Skip to content

City guide · Massachusetts, USA

Things to do in Cape Cod

Lighthouses, dunes, and lobster rolls at land's end

  • Sports & Outdoors
  • Sightseeing
  • Tours
  • Attractions
Cape Cod skyline

Start here

Three to see first in Cape Cod

Sports & Outdoors
Iconic

Cape Cod National Seashore

No admission fee

Forty miles of protected Atlantic beaches, dunes, and lighthouses, the wild, unspoiled heart of the Cape.

Transit: reachable by public transit

Sightseeing
Iconic

Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum

Under $25

Climb the tallest all-granite tower in the U.S. for jaw-dropping views over Provincetown and the sea.

Transit: reachable by public transit

Tours
Iconic

Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch

$50+

Cruise from MacMillan Pier to Stellwagen Bank, one of the best whale-watching grounds on the planet.

Transit: reachable by public transit

Top picks

In Cape Cod

Filter by the kind of day you want. Tap a card to open the place, or a dot on the map to find it in the list.

Sports & Outdoors
Iconic

Cape Cod National Seashore

No admission fee

Forty miles of protected Atlantic beaches, dunes, and lighthouses, the wild, unspoiled heart of the Cape.

Eastham, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Sightseeing
Iconic

Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum

Under $25

Climb the tallest all-granite tower in the U.S. for jaw-dropping views over Provincetown and the sea.

Provincetown, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Tours
Iconic

Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch

$50+

Cruise from MacMillan Pier to Stellwagen Bank, one of the best whale-watching grounds on the planet.

Provincetown, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Attractions
Family Favorite

Heritage Museums & Gardens

$25–$50

100 acres of famed rhododendron gardens, a vintage carousel, and a stunning classic car collection.

Sandwich, MA

Museums
History Buff

John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum

Under $25

Photographs and films capture JFK's Cape Cod summers, steps from the Kennedy compound's hometown.

Hyannis, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Museums
Family Favorite

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

Under $25

Hands-on nature exhibits plus boardwalk trails across salt marsh to a secluded bay beach.

Brewster, MA

Museums
Family Favorite

Whydah Pirate Museum

Under $25

Real treasure from the only authenticated pirate shipwreck ever recovered, cannons, coins, and all.

West Yarmouth, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Tours
Family Favorite

Cape Cod Central Railroad

$25–$50

Ride vintage rail cars past cranberry bogs, salt marshes, and the Cape Cod Canal from Hyannis.

Hyannis, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Tours
Quirky Fun

Art's Dune Tours

$25–$50

Bounce through Provincetown's protected dunes by 4x4 to historic dune shacks and ocean overlooks.

Provincetown, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Theater & Events
Quirky Fun

Wellfleet Drive-In Theatre

Under $25

A gloriously retro 1957 drive-in showing first-run double features under the Outer Cape stars.

Wellfleet, MA

Sightseeing
Iconic

Chatham Lighthouse & Main Street

No admission fee

The Cape's postcard village: a working 1808 lighthouse, seal-dotted shores, and a classic Main Street.

Chatham, MA

Eat & Drink
Foodie Favorite

Arnold's Lobster & Clam Bar

$25–$50

Legendary roadside clam shack: overstuffed lobster rolls, fried clams, a raw bar, and mini golf.

Eastham, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Loading map…

Day trips

Towns in Cape Cod

Sightseeing
Local Gem

Onset

No admission fee

A Cape Cod Canal-area beach village known for its bandstand, beach, and free summer events.

Onset, MA

Sightseeing
History Buff

Sandwich

No admission fee

The oldest town on Cape Cod, with historic mills, museums, and quiet beaches.

Sandwich, MATransit: reachable by public transit

Attractions in Cape Cod

Museums in Cape Cod

Sightseeing in Cape Cod

Sports & Outdoors in Cape Cod

Eat & Drink in Cape Cod

Theater & Events in Cape Cod

Tours in Cape Cod

More places in Cape Cod

More guides in Massachusetts

Articles about Cape Cod

Maps

Maps

Visitor maps for Cape Cod

Stories

Reading about Cape Cod

About

About Cape Cod

Curling 65 miles into the Atlantic, Cape Cod is New England's summer heart, a string of sea-captain villages, saltwater ponds, and dune-backed beaches protected within a national seashore. Days here swing from whale watches and scenic railroads to pirate treasure, oyster shacks, and drive-in double features. Whether you base yourself in busy Hyannis or bohemian Provincetown, the Cape rewards wanderers in every season.

Visitor info

In an emergency, call 911.

Plan the day

Three ways to turn this list into a day