Cape Cod, The Islands & Newport

Tour begins: 5:00 PM. Transfers are included upon arrival from Boston's Logan Airport or Boston's Back Bay, North and South train stations to the Fairmont Copley Plaza, a landmark hotel since 1912 and ideally located in historic Back Bay, in the city known as the birthplace of the American Revolution. Join us tonight for a welcome dinner at the hotel. Stay: Fairmont Copley Plaza (D)

Leave the city behind as you drive to Cape Cod, stopping en route for a guided visit at the Heritage Museum & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It is set amidst 100 acres of flower-filled gardens and exhibits showcasing the history of the region, from antique automobiles to folk art and vintage memorabilia including a carousel built in 1908. Enjoy lunch in the town of Sandwich, the oldest town on the Cape and settled in 1637. While its name suggests a popular noonday meal, Sandwich is famous for the glassware produced here in the 1800s.

Continue on to West Harwich for two nights and to experience genuine Cape Cod hospitality. Stay Two Nights: Pelham on Earle (B/L/D)

Visit the Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Visitors Center this morning, providing a fascinating introduction to the protected marshlands, uplands, ponds, lighthouses and outer islands of Cape Cod National Seashore. Museum exhibits include the history of the Wampanoag tribes who first inhabited these lands, and the arrival of European settlers, the pilgrims, through artifacts, artwork, photos and captivating oral histories.

Enjoy time in Provincetown before embarking on an exciting whale watching cruise for a glimpse of the giant marine mammals who frequent the waters here. It was the hunt for the whale that largely built Provincetown. By 1870, largely due to its whaling activities, Provincetown was one of the richest towns in Massachusetts. As Provincetown went from a whaling town to a Portuguese fishing village to the artsy town it is today, whales are now playing a part in its important conservation efforts to help prevent the whales' extinction.

You may spot a variety of marine life during your afternoon whale watching cruise, from humpback, fin and right whales to dolphins, seals and sea turtles who may happen by. Dinner is at leisure tonight at your hotel. (B/D)

Board a fast ferry this morning bound for the summer resort island of Nantucket, where a guided sightseeing drive around the island is followed by free time to explore as you wish. Once known as the whaling capital of the world, this compact island is renowned as a getaway for captains of industry who relish its endless beaches, rose-covered shingled homes and the cobblestoned charms of its historic harborside town.

An afternoon ferry speeds you to Martha's Vineyard for a two-night stay at an iconic hotel in Edgartown. Dine at your leisure tonight at your hotel. Stay Two Nights: Harbor View Hotel (B/D)

An orientation tour this introduces you to the towns that line the shores of Martha's Vineyard, from Victorian-inspired Oak Bluffs to Vineyard Haven where the ferries dock to the fishing village of Menemsha to West Tisbury, the island's agricultural center and Aquinnah, home to the Wampanoag Indian tribe and clay cliffs. Martha's Vineyard also includes the smaller adjacent Chappaquiddick Island.

You will have time to experience life in Edgartown before a special Tauck experience at the Carnegie Museum. Join a docent for a tour of the museum, learning about its start as a free library inspired by Andrew Carnegie, and viewing its collection of artifacts and photos of island landscapes and landmarks. An optional walking tour takes you to the Chappy Ferry Line, the Old Sculpin Gallery, the Norton Boat House and the Edgartown Memorial Wharf. The evening is free to enjoy as you wish. (B)

Board a ferry bound for Woods Hole, Massachusetts, disembarking for lunch and a guided tour of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, recalling the town's heyday as a whaling port. Surrounded by cobblestone streets once strolled by Frederick Douglass and Herman Melville, the museum is located in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Inside you'll find a 66 ft. skeleton of a blue whale and a smaller skeleton of a sperm whale for an up-close look at the whales that are found in the oceans nearby, as well as a fully rigged, half-size replica of an actual whaling ship.

Learn about the history of whaling and view paintings by famous maritime artists during your visit. The museum showcases the world's largest collections of scrimshaw, whaling logbooks, and journals, chronicling just about everything you wanted to know about whales in visually engaging displays.

Drive to Newport, Rhode Island; your hotel is centrally located on the waterfront, an easy stroll from dining venues, shops and more. Stay Two Nights: Newport Marriott (B/L)

Wake up for a cruise on Newport Harbor, viewing the town's yachts and coastline along the way. If you wish, you can do a self-guided tour of the 70-room Renaissance Revival summer vacation cottage known as The Breakers, built between 1893 and 1895 by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, renowned as one of the most magnificent of Newport's opulent mansions. Spend the afternoon exploring the sights as you wish, and join us tonight for a farewell reception and dinner at 41° North. (B/D)

Tour ends: Boston. Depart Newport after breakfast and drive to Boston's Logan International Airport, a distance of 73 miles, for your flight home. Flights should be scheduled after 2:30 PM. Guests staying an additional night in Boston will be transported to Fairmont Copley Plaza. (B)