Northeast · United States
Maryland
Chesapeake sailing capital, colonial streets and America's oldest state house.
Discover Maryland
Maryland packs an astonishing amount into a small state, the sailing capital of America at Annapolis, the crab shacks and lighthouses of the Chesapeake Bay, the harbourfront museums of Baltimore, Civil War battlefields at Antietam and the Appalachian ridges of the west. At its heart is Annapolis: Maryland's capital, home to the US Naval Academy, four centuries of red-brick architecture and a working harbour where all roads still lead to the water.
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Maryland in motion
Maryland, America in Miniature
Top things to do across Maryland
From the Atlantic surf at Ocean City to the Appalachian ridges of Deep Creek Lake, Maryland fits mountains, cities, farms and Chesapeake Bay into a state you can cross in a day.
Boardwalk days in Ocean City
Three miles of classic Atlantic boardwalk, Trimper's Rides, Thrasher's fries and 10 miles of wide white-sand beach on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Assateague Island's wild ponies
Barrier-island national seashore where wild ponies roam the dunes, kayak the bay side, camp beside the surf and watch pony round-ups at nearby Chincoteague.
Baltimore's Inner Harbor & museums
The National Aquarium, American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art (world's largest Matisse collection) and Fort McHenry, birthplace of 'The Star-Spangled Banner'.
Deep Creek Lake & the western mountains
Maryland's largest lake in the Allegheny highlands, Wisp ski resort, Swallow Falls State Park with the state's tallest waterfall, and whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny.
Civil War trail, Antietam & Monocacy
Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg (the bloodiest single day in US history), Monocacy near Frederick and the C&O Canal towpath running 184 miles alongside the Potomac.
The Eastern Shore villages
St. Michaels, Oxford, Chestertown and Cambridge, waterman towns of skipjacks, clapboard inns, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.
Historic Frederick & the Catoctin Mountains
Walkable red-brick downtown Frederick, Catoctin Mountain Park (Camp David country), Cunningham Falls and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.
Solomons Island & the southern Chesapeake
Riverside boardwalk on the Patuxent, Calvert Marine Museum with its screwpile lighthouse, Calvert Cliffs fossil-hunting beach and Sotterley Plantation on the lower shore.
Recommended Drives
Suggested itineraries
3 days
Icons & Waterfront
Route: Baltimore & Annapolis loop, jet-lag friendly, minimal driving, lots of atmosphere per mile.
An easy first-timer loop. Base yourself around Baltimore and Annapolis so you're not constantly packing and unpacking, and let the harbourfront do the heavy lifting.
- •Baltimore, harbourside wandering, food halls and museums
- •Annapolis, colonial streets and waterfront vibe
- •Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, a great quick-history stop
- •National Aquarium, one big indoor anchor activity if the weather turns
5 days
Mountains, History & Small Towns
Route: Baltimore, Frederick, Harpers Ferry, Deep Creek Lake and back via Annapolis.
A best-of-Maryland sampler with more variety, cities, countryside and Appalachian scenery in one relaxed loop.
- •Start in Baltimore, or fly into nearby BWI and collect a car
- •Head west to Frederick, historic centre and cafés
- •Continue to Harpers Ferry, scenic confluence views, easy hikes and history
- •Deep Creek Lake, lake-and-forest scenery in the western mountains
- •Return via Annapolis for a final coastal contrast
7 days
Maryland Loop by RV, Coast, Capital Region & Mountains
Route: Eastern Shore, Annapolis, Baltimore, Frederick and Deep Creek Lake, RV-friendly with 2 to 3 night stays.
An RV road trip designed for calmer driving and easier set-up. Aim for two or three night stays in a handful of campgrounds rather than moving daily, it's more enjoyable and gives you real time in each region.
- •Eastern Shore, Chesapeake Bay towns, seafood shacks and sunsets
- •Annapolis, waterfront strolls and short walks around the historic core
- •Baltimore, park the RV outside the core and day-trip in
- •Western Maryland, Frederick and on to Deep Creek Lake
- •Optional scenic detours through Catoctin and mountain roads, weather dependent
Simple Things To Do
Explore Annapolis & Anne Arundel County
A quick-hit list of ideas for first-time visitors to Maryland, inspired by Visit Annapolis.
Explore historic downtown Annapolis
Maryland's capital is a 'museum without walls', four centuries of architecture, brick sidewalks and boutique shops radiating from the circular State Circle and Church Circle.
Tour the US Naval Academy
The 338-acre 'Yard' on the Severn River, Bancroft Hall, the Chapel crypt of John Paul Jones, the Naval Academy Museum and the noon formation of the Brigade of Midshipmen.
Visit the Maryland State House
The oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use in the USA, where George Washington resigned his commission in 1783 and the Treaty of Paris was ratified, ending the Revolutionary War.
Get on the water in Annapolis Harbor
Sunset schooner sails on the Woodwind, Wednesday Night Sailboat Races, kayak tours of Spa Creek and water-taxi hops from City Dock to Eastport, Annapolis is the sailing capital of America.
Walk the America250 Exploration Trail
A self-guided route through Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, waterfront landmarks, historic streets, the Kunta Kinte–Alex Haley Memorial at City Dock and stories of the revolutionary era.
Eat Chesapeake blue crabs
Steamed blue crabs and Old Bay by the bushel at Cantler's Riverside Inn and Boatyard Bar & Grill in Eastport, plus crab cakes, oysters and rockfish along the Annapolis harbour.
Cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore
The 4.3-mile bridge from Anne Arundel County to Kent Island opens up St. Michaels, Tilghman Island and Oxford, waterman villages, lighthouses and skipjack sailboats.
Discover Baltimore's Inner Harbor
A 40-minute drive from Annapolis, the National Aquarium, USS Constellation, Fort McHenry (birthplace of 'The Star-Spangled Banner') and the American Visionary Art Museum.
Step back at Historic London Town & Gardens
An 18th-century tobacco port on the South River in Edgewater, an 8-acre woodland garden, restored William Brown House and active archaeology on the lost colonial town.
Stand at Antietam National Battlefield
The bloodiest single day in American history, near Sharpsburg in western Maryland, Burnside Bridge, the Dunker Church and a self-drive tour road across preserved farmland.
Drive Maryland's scenic byways
The Chesapeake Country and Historic National Road byways, plus the Blue Ridge Summit through Catoctin Mountain Park, Appalachian ridges, orchards and Civil War country in an hour from DC.
Catch a race or festival in Anne Arundel County
The Annapolis Boat Shows (sail in October, power in October), Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville, Annapolis Songwriters Festival and Fourth of July fireworks over the harbour.
Eat & Drink
Maryland on a plate & in a glass
Maryland's table starts with the Chesapeake, blue crabs, oysters, rockfish, and stretches to pit-beef sandwiches, Smith Island cake and a fast-growing wine, beer and spirits trail.
A proper Maryland crab feast
Brown paper, wooden mallets and steamed blue crabs dusted in Old Bay, Cantler's Riverside Inn near Annapolis, LP Steamers in Baltimore and Harris Crab House on Kent Island.
The state's famous crab cake
Jumbo lump, minimal filler, broiled not fried, Faidley's at Baltimore's Lexington Market, Jimmy's Famous Seafood and G&M in Linthicum are the classics.
Chesapeake oysters & rockfish
Rappahannock and Choptank oysters, plus rockfish (striped bass), Maryland's state fish, served every way from grilled to smoked on the Eastern Shore.
Baltimore pit beef
Chuck roast charred over open coals, sliced pink and piled on a kaiser roll with 'tiger sauce' (horseradish + mayo), Chaps Pit Beef on Pulaski Highway is the icon.
Smith Island Cake
Maryland's official state dessert, 8 to 10 pencil-thin yellow layers with fudge frosting, baked on a tiny Chesapeake Bay island reachable only by ferry.
Berger Cookies & Utz
Baltimore's beloved shortbread-and-fudge Berger Cookies, plus Utz crab-chip potato crisps from Hanover, the two great Maryland road-trip snacks.
The Maryland wine & spirits trail
Sagamore Spirit rye distillery on the Baltimore waterfront, Boordy Vineyards (Maryland's oldest winery), Old Line Spirits and dozens of craft breweries from Union in Baltimore to Flying Dog in Frederick.
Ocean City boardwalk classics
Thrasher's french fries with malt vinegar, Fisher's caramel popcorn, Dumser's ice cream and Dolle's saltwater taffy, a boardwalk-food set piece unchanged since 1929.
Explore
Regions & road trips to explore
Maryland's tourism regions each earn a day or two, pair Annapolis or Baltimore with the Eastern Shore, then push west to the mountains for a full state cross-section.
Capital Region
Historic Annapolis and the Naval Academy, plus the DC-adjacent counties, NASA Goddard Visitor Center, National Harbor and the College Park Aviation Museum.
Central Maryland
Baltimore, Ellicott City's stone-built historic mills, Havre de Grace at the head of the Chesapeake and the horse country around Sagamore Farm.
Southern Maryland
Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties, Calvert Cliffs fossil beach, Historic St. Mary's City living-history museum, Amish farms and the Patuxent River.
Eastern Shore
Chesapeake and Atlantic beaches, waterman villages, Assateague ponies, the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.
Western Maryland
Frederick, Hagerstown, the C&O Canal, Antietam Battlefield, Cumberland's Great Allegheny Passage trailhead and Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County.
Scenic byways to drive
The Chesapeake Country National Scenic Byway, Historic National Road (America's first federal highway) and the Mountain Maryland byways through the Alleghenies.
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