Information on the Official Plymouth 400 Tour

The arrival of the Pilgrims in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 sparked so much of what we have in the United States today. This group of people started some of the ideals that Americans hold most dear, including independence, freedom, and a culture of innovation, making them vital to the founding of this country.

It all started with a ship coming from England, and in 2020, the country commemorates the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing at Plymouth Rock with a series of events throughout Massachusetts.

One such event is the Official Plymouth 400th Anniversary Tour, a five-day excursion that starts in Boston and ends up on Martha's Vineyard, visiting plenty of historical sites along the way.

This tour runs on multiple dates throughout 2020, so contact organizer Tour Trends for booking information on this once in a lifetime experience.

Day One: Boston to Plymouth

The first day of the tour starts at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. This society provides family history services, allowing you to trace the lineage of the Pilgrims to learn more about some of the country's first families.

From there, you'll continue to the King's Chapel Burying Ground in Boston. This cemetery is home to the gravesite of Mary Chilton, the first European woman to leave the Mayflower and step ashore in Plymouth.

You'll then leave Boston and head to Duxbury, where you'll have the chance to explore the Alden House Museum. This house is on the same property where John and Priscilla Alden, who were on the Mayflower and later married in Plymouth, lived, although it isn't their home. The remains of their 1630 home are there, however, which you can view.

Finally, you'll visit the Myles Standish Monument State Reservation, home of a 116-foot statue dedicated to the Plymouth Colony's military leader, before leaving Duxbury and continuing to Plymouth.

Day Two: The First Day in Plymouth

The next day, you'll meet with a Wampanoag guide, who will describe the first meetings between the Pilgrims and his tribe in 1620. You'll also learn about what life was like for the Wampanoag tribe, and the difficulties they faced living in this part of the world.

From there, a Plymouth historian will take you through some of the most important Pilgrim sites, including Coles Hill and Burial Hill, where many gravesites ate located, Plymouth Rock, and Leyden Street, which is the area where the Pilgrims first settled.

Next, the tour takes you to the Pilgrim Hall Museum. This museum dates back to 1824 and, therefore, is the nation's oldest. It's also home to a massive collection of Pilgrim artifacts, allowing you to see these items up close.

Day Three: A Second Day in Plymouth

On the next day of the tour, you'll stay in Plymouth to explore a little further. Much of this day will involve exploring Plimoth Plantation, which features a re-creation of a Pilgrim village from the 17th century, complete with actors playing the parts of the early settlers.

The plantation also has the Wampanoag Homesite, which depicts the lives of the tribespeople from this period.

You'll complete your second day in Plymouth by visiting and boarding the Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship that is currently being restored in Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard but will return to Plymouth in time for the 2020 celebrations.

Day Four: Cape Cod

On the fourth day of your tour, you'll head to Cape Cod to see the locations where the Pilgrims landed before their arrival in Plymouth.

It's a lesser-known fact that the Pilgrims first landed near present-day Provincetown and later traveled to what is now Truro and Eastham, looking for a place to set up their colony.

The Corn Hill area in Truro is vital because it's where the settlers stole corn from the Wampanoags, which helped keep them alive during their first winter. Eastham is home to First Encounter Beach, where the Wampanoag tribe and the Pilgrims first exchanged hostilities.

You'll visit both of those locations while on the Cape, in addition to the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Museum in Mashpee and the Provincetown Pilgrim Monument and Museum.

Your fourth day will end in a truly Cape Cod way: with a lobster bake.

Day Five: Martha's Vineyard

Fresh off your enjoyable time on the Cape, you'll get on a boat and sail to Martha's Vineyard for a full tour of the island with a Wampanoag guide.

The tour will include a visit to the Clay Cliffs of Aquinnah, which is an important spiritual site for the Wampanoag people, along with the Aquinnah Cultural Center.

The cultural center includes a museum that goes in-depth on the lives of the Wampanoag over the past 12,000 years.

Your guided tour will conclude on Martha's Vineyard, but you can further explore the area, as there's even more history to learn on Cape Cod and throughout the Plymouth area.

Learning the Area's History

The Plymouth and Cape Cod region is one of the most crucial in American history. After all, this area is home to the country's second permanent colony, the first in present-day New England, which helped establish European settlement in the New World.

In 2020, you'll have plenty of opportunities to learn about the history of this area, as we commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing here.

By taking a tour through some of the historic sites in Plymouth and beyond, you can learn about some vital moments in American history and see exactly where these monumental moments occurred.