Rhode Island Tourist Attractions

Providence, Rhode Island is one of the oldest cities in the United States. People have been coming to the area for centuries. The city has been visited by American revolutionaries, pioneers, and immigrants.

Today, it has a thriving local economy and is an ideal destination for anyone who wants to get away on a quick weekend trip or do business.

Whether visiting for a few days, getyourguide.com is where you should start looking for some of the best things to do and see when in this historic city.

Here are some recommendations.

Providence: Small-Group Tour with Local Guide

Head to Rhode Island’s capital city for a walking tour with a local guide. You’ll cover about 1.5 hours of downtown Providence, the oldest part of the city, learning about its colonial and preservation history along the way. The walk takes in many of Providence’s most iconic features.

Your guide will provide insight into the history of each site as you go, and point out some of the best photo opportunities.

Guests can meet up with their guide and take the tour bus as they rediscover the city of Providence. This small-group tour is ideal for those who want to learn more about Rhode Island and its history.

Providence: Self-Driving Audio Tour

Providence is a self-driving audio tour of Providence. It’s an experiment in local tourism that aims to connect visitors with the people and places in the city. Visitors can choose from different routes, each for about 30 minutes to complete. It’s a fully autonomous experience, with no screens and no human interaction.

The app works like a traditional audio tour, with a playlist of original music and narration. The narration is different for each route and tells the story of Providence from different perspectives.

Tourists can start the adventure from the Convention Center downtown and head into the historic Federal Hill area, home to both history and the city's best restaurants.

Along the way, visitors will pass by locations such as the infamous Macaroni Riots, Coin-O-Matic, the Wedding Cake House, Broadway-Armory Historic District, the State House, and Barnaby Castle.

The audio tour will end at the Lippitt House Museum, a structure built in 1865 and a National Historic Landmark.

Newport: Scenic Trolley Tour

If you are looking for a great way to see Newport, Rhode Island, this scenic trolley tour is the ideal opportunity. It provides tourists with a guided tour of the city and takes them to some of Newport’s most scenic areas.

There are three different types of tickets available: the one-hour, two-hour, and three-hour tours. The one-hour tour goes through downtown Newport, the two-hour tour goes by the mansions, and the three-hour tour goes through both areas.

Tours leave every half hour from Memorial Boulevard in downtown Newport. The tours run daily in the

Newport's Scenic Trolley Tour is a narrated tour of Newport, Rhode Island's major historical sites, beginning at 9:30 am.

Guests will meet at the Visitor Center of Newport where they will be greeted by their tour guide. They will then head to the historic downtown area and restore homes to glorious mansions on the water. Then finally to the rugged beauty of Ten-Mile Ocean Drive and the fabulous mansions along tree-lined Bellevue Avenue.

The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Newport: Cliff Walk Self-Guided Walking Tour

The Cliff Walk is an easy and beautiful walk that allows visitors to explore the scenic coastline of Newport, Rhode Island. The walk starts in downtown Newport and winds along the coast for several miles of gardens and scenic ocean views.

Along the way, guests will see the Gilded Age mansions of famous families such as the Vanderbilts, Astors, and other American millionaires who have built their business empires across several generations.

The tour ends at Bailey’s Beach.

From Boston: Newport Mansions Full-Day Trip

The Newport Mansions are a group of historic summer “cottages” built by the rich in Newport, Rhode Island. Each mansion has an interesting history and is known for its unique style. These mansions are widely considered to be some of the most opulent in the world.

This Full-Day Trip to the famous Gilded Age mansions and the surrounding oceanfront attractions will reveal America's Victorian Age.

The first stop is the Vanderbilt's Breakers summer home. In this self-guided audio tour, you will learn about their history, notable guests, and major events that occurred there. These places are beautiful and a must-see for any visitor to Newport.

The trip includes a ride along the Cliff Walk path that was once used by the rich and famous on their way to their summer cottages, yachts, or a visit to any one of Newport's many beaches, where celebrities and politicians (including President Kennedy) spent their summers.