Free
Prescott Park
A free waterfront park and formal gardens on the Piscataqua, just below Market Square.
New Hampshire seacoast
Portsmouth
One of New England's oldest working harbour cities: cobbled streets around Market Square, the restored houses of Strawbery Banke, Prescott Park on the Piscataqua, and a rocky state park at Odiorne Point looking out toward the Isles of Shoals.
Photo: Gardens at Prescott Park, Bostonian13, CC BY-SA 3.0
Portsmouth is a compact, walkable city on the Piscataqua River, just across from Maine. Market Square and the South End still have the scale of an 18th-century seaport, and Strawbery Banke is a museum neighbourhood of restored houses on their original foundations, a few blocks from the water.
Along the river, Prescott Park is a free waterfront garden; a short drive down the coast, Odiorne Point State Park has rocky shore, tide pools and the Seacoast Science Center. Boats leave for the Isles of Shoals in season, and the grounds of the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion open onto Little Harbor.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Woodland and shoreline trails on the bay in nearby Newington, open dawn to dusk.
Free
Little Harbor Loop Trail
A 1.5-mile shoreline loop on the grounds of the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, open dawn to dusk year-round.
Cheap
Odiorne Point State Park
Rocky shore, tide pools and coastal trails at the mouth of the Piscataqua, in Rye. Vehicle entry fee in season.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Market Square
The city's walkable centre: brick and clapboard streets, cafés and a working harbour a few blocks away.
Free
Portsmouth South End
A historic waterside neighbourhood of wooden houses, lanes and harbour glimpses, south of Prescott Park.
Cheap
Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion
A 17th- and 18th-century governor's house on Little Harbor. The mansion is seasonal; the grounds stay open year-round.
Season Mansion open roughly late May–mid-Oct, Friday–Monday; grounds year-round (check before you go).
Cheap
Seacoast Science Center
Tide-pool tanks and coastal exhibits inside Odiorne Point State Park.
Paid
Strawbery Banke Museum
A living-history neighbourhood of restored houses on their original sites, a short walk from the harbour.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Paid
USS Albacore
A Cold War research submarine you can board, in a small park on the edge of downtown.
Paid
Isles of Shoals Steamship Company
Sightseeing cruises from the harbour out to the Isles of Shoals.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Free
Downtown Portsmouth shops and cafés
Independent shops, bakeries and restaurants around Market Square and the lanes toward the river.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Strawbery Banke Museum Tickets
- USS Albacore Tickets
- Isles of Shoals Steamship Company Cruise
Part of our Maine and New Hampshire seacoast guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Strawbery Banke and the harbour walks are better without rushing back to a highway.
- Odiorne Point and a Shoals cruise fill a second day.
- Ogunquit, Kennebunkport and Portland are all an easy drive up the Maine coast.
Nearby and worth the drive
Ogunquitabout 25 min · Guide ↗
The Marginal Way and a long beach.
Kennebunkportabout 35 min · Guide ↗Dock Square and Ocean Avenue.
Portland, MEabout 55 min · Guide ↗The Old Port and lighthouses.
Ready-made trips with Portsmouth
Good to know
- Season: Strawbery Banke, the mansion tours and the Shoals boats keep seasonal hours. Prescott Park and the park trails stay open year-round. Check before you go.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Gardens at Prescott Park, Bostonian13, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: The rocky shore at Odiorne Point State Park, Superraptor123, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Market Square, Portsmouth, AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, Markjsammons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Houses at Strawbery Banke Museum, Lee Wright from Marlborough, Massachusetts, US, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USS Albacore at Albacore Park, Etihw.llib, CC BY-SA 4.0