Durham, New Hampshire travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Durham is a town in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire. Durham is the home of the University of New Hampshire. Because of the size of the University campus (around 15,000 students) and the small size of the town itself, most of Durham's character is a result of its longstanding relationship with the college community.

1 sights · 1 places to eat

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Durham

University of New Hampshire

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 80°F; winter lows dip to about 16°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and Dec. (climate data from nearby Seacoast)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
PSM Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, Portsmouth — 6 mi away. Directions
MHT Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, Manchester — 29 mi away. Directions
PWM Portland International Jetport, Portland — 47 mi away (major hub). Directions

Durham is accessible by Rt 4, which runs from Concord to the seacoast, intersecting both interstate 93 and interstate 95.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Food for you

Cuisine (tap to filter)

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Map

Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

Get in

By train

Go Durham station

The stop in Durham is on the University of New Hampshire's campus, and provides easy access to local transportation. The service is popular with students of the University, who frequently use it to travel to and from Boston.

📍 601 West Main StreetChecked Oct 2023

Maps Website

Route stopping at Durham:

Place Amtrak

Operates train service around the United States of America.

☎ +1 215-856-7924Checked Mar 2022

Maps Website

Downeaster operating five or six trains in each direction daily between Brunswick and Boston with stops Freeport, Portland, Old Orchard Beach (seasonal), Saco, Wells, Dover, Durham, Exeter, Haverhill, and Woburn.

By bus

UNH Wildcat Transportation, +1 603-862-2328. Wildcat Transit is a bus service operated by the University of New Hampshire that runs buses from its campus to Dover, Newmarket and Portsmouth. The buses are clean and generally on time, and cost $1 for each ride. It's important to check their operating schedule as during school holidays (including the entire summer!) The buses run on a greatly reduced schedule, since they are partially student funded.

By car

Durham is accessible by Rt 4, which runs from Concord to the seacoast, intersecting both interstate 93 and interstate 95.

Get around

By foot

Downtown Durham, with includes the vast majority of businesses, and the University campus, is designed for easy walking, with lots of sidewalks and crosswalks. Drivers in the area are generally watchful for pedestrians since there are usually lots of them.