Cape Cod Day-Trip is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
Allow Full day (long).
Quintessential New England summer — National Seashore dunes, lobster shacks, lighthouses, and Provincetown's lively waterfront make a beautiful escape. The catch: it's a real haul (1.5-2.5+ hours each way, with brutal summer-weekend bridge traffic), so a day-trip means most of it spent in the car, and it's far better as an overnight.