New York City is one of the best day trips from Connecticut that you should try once. Wherever you are in Connecticut, New York City can be reached in two hours or as little as 45 minutes. Take a train into Grand Central and start your visit admiring this elegant station with its iconic clock atop the information booth and the constellation-covered ceiling. From there, walk over to the public library guarded by stone lions and relax in Bryant Park, before heading downtown to the towering Empire State Building.

Even if you're not mesmerized by the city's soaring skyscrapers and monuments, you'll be blown away by its flourishing arts, food, fashion, and nightlife scenes. If you're an art lover, you can admire the striking works on display at the Met and the Guggenheim before feasting on ethnic fare in Chinatown or Little Italy. If you still have some energy (and cash) left over, don't miss the chance to snag tickets to an award-winning Broadway show or hop over to one of the low-key rooftop bars and jazz clubs illuminating the Meatpacking District after dark.

Location: New York, United States

Website: https://www1.nyc.gov/

Distance from Connecticut: 97 miles
Travel Time: 50 minutes

Tel: 212-504-4115

TripAdvisor Rating: ‎5/5

The Hudson River Valley is scenic and so easy to reach from Connecticut being within two short hours away. Hudson River Valley is 150 miles of lush nature marked by hundreds of years of history, human endeavors, and breathtaking natural beauty. Home to charming towns like New Paltz, Catskill, Hudson, Poughkeepsie, Troy, Hyde Park, Kingston, and many others, the valley has seen battles that formed the nation at Saratoga, New York, and artists of the Hudson River School of Painters that defined how the world sees American art and top chefs graduating from the Culinary Institute of America to provide us with fresh perspectives on food.

You will find great day trips, unique restaurants, and more. Hop aboard a Hudson River cruise ship for a day away and watch the magnificent landscape glide by while having a delicious three-course lunch. A perfect way to end the day trip is to visit America’s oldest winery for a wine tasting and tour the historic atmospheric underground wine cellar that houses more than 200 oak barrels in a crested stone vault.

Location: New York, United States
Website: https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/
Distance from Connecticut: 77 miles

Travel Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Tel: 212-242-6427
Fee: Free
Hour: 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM
TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4.5/5

Don't skip the day excursion to the Hamptons, which is accessible from most of Connecticut in about one and a half hours, if you adore and miss the English countryside. The Hamptons is a group of small villages and hamlets which together form the South Fork of Long Island. Known for its fresh air, peace, and beautiful beaches, The Hamptons is a place that's perfect for a little escape from the city. It's also a totally gorgeous area to explore on a long weekend trip. Famed as the summer home to some of America's most elite, thousands escape the hot city each summer to South Hampton and East Hampton.

With an abundance of beautiful homes and restaurants offering fresh, local produce and seafood, the Hamptons is a perfect getaway after a hectic week. East Hampton is the epicenter of all the major activities. It is repeatedly referred to as the "Most beautiful villages in America". It's also one of the world's top beach towns. The Hamptons have tons of activities to offer to its visitors and residents. Ranging from partying and beautiful beaches, famous restaurants, museums, antique shops, and nature preserves to dance and drinks to soaking up the waves and sand.

Location: Long Island, Suffolk County, New York, United States
Distance from Connecticut: 98 miles
Travel Time: 2 hours 90 minutes

TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4.5/5

Newport has always been connected to the sea, from its beginnings as a shipbuilding port to its current status as America's yachting capital. With its sumptuous mansions and breathtaking cliff walk, Newport is known as "America's First Resort Town". It is about an hour away and is easily accessible within two hours from Connecticut. This is a location that is stunning all year round. When visiting the mansions in the spring, seek daffodils and take part in a daffodil festival at Blithewold.

Summer in Newport is pure magic that takes you back to the gilded age with beautiful gardens in full bloom and mansions decorated with lavish floral bouquets. Autumn’s mantle of foliage shows the mansions in a burnished time-mellowed light, and winter’s splendor is when the mansions are festooned with amazing decorations sure to get you in a holiday mood. With something for everyone, Newport offers history, art, culture, sailing, beaches, tennis, and fabulous shopping in its many boutiques.

Location: Rhode Island, United States

Website: https://www.cityofnewport.com/

Distance from Connecticut: 120 miles

Travel Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Tel: 1-800-972-4545

TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4.5/5

Providence is one of the best day trips from Connecticut. It is an hour from most of Connecticut and is where you can get a taste of Italy on a day trip. Bring your appetite and start your day with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Federal Hill District, one of America's top "Little Italys". Enjoy a lavish traditional Italian lunch, followed by a ride on an authentic Venetian gondola through the "Renaissance City," on the Woonasquatucket, and Providence Rivers.

Visitors who love architecture will be happy in Providence, whose old downtown (called Downcity here) is filled with priceless period architecture. Art Deco and Beaux-Arts buildings and late Victorian terra-cotta facades were spared the ravages of urban renewal and retained beautiful and astonishingly well-preserved decorative details. Downcity's granite icon, The Arcade, was America's first shopping mall, built-in in 1828. Filled with locally owned boutiques and galleries, it's still a favorite for shopping.

Location: Rhode Island, United States
Website: https://www.providenceri.gov/
Distance from Connecticut: 124 miles
Travel Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Tel: 401-680-5000
TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4/5

Among the best day trips from Connecticut is Block Island. Block Island, a 9.7-square-mile island off the coast of Rhode Island, lies about 14 miles from Montauk Point on Long Island. It seems like going back in time to visit this Rhode Island treasure. Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindebergh, and Presidents Eisenhower, Roosevelt, and Clinton all used Block Island as a getaway. One of the most popular activities is to enjoy a lobster roll while watching the boats enter the harbor from the National Hotel's long, covered patio. Exploring Main Street is so much fun because it is teeming with unique stores and eateries.

In the late afternoon, it is always nice to relax on the beach after visiting the iconic Block Island Lighthouse. Besides walking, one of the best ways to get around the island is by bike, so if you are energetic, try taking one around the island, the scenery is stunning. At the end of the day, if you have worked up a thirst for shopping or biking you might want to unwind on the terrace enjoying a cocktail and the gentle sea breeze. Perhaps a day excursion is not long enough after all!

Location: Washington County, United States

Website: https://www.newshorehamri.gov/

Distance from Connecticut: 127 miles
Travel Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Tel: 401-466-3200

TripAdvisor Rating: ‎5/5

Boston is the largest city in New England, Massachusetts which is only two hours from most of Connecticut and is highly recommended for a day trip. Explore the Boston city where the new and the old are in constant conversation, where cobbled-stone streets meet glass-enclosed shopping galleries, and where The Freedom Trail landmarks stand beside cutting-edge restaurants and renowned performance theatres brush shoulders with trendy nightclubs.

Uncover Boston's past while enjoying its distinctively modern edge. Start the day at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where you will be transported to Venice with its lavish decor, sculptures, and paintings that compose one of the finest private art collections in the country. The museum is also the site of one of the world’s most famous unsolved art heists - that gives the tour of this museum a dash of intrigue and excitement! Enjoy the old masters and the brew masters, pedal-powered swan boat rides, or high-speed catamaran whale watches. Shop artisanal markets or chic boutiques. While the afternoon away at a sidewalk café or dining from the popular food trucks found throughout the city. Enjoy star-studded concerts, some under the stars. Take a walking tour or blaze a trail of your own. Stroll the lively waterfront or cruise the historic harbor.

Location: Massachusetts, United States

Website: https://www.boston.gov/

Distance from Connecticut: 137 miles
Travel Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Tel: 617-635-4000

TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4.5/5

Salem, located in New England's distinctive region just north of Boston and about two hours from Connecticut, is spooktacular at any time of year. Therefore, Salem is a must-see destination for travelers seeking history, spooky fun, and cultural delights. The city is best known for the events of 1692, where 20 local people were tried for witchcraft and executed. Salem embraces its past and the “witches” that were once feared are now celebrated, even being made the city's official symbol.

There are plenty of historical sites to visit with well-preserved examples of early American architecture. Visitors will also find some of the oldest and foremost museums in the country. Those looking for thrills and chills will be spoiled for choice amongst the many spooky attractions and stores, especially during the month of October. Afterward, don’t miss the photo op by the statue of Elizabeth Montgomery, who played Samantha Stephens on the TV show Bewitched that was filmed in Salem. In short, Salem is a perfect day trip for lovers of history, fantasy, legends, and lore.

Location: Massachusetts, United States

Website: https://www.salem.org/

Distance from Connecticut: 150 miles
Travel Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Tel: (800) 322-1128

TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4.5/5

The tranquil beauty of the Berkshires, located just 45 minutes from Litchfield, has long been a haven for the wealthy and famous, artists, actors, and singers. A tour of Ventfort Hall, located in Lenox, was once owned by Sarah Morgan, sister of the illustrious JP Morgan. Today the house celebrates the Gilded Age in a fascinating museum that covers American life in the second half of the 19th century when wealthy families like the Morgans, Duponts, and Vanderbilts built summer homes away from New York City.

After that, you can have lunch on the terrace at the Mount, the turn-of-the-century residence designed by author Edith Wharton. Leaving Lennox, travel to Stockbridge and stop at Naumkeag, one of the region's earliest cottages in the gilded shingle style. Explore an eight-acre wonderland of expertly groomed grounds, which also includes the well-known Chinese Garden and forty acres of woodlands, meadows, and pastures. Don't miss Asia Barong, the largest Asian art gallery in America, on your way from Stockbridge to Great Barrington on your way back to Connecticut for a change of pace. It has more than 25,000 pieces in stock, including large Buddhas, Spirit Houses from Thailand, traditional structures from Sulawesi, Indian temple doors, Balinese puppets, and exotic jewelry.

Location: Massachusetts and Connecticut, United States
Website: https://berkshires.org/
Distance from Connecticut: 50 miles

Travel Time: 1 hour
Tel: (413) 499-1600
TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4.5/5

Just over two hours away, Southern Vermont is among the best day trips from Connecticut. You can savor southern Vermont’s famed winter activities and warm weather fun. Or you can browse designer outlets, village greens, and old general stores. Plan a romantic getaway, and visit enchanting landscapes and landmark homes of the famous. There are parks, farms, woods, and open spaces for hiking; galleries, exhibits, and studios for local arts and crafts; and live theater, music, and performance.

And, if you love to bake, a visit to the King Arthur Flour Company, in Norwich, Vermont could be in your future! Founded in 1790 in Boston, and now located and company owned in Vermont, this is America’s oldest flour company and boy do they know how to bake! Along the way, a stop at the Simon Pearce Company is a must where you can shop for tableware (for your newly baked goods) and watch glass being blown. No visit to Vermont is complete without a stop at a country store, the Vermont Country Store dates to 1946 and offers items that are charming, useful, and nostalgic.

Location: Vermont, United States
Website: https://bom.so/LjpXLG
Distance from Connecticut: 100 miles

Travel Time: 2 hours
Tel: +1 800-837-6668
TripAdvisor Rating: ‎4.5/5