Cape Cod is a 70 mile long peninsula that stretches out into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Massachusetts.  The popular islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are just a short ferry ride away from several Cape Cod towns.  Visitors here can relax on the beach, but you can also find a variety of other activities, such as, biking, kayaking, sailing, hiking, whale watching, harbor cruises, and many other sightseeing adventures.  There are so many things to do in this area I can see why many families choose to return here every year.  

Model Itinerary

Day 1:
The two closest major airports to the Cape are Boston's Logan International Airport and T.F. Green International Airport in Providence, Rhode Island. From there you can fly a smaller airline to one of the towns on the cape or make the 1 hour drive.  We rented a 3 bedroom house in East Falmouth for the week.  We were very pleased with the home and the location. You can find the home for rent on VRBO ID #4022026ha. 

We rented a van and drove to the Cape.  We were visiting during peak summer and I had heard rumors about nightmare traffic jams throughout the cape and talked to other people who had spent hours in traffic all week.  Fortunately for us we did not experience any issues with traffic.  We got up early every day and got started so that may have helped us avoid traffic congestion.    
Day 2:
Start the day with a visit to the Cape Cod Canal, the widest sea-level canal in the world.  The Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center in Sandwich has a free and interesting museum.  After the museum you can walk along the canal and out along the jetty to the canal entrance.  There are picnic tables and a nice sandy beach.  Next head to the Heritage Museum and Gardens.  There are several different themed museums on the property including the American Automobile Collection showcasing 42 antique American-made cars, ranging from 1899 through 1965.  There are nice walking paths through the 100 acres of designed gardens.  Don't miss a stop at Hidden Hallow, a 2-acre play area designed for children ages 2-10 but all ages will enjoy seeing. End the day at nearby Town Beach and Sandwich Boardwalk.  From the parking lot, a boardwalk goes over the marsh and ends at the beach area.  Along the boardwalk, there were people jumping off the small bridge and swimming in the clear waters of the marsh.    
Day 3:
Get up early for a day trip to Nantucket.  The Steamship Authority runs a high speed ferry that departs from Hyannis Port. We had heard that the Whaling Museum in town was worth seeing but it was closed the day of our visit.  Several tour books had recommended renting bikes to see the island but I would not recommend this, especially for a day trip.  The bike paths downtown are on busy streets and the bike path that was recommended to us was 20 miles round trip!  I would have preferred to rent a jeep for the day but if you choose to reserve a car you should do so in advance.  If you can't get a car rental there are public buses you can take around the island.  Don't miss the town of Sconset to see the rose covered cottages.  From town you can take the Bluff Walk to the Sankaty Head Lighthouse.  The Bluff walk is a footpath that goes along the bluff overlooking the ocean on one side and the beautiful homes of Cape Cod on the other.  Return to Nantucket Town for dinner and spend some time walking down the cobblestone streets through the surrounding residential neighborhood.  
Day 4:
Head out early for a trip to the fishing village of Chatham.  Drive past Chatham Lighthouse and then find a parking spot downtown.  From downtown walk down to the historic Chatham Bars Inn; the first floor is open to the public. From there walk down to the Fish Pier Observation Deck to see the fisherman unloading their daily catch.  This is also a good spot to see some of the grey seal colony that lives in the area and comes to greet the boats as they arrive.  Grab lunch at the Chatham Pier Fish Market.  In the afternoon, drive over to Barnstable Harbor for the Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruise.  The boat takes you out to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary which provides a feeding ground for the whales and provides almost guaranteed whale sightings during the summer.  We were lucky enough to spot a group of 3 adult and 2 baby humpback whales swimming together and were able to get so close that one of the whales blew water in my face. The entire trip takes about 4 hours and was one of the highlights of our trip!  A short drive away you can get dinner on the outdoor patio of the historic Old Yarmouth Inn.  In the summer, I recommend getting reservations for both the whale watching and dinner in advance.  
Day 5:
​Plan on getting up and arriving at the Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Visitor Center at 9:00. Don't spend too much time here because there is a lot to see here in 1 day!   Check the park schedule to see the daily schedule of events.  We were lucky to get a tour of the Highland Lighthouse and did a quick stop at the Three Sisters and Nauset Lighthouse.  Next drive to Provincetown for lunch at the Lobster Pot (I'm still thinking about the clam chowder in the bread bowl).  In town make sure to stop and see the sail boat replica on the 2nd floor of the public library.  Energetic members in your group can climb the 116 steps to the top of the Pilgrim Monument for 360 degree views.  Make reservations at 4:00 for Art's Dune Tours.  This 1 hour tour takes you through the dunes of the National Seashore on the restricted access roads.  We had scheduled a sunset sail on the Bay Lady II which was cancelled due to the weather, so instead we went to the observation deck at the Province Lands Visitor Center and then went to watch the sunset from Race Point Beach.  
Day 6:
Rise and Shine for a day trip to Martha's Vineyard! Take the high speed Island Queen Ferry from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs.  Go on a Sunday or Friday for a later return ferry.  We arrived in Oak Bluffs in time to get coffee and ride the oldest carousel in the country before boarding our 3 hour guided tour with Martha's Vineyard Tours and Excursions.  This was a great way to see the island for our first visit.  We made stops at Larsen's Fish Market in Menemsha and at Gay Head Lighthouse in Aquinnah.  The tour ended in Oak Bluff where we grabbed lunch and walked around the town to see the colorful Victorian cottages.  We took the public bus out to explore the historic village of Edgartown before heading back to Oak Bluffs to catch the return ferry.  
Day 7:
The Shining Sea Bikeway was mentioned in a few tour books but keep in mind that the entire path is close to 22 miles round trip!  So if you are not a serious cyclist you might just want to spend the day driving around the area instead, which is what we did and had a wonderful day!  Our first stop was to Bourne Farm.  The farm was built in 1775 and has walking trails that loop around the property.  We walked to the cattle tunnel and back past the pond.  Next we stopped by the local cranberry bog on our way to see West Falmouth Harbor. We continued to drive around exploring a few beaches and the town of Falmouth on our way to Woods Hole where we stopped for lunch at Pie in the Sky.  We spent about an hour walking through the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Center which turned out to be a free and interesting stop. Then head back to Pie in the Sky for some amazing pie!  The next stop was the Noska Lighthouse and then the Knob. The Knob is a rocky piece of land that juts out between Buzzards Bay and picturesque Quissett Harbor. Nature trails wind through the property which ends at the tip with panoramic views of the Bay. From here we decided to drive back up to Old Silver Beach to watch the sunset over the Bay.  
 
Day 8:
On our way home we made a stop at Plymoth, Massachusetts to visit the Plymouth Plantation.  At the waterfront, you can visit the spot where locals say the first Pilgrims landed.  You can also board the Mayflower II where guides tell you about this replica of the original ship.  A short drive away is the Plymoth Putuxet Museum which has a Patuxet homesite and a re-created Pilgrim Colony.  Colonial food is served at the Plentiful Cafe and the food is surprisingly good.  From here it's time to return home and start planning your next family adventure!