19 Beautiful Weekend Getaways on the East Coast of the USA

Discover these gorgeous getaways on the East Coast of the USA that are perfect for a weekend break.

If you’re reading this post, you are probably looking for ways to leave your city for an exciting weekend in a new place. As someone who grew up on the East Coast and has spent years exploring it, I TOTALLY understand this feeling. A weekend trip full of new experiences is often all it takes to rejuvenate the body and the mind.

These are my picks for the best weekend getaways on the East Coast, places I’ve been, places I recommend, and a few places that I’m always finding reasons to go back to.

Best Weekend Getaways on the East Coast

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is a jewel of the American South, and the first time I went there, the thing that surprised me most was the moss. I’d never seen anything like it, the way the grey strands hung from the live oak trees in Forsyth Park, especially in the morning fog, gave the whole city a slightly gothic atmosphere that I found completely irresistible.

The Savannah Historic District is the obvious starting point: cobblestone streets, quaint shops and an old-world atmosphere that a lot of Southern cities have lost. The Gothic Revival Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a real highlight. And if you’re even slightly interested in ghost stories, the Bonaventure Cemetery, with its famous “Bird Girl” statue and sprawling, atmospheric graves, is one of the most compelling places I’ve visited in the American South.

I’d particularly recommend spending an evening doing a walking ghost tour. Savannah has a lot of history and some genuinely eerie stories, and the local guides know how to tell them.

Recommended Stays

The Justine Inn for a proper B&B experience with great value. The Marshall House is a lively historic boutique hotel in the heart of the city.

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Asheville, North Carolina

With its charming streets surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is one of the best weekend escapes on the East Coast. I’ve always found it to be a surprisingly cool oasis, part mountain town, part arts scene, part outstanding food destination.

The Blue Ridge Parkway drives and hikes are genuinely beautiful, and the farm-to-table food and North Carolina-style BBQ are things I still think about. The Biltmore Estate, America’s largest privately owned home, a French Renaissance-style castle with lavish gardens, is impressive enough that even non-architecture people tend to be stopped in their tracks. The River Arts District has excellent galleries and studios if you want to see what Asheville’s creative community is actually doing.

Recommended Stays

Princess Anne Bed & Breakfast for a cozy, homey stay. The Albemarle Inn is one of the top-rated locally-owned inns, in a beautiful Southern-style plantation home.

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Read Next: How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Asheville NC

Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park is just a few hours from Washington DC, and whenever I feel overwhelmed and need to disconnect, this is where I head. The park has miles of accessible hiking trails for any level, my favourite is the hike to Old Rag Mountain, tough but worth every scramble, while the Dark Hollow Falls Trail is more accessible and leads to a genuinely beautiful waterfall.

Skyline Drive, the scenic road that runs the full 105-mile length of the park, has viewpoints every few miles, and the Shenandoah Valley spread below can be stunning, especially in autumn.

Recommended Stays

Camping is the best way to experience the park fully. The variety of campsites includes both reservable and first-come-first-served options. The Caledonia Farm 1812 Bed & Breakfast in Flint Hill, VA, is a lovely retreat on a quiet farm for those who prefer a proper bed.

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is everything Washington DC isn’t, laid-back, maritime, human in scale. I sometimes drive out there from the DC area just to walk the brick sidewalks of the historic downtown and breathe sea air. The United States Naval Academy is worth visiting for its Beaux-Arts architecture and the naval history it contains. The Maryland State House, the oldest continuously-used state capitol in the country, is a genuine piece of living American history.

The seafood here is extraordinary. Maryland crab is not something to eat everywhere and call equivalent.

Recommended Stays

The Academy Bed & Breakfast is colourful and charming. The State House Inn is well-regarded by travellers in the area.

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Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine, gets overlooked in favour of its more famous West Coast namesake, which is a genuine mistake. It’s a wonderful blend of gorgeous coastal scenery, one of the best food scenes on the East Coast and an arts community that punches well above its size.

The Old Port historic district is the best place to start, cobbled streets, 19th-century buildings, excellent boutiques and galleries. The Portland Observatory is worth the climb for the views. And the farmer’s market here is one of the most respected on the East Coast, running year-round. For serious seafood, the local lobster rolls and fresh catch are exactly what the reputation promises.

Recommended Stays

The Inn at St. John for comfortable, affordable accommodation. The Portland Harbor Hotel is one of the highest-rated boutique hotels in the city.

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Stowe, Vermont

Stowe is one of those rare destinations that’s genuinely excellent in every season. Nestled in the Green Mountains, autumn brings some of the most spectacular fall foliage in New England, reds, oranges and yellows spreading across the hills in a way that feels almost too perfect. Winter brings excellent skiing on Mount Mansfield. Spring and summer bring hiking and mountain biking. The Stowe Recreation Path is a lovely paved trail through beautiful countryside regardless of season.

Recommended Stays

Green Mountain Inn is the cosiest and most characterful place to stay. The Lodge at Spruce Peak is a beloved resort for a more indulgent stay.

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Saint Simons Island, Georgia

Saint Simons Island off the Georgia coast is where locals have summer homes, and that tells you something. Part of the Golden Isles, it’s quiet and genuinely beautiful, miles of beach, Fort Frederica (a national monument on the site of a pivotal 1742 battle), and the landmark lighthouse. East Beach is one of my favourites for its pretty shoreline and the reliable dolphin sightings.

The most distinctive feature of Saint Simons is Driftwood Beach, miles of warped, bleached driftwood pieces some the size of entire trees. It’s one of the most unusual and romantic places to walk on the East Coast.

Recommended Stays

The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort is the most charming hotel on the island.

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Harpers Ferry and New River Gorge, West Virginia

West Virginia is genuinely underrated as a weekend destination. Harpers Ferry, a national historical park at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, is a beautifully preserved 19th-century town marked by Civil War history. John Brown’s 1859 raid here, which helped spark the conflict, is told in detail at the Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park, and the hiking from the town into the surrounding hills is excellent.

New River Gorge National Park, the newest National Park in the US, designated in December 2020, is nearby and spectacular. The New River Gorge Bridge is one of the most impressive in the eastern United States, and the park has world-class rock climbing, white water rafting and hiking.

Recommended Stays

The Light Horse Inn is highly rated in the area.

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Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Cape Cod is a long-standing New England summer destination and deservedly so, beautiful beaches, lobster shacks, lighthouses and a coastal atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the northeastern US. The Cape Cod National Seashore has miles of unspoiled Atlantic coastline. Provincetown at the tip of the peninsula is one of the most vibrant and LGBTQ+-welcoming destinations in New England, with excellent galleries, restaurants and a lively atmosphere.

Recommended Stays

HI Hostel Cape Cod (Hyannis) for budget travellers. The Seaglass Inn in Provincetown is the crowd favourite, four minutes from the beach.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston combines the charm of a Southern historic city with a genuinely exciting food scene that has put it firmly on the national culinary map. The colourful homes of Rainbow Row, the Battery promenade along the harbour, Fort Sumter, and then the food. All-you-can-eat oysters at Bowens Island Restaurant is exactly as good as it sounds. The soul food institutions are also exceptional.

Recommended Stays

The Spectator Hotel is one of the finest boutique hotels in the city.

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Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Lancaster County is Amish country, and it delivers exactly what that implies: a peaceful, rural change of pace from city life, with rolling farmland, covered bridges, cabin rentals and one of the oldest continually-operating farmers’ markets in the country in Lancaster city centre. A steam train through the countryside is a worthwhile extra.

Recommended Stays

The Lancaster Arts Hotel is housed in a handsome brick building with well-designed interiors.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The most visited National Park in the US, and one that genuinely earns it. The Smokies straddle the Tennessee-North Carolina border with dense forests, waterfalls, wildlife and the eponymous morning mist that rises from the trees in valleys below. Get up early enough, for Newfound Gap or Oconaluftee Valley at sunrise, the mist is extraordinary.

My favourite trails are the Cades Cove Loop for an easy day and Clingmans Dome for something more demanding. Cades Cove also has excellent wildlife sightings, deer, turkeys and occasionally bears. For a few summer weekends, the synchronised firefly display in the park is one of the most remarkable natural events in North America.

Recommended Stays

Camping is the most authentic way to experience the park, check NPS campsite information for availability and reservations. The Twin Mountain Inn and Suites in Pigeon Forge is a popular hotel option on the Tennessee side.

New York City and Upstate New York

New York City is the obvious choice for a big-city East Coast weekend and it more than delivers. Even after the major sights, you can lose days in the neighbourhoods. Brooklyn, the Lower East Side, Harlem, the West Village. But when the city gets overwhelming, Upstate New York is the answer: the Catskills just a couple of hours north by train, with hiking, craft breweries, cabin rentals and fall foliage that rivals anywhere in New England.

Read Next: The Perfect Two-Day New York Itinerary

Bethany Beach, Delaware

Bethany Beach is the quieter, less hectic alternative to Ocean City and Rehoboth Beach, and that’s its greatest strength. Boardwalk, kitschy mini golf, pretty lighthouses, fishing and kayaking at Delaware Seashore State Park nearby, and a genuinely relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere that makes it a reliable summer weekend for those within driving distance.

Recommended Stays

Bethany Beach Ocean Suites by Marriott is consistently recommended.

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Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a university city steeped in history, surrounded by wine country, and with genuinely excellent outdoor options in the mountains nearby. Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, is a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Virginia, which Jefferson also designed and founded, is one of the most beautiful campuses in the United States. And the vineyards of Albemarle County are excellent.

Recommended Stays

The Graduate Charlottesville is conveniently located near the University of Virginia.

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Outer Banks, North Carolina

I spent summers of my childhood on the Outer Banks and I still go back whenever I can. Several different islands and regions, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Corolla, each with a slightly different character. Wild horses roam the northern beaches. The Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk is where powered flight began in 1903. And the beaches are some of the most beautiful on the East Coast.

White Mountains, New Hampshire

The White Mountains are a genuinely underrated East Coast weekend destination. The fall colour is spectacular, some of the finest in New England, and the hiking ranges from accessible valley walks to serious summit routes. Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeastern US and a worthwhile objective if you’re a fit hiker.

Recommended Stays

In Jackson, NH, the Inn at Thorn Hill is a popular and well-rated choice.

Key West, Florida

Key West is as far south as you can go on the US mainland, where aquamarine water, luxury resorts, Hemingway’s house and one of the best sunset scenes in Florida await. Snorkelling, paddleboarding, the lively Duval Street, and the nightly sunset celebration at Mallory Square. Key West is unhurried and fun in equal measure.

Recommended Stays

The Douglas House is highly recommended with a pool and residences within walking distance of the beach.

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Acadia National Park

Acadia is one of the most beautiful national parks in the US, a rugged granite coastline, carriage roads, mountain summits with Atlantic views and Cadillac Mountain, the first place in the United States to see sunrise from autumn through spring. It takes some effort to get to, a few hours from Portland, but it absolutely rewards it. Bar Harbor, the gateway town, has excellent restaurants and accommodation.

Recommended Stays

Camping at Acadia is the finest way to experience it. The NPS campsite information covers reservations and availability. The Bar Harbor Grand Hotel is the best luxury option in the area.

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