Boston to Cape Cod: A Family Adventure in New England

The capital of Massachusetts, which the English founded in the 17th century, is one of the continent's oldest cities and the cradle of American history: the theatre of the American revolution in the late 18th century, the first port in the United States and a major industrial centre in the late 19th century. It feels like a city that is part Europe, part USA. Included in your itinerary is a walk with a local guide through the grid of avenues in the chic Back Bay neighbourhood to the cobblestone alleyways, brown brick buildings and carefully trimmed Beacon Hill gardens that would not be out of place in any English city. Rent a hybrid bike to roam the city from North End, the Little Italy of Boston, where the aromas of pizza can be smelt all the way to Beacon Hill. Other things to do and see include drinks on the patio on Newbury Street and a visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, which houses major works by Botticelli, Rubens, Delacroix and Matisse.

Visit the campuses of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, a suburb of Boston, accompanied by a local guide. In the afternoon, pick up your rental car and drive to the Cape Cod Peninsula, an hour's drive away, where America's most beautiful beaches are tucked away. Check into your hotel for the next three nights and take the chance to relax and unwind before your Cape Cod exploration begins tomorrow.

Embark on a private whale-watching cruise in Provincetown, at the north end of the Cape, where dozens of whales pass through on their journey towards the Caribbean and South America. Cycle along the Cape Cod Rail Trail, an old railway line transformed into a bike path. Visit the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and tour the Cape Code Potato Crisp factory in Hyannis. Go bird watching and see blue herons, peregrine falcons and bald eagles. Visit Hyannis, where the Kennedys once had their holiday home, like the many A-list celebs that still do today.

Take the ferry to Nantucket, a Native American word meaning 'the far island'. Here, the tiny village houses stand alongside the vast, magnificent homes with grey-cedar shingle tiled roofs, a testimony to the wealth of the whaling-era captains; the rich Bostonian middle class have now restored them and transformed them into holiday homes. Swim in the sea off the windswept beaches and keep an eye out for nearby seals.

Head to Kennebunkport, a charming resort town in Maine, with houses on stilts and antique shops. Stroll down the one-mile walk along the coast, known as the Marginal Way, which offers stunning views of the shoreline. Spend tonight in a hotel in Kennebunkport.

Head to the charming Bar Harbor marina on Mount Desert Island. Walk or bike around Jordan Lake or hire a kayak and see the park from the ocean and fjords. You'll discover a very jagged coastline, with pink granite and majestic coniferous forests. Spend two nights here, with plenty of sea, restaurants and shops on hand. Other things to see and experience include a walk down Cottage Street and a lobster lunch at Geddy's, with generous sized portions, children's menus and a festive atmosphere.

Bar Harbour is the gateway to Acadia National Park. Drive the Loop Road (27 miles long), with stunning views of lakes, wave beaten shores and pink granite mountains. It's one of New England's most biodiverse regions, with 500 species of plants and 300 varieties of birds calling its 39,500 acres home. Then leave the car and hike along some of the 124 miles of hiking trails through forests of maritime pine, birch and maple.

Today you’ll drive the 186 miles to Jackson and check in to your accommodation for the next two nights. The mountain village of Jackson, with its lovely waterfall, basin and red covered bridge, was once the ideal getaway for residents living in the big cities of the northeast who came to seek fresh mountain air during the hot summer days. Today, you can visit in any season, with cross-country skiing during winter or hiking during summer.

Explore the white mountains and ascend Mount Washington in a small train - the mountain-hugging cog railway, in operation since 1869. This area of forests and waterfalls is home to moose, which can be seen at dusk. Discover Bretton Woods, at the base of Mount Washington. It was here, in 1944, that it was decided the dollar would replace gold as the reference currency in international trading.

Head for Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's largest lake with over 60 miles of shoreline and hundreds of wooded islands. In summer people canoe, sail and swim in this extremely relaxing spot. Spend two nights here, with plenty of opportunities to splash along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee or head out on a kayak ride.