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Voykit pocket guide · United States
North Conway
Base here 2–3 nights if you want outlet shopping plus easy access to Cathedral Ledge and Diana's Baths; skip it if you came only for Mount Washington hiking.
North Conway is a valley town in New Hampshire's White Mountains, about two hours north of Boston by car. It works as a base for Cathedral Ledge, Diana's Baths and Echo Lake, and as a rainy-day stop for the outlet strip on Route 16. Most visitors come for 2–3 nights, often paired with skiing at Cranmore or Attitash in winter. A car is the practical way to get here and to move between sights.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Oct for hiking and foliage; Jan–Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- Nov (mud season, many closures); peak foliage weekends in early Oct for crowds
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–150 excl. bed · Mid $150–260 excl. bed · High $260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–18 |
| Casual lunch or pub meal | $15–28 |
| Ski lift ticket, day | $80–130 |
| Echo Lake State Park entry, adult | $4 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PWM · Portland International Jetport
- About 1 h 30 min by car; rental cars at the airport
- MHT · Manchester-Boston Regional
- About 2 h by car; rental cars at the airport
- BOS · Boston Logan International
- About 2 h 30 min by car; the usual long-haul gateway
Typical fares
- Taxi, in-town hop
- $10–20 (check)
- Rental car, one day
- from about $70 (check)
- Echo Lake State Park entry, adult
- $4 (check)
Get around
A car is the practical choice: sights sit 5–15 min apart on Route 16 and West Side Road, and there is no useful local bus. Taxis and rideshare exist but are thin in the evening. In winter, snow tyres or all-wheel drive help on the side roads.
See and do
Known for
- Cathedral Ledge
- Diana's Baths
- Conway Scenic Railroad
- Outlet shopping on Route 16
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson, New Hampshire | Drive Route 16 north, about 15 min | About 20 min |
| Glen | Drive Route 302 east, about 15 min | About 20 min |
| Bretton Woods | Drive Route 302 north, about 40 min | About 45 min |
| Franconia | Drive Route 302 west then I-93 north, about 1 h | About 1 h 10 min |
| Lincoln, New Hampshire | Drive the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) west, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Littleton, New Hampshire | Drive Route 302 west then I-93 north, about 1 h 15 min | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- North Conway Village
- Walkable to the Conway Scenic Railroad and restaurants; quietest for a car-free evening.
- Route 16 strip (White Mountain Highway)
- Motels and chain hotels next to the outlets; you need a car for everything.
- West Side Road
- Closest to Cathedral Ledge, Diana's Baths and Echo Lake; quieter, still needs a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is the road open? | Is the road open? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Mount Washington's summit weather changes fast; carry layers even on a warm valley day.
- Diana's Baths and Echo Lake parking fills by mid-morning in summer and on foliage weekends.
- Many shops on the strip close early in the evening; plan shopping before dinner.
- Cell signal drops on parts of the Kancamagus Highway and the side roads.
Low-crime resort town; the real risks are mountain weather, icy trails and wildlife on the roads at dusk. Tell someone your hiking plan and carry layers.
One and two days
No timed day plan for North Conway yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cathedral Ledge
- Diana's Baths
- Conway Scenic Railroad
- Outlet shopping on Route 16
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- White Mountain National Forest — Diana's Baths: www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whitemountain/recreation/recarea/?recid=74963&actid=70
- New Hampshire State Parks — Echo Lake: www.nhstateparks.org/explore/state-parks/echo-lake-state-park.aspx
- Conway Scenic Railroad: www.conwayscenic.com/
- Mount Washington Observatory: www.mountwashington.org/
- Settler's Green Outlet Village: www.settlersgreen.com
- Wikivoyage: North Conway, revision 5219283 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5219283
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
North Conway
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies here; most countries' consulates are in Boston or New York.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/north-conway). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.