwest of Vermont is home to Manchester, the Green Mountains and miles of open road surrounded by rolling hills covered in vibrant leaves. It’s much quieter than Stowe or Woodstock, and it’s got tons of photo ops.
Visit With More Time
Acadia: What an amazing place. It’s small and achievable, the hikes are short and lead to awesome summit views, and Bar Harbor is a classy place to spend a few nights (here’s where to stay near Acadia). But it’s a heck of a drive from the core foliage spots.
Lake Placid: We love this quaint town in the heart of the Adirondacks. There’s loads of fun things to do like auto toll roads, hikes and waterfalls – plus the Olympics museum and rink from the Miracle on Ice. And it’s easier to add in than Acadia.
Lake Winnipesaukee: We spent 3 days exploring Meredith, Weirs Beach, Laconia and Wolfeboro – and while it was fun, we would only add it into our itinerary if we had plenty of time, or if wanted a low-key trip away from the crowds. Hiking to Mt Major was our favorite highlight.
Killington: The Mountain Resort is more popular in winter for skiing, but it actually had the most brightly glowing foliage colors of our entire second trip to New England, and there were basically no crowds. We spent a peaceful evening away from the hustle and bustle, relaxed in the pool at Killington Grand Resort Hotel and soaked up the intense colors. It was pure bliss, but we don’t think it’s essential if you’re short on time.
Burlington VT: We included Burlington into our itinerary when we originally published this guide following our first New England fall road trip in 2020. But after revisiting in 2023, we decided to remove it because we really don’t think it’s an important part of experiencing the core foliage colors. Our advice is include Burlington if you want to stay in a more lively area of the region, otherwise skip it and stick to the small quaint towns instead. Here’s our guide on what to do in Burlington VT if you do decide to visit.
Places To Skip
Lake George: We spent a few days here at the very beginning of our second New England fall road trip, before going to Lake Placid. Now, it’s a lovely spot, there’s plenty to do and we enjoyed it. But it’s not a quintessential foliage destination. It’s a slow pace kind of place, so it’ll be a great addition to your itinerary if you want a relaxing, easy going road trip theme. But don’t bother if you prefer places with lots of outdoor adventure or if you just want to see the core foliage spots.
Mohawk Trail: We finished our second road trip by driving US-2 (the Mohawk Trail) through Massachusetts from Athol to North Adams, and honestly we were massively underwhelmed. Maybe it’s because it was a rainy day, or because we didn’t have enough time to do it slowly. But the only place we really enjoyed walking around was Shelburne Falls, with its unique Bridge of Flowers. If you just want scenic drives, add this southern route to the end of your itinerary – otherwise skip it.
Our Insider Planning Tips + Advice
After spending 6 weeks driving around New England in the fall we learned a thing or two about how to plan this road trip and the many pitfalls you can run into. Here’s our best advice on the most important questions you have about your upcoming trip:
What Can Go Wrong?
Weather: Here’s one planning aspect none of us have any control over – the fall weather in New England is unpredictable. Trust us, we know from experience. In 2020 we had non-stop rain and heavy clouds so we couldn’t go up Mt Washington and we didn’t do some of the hikes, but the lack of bright sunshine allowed us to get stunning photos of the fall colors. Then in 2023 we had non-stop sunshine which meant we could do the hikes we missed, but photography was hard because everything was blown out. Hopefully you’ll get a nice mix of rain and sun.
Expenses: New England is not a cheap place to visit in the fall. We spent a small fortune across 6 weeks exploring the region in peak season. Hotels are expensive (especially in Woodstock, Bar Harbor for Acadia, Lake Placid and Stowe) so we strongly recommend booking as far in advance as you can if you have a tight budget – prices will only go up the closer you get. Then there’s 3 meals a day, tipping (we spent $400 on tips alone during our 3-week trip in 2023), gas, attractions and flights on top. Seriously consider how much you want to spend before finalizing your itinerary.
Restaurants: We just mentioned about how expensive it gets eating out three times a day in New England. But you also have to consider lines, especially when there’s just one popular breakfast place in town. We learned this the hard way. Our advice is to reserve for dinner when possible and arrive to breakfast places before they open. Lunch times weren’t as bad.
Crowds: If you visit places like Stowe and Woodstock in early October you’re going to have to deal with crowds. It’s inevitable. That means traffic on the roads, full hotels and restaurants, issues with parking at trailheads and busy attractions. If you don’t like crowds, plan your trip for the beginning or end of the peak colors instead of the core.
Colors: The whole point of this trip is to see vibrant peak fall foliage colors, right? Well, it’s important to know you might not hit peak colors because they are so hard to predict. We’ll talk about travel dates for the best chance next, but don’t get too disheartened if you miss the peak – a lot of it is down to luck.
What Dates Should You Travel?
It’s near impossible to come up with the exact dates for a perfect New England peak fall foliage road trip itinerary. But we give ourselves the best shot by being savvy.
Here are the issues:
- We can’t predict the dates for peak colors, so how do we know when to book hotels for each place?
- We can only be in one place at any given time, so if Lake Placid, Stowe and Franconia have peak colors at the same time, how do we choose where to be and when?
Here’s our educated approach:
- We follow the colors from north to south, and if we’re lucky with our dates, we’ll start with the peak and follow it down. This is why we always start our New England fall road trips furthest north and work south.
- Historical data can be used to play the percentages. We look at the dates each place has peaked in the last 10 years and aim for the middle of that date range. It might not work, but it’s at least an educated guess rather than a stab in the dark.
Historically, the last 2 weeks of September and the first 2 weeks of October are when the colors change in New England. That means the middle of September in the far north of Maine and at altitude, and it means the middle of October in the lower lying regions of southern New England.
So that would put the first week of October as our target for the most popular foliage destinations in Vermont and New Hampshire. We would then plan our trip to be in the furthest point north (ie Lake Placid, Stowe) at the beginning of October, and work our way south.
Here are the exact dates we would aim for on our next road trip:
- 5 day trip: October 1-5
- 7 day trip: October 1-7
- 10 day trip: October 1-10
- 14 day trip: September 27-October 10
- 21 day trip: September 25 – October 15
Insider Tip: Foliage trackers can be helpful but they often show different results. This live foliage tracker looks like it could be useful – click on Vermont and New Hampshire in the days leading up to your trip to see how the peak colors are going.
Should You Book Hotels In Advance?
After two long New England fall road trips, we can tell you with confidence that deciding whether to book hotels in advance or book it all last minute is the biggest challenge we faced.
We booked last minute in 2020 and we booked the whole thing in advance in 2023 – here are the pros and cons we experienced with both methods.
Booking last minute:
- ✅ Pros: Monitor live fall foliage trackers to guarantee hitting peak colors, itinerary flexibility to combat bad weather days, can choose how long to stay in each place.
- ❌ Cons: Limited hotel availability, higher hotel prices, stressful having to find and book hotels each night on the go.
Booking in advance:
- ✅ Pros: Don’t have to worry about planning on the go, can book better and cheaper hotels months earlier, far more relaxing.
- ❌ Cons: Lose all itinerary flexibility, risk not seeing peak colors, tough luck on bad weather days.
In the end it comes down to your personal travel preferences. Are you willing to sacrifice flexibility to have it all planned before you arrive into New England?
We can honestly say of all the people we met on both trips, it was 50/50 between people booking in advance and last minute. And if you asked us right now would we book in advance or wing it next time, we honestly don’t know which way we’d do it. It really is a coin toss!
Before you set off: Read our road trip packing essentials guide so you don’t forget anything, and read our road trip planning guide to make sure you don’t make any rookie mistakes.
Next Steps
We hope our road trip itinerary ideas help you plan an incredible New England fall adventure! Have questions about any of these itineraries? Drop them in the comments below – we respond to every one.
Ready to plan your trip?
- Vermont travel guide – Our ultimate first time visitors guide to VT.
- New Hampshire travel guide – Our complete first timers guide to NH.
- Covered bridges in Vermont – Stunning wooden bridges you can’t miss.
Want expert help? Click the image below to see more about our popular guidebook and get things spot-on for your trip. Or if you want 1-to-1 help from us, take a look at our travel planning services page.
Happy travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.
I’ll be joining my wife in retirement in about 10 months. Instead of our original plan for a cruise, we may plan an extended fall foliage trip. I’ve seen parts of New England over the years and want my wife to see those areas too, particularly Ogunquit and Kennebunk, ME. Is it reasonable to try to fit that into an itinerary without it causing a likelihood of missing peak foliage?
Hi Greg, congrats on your upcoming retirement! Yes, you absolutely can include those coastal towns into an extended fall foliage itinerary. We would recommend you start further north in VT and NH, slowly working your way south following peak colors. Then finish your trip by spending your final few days on the coast when the colors won’t matter as much. Having plenty of time to combine both the core foliage areas with the coastal towns is the perfect way to see the best of New England.
I really appreciate your compressive guide to New England for travel in the Fall. We have enjoyed most of the areas you mention in years past and loved it. My sister is visiting from Australia at perfect Fall Foliage time so we’re planning to do your 10-day roadtrip this year. I was wondering if you have an App you prefer to use to plan each segment of the roadtrip. I used Roadtrippers earlier this year and found it good, but would welcome your suggestions for a roadtrip App. I plan to download your digital guide as well. Thank you and happy travels.
Hi Sharon, we’re happy to hear you will be visiting New England again and this time with your sister. If you are looking for alternatives to Roadtrippers you could check out Wanderlog which is another useful resource. But to be honest we don’t use any apps for our road trips except for the basic and free Google Maps app. We plot points for attractions, restaurants and hotels as we research before visiting a new place, and we plan ahead so we can really get organized. If you download our digital guide and go to the end, you will find a map we created that will open in your Google Maps app and it already contains the locations for top attractions, foliage photo spots, hikes, restaurants and hotels that we discuss throughout the guide. You can of course see more places but we have preloaded the map with the essential spots to visit around New England in fall. Have a fantastic trip!
@Mark and Kristen Morgan, Thank you so very much for your advice. I downloaded the digital guide to use. So looking forward to this trip and having your guide to get organized makes this a lot less daunting. Keep up the great work and happy traveling.
Hi Sharon, Visiting New England in fall is an amazing trip and you will have a wonderful time! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a nice comment and downloading our guide. Just let us know if you have any specific questions as we get closer to fall season 🙂
@Mark and Kristen Morgan, I have accommodations booked from Lake Placid to Woodstock. Since we want to add a couple of nights in Boston to walk the Freedom Trail and visit the Boston Tea Party site, would you recommend skipping Manchester, Vermont and going directly to Boston from Woodstock. Or, would we be missing out if we skip Manchester. Appreciate your advice.
Hi Sharon, you will have covered almost all of the best fall spots between Lake Placid and Woodstock. We like Manchester but it isn’t going to ruin your trip if you skip it, especially if you really want to see more of Boston. After 10 days or so you will have had your fill of fall colors anyway, so Boston will be a welcome change of scenery and pace. Have a fantastic time!
I would love a copy of the book as well, to use as we travel
Thank you for a wealth of information!
Wow, amazing information, thank you. Have you written it in book form by any chance? I would love to drive with the book on hand for reference.
Hi Helen, you have asked at just the right time. We are currently in the process of creating a digital guidebook filled with key information and itinerary ideas for the New England fall road trip. It will be ready within the next week or so and we will email you once it is live. You will be able to either keep it on your smartphone or print it if you prefer to have a paper copy.
@Mark and Kristen Morgan, I’m using this article to plan our New England fall leaves trip and would also be interested in a copy of your digital guidebook, please. The information you provide is outstanding — thank you! ~ Carol
Thank you, Carol! We’re happy to hear you are planning a New England trip this fall. You can follow this link to see more details about our digital guidebook. If you do purchase the guidebook, remember to open up the map on page 45 when you are in each place to see the best hikes, foliage spots, attractions, restaurants and hotels. And if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask away. Have a fantastic trip!
Hello! What a wonderful site you have given us :). Question…do any of the New England fall road trips include the Berkshires? I would love to include a quick visit to The Mount/Edith Wharton’s home. Thanks, Jo
Thank you, Jo! Yes absolutely, you could easily add The Mount / Edith Wharton’s Home to the end of our 10 day New England fall road trip itinerary because it is just 1 hour 30 minutes drive to the south of Manchester VT (which is the last stop in our guide), before heading back to the Boston / NY airports. It wouldn’t be much of a detour and if you are heading that way you might also want to consider including a short drive along scenic highway 2, also known as The Mohawk Trail. Have a fantastic trip later this year!
Hi There! We are flying into Portland, (Sept 23rd) Maine and flying out of Boston, Mass (October 2nd) We have about one full week for our Fall Foliage road trip. Knowing we arrive Portland and depart Boston, what would you map out for itinerary.
Part II question, I prefer staying at one hotel for a few days and taking day trips as opposed to staying one night in several places.
Would it be wise to stay 3 nights near Acadia Nat’l Park and then 3 nights in New Hampshire (near all of the Franconia State Park and Kancamagus Hwy ?
Hi Erin, yes staying 3 nights in Bar Harbor and then 3 nights somewhere near Franconia Notch sounds like the best idea if you would prefer to stay in one hotel for each part of your trip. You can easily visit the most popular fall foliage areas in VT and NH from Franconia. Depending on how much driving you want to do, you could split your days into Vermont and New Hampshire. So one day you do Stowe, Woodstock and Manchester (the driving in between is just as picturesque as the towns), then another day you do Mt Washington, Kancamagus, Artists Bluff and Flume Gorge (which are all much closer together). Then stop at Lake Winnipesaukee on the way down to Boston. Hopefully the peak colors will be in north / central VT and NH early Oct for your trip – have a great time!
Love your site! we are planning a a Fall Foliage trip for 2023 over our 34th Anniversary.
thinking any where from 10 – 14 days from the last week in Sept. to the first week of Oct.
We are thinking to end our trip in Boston for a few days.
If I followed tour 10 day trip guide would it make sense to fly into Albany, NY and out of Boston. Or are we better off to make Boston a long weekend trip?
Thank you!
Hi Randy, thanks for getting in touch and we’re happy to hear you’re planning a trip to New England next year, congrats on the 34th! Absolutely, flying into Albany and out of Boston makes perfect sense. If you make your trip 14 days total, you can follow the 10 day itinerary in our guide and then spend 2 or 3 days in Boston at the end. Something to consider is whether or not you want to see Acadia NP, it is a stunning place but it’s a long way out from the rest of New England’s top foliage spots. If you don’t include Acadia, you can spend longer in the fall color hotspots of Stowe, Woodstock and Manchester in VT, plus Franconia Notch, Kancamagus Highway and Lake Winnipesaukee in NH. Let us know if you have any more questions and best of luck with planning!
We are planning a trip to Maine in the fall of 2023 for our 40th anniversary for a total of 7 days. We would be interested in mainly leaf peeping,Arcadia NP, sight seeing/boat tours, driving the back roads and easy hikes. I really like the coast. Now that I have run across this post, I am rethinking our trip. What city should we fly into? Do you recommend spending 2 days in Arcadia NP? Should we hit some of the areas you mentioned in NH? I don’t think we have time to do your whole itinerary in 7 days. Your thoughts?
Hi Randi, glad to hear you have a trip planned to Maine for your 40th anniversary – congrats! Honestly, 7 days isn’t enough time to be rushing around New England trying to cram in everything. If you like the coast and you want to do Acadia, why not fly into Portland in Maine and slowly drive up to Bar Harbor via the back roads? Acadia is great but it is touristy and expensive, plus you won’t get the best fall colors (when compared to NH or VT). Boothbay Harbor is a nice place to stop between Portland and Bar Harbor, and you can do whale watching tours right out of the small town. If Portland doesn’t work for flight times or prices, Boston will be your best bet. Let us know if you need any more help before you travel next year.
Hi. I’m glad I found this. We are planning our 50th Anniversary to see Vermont and Maine in late September. Is it possible to stay in one place and drive to see the sights? We don’t want to keep changing hotels. This is a lifetime dream for us. Thank you.
Hi Jan, congrats on your 50th anniversary! Without knowing exactly which places in Vermont and Maine you want to see, it is possible to stay in one place but that would mean quite a lot of time spent in the car. If you have a 50/50 split, maybe stay somewhere in New Hampshire in the middle? Or if you plan to spend more time in VT, stay somewhere just inside VT near the NH border? Somewhere near Franconia NH might be a good fit so you are central to most of the fall hot spots and far enough North to see peak colors at the end of September. Have a great time!
Great article!
While planning and researching for our New England Fall Foliage Adventure we saw right away that trying to predict “peak” conditions was a difficult proposition, at best.
With that in mind and because we have a bit of time on our hands we decided our adventure would be from mid September to mid October 2022.
We have booked all of our accommodations and now it’s all about deeply researching the areas and filling in the days.
Finding your well written and in depth blog helped confirm our research was spot on and added to our happiness that we are actually going to pull this off.
Plus, now we have an excellent study guide to boot!
Bring on the trails, the mountains, the breweries, the lobster, cheese, cider donuts, Octoberfests and even the rain!
Thank YOU and keep up the fantastic and insightful work!
Hi Jeff, thanks for getting in touch and we are so happy to hear you have planned a full month up in New England! Your list of activities is spot on – hiking, scenery, fall colors, food and beer … recipe for a perfect trip! Good luck filling in the days and hopefully you’ll get optimal weather conditions leading into the peak, just remember to keep an eye on the peak fall colors tracker when you are on site in New England. Have a wonderful trip!
Hello! This post is really very useful! We are planning to go to New England from September 30th to October 8th (we have already booked our flight from Italy). Since we would like to spend a couple of days in Boston too, do you recommend to begin with Boston and then start our road trip or to do the other way round? We would very glad if you could give us more details! Thanks a lot!
Hi Simonetta, thanks for getting in touch and we’re happy to hear you will be visiting New England this fall! This is a tough question because nobody can predict when “peak” fall colors will be in each part of New England. You can keep an eye on a live peak foliage tracker and book everything last minute, but that is risky as accommodation will book up. So, we would suggest starting with Boston and then driving up as far North as you will go on your trip (ie Stowe in VT or Franconia in NH) and then working down South to follow the peak. Please let us know if you have any more questions and you might even see us up there somewhere this year! Have a great time 🙂
I’m so happy to have found your blog post. I know how much time and effort goes into planning these type of trips, so I appreciate you writing about it and sharing it. We are looking at doing a mix of rural/city for both NH, VT, and ME. Looking closer to a 10 day trip and flexible on the dates. Would you say the hikes are fairly easy, medium, or difficult? Do you think looking into Air BNB’s out there would be better vs. hotels?
Hi Ani, thanks for getting in touch and we’re glad to hear you have a trip planned for VT, NH and ME. There are countless hikes spanning the difficulty range on this road trip route, so you do have a lot of flexibility over how long you want to spend hiking and how hard the trails are. Artists Bluff is short but has a steep climb, so we would say it is moderate but well worth it. Flume Gorge is easy and shouldn’t be missed. Acadia (if you make it that far) has a host of easy through hard hikes. Lake Winnipesaukee has plenty of hikes to suit all. If you’re looking for hard hikes take on Mt Washington or Mt Mansfield, tallest in NH and VT. You’ll likely only be spending one night or a maximum of 2 at any given place so we would say go for hotels. AirBnB’s are great for uniqueness and meeting people but for one night they are always more expensive with cleaning fees / service fees etc. By all means check prices and see if you can find any good deals or special places but we will be sticking to hotels ourselves the next time we are in New England. Let us know if you need any more help and have a fantastic trip!
Great information, love your post! We have never been to New England and would like to go see the fall colors in late Sept. or Oct. We also want to spend some time in Boston and Cape area. We are flexible on dates and number of days in itinerary. We would be interested in some hikes. After looking at you post I’m thinking Vermont and New Hampshire might work after seeing Boston. Can you help with an itinerary? We would be flying from San Diego, CA. Would appreciate any information! Thank You!
Thanks for getting in touch, Marilen – we’ll respond through email so we can provide more information.