Best in 3 to 7 Days

Best in 3 to 7 Days

Spend a few hours in historic Bennington in the southern part of Vermont; then travel north to see Hildene and stay in Manchester. On your second day take Route 100 through Weston and travel north through the Green Mountains to Route 125, where you turn west to explore Middlebury. On Day 3, enter the Champlain Valley, which has views of the Adirondack Mountains to the west. Stop at Shelburne Farms and carry on to Burlington; catch the sunset from the waterfront and take a walk on Church Street.

If You Have 5 to 7 Days

Visit Bennington and Manchester on Day 1. Spend your second day walking around the small towns of Chester and Grafton. On Day 3 head north to explore Woodstock and Quechee, stopping at either the Billings Farm and Museum and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park or the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. Head leisurely on your fourth day toward Middlebury, along one of Vermont's most inspiring mountain drives, Route 125 west of Route 100. Between Hancock and Middlebury, you'll pass nature trails and traverse a moderately steep mountain pass. Spend day five in Burlington. On Day 6 head east to Stowe and Mt. Mansfield for a full day. Begin your last day with a few hours in Montpelier on your way to Peacham, St. Johnsbury, Lake Willoughby, and the serenity and back roads of the Northeast Kingdom. Especially noteworthy are U.S. 5, Route 5A, and Route 14.