A Baltimore day built around Fort McHenry

The fort is about three miles from the Inner Harbor, and most of it is free, so it is a morning rather than a day. The grounds open at 7:00 a.m., two hours before anything at the fort is selling, which makes it the natural first stop and leaves the rest of the day open. Nothing you can book includes fort admission, so treat the two halves of the day separately: the park, then Baltimore. Start with what is free at the fort.

From Inner HarborAbout 3 miles

Fort grounds open7:00 a.m.

Fort fee$15 adult 16+

Under 16Free

Harbor cruise$34, 45 minutes

Fells Point food tour$109

Morning: the fort

Locust Point, 2400 East Fort Avenue, gates at 7:00 a.m. Walk the seawall and the grounds while it is quiet, go into the visitor center and watch the film, both free, and decide at the fence whether you want the star fort as well. Registers open at 9:00 a.m. and an adult ticket is $15, valid seven days. A realistic schedule is on how long to spend.

Afternoon: the harbour

Three miles back toward the Inner Harbor and you are in a different Baltimore. The 45-minute sightseeing cruise names Fort McHenry as a sight and passes it from the water, which gives you the outside view you cannot get from the grass; it rates 4.8 across 251 reviews. A helicopter tour flies over the fort and downtown at $78, rated 4.9, though on only 25 reviews, which is a thin base and should be read as one.

Evening: a different neighbourhood

The Fells Point culinary food tour, $109, is Baltimore and not the fort. It is a food-and-history walk in another neighbourhood entirely, and it is on this site only because people planning a fort day ask what else there is. One reviewer, Andrew, put it as: “Really enjoyed this tour with our guide, Tommy. We learned A LOT about the city of Baltimore and the Fells Point neighborhood”. All three are compared on the all-tours page.

Insider tip

Do the fort first. It opens at 7:00 a.m., earlier than almost anything else in the city, and the two free hours before the registers open are the best part of the day out there.

What not to plan

A trip to see the original Star-Spangled Banner: it is in Washington, at a free museum, not in Baltimore. See where the flag actually is. And do not expect any booking to cover the gate: fort admission is a National Park Service ticket, bought on site.

Sees the fort from the water

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Frequently asked questions

Is Baltimore worth visiting for a day?

A day is enough for Fort McHenry and the harbour. The fort is about three miles from the Inner Harbor, its grounds open at 7:00 a.m., and most of the 43-acre park is free.

Can I book a tour that includes Fort McHenry admission?

No. Entry to the star fort is a National Park Service ticket bought at the gate. The Baltimore activities on this site pass the fort by boat or by air, or are about another neighbourhood.

How far is Fort McHenry from the Inner Harbor?

Roughly three miles. The fort is at 2400 East Fort Avenue in Locust Point, Baltimore.