Martha's Vineyard Day Trip from Boston 2026: Tour vs DIY

Booking choice: The Boston day trip, from $129 per person. Check dates Compare the options below

Martha's Vineyard lies about 7 miles off Cape Cod, not off Boston. Every day trip starts with a drive of a couple of hours to Falmouth or Woods Hole, then a ferry of 35 to 45 minutes. That is why the time you actually spend on the island is shorter than most people expect.

You can hand the whole thing to a coach tour, or do it yourself with a bus or your own car and the ferry. Prices and timings below come from the Viator listings and the ferry operators' own 2026 pages.

The quick answer

The most booked Boston day trip costs from $129 with hotel pickup, the round-trip Island Queen ferry from Falmouth and 5.5 to 6 hours on the island; the 3-hour island tour is a paid upgrade and meals are extra. Doing it yourself, the Steamship Authority ferry from Woods Hole is $22 round trip and the island buses are free, but you have to get to the port and park.

Aerial view of Oak Bluffs harbor full of moored boats, with the town behind — Oak Bluffs, where the Island Queen lands, from the air.

Can you do a Martha's Vineyard day trip from Boston?

Yes: the packaged tour runs about 12 hours door to door and gives you 5.5 to 6 hours on the island.

That is enough for two towns or a narrated loop of the island, not for everything. Guests report the full day stretching to 12 to 14 hours when summer traffic is heavy on the way back, so treat it as a long, early day rather than a relaxed one.

Got a date in mind? The Boston day trip includes hotel pickup, the ferry and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Check dates for the Boston day trip

What does the Boston day tour include?

A round-trip air-conditioned mini-coach from select Boston hotels, the round-trip Island Queen ferry from Falmouth, water, snacks and an island guidebook, and 5.5 to 6 hours on the island.

Meals and gratuities are not included. The listing's pickup hotels include the Omni Parker House, the Fairmont Copley Plaza and the Hyatt Regency Boston, and some hotels on the list only pick up their own guests. The Island Queen lands in Oak Bluffs, a short walk from the Flying Horses Carousel and the gingerbread cottages.

Green lawns and tall trees in front of a ring of painted cottages — The Camp Meeting grounds in Oak Bluffs are free to walk.

Is the island tour upgrade worth it?

Yes if you want to see the Aquinnah Cliffs; no if you would rather walk Oak Bluffs and Edgartown at your own pace.

The upgrade is a 3-hour narrated bus tour of all six towns with a 50-minute stop in Edgartown and 15 minutes at the Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah. On a reseller listing we checked, it added $55 to the base price; check the option price at checkout. Guests are split: some say it was worth it, others found it "too fast for older people" and that "a lot" was covered in a short time.

Prefer a smaller group? This day trip is capped at 12 travelers, includes the Island Queen and has its own optional island tour.

★ 4.7 43 reviews · 12 hours · from $108

Explore the small-group day trip

How do you do the day trip yourself?

Get yourself to Woods Hole, Falmouth or Hyannis, take the ferry, and use the free VTA buses on the island.

By bus: Peter Pan runs from Boston South Station and Logan Airport to the Steamship Authority piers in Woods Hole; it suggests booking 7 to 10 days ahead for the lowest fares.
Driving to Woods Hole: there is no dockside parking. Use the Steamship Authority lots ($25 a day in season) and the free shuttle, and arrive an hour before your boat. The ferry is $22 round trip.
Driving to Falmouth: the Island Queen lot is 200 yards from the dock, $20 a day, cash only. The boat is $30 round trip.
By train: the CapeFLYER runs to Hyannis on summer weekends ($40 round trip), for the Hy-Line fast ferry ($78 round trip).

Every route is compared in the ferry guide.

Tour or DIY: which is better?

The tour is easier and fixes your timings; DIY is cheaper on the ferry and gives you more time if you drive and leave early.

	Boston day tour	DIY by bus	DIY by car
Getting to the port	Hotel pickup	Peter Pan to Woods Hole	Drive to Woods Hole or Falmouth
Ferry	Island Queen, included	Steamship Authority, $22 round trip	$22 (Woods Hole) or $30 (Falmouth)
Parking	None needed	None needed	$25 (Woods Hole lots) or $20 cash (Falmouth)
Time on the island	5.5 to 6 hours	Depends on bus and boat times	As long as the last boat allows
From	$129 per person	Ferry plus bus fare	Ferry plus parking and gas
Best for	No car, no planning	Solo travelers on a budget	Groups who want a longer day

Rather not drive the Cape roads? Check dates for the tour with hotel pickup and the ferry included.

Check dates for the Boston day trip

How much time do you really get on the island?

About 5.5 to 6 hours on the tour, while the island's bus company suggests at least 8 hours to see every town.

So pick one plan: stay down-island and walk Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, or do a fast loop out to Aquinnah. Both are laid out with times in Martha's Vineyard in one day.

Red flowers beside a brick sidewalk and white houses on an Edgartown street — Edgartown is the easy second stop, on VTA route 13 from Oak Bluffs.

What time do you leave Boston and get back?

Early: the small-group trip picks up from around 6:30 AM, and both tours bring you back in the evening.

The return is an afternoon ferry to Falmouth, then the coach to Boston. One guest reported getting back at about 7:45 PM because of traffic, so do not book a tight dinner reservation. Bring a jacket for the ferry deck and comfortable shoes for the island.

When is the best time for a day trip from Boston?

June and September are the sweet spot: all the boats run, and the island is calmer than in July and August.

In 2026 the Island Queen sails May 22 to October 12; outside that window the Steamship Authority from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven is the only regular ferry. Boats do stop for weather (the Island Queen posted a travel alert for September 25 to 28, 2026), and guests report refunds being handled well. For costs, see what a day trip costs.