This itinerary was created with first-time fall foliage visitors in mind, and mostly focuses on iconic foliage destinations so you can make the most of your time. However, I do also take you to some off-the-beaten-path places, too.

I’ve also made this itinerary inclusive for all skill-levels. There are customizable options for days where varied skill and activity levels would be required.

Any recommended hikes in the itinerary will fall into the easy or moderate level, and there are always other optional activities recommended if hiking something you’re interest in.

You’ll need to make your own reservations, including flights, hotels, a rental car, tours, and dining. And, of course, pack. However, I’ve put together checklists for you so you know exactly what to book, and when. You’ll have to select from short, curated lists of my favorite hotels and restaurants to decide where to stay and dine, and also, if you want to book any of the optional tours.

Other than that, all you need to do is show up, and hit the road!

This itinerary is sent to you via email as a PDF document immediately after purchasing it. It’s intended to be read as soon as you begin planning your trip to get an understanding of the destinations, and the flow of the trip. After reading through the itinerary, you’ll set your specific travel dates, and begin to make your own reservations.

You’ll also want to think about the optional excursions, and if you want to change anything. You can use the included checklists to make all your travel arrangements to save you a lot of time, and make things easier.

Once you’ve read through the itinerary, made your travel arrangements, decided on the optional excursions, and made any adjustments (if necessary, based on your own travel style), you just need to sit back, relax, pack, and show up!

It’s created in true road trip style, meaning you’ll have short 2-night stays in each destination. I purposefully designed the itinerary to allow you 2 nights in each place because 1-night stays during peak foliage season are very difficult to make, as many hotels don’t offer them.

This itinerary follows a moderately busy pace, and each day is fully-loaded with things to do. It doesn’t offer a lot of downtime, as that’s my personal travel style on road trips. However, everything is customizable, and you’re welcome to skip some activities if you need to travel at a slower pace.

New England is an expensive destination, especially in the fall season. I provide hotel recommendations at different price points (when able), so you can choose how much you’d like to spend on accommodations. I also include a good amount of paid excursions, like park entrance fees, gondola rides, scenic toll roads, etc. These can add up, however, I only included ones I think are very much worth their cost. You always have the option to cut back on spending by skipping some of these paid activities.

However, I would go into the trip knowing that this region is more expensive, comparatively.

Yes. Having a car is necessary for New England travel, as the public transit infrastructure in this region is really not conducive to tourism. You will have to rent a car, and be comfortable driving in order to use this itinerary.

It’s not necessary to follow certain dates, but I do recommend exact dates in the itinerary for the best chance at seeing peak foliage. While you can travel on whatever dates work best for your schedule, you’ll need to book your trip for early-mid October if you want to see peak foliage in most of the included destinations. The itinerary includes additional information on foliage timing to help you select dates if you can’t travel during my recommended ones.

For each day, I offer suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On some days for breakfast and lunch, I only offer one suggestion, but for dinner, I often offer up to 3 different options. I also provide direct links to make reservations (when applicable). I try to offer a variety of places, from upscale to casual, and almost all places should be able to accommodate dietary restrictions (I, myself, am a pescatarian, so I typically have to pay attention to this anyway!).

You just need to know how to receive, download, and open a PDF document, and also use Google Maps on your phone for navigation while on the actual road trip.

However, if this sounds challenging to you, don’t worry! I actually have a section in the itinerary that explains how to download/offline Google Maps to your phone, which will help you. This itinerary does not include turn-by-turn directions, so using Google Maps, or another navigation device, is necessary.

The biggest difference is the length, as I got lots of requests to create a 1-week fall foliage itinerary for. those who don’t have as much time to travel. This itinerary is also an expanded version of any free itinerary you’ll find on my website, where each day is completely planned out for you. This is the best option if you don’t like doing your own research. I also share exact locations of hidden gems and scenic routes I don’t share in the free version.

In short, this one saves you time, while providing incredible value with my additional insider information in an ad-free experience. With 60+ pages, you can see how much longer and detailed it is!

That said, I still very much stand by my Fall Foliage Road Trip post on my website, and it’s a wonderful resource for those who want to do all their own planning, or have more days to travel. This is simply an additional upgraded option if you want to save yourself tons of time, or want the information in an ad-free version.

Due to the nature of digital downloads, I have no way to cancel your access to the information once you’ve received it, and therefore, cannot offer refunds for any reason, even if it was purchased by mistake, or if you immediately changed your mind and didn’t read it. No exceptions will be made for any reason, and I highly recommend that you’re ready to buy when you make your purchase.

That said, these Premium Done-For-You Itineraries are based on years of personal experience, and building my career writing about the New England area. I’m not just someone who’s been once or twice, and I’ve made them as affordable as I can for folks who don’t have the budget for customized travel planning services. I fully believe in the value they will add to your trip. I’ve also downloaded and used many other content creator’s digital eBooks, travel guides, and itineraries before planning my own trips to other destinations around the world, and I’ve included far more information in these itineraries than any of the ones I’ve personally ever purchased. I hope that helps you decide!