{"id":928,"date":"2024-04-21T22:05:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T02:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thatplannerfriend.com\/staging\/3544\/?p=928"},"modified":"2024-04-21T22:07:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T02:07:25","slug":"cape-cod-3-day-weekend-itinerary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatplannerfriend.com\/staging\/3544\/cape-cod-3-day-weekend-itinerary\/","title":{"rendered":"Cape Cod 3-Day Weekend Itinerary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Cape<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Escape to the Cape for a long weekend with this three-day weekend Cape Cod itinerary. The secret about Cape Cod is out, making this New Englander\u2019s summer getaway a not-so-hidden gem. Could you do Cape Cod as a day trip from Boston? Sure, you can, but you won\u2019t enjoy it nearly as much as going for three full days to explore everything it has to offer. So, pack your bags and take your PTO to make the most out of a three-day weekend on Cape Cod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this itinerary, we will assume you have three full days in Cape Cod, arriving late on Thursday night and leaving late Sunday night or early Monday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friday: Mid Cape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On your first day in Cape Cod, acquaint yourself with the area you\u2019re staying in. If it\u2019s your first time visiting Cape Cod, you should stay in Mid Cape. I recommend Barnstable, specifically Hyannis because it makes a great home base with easy access to beaches, grocery stores, main streets, whale watching, and more. Regardless of where you stay, there are a bunch of things to see and do in Mid Cape that you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breakfast at Old King\u2019s Coffeehouse<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Start your day with breakfast at Old King\u2019s Coffeehouse<\/strong>. Old King\u2019s is a casual order-at-the-counter kind of place. They have great breakfast sandwiches and burritos that are both delicious and filling. Grab a coffee or a matcha latte and enjoy it there or take it to-go to enjoy on the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stroll down Main St. in Hyannis<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After breakfast, take the opportunity to stroll down nearby Main St. Hyannis<\/strong>, the heart of the Mid Cape. On Main St., you\u2019ll find souvenir shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find your Cape Cod dream house on a walk along the beach\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Cape<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Walking along the sand in Hyannis gives you a view of the ocean and Cape Cod cottages worth millions. Neighborhoods in Cape Cod are lined with picturesque cottages with wood siding that have been weathered down to a charming light gray color. The most famous Cape Cod cottages are in the Kennedy Compound near Eugenia Fortes Beach. This was the place the Kennedy family (like JFK and Jackie O) called home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Hyannis, you can walk along the coastline to hop from beach to beach. Start your beach walk by the Kennedy Compound or park at Keyes Memorial Beach<\/strong> and walk to Kalmus Beach<\/strong>. Kalmus Beach has a snack bar if you\u2019re hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shop for souvenirs at Cuffy\u2019s<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Cuffy\u2019s<\/strong> isn\u2019t your typical souvenir store. It\u2019s a candy shop, homeware store, and apparel boutique all in one. They even host activities and events for kids. It\u2019s worth the stop if you\u2019re looking for Cape Cod merch. It\u2019s located in Dennis, off the main drag so stop on your way to dinner. At the end of the summer, they have a huge sale where you can get hats and sweatshirts at unbeatable prices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drinks and snacks at Summer Shanty<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The Summer Shanty<\/strong> is a seasonal hotspot that\u2019s only open during the summer months. It\u2019s in Bass River Marina in Dennis with a view of boats coming in and out. They have a great selection of fun cocktails and small plates to sip and snack on in the afternoon. There is extensive outdoor seating and live music indoors on most days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the sunset at Parker\u2019s River Beach<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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You can catch the sunset at the Summer Shanty or take a short drive to Parker\u2019s River Beach<\/strong> for a more picturesque view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across the street from the beach is The Skipper Restaurant<\/strong>. It has a window that serves ice cream that you can enjoy on the beach. The Skipper can have a long wait for dinner on the weekends, but it\u2019s worth it if you\u2019re willing to wait.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dinner at Captain Parker\u2019s Pub<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Enjoy a laid-back dinner at Captain Parker\u2019s Pub. The interior of Captain Parker\u2019s is decked out with patches from first responders. It has a homey pub feel with a nice outdoor patio. On busy weekends, there can be a wait but you can hang out at the outdoor par and gas fire pit to pass the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The lobster at Captain Parker\u2019s Pub was great. Order the Lazy Man\u2019s Lobster to enjoy lobster meat without the hassle of wrestling a lobster with claws. We also tried a Quahog, a clam stuffed with breadcrumbs and chorizo which is a Cape Cod specialty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saturday: Outer + Lower Cape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spend your Saturday going from town to town to sightsee, eat, drink, and get a true feel of Cape Cod.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll explore the majority of the Cape by driving to your furthest point and working your way down. It takes about an hour to drive from Barnstable to Provincetown on the tip of the Outer Cape. To make the most of your Saturday start early to accomplish as much as possible on this jam-packed day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That Planner Friend Tip: <\/strong>You could divide the plan for this day by doing one Outer Cape day for Provincetown and the National Seashore and another Lower Cape day where you explore Chatham and Harwich at a slower pace.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breakfast at Three Fins Coffee Roasters<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Before you leave Mid Cape, get your coffee fix by stopping at Three Fins Coffee Roasters in West Dennis. Three Fins Coffee Roasters is in a large industrial-like space off the main drag. They have a selection of pastries to pair with your coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for a full sit-down breakfast, I recommend trying Hangar B Eatery in Chatham. Here, you can watch airplanes take off and land at the Chatham Municipal Airport. This breakfast spot is small and very popular so be prepared to wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go to Provincetown\u2026or don\u2019t<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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After breakfast, you\u2019ll want to drive to the furthest point on your road trip adventure. For most people that would be Provincetown also known as P-town. This quintessential Cape town is famous for being the real place where the pilgrims on the Mayflower landed in 1620 and for its proud LGBTQ+ community. If it\u2019s on your bucket list, you should totally go. There are cute shops, picturesque homes, and a lively Commercial St.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my humble, honest opinion, I believe Provincetown is a tourist trap. In the summer, Commercial St. gets overcrowded and you\u2019ll spend at least $20 on parking. There are much more charming and laid-back main streets in the Cape for you to explore.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sip wine at Truro Vineyards<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Your Cape Cod adventure truly begins in the beach town of Truro. Truro\u2019s land is mostly protected by the National Park Service as a part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. It\u2019s also home to the best vineyard on Cape Cod.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truro Vineyards is a small winery serving both red and white wine and spirits from their new distillery. If you want to taste multiple wines in a wine flight, you\u2019ll need to make a reservation in advance and book a table on Tock<\/a>. Reservations can be made for groups of up to eight people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re a larger group or don\u2019t want to bother with reservations, you can head to the back patio bar in the vineyard for wines by the glass. In the vineyard, there are food trucks, cornhole, and plenty of seating. Be mindful that it gets crowded on holiday weekends so try to get there early.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late lunch and drinks at the Beachcomber<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The Beachcomber is a classic beach bar in Wellfleet. It\u2019s on Cahoon Hallow Beach on the Cape Cod National Seashore, which makes for a beautiful view while you wait for a table. The Beachcomber is a lively spot that gets rowdy on holiday weekends (in a fun way) and hosts live music shows. We visited the Beachcomber for a late lunch and tried steamers, a classic Cape Cod dish of clams with butter.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is $30 to park at the Beachcomber but those $30 go toward the price of your meal. This $30 does not apply to alcohol so you\u2019ll want to spend at least $30 on food to get your money back.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another place to try in Wellfleet is Mac\u2019s Shack and Mac\u2019s On the Pier. They\u2019re both in the actual town of Wellfleet on opposite ends of Main St.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore Nauset Lighthouse and Coast Guard Beach<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Cape<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you see any lighthouse in Cape Cod, it has to be Nauset Lighthouse. It\u2019s the quintessential American lighthouse in red and white. It\u2019s the lighthouse pictured on Cape Cod Kettle Cooked Potato Chips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next beach over from Nauset Light Beach is Coast Guard Beach, an expansive beach with breathtaking views. Nauset Light and Coast Guard Beach are both located on the Cape Cod National Seashore, so you\u2019ll need to pay $25 for a pass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That Planner Friend Tip:<\/strong> If you visit beaches on the National Seashore after 5 p.m., you may get away with not paying the $25 fee because an attendant might not be there anymore.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stroll down Main St. Chatham<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The next stop on your Cape Cod road trip is Chatham, a cute town in the Lower Cape. Chatham has a main street with a bunch of shops and places to stop in. The Chatham Squire <\/strong>is a famous spot for a pint and going out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Treat yourself to ice cream at Buffy\u2019s Ice Cream<\/strong>, a homemade ice cream shop that serves famous ice cream bars. (An ice cream bar is similar to an ice cream sandwich but in a square shape.) Buffy\u2019s is in a small cottage at the end of Main St. in Chatham.\u00a0It\u2019s the perfect sweet treat to cap off your day of adventuring and snacking.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still hungry?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We were full after eating along the Cape all day but here are some dinner options that are on my list to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n