I spent $120 on a ferry to and from an artsy Cape Cod town with beautiful views. The scenic 90-minute ride wasn't even the best part.

By: Natalie Gale

26 November 2024 at 11:17

Selfie of the writer Natalie Gale on a ferry with skyscrapers and water in the background — I paid $120 to take a ferry from Boston to Provincetown, Massachusetts, and back.
Natalie Gale

I spent about $120 on a round-trip ferry ride from Boston to Provincetown, Massachusetts, and back.
The ferry, which I booked through Boston Harbor City Cruises, had lots of seating and a snack bar.
The ride was easy to book, and I loved exploring Provincetown's beaches and main street.

Cape Cod, known for its pristine beaches, seafood shacks, and sand dunes, is comprised of a handful of towns — including artsy Provincetown.

Known as P-town by locals, the seaside spot located at the tip of Cape Cod has been a haven for artists and the LGBTQ+ community for generations.

A friend and I recently decided to take a day trip there from Boston via a 90-minute ferry ride on Boston's Provincetown/Cape Cod Fast Ferry through Boston Harbor City Cruises.

Including taxes, fees, and ticket insurance, my round-trip ticket cost about $120. Here's what the ferry ride and day trip to Provincetown were like.

We boarded the ferry at about 9 a.m. in Boston.

A Boston Harbor ferry at a dock with a port filled with other boats in the background — My friend and I boarded the ferry in Boston's waterfront area.
Natalie Gale

The ferry boarded at the Long Wharf pier in Boston's waterfront area. We showed up for our 9 a.m. ferry about 15 minutes early and quickly walked onto the vessel after showing an employee our mobile tickets.

Once on board, I noticed various indoor and outdoor seating arrangements.

An open-air ferry deck with a balcony area and seating, with people standing by the railing and sitting on the benches — Some passengers chose to sit on an outdoor deck.
Natalie Gale

Our ferry had three levels and a mix of indoor and outdoor seating options.

When we boarded, the seats along the windows on the first level were all taken, so we sat toward the center of the cabin.

The ferry had a few on-board amenities as well.

A snack bar on the lower level of a ferry with five people standing in line. The snack bar is stocked with chips and various drinks — I saw a snack bar while exploring the ferry.
Natalie Gale

The first level had a snack bar, a few decently sized bathrooms, and a deck space where some passengers put their bikes.

I also spent some time on the second-level deck, though it was chilly with the wind.

Metal ferry railing looking onto sea with a small island with a lighthouse in the distance — We had beautiful ocean views on the way to Provincetown.
Natalie Gale

It was a little chilly outside, but I was glad I got to spend some time on the second-level deck.The trip took a little over an hour and a half, and we had nice views of the Boston skyline and the vast ocean.

Pulling up to P-town, I felt as though I was a world away from Boston.

Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, which is lined with colorful buildings and flag banners — Provincetown's Commercial Street was full of shops and restaurants.
Natalie Gale

Disembarking onto Provincetown's MacMillan Pier took no more than a few minutes.

We walked past artisan shacks lining the pier to Commercial Street, P-town's main drag. There, we stopped at a café for coffee and a bite to eat.

Next, we boarded a shuttle to a nearby beach and hiking spot.

A beach with grassy areas and a wooden walkway leading to a gray house in the distance — Race Point Beach had pretty dunes and ocean views.
Natalie Gale

During a previous visit to P-town, I remembered seeing shuttle buses to a nearby beach. After a quick Google search, I learned there was a bus picking up passengers hourly at MacMillan Pier, so we headed back there.

The bus stop was marked and easy to find. We rode the bus for about 10 minutes and got off at Race Point Beach, the northernmost beach on the Cape Cod National Seashore. Despite the chilly weather, there were plenty of beachgoers in the area.

The dune and ocean views were worth the trip, and we even noticed a few seals in the water.

Back in P-town proper, we stopped for lunch.

A wooden bench with two plates holding a sandwich and a lobster roll and a bowl holding french fries — I grabbed a lobster roll for lunch.
Natalie Gale

We had a late lunch at The Canteen, an elevated seafood shack with outdoor seating and harbor views, where I grabbed a lobster roll.

No Cape Cod trip is complete without ice cream, so we also got a scoop at The Nut House, a quaint candy shop and ice-cream joint.

We originally planned to return on the 9 p.m. ferry, but we decided to head home early.

The Boston skyline with a metal ferry railing in the foreground and a yellow and sunset in the distance — I rode back to Boston on the 5:30 p.m. ferry.
Natalie Gale

Although there's plenty to do on a rainy day in Provincetown — see a drag show, eat at one of the many restaurants, or catch a movie at the theater — I was ready to head back on the 5:30 p.m. ferry.

Because I purchased ticket insurance, the attendant on the wharf was able to change my original 9 p.m. departure time in seconds.

Even with rain rolling in, the ride home was almost as smooth as the first trip. The sunset poked through the clouds as we pulled up to Boston's Long Wharf just after 7 p.m.

Overall, the ferry ride was worth it.

The fast ferry is a great option for carless tourists or Boston residents who want to experience Cape Cod for a day or a weekend.

The $120 price tag might be more than what I'd typically spend, but I think it was worth turning a three-hour drive into a 90-minute ferry ride.

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