Boat tours

For cruises of the harbour area and Chesapeake Bay, a key tourist attraction in its own right, contact Baltimore Spirit Cruises. It offers a range of lunch and dinner cruises and Inner Harbor sightseeing tours. If you have kids in tow, you can set sail on a pirate ship with Urban Pirates. Though the water taxi (www.baltimorewatertaxi.com) is more of a shuttle, it's a cheap, convenient and enjoyable way of viewing the harbour.

Spirit Cruises

Telephone: +1 866 312 2469.
Website: http://www.spiritcruises.com/baltimore

Urban Pirates

Telephone: +1 410 327 8378.
Website: http://www.urbanpirates.com

Walking tours

Guided tours of the Baltimore National Heritage Area depart from the Baltimore Visitor Center between April and October. The Heritage Walk connects historic landmarks and museums in the Inner Harbor, Little Italy and Jonestown. The Historic Fell's Point Trail explores the city's shipbuilding heritage. The Mount Vernon Cultural Walk takes in architecture and institutions along the Charles Street National Scenic Byway, including the Walters Art Museum and the Peabody Institute.

Frederick

In 2002, Frederick was designated as one of America's ‘Dozen Distinct Destinations' by The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Founded in 1745, it's famed for its well-preserved 18th- and 19th-century architecture. Quaint boutiques, good restaurants and civil war battle sites ensure plenty to keep you occupied. One of its most fascinating attractions, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, offers insight into 19th-century medicine and Civil War innovations.

Ellicott City

First settled in the 1700s and tucked up against steep hills, some 16km (10 miles) southwest of Baltimore, Ellicott City is an old mill town on the banks of the Patapsco River. It's a popular excursion for Baltimorians, offering a taste of small-town Maryland. The self-guided Ellicott City Historic Walking Tour, including houses of worship, homes and museums is obtainable from the Howard County Tourism Visitor Information Center, 8267 Main Street.

Annapolis

Annapolis is the USA's sailing capital, home to the US Naval Academy. It has a multitude of museums, original colonial-style homes and a lovely waterfront. George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army at the State House, set upon a hill overlooking the city. 

Washington, DC

Travel the 56km (35 miles) to see the country's capital: the White House, Capitol Hill, the Smithsonian Institution Museums, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Sample the bohemian Adams Morgan district or wander through Georgetown, the best place for high-end shopping, pretty architecture and endless cafes. Pop over the river to visit Arlington Cemetery or take a cruise down the Potomac for a duck's eye view of the city.