While best known for its notorious witch trials in the late 1600s, Salem, Massachusetts, has a lot more to offer. These Salem tours offer an in-depth look at everything related to the trials, and they also explore the area’s landmarks and Revolutionary War history.
U.S. News selected the following tours as the best in Salem by consulting traveler sentiment and expert opinion. Whether you explore by day or by night, these excursions will introduce you to all sides of Salem.
Witch City Walking Tours – Hocus Pocus Movie Locations of Salem
Price: From $55
Duration: 2.5 hours
Fan of the Disney movie “Hocus Pocus?” Here’s your chance to run “amuck” around Salem. The tour takes film lovers to five locations that were used in the movie, including the DennisonHouse and the high school Max and Allison attended. While walking you’ll learn about the Salem Witch Trials, maritime history and how Salem became known as “Witch City.” Recent reviewers say tour guides are comical and knowledgeable.
Tours run Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. from the end of June through the beginning of November. Additional tours are offered from mid-September until November. Tickets include entry to the Pioneer Village and a “Hocus Pocus”-themed gift.
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Fame of Salem – Sail on the Fame
Price: Adults from $39; kids and seniors from $29
Duration: Roughly 2 hours
Set sail on a replica of an 1812 privateer schooner on this cruise. Not only do tourgoers see Salem from the water, but they also learn about the original Fame ship and the War of 1812. Travelers will also have the opportunity to assist the crew with raising the sail and other tasks. Previous passengers say the sail was one of the highlights of their trip to Salem and praise the expert crew.
Tours are available several times a week, May through October; exact availability depends on the season. Fame of Salem also offers a sunset cruise, as well as private charters.
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Bewitched Historical Tour
Price: From $30
Duration: Roughly 2 hours
On this walking tour from Bewitched After Dark, travelers learn about colonial Salem, along with its ample witch-related history. Along the way, tourgoers will pass by more than a dozen historical locations including the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, the Old Town Hall and the Old Witch Jail. Reviewers praise the guides for their storytelling abilities and recommend the tour for history buffs, in particular.
Tours operate daily at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
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Spellbound Tour
Price: From $28
Duration: 1.5 hours
Led by paranormal investigators, this trip focuses on more than the city’s fabled witches. During the tour, guides will share stories about Salem’s ghosts, New England vampirism and Voodoo while visiting haunted sites like the Salem Jail and the Joshua Ward House. Guides will also teach participants how to hunt for ghosts and take images of spirits with their cameras. Reviewers say this is an informative and historically accurate tour and that it’s one of the best ghost tours they’ve taken.
Tours are available at 8 p.m. nightly; there’s also a 2 p.m. tour offered Friday through Sunday.
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Salem Night Tour
Price: From $30
Duration: 1.5 hours
Explore downtown Salem at night and learn about the city’s history while listening to ghost stories on the Salem Night Tour, which lasts about 90 minutes and covers roughly 1 mile. As a bonus, the company says the tour’s content is appropriate for children. Travelers give high marks to guides, describing them as knowledgeable and engaging.
Tours operate daily at 8 p.m. An additional 6 p.m. tour runs on Fridays and Saturdays. The company also offers a daytime tour at 2 p.m. for private and group tours, as well as an adults-only night tour on Fridays and Saturdays.
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Witch City Walking Tours – History & Hauntings of Salem
Price: Adults from $31; kids from $21
Duration: 2 hours
Those with an interest in Salem ghost stories should sign up for this walking tour led by a local historian. If you’d like to boost the eerie factor, opt for a night tour when you’ll be led around town by lantern. Stops on the tour include the Old Burying Point Cemetery, the seaport and the Old Town Hall. Tour-takers describe guides as passionate about Salem and say the tour is full of great stories.
Tours run daily at multiple times. The company also offers a Mysteries and Murders of Salem tour.
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