Private Day Trip to Salem and Hammond Castle from Boston
Overview
Available languages
7 hours
Mobile ticket
Enjoy a unique day trip to Boston's northern shore, combining Salem and Hammond Castle! Start the day with a pickup at your door and a comfortable ride to Hammond Castle, located on the ocean cliffs of Gloucester. Take a guided tour of the castle, learning about the history of the eccentric millionaire inventor who built it. Enjoy free time to explore the castle and gardens with plenty of opportunities for stunning photos.
Drive to Salem, where you will have free time for lunch. Choose from a wide variety of dining options in the historic downtown.
After lunch, your guide will take you on a tour of Salem. Learn about the infamous witch trials of 1692, see the real places where the victims were hanged. Learn the story of the "Corwin Curse" as you take a picture in front of the historic Witch House. See the locations where Hocus Pocus was filmed. Take a drive through one of the most beautiful streets in North America, lined with mansions built on the city's maritime fortune.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
JANUARY - MARCH BOOKINGS: Hammond Castle has limited availability during the winter months, and we cannot guarantee it will be open prior to your booking this tour. We will confirm as soon as possible after booking, and refer you to another tour if we can not confirm.
Note that per Massachusetts state law: "All children riding in passenger motor vehicles must be in a federally approved child passenger restraint that is properly fastened and secured according to the manufacturer's instructions until they are 8 years old OR over 57 inches tall." We do not provide child seats, please bring age appropriate car seats for kids who do not meet these criteria. We will not be able to do the tour if you do not have child seats for everyone that needs one. A refund will not be issued the day of the tour due to lack of proper car seats. All children must be registered as separate tour guests.
Luggage - note that luggage will decrease vehicle capacity. If you have luggage, please let us know in your booking comments so we can confirm we will be able to safely handle it.
Hammond Castle has many narrow staircases, some with only rope banisters. While those with moderate fitness should be okay, most of Hammond Castle is not accessible to anyone who needs assistance on stairs.
What To Expect
Hammond Castle Museum
Drive to Hammond Castle (~60 min). At Hammond Castle (~75 min), you will enjoy a guided tour, learning about the origin and history behind the Castle. You will then have time to explore the rest of the grounds and take photos
Salem
Drive to Salem (~30 min). Then, enjoy an hour for lunch at one of Salem's many excellent restaurants (cost not included)!
Options
Standard Pickup
Standard Pickup: Pickup in Boston within 3 miles of the North End, EXCEPT at Boston Logan International Airport or at Boston Flynn Cruiseport Pickup included
Cruiseport Pickup
Cruiseport Pickup: Pickup at Boston Flynn Cruiseport Pickup included
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Bottled water
Air-conditioned vehicle
Fuel surcharge
Guide
Hammond Castle Admission
Parking Fees
Lunch
Gratuities
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
17 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Wonderful Tour
radevaughn2019,Apr 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jenny did an outstanding job! I would highly recommend this tour
Fantastic Day
Journey10036780695,Apr 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jenny was so accommodating and knowledgeable. We learnt so much about tge history of Hammond Castle and Salem. Thank you Jenny. It was a fantastic day.
An extraordinary experience
Alicja R,Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a wonderful trip. Our guide showed us everything and shared many stories. A memorable experience- highly recommended.
A tour to remember
Alicja R,Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A great tour of the Hammond Castle and Salem. Our guide was phenomenal and told us many wonderful stories. Overall highly recommended.
Must do!
janet d,Nov 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The guide was extremely knowledgeable and the tour was at out own pace! This is a must do experience!! We will be doing this again !!
Wonderful trip with a great guide!
Steven A,Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide, Maria, was waiting early at our hotel, ready to go in a very comfortable, well appointed van with nice visibility. On our way to the castle, we got acquainted and she shared details of both the castle and our day’s plans. Maria was very knowledgable of the castle and picked up on my passion for architecture - which she leaned into for the rest of the day. While on the tour I had a question that she did not know the answer to and she found a docent who also wasn’t sure, so Maria took the time to reach out to someone the next day. She got a very complete answer and actually texted us what she found out! Above and beyond for sure!! From there we went to Salem where Maria recommended some eateries that could accommodate our special dietary needs. After lunch we toured around Salem and Maria catered nicely to our interests and paced us quite well. Before leaving Salem she even got the van and toured some of the historic streets with lovely homes. On the way back to our hotel, Maria sensed we were tired and let us decompress but picked up on our lack of dinner plans and made a recommendation that led to a nice place to dine in Boston that we hadn’t been to before. We would definitely recommend both this trip and her company for any trip they might offer!
Amazing tour of Hammond Castle and Salem!
Quest13152437472,Aug 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our cruise changed our destination at the last minute and added Boston as one of the stops. We had visited Boston many times before and wanted to do something different. Our Travel Agent suggested a Boston Hidden Gems tour. Alex gave us an amazing tour of Hammond Castle and Salem MA. He made it fun and interesting. He made sure give us the time we wanted to shop while still showing us all of the important historical places. Five stars!⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not worth the money
amandadF9359GJ,Aug 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00Jenny was great and very knowledgeable. Unfortunately it was not worth the money. You don’t go into anything except the castle. We were expecting a lot more- museums or something more to do.
Jenny - thoughtful, mindful, and knowledgeable!!
831reidc,Aug 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jenny was fantastic! We had our 6 month old daughter along with us and Jenny was so mindful of our time, looking up restaurants and pit stops with a changing table. So thoughtful!!! And she is so knowledgeable about all the different facets of history in Salem. We are so glad we had Jenny to guide us through our day!
Boston Hidden Gems the way to see Salem
nancyt345,Jul 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jenny was a fantastic tour guide. I knew nothing of Hammond Castle and now would put it on a must see list. Salam with Jenny was not kitchi but historical Learned about the real people that lived in Salem—their beliefs and their lifestyle. Able to put the witch trials in perspective. Also learned about each individual that was hung as well as the many that were affected by the hysteria. Highly recommend Boston Hidden Gems. They do the driving planning and research and you get to sit back walk around the town and enjoy the history
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