Day Trip Suggestion from Boston: Provincetown?
 

Will be visiting Boston in late May for 6 days for a conference.

I would like to take a day trip to surrounding areas. Is Provicetown a good choice and realistic for a day trip? what are the attractions in Provincetown?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks

While it's doable, I find the car trip too long. Also, traffic is extremely bad around Memorial Day weekend. An alternative is the ferry.

If you want to seaside towns, go to the North Shore towns of Gloucester, Rockport, etc. Northeast of Boston.

The ferry from Boston to P'town would be a great outing -- get to see the harbor as well as two very different communities! IIRC, It's about an hour each way.

Late May is a very busy time for visitors in Boston, mostly because of college graduations as well as conferences etc. So book everything ahead if you can.

Provincetown is the attraction...lol. The main street, funky shops, the sand dunes, the lovely little homes and the restaurants.. Would recommend you take a trolley ride first and the think about doing a whale watch if they are offering it... It is a do-able day trip.

Another vote for Rockport, MA - I lived there for 10 years. It's beautiful, quaint, on the ocean and under 1 hr drive from Boston. You can continue to Essex - if you like plenty of antique shops or fried clams. The North Shore is a great area & Virgilio's on the Main Street in Gloucester has Italian bread to die for.
Have fun.

If you do decide to drive to Provincetown I suggest driving on route 6A starting in Sandwich.

It's a relaxing ride along tree-shaded, Old King's Highway, that passes through many of the Cape's villages and town centers, with some great views of Cape Cod Bay.

While the drive is doable in a day, you will spend far too much of your time in the car. As has been suggested, take the ferry It is a lovely ride and you will get a sense of the expanse of the Cape from the water. Ptown is a samll town which over the years has retained it's Potugese fishing heritage, while adopting to tourism and the Beach crowd. There are many small specialty shops that line the main shopping street (Commercial Street). That rae fun to explore. I would agree that for a first time, take the trolly tour. You may als want to consider "Art's Dune Tours". They take you out into the far reaches of the National Seashore, where the public can not easily get to - it's a great contrast to the town. As you may know Ptown is also one of the worlds "must go to" spots for Gay men and women. So, be aware that you will see a diverse, mixed community of people that live together and share a common thread - a love of the sea. If your schedule allows, consider staying over night in a B & B. www.provincetown.com wil give you more info.