Maine

5 New England getaways with spectacular leaf-peeping experiences

Leaf peep by boat, bike, train, or horse-drawn carriage at these hotels and resorts.

You can leaf peep along the Charles with Kimpton Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge this fall. Kyle Klein

By Kristi Palma

3 minutes to read

As the region awaits its famous display of changing leaves, several New England hotels and resorts are offering packages to heighten the leaf peeping experience.

Ahead, discover local fall getaways where you can view foliage by boat, bike, train, and even horse-drawn carriage this season.

Tour the Charles River by kayak or bike with Kimpton Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge

The Kimpton Marlowe Hotel is offering an up-close-and-personal leaf-peeping experience via kayak or bike along the Charles. It’s all part of the hotel’s fall package, “How do ya like them apples (and local leaves?),” offered through Oct. 31. The getaway includes an overnight stay for two, valet parking, complimentary use of the hotel’s kayaks or bikes, and use of a go-pro camera to capture the perfect foliage shot for Instagram. After your adventure, enjoy Calvados and apple preserve beignets for two in the hotel’s Bambara Kitchen & Bar.

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Kimpton Marlowe Hotel, 25 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge; starting rates from $279 per room per night, based on double occupancy; book at hotelmarlowe.com or by calling 1-800-825-7140.

Spy colorful leaves by train and boat with the Griswold Inn in Essex, Conn.

When you stay at the 1776 Griswold Inn, billed as one of the oldest continuously operating inns in the country, between Sept. 29 and Oct. 27 via the “Rack, Rail & Sail: Fall Foliage” package, you’ll head out on a 2 ½-hour excursion by train and boat to view the season’s changing colors. The package includes two round-trip tickets aboard the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, where you’ll board the Great Republic, a 1920s parlor car complete with beverage service and individual swivel seats. You’ll take the train to the Becky Thatcher riverboat, where you’ll continue your journey up the Connecticut River by boat. The package also includes an overnight stay in a standard room and a continental breakfast for two. The trains depart daily at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m.

Griswold Inn, 36 Main St., Essex, Conn.; $265, tax is not included, and the package is unavailable on Oct. 14; book by calling 1-860-767-1776.

Get a birds-eye-view of the foliage with Snowvillage Inn in Eaton Center, N.H.

You’ll get two passes to the summit of Mount Washington via the scenic Mount Washington Auto Road as part of the “Fall Foliage” package at the Snowvillage Inn in Eaton Center, N.H., available through Oct. 27. The package also includes a two-night stay, a three-course dinner for two at the hotel’s Max’s Restaurant and Pub, a full country breakfast each morning, two welcome cocktails, a coupon book for local outlet shopping, off-street parking, and maps for self-guided foliage tours along the famous Kancamagus Highway. You’ll also receive two passes to Tuckerman Brewing Company for a tour and tasting.

Snowvillage Inn, 136 Stewart Road, Eaton Center, N.H.; $679; book by calling 1-603-447-2818.

View leaves via horse-drawn carriage with the Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont

Picture this: Gazing at Vermont’s brilliant fall foliage from a horse-drawn carriage. It’s all part of the “Fall Brilliance” package at Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont, offered between Sept. 20 and Oct. 19. The package also includes two nights of lodging, a daily full country breakfast, and a fall harvest gourmet basket with wine.

Green Mountain Inn, 18 Main St., Stowe, Vermont; $312 per person based on double occupancy; service charges, taxes, and gratuity are not included; package unavailable Oct. 11-13; book by calling 1-800-253-7302.

Follow a curated map of fall foliage and activities with Kennebunkport Resort Collection hotels in Kennebunkport, Maine

You can explore the best fall spots in the Kennebunkport area via curated map, thanks to the Kennebunkport Resort Collection hotels. Also included in the “The Ultimate Fall Foliage Experience” package: two nights of accommodations, fall products from Maine, and a fall champagne cocktail kit. This deal is available at all nine Kennebunkport Resort Collection hotels: Kennebunkport Inn, The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel, Grand Hotel, Cape Arundel Inn & Resort, Yachtsman Hotel & Marina Club, Hidden Pond, Tides Beach Club, Lodge on the Cove, and Cottages at Cabot Cove.

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Various locations; Kennebunkport, Maine; $350 to $950, depending on the property; two-night minimum is required, the package must be booked five days in advance and blackout dates and restrictions may apply; book through Sept. 30 for travel through Nov. 21 on kennebunkportresortcollection.com/our-hotels or by calling 1-800-573-7186.