14 Best Salem Walking Tours To Take in 2023 đŸ‘»

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Planning a trip to Salem? I’ve explored this town many times, and I’ve curated this list of the best Salem walking tours.

You may know that there are plenty of incredible Salem ghost tours as well as haunted places to visit, but did you know that Salem offers a whole slew of interesting guided tours?

The abundance of options includes Salem Witch Trials tours, historic maritime tours, family-friendly tours, and more.

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If you’re visiting Salem Massachusetts, a tour can be the perfect way to learn more about the town and experience something unique. 

Whether you’re looking for more insight into Salem’s witchy culture, interested in the darker, more sinister side of Salem’s history, or you just want a walking tour that will provide a bit of it all, you’ll likely find something to fit the bill on this list of the best tours in Salem, Massachusetts!

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Best Witch Tours in Salem MA

A stone memorial in Salem, Massachusetts is seen with flowers, and other plant life offerings.

Salem Witch Trials Historical Walking Tour

If you’re looking for Salem Witch Trial tours that are extremely informative and interesting, consider the Salem Witch Trials Historical Walking Tour. You’ll see some of the most significant sites in town, including the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, the Joshua Ward House, the Witch House and more as you make your way around downtown Salem, learning all about local history.

At only 1 œ hours long, this is one of the Salem witch tours that condense lots of great information into a relatively brief amount of time!

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The Salem Witch Walk

Led by an actual practicing witch, the Salem Witch Walk offers a deeper dive into both the history of witchcraft and the modern practices that the engaging tour guide uses to this day.

If you’d like to have a bit of a sample of modern witchcraft in Salem, this tour offers the opportunity to participate in a witches magic circle and energy raising!

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Salem Ghosts: Witches Warlocks & Hauntings

The Salem Ghosts: Witches, Warlocks & Hauntings tour walks you through up to 10 of Salem’s most famous (and infamous) sites on this 1-hour Salem witch tour. 

You’ll get a glimpse into Salem’s paranormal, dark, and infamous sites, including the Salem Athenaeum, Ropes Mansion, and Old Burying Point Cemetery. This is a highly rated Salem tour with lots of mentions of how fantastic the tour guides are, which is always a great sign!

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Best Salem Walking Tours

A statue of iconic Bewitched actress on a crescent moon with broom sits visible on one of the best tours in Salem, Massachusetts.
Looking for the best tours in Salem, Massachusetts? You’re in the right place!

History & Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour

Explore 400 years of fascinating history on the History & Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour. Tours are about two hours long, and you can opt for a nighttime tour to increase the spooky level! 

Guides are cited as being both knowledgeable and entertaining, and this is one of the top rated history tours in Salem, covering the spookier side of the town from the infamous Salem Witch Trials to present day paranormal activity.

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Salem Forest Lore Walking Tour through Salem Woods

The Salem Forest Lore Tour through the woods is one of the most unique tours in Salem! This one is not the usual trek through the streets of Salem, this one takes you out to the forest where the knowledgeable guide shares witchcraft information related to ecology, healing plants, and folklore.

This is a very highly rated Salem tour, and at an hour and a half long, it could be the perfect way to explore the more natural side of Salem.

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Bewitched Walking Tour of Salem

With the claim that they offer the most in depth look at the Salem Witch Trials that can be found, the Bewitched Walking Tour of Salem has a lot of hype to live up to! Gauging the excellent reviews of the tour guides on this Salem witch tour, they do just that.

Tours begin in front of the Bewitched in Salem store, and up to 12 local sites of historical significance are visited, with the seasoned and entertaining tour guides offering detailed historic information about one of the darkest chapters in US history: the Salem Witch Trials.

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Salem’s Dark History & Witchcraft Hysteria Guided Walking Tour

If you’re looking for haunted Salem historical tours where you hear information that isn’t shared at every other ghost tour, Salem’s Dark History & Witchcraft Hysteria guided walking tour is for you.

At only 90 minutes long, this walking tour in Salem covers some of the most popular historic sites as well as some lesser known hidden gems that aren’t included in just every ghost tour in Salem!

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Inside the Daniels House: An Interactive House Tour

There aren’t many Salem haunted house tours that you can actually go inside, but you can when you tour Inside the 1667 Daniels House, where you get to see a historic home that has seen it all! Coffee and tea refreshments are served as you learn more about this beautifully preserved – and haunted – 17th-century historic home.

Not only can you go on informative tours through the Daniel’s House, you can actually book a room and stay the night if you dare! It’s one of the best haunted hotels in Salem!

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Best Boat and Trolley Tours in Salem MA

A historic ship is seen on the water with a bright sun overhead and a deep blue sky
Historic Salem waterfront

Black Cat Land & Sea Tour

If you’d like to experience a closer look at Salem’s history both on land and by sea, check out the Black Cat Land & Sea Tour. You’ll get to visit historic Salem sites like the Salem Witch Trials Memorial and Salem Common, and you’ll be treated to unique views of The House of the Seven Gables, Winter Island Park, and the Fort Pickering Lighthouse!

This is one of the best tours in Salem if you’re interested in seeing the Salem Maritime National Historic Site and some of the waterfront sights from the actual water. It is over 2 hours long, so come prepared!

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Salem Trolley

One of the most famous ways to explore Salem, the red trolleys that make up the Salem Trolley tours offer an unparalleled experience, with an hour long narrated tour by local tour guides.

This eight mile Salem trolley ride makes its way around some of the most important sites in town, including the Witch Dungeon Museum, Charter Street Burial Ground, the Salem Witch Museum, and Chestnut Street, considered to be one of the most beautiful streets in America!

You’ll also get a glimpse of the historic waterfront and hear some Salem maritime history, too.

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Hocus Pocus Tours 

A two story brick building at the end of a red brick road is Salem Town Hall on a clear day with a bright blue sky
Salem Town Hall

Salem “Hocus Pocus” Movie Locations Tour

Attention Hocus Pocus Fans, this one is for you!!!

The Salem Hocus Pocus Movie Locations Tour goes to those spots we all know and love: Pioneer Village, aka Thackery Binx’ House and Old Salem Village from the beginning of the movie, Salem Old Town Hall, where the Halloween party takes place, The Ropes Mansion, aka Alison’s House, and more!

This Hocus Pocus tour runs about 2 hours and 15 minutes, allowing ample time to snap a few pics with each of these iconic movie spots.

If you’d like to see even more on your own time, check out this guide to Hocus Pocus filming locations in Salem, Massachusetts.

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Best Tours in Salem MA for Kids

A red brick road is surrounded by trees with autumn colors and a blue sky peeking through
How lovely is Salem in the fall?

Salem Kids Slightly Spooky Tour

Okay, this is a spooky Salem tour for the kids! Most Salem spooky tours are a little – or a lot! – too scary for most kids, but the Salem Kids Slightly Spooky Tour balances witchy history, lore, and ghost stories in such a way that makes it fun for the whole family!

This tour visits notable sites like the Witch House, the Salem Athenaeum, Broad Street Cemetery, and more, and is recommended for kids 6 and up.

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Real Pirates Salem Museum General Admission Ticket

How about a pirate tour in Salem? The Real Pirates Salem Museum has interactive exhibits, real pirate treasure, and an informative audio guide that tells the history of pirates in Salem, Massachusetts!

It takes most people about an hour and a half to enjoy this cool pirates tour, making it accessible for most ages.

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Salem Kids Walking History Tour

Meeting on Essex Street, the Salem Kids Walking History Tour is a family friendly look into some of the most notable history of Salem, including a popular Hocus Pocus filming location.

Kids of all ages will be engaged with throughout the tour by the friendly and knowledgeable guides as they share the fascinating history of Salem, Massachusetts in a way that is easily understood by people of all ages!

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Read Next: Top 25 Things to Do in Salem MA with Kids

Hopefully, you’ve found something on this list of the best tours in Salem, Massachusetts that’s caught your eye. Enjoy your tour and your time in this incredible town in MA who’s motto is, “Still Making History!”

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