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New Hampshire, United States

Portsmouth

A day is enough: historic houses, harbor walks and a seafood dinner downtown. We have mapped 3 sights, 1 activity and 2 outdoor spots here, each with a reason to go.

Plan Portsmouth with friendsBrowse 10 places
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
Places
10

3 See · 1 Do · 2 Outdoors · 3 Eat · 1 Drink

Curated routes
1

Boston to Portland

Best season
May – Oct

from our route notes

Warmest month
August

23°C / 74°F avg high

Coolest month
January

1°C / 34°F avg high

Wettest month
December

about 144 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Portsmouth

10 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

3 sights worth building a day around across Downtown, South End and North End.

  • Market Square in PortsmouthPhoto: Don Gargano · Google
    See

    Market Square

    Brick-lined center of town with shops, cafés and the North Church spire.

    • Downtown
    • Free
    • 45 min
    • Morning
  • Strawbery Banke Museum in PortsmouthPhoto: Rae West · Google
    See

    Strawbery Banke Museum

    Ten acres of restored houses spanning 300 years of a waterfront neighborhood.

    Tip Most houses open May–Oct.

    • South End
    • $$
    • 2.5 hr
    • May–Oct
  • USS Albacore Museum in PortsmouthPhoto: Randy Hillebrand · Google
    See

    USS Albacore Museum

    Walk through a 1953 experimental submarine on dry land.

    • North End
    • $
    • 45 min

Do

1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Downtown.

  • Portsmouth Harbor Cruises in PortsmouthPhoto: Portsmouth Harbor Cruises · Google
    Do

    Portsmouth Harbor Cruises

    Narrated harbor and Isles of Shoals cruises from Ceres Street dock.

    • Downtown
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Summer

Outdoors

2 outdoor spots for fresh air across South End and Rye.

  • Prescott Park in PortsmouthPhoto: Ynsalh · CC BY-SA 4.0
    Outdoors

    Prescott Park

    Waterfront gardens across from Strawbery Banke with harbor views.

    • South End
    • Free
    • 45 min
    • Summer
  • Odiorne Point State Park in PortsmouthPhoto: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
    Outdoors

    Odiorne Point State Park

    Rocky shoreline trails and tide pools, plus the Seacoast Science Center.

    • Rye
    • $
    • 1.5 hr
    • Low tide

Eat

Where we would book a table in Portsmouth in Downtown.

  • Ceres Bakery in PortsmouthPhoto: Saronyod Kittikunwong · Google
    Eat

    Ceres Bakery

    Long-running downtown bakery for coffee, scones and soup.

    • Downtown
    • $
    • 30 min
    • Breakfast
  • Moxy in PortsmouthPhoto: Moxy · Google
    Eat

    Moxy

    Chef Matt Louis's American tapas using New England ingredients.

    Tip Reserve on weekends.

    • Downtown
    • $$$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Dinner
  • The Black Trumpet in PortsmouthPhoto: Mechell Lord · Google
    Eat

    The Black Trumpet

    Bistro and upstairs wine bar in an old waterfront building.

    • Downtown
    • $$$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Dinner

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Portsmouth in Downtown.

  • The Press Room in PortsmouthPhoto: Mark Lillis · Google
    Drink

    The Press Room

    Longest-running bar and live-music room in downtown Portsmouth: jazz, blues and local bands in a brick basement pub.

    Tip Check the calendar; most nights have live music.

    • Downtown
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • evening

How to fit Portsmouth into a trip

Portsmouth is stop 2 of 3 on our Boston to Portland route. Follow it as-is or lift Portsmouth into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Portsmouth month by month

Average daily highs run from 1°C / 34°F in January to 23°C / 74°F in August. December is the wettest month, with about 144 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Portsmouth weather and the best time to visit →

Near Portsmouth

8 other destinations from our guides within about 200 km (124 mi), measured in a straight line.

Portsmouth questions, answered

How many days do you need in Portsmouth?

On our Boston to Portland route it is stop 2 of 3 in a 5-day trip. Split evenly, that is about 2 days here, an estimate rather than a rule. The listed visit times for our 10 places add up to roughly 13 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Portsmouth best known for?

A day is enough: historic houses, harbor walks and a seafood dinner downtown. Standouts on our list: Market Square (Brick-lined center of town with shops, cafés and the North Church spire); Strawbery Banke Museum (Ten acres of restored houses spanning 300 years of a waterfront neighborhood); USS Albacore Museum (Walk through a 1953 experimental submarine on dry land).

When is the best time to visit Portsmouth?

Our Boston to Portland route is best May – Oct. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in August (23°C / 74°F), the coolest in January (1°C / 34°F) and the most rain in December (about 144 mm).

What are the best things to do in Portsmouth?

Start with Market Square, Strawbery Banke Museum, Prescott Park, Portsmouth Harbor Cruises and USS Albacore Museum. Our guide lists 10 places in all, from 3 sights, 1 activity, 2 outdoor spots, 3 places to eat and 1 bar or café.

Where should a group eat in Portsmouth?

Our picks: Ceres Bakery (Downtown); Moxy (Downtown); The Black Trumpet (Downtown). Reserve on weekends (Moxy).

What is near Portsmouth?

The closest destinations in our guides are New Hampshire (about 67 km / 42 mi), Portland, Maine (about 77 km / 48 mi) and Boston (about 83 km / 51 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Portsmouth with your crew

Open the Boston to Portland route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 10 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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