Mt. Washington Auto Road Reviews

We went on the Auto Road to the top of Mount Washington on October 7th.
We went in the tour van and Mark was our driver and Tour Guide. He did an amazing job! His driving was so professional and because of this , he put us all at ease as the road looks challenging in places. He also filled us in on the history of the mountain and surrounding area which was really informative. He also included some of his personal family history which we found made the whole experience even better.
We had 4 in our group and 2 of us are Geocachers. With the timeline we were given to be up on the mountain, we found we had lots of time to explore and find 2 geocaches. This was a real bonus!
We would recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area!

We had already driven up Cadillac Mountain in Acadia Park, which was five dollars, so we didn't need to spend a ton of money to drive up this freezing mountain.

Our guide Mark was the BEST! He was enthusiastic about all the history and information he talked about on the rides up and down the mountain! He was an excellent, safe driver as well. This van trip was the perfect option for someone like me to get to experience Mt Washington—I am very anxious about heights, so I did not have to worry about anything as Mark took the wheel and made me feel as comfortable as possible on the journey. When the fear of heights became too much, I could close my eyes and know that all would be fine. When I was less anxious, I could take in the incredible vistas which I never would have seen if I had to stay at the bottom of the mountain because of my fear! Thank you for a terrific, breathtaking experience on Mt Washington!

Yikes! Super scary at times going up when you feel you are right on the edge of a cliff with no guardrails. But so worth every minute. The views are incredible - this drive must be on a sunny day so you don't miss the views! Coming down wasn't nearly as scary as going up. My only complaint was the discourteous drivers that would not pull off and let other cars go around when they were holding up a line of cars. The observatory at the top is cool too, but I really enjoyed the ride into the clouds!

I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am to have met Paul today at the toll. (Who has worked here for 46 years!)

I made it 3 miles (8 miles to the summit) and my oil pressure light came on, no oil on the dipstick, I let my car rest and I slowly came back down, I explained what happened and Paul and said I still wanted to go up and maybe I could get on a tour bus, he was so kind to give me a refund and called over to another lovely lady Moriah to get me a seat saved on a tour bus for today so I could still make it to the summit! It was a few dollars more than driving up yourself but if there is one thing I can suggest to everyone it is to TAKE THE TOUR BUS!!! They have vehicles built to make this trip multiple times a day for years, You do not have to watch the road, you get to enjoy the trip up, look around and they give you lots of history and fun facts.
I had Hans for a tour guide and yes I’m biased as I haven’t had any of the other drivers but he was the best! Our group had fun, he made a point to know us all by name and I feel like he made everyone feel included. It really made the trip special!

11/10 recommend this experience. When you think of the amount of money they spend on vehicles, repairs, maintenance, insurance, the quality of the road, and the amazing staff. Pay the fee with a smile on your face and please make sure you say thank you!

We had the best time! Hans was a great tour guide! It was my daughter’s (11years old) first time doing the tour and she loved it. Already said she wants to do it again! Highly recommend! Breathe taking views

I took the 2 hour Guided Tour up Mt. Washington with Claude Pigeon. I would highly recommend riding with Claude. He is a skilled driver and has deep knowledge about the history of Mt Washington and the geology.

I’ll admit when we first pulled up to the gate and found out it was going to cost $65 for one vehicle with two occupants we thought it was extremely expensive. We still do. We were also very disappointed to find out they do not offer any discount for veterans. The quote from the guy at the gate was “ no this is a family owned business and they don’t do stuff like that” very disappointing

Once we got past that the drive to the top of the mountain was breathtaking and extremely exciting. The top of the mountain has a massive cement, observatory, and what looked to be communications compound.

We enjoyed the trip it took us about 1.5 hours round-trip and we stopped at the top for probably around 25 minutes

I took the Bicknell's Thrush tour with Rick, and he was fantastic - very experienced with Bicknell's Thrush, but also full of natural-history information about Mt. Washington, about cultural events there, and about the history of the area. Rick found the thrush for our tour group at the first stop despite mist (we were in the clouds), intermittent light rain, and a steady wind that had to be in the 20-30 mph range.

In an unfortunate twist, everyone BUT ME saw the thrush: Rick took the group on a short jaunt off the road and the bird popped up - but I, wearing a prosthetic leg as I do, had been reluctant to follow along. So, missing the bird was my fault! But then Rick took me back to the spot, allowing me to hold on to him for help with balancing, and when the bird didn't cooperate he spent the rest of the tour trying additional spots in the hope that I, too, would be able to see it. And then, when the tour was over he gave me some additional tips so that, when I went back up the mountain, I'd have greater chances of success.

Overall, even though things didn't turn out for me, I have nothing but praise for the job Rick did as tour leader.

Very nice outdoor adventure. Took us 22 minutes to get to the summit. This was our training run for Pike's Peak next year. Going up,no problem. Driving down was a little scary, just don't ride the brakes. The facilities on the summit are very well stocked with things to buy. Had a great time.

Just an awesome experience. We went on rainy, foggy days as well as super sunny days. The weather is so interesting and never the same twice. Do yourself a favor, take a Guided Tour. We did and then drove it ourselves. A must see in the White Mountains

Awesome way to go to the summit. Much faster than the railway and not as nerve-wracking or hard on your car as driving yourself. Our driver/guide, Ray, was amazing - great driver and very informative!

Matk was our guide on the trip to the summit of Mount Washington. He was extremely knowledgable and provided a full & interesting commentary both on the way up and down the mountain.

The museum atcthe top of the mountain is really interesting and well presented.

Whilst it is possible to drive your own vehicle to the summit, I ampleased that we chose the guided tour as we would not have learned anywhere near as much. If we visited again, I am sure I would sruce myself, just tosay "we did it"!

Windy! Treacherous. Super fun. I was there again for the race to the clouds and it was super intimate and friendly. Pastrana did it again!

My husband did the hike, and since I wanted to see the infamous beautiful views, I decided to take the guided tour. There are 4 ways to get on Mt. Washington: you can hike, you can take the train (it's coal train, looks like from the Wild West movies, very cool); you can drive yourself, or you can take the guided tour - which is what I opted for. Very nice tour, the driver was the guide, he was very knowledgeable about the area (lived there for 25 year, he hiked all the peaks in the area and in the vicinity), he gave us quite a few interesting tidbits about the weather, about the roads, and the history of the place. The views from the top are amazing, and we were lucky to have a day with great visibility. So, yes, it's true, you can see the ocean to the east :) The tour takes about 30 mins up, you get an hour break there to look around, take pictures, meet with friends. Another 30 minutes down, without destroying the brakes on your own car (there are a lot of places on the side of the road to stop and cool the breaks), and without being scared of the view next to you (the road gets pretty narrow at times). Overall, a very good value for the $50 you pay. The have several tours per day, ample parking at the office and overall, it was a very pleasant experience.

The weather forecast wasn’t very dependable (suppose to rain but cleared out early before park even opened) and we had a smooth beautiful ride up. Each turn and twist in road revealed peeks through the tree line of the vista awaiting us but wow! we still were in awe. We liked the choice of stopping when we wanted for pictures and only experienced polite drivers and motorcyclists. Not daunting at all.

Great views on this narrow winding road. The tallest peak in New England. We were dissapointed that the oberservatory was closed and felt we should have been told at the base but a fine time nonetheless.

Found the tour was the best way for both my husband and I got to enjoy all the views up the mountain. The guide was was very pleasant and informative.

We went on Oct 7, 2021, and according to our guide, Rick - a 15 yr MWAR veteran, it was the clearest day of the whole year. We took the 8:30 a.m. tour and from the summit could see a sliver of the Atlantic Ocean on the horizon (Rick said that was the only time of the day you could see it due to the positioning of the sun) and the Green Mountains of Vermont. Rick was fantastic - very knowledgeable, engaging, good sense of humor, caring and attentive. The views of the surrounding areas on the ascent and descent were incredible! Great time of the year to go! Highly recommend it!

We have taken this van trip once before but this time the driver was a super knowledgeable local and great storyteller as well. Stopped at key points to let you orient yourself. Top of Mt Washington hasn’t changed except a cup of coffee costs $5.

Scary drive but has ample of break/stop points. Make sure you are not afraid of heights as some corners are tight with no railings! Worth the experience. They give you the legendary sticker at the toll house. See images and videos for reference

Great Carol our guide was excellent -- great driver, excellent descriptions, nice enjoyable stats & stories - very knowledgeable

Gorham is such a cool little town. Out of the North Conway busy resort town scene. Wilderness and laid back atmosphere make it a great stop.

Mountain was closed down for regular traffic to allow all ATV's with prepurchased tix to ride, in 2 sessions. What a blast!

Made it to the top!!! The views were like none other! Our tour guide Hans was experienced, he knew so much history and information about the Mountain. I'm not going to lie, the ride up and down scared me!! But while we we're up there it was exhilarating! It was very cloudy when we first arrived but then the sun came out and pushed the clouds away and we could see forever! The cost of the tour van was reasonable as well! And so was the gift shop at the top. We did it all, went to the museum, had a bite to eat and took a hundred pictures! The museum at the base was quite interesting as well. And the gentlemen working there was very pleasant and knowledgeable. Again Thank you Hans for making me feel safe!

Exciting ride to the top, Mark handled it like a pro. Once up there the experience was incredible, climb to the top, go to the museum and read what they went through to appreciate the sacrifice more

I take the annual ATV ride up the Auto Road every year for fun, kind of a tradition. I go midweek on the open schedule now afforded not mandating a special time and you can travel up and spend all the time you wish to spend at the top or leisurely stop along the way up or down and take in the views. Plan ahead if possible on the weather situation as it changes day to day. I've gone up and caught in light rain and sleet so I'm more savvy these days. My passion is photography so I try to avoid the crowds up and down and have special times to go.....not shared sorry.
Office staff has always been helpful is a warranted situation develops.

Our trip up the Auto Road was very informative, inspiring and breathtaking. Our driver/ tour guide, Carol, was particularly versatile in conversation with our grandchildren as well as with the adults, encouraging comments and questions. She even told our granddaughter that she learned a new fact about New Hampshire from her and planned to share it with future passengers ( thrilling a nine year old).
We have been coming to the White Mountains for over 50 years and have brought multiple friends and family to the Auto Road. This was our best experience yet. Carol’s interactions with our entire family made this a day we will always remember.

At the entry you have to pay for the car and the additional people in the car. That easily sums up. We went in the afternoon after 3pm and it was more quiet than when we passed that morning. It was a beautiful sunny day and the light on the mountains was stunning. There was a warning at the entry that you should not drive up the mountain when you are afraid of heights. It is because there are no fences (!) On the road so never take this road when you don't have good brakes or when it is slippery on the road. Fortunately they have several parking spots to cool down your breaks on the way down.

This is definitely a "must do" when coming to the White Mountains!
And if you have some time it is imperative to pick a very sunny day as clouds are surrounding Mt. Washington 6288 ' 70% of the time so visibility will be limited.
The van ride was a perfect trip up to the summit last Friday and the driver Lefty gave us good overview of the fabled Auto Road and the fascinating history that surrounds this unique eight mile journey to the top and described well how the vegetation changes along the way and how the trees adapt to the harsh climate.
I have taken the van many times and it never fails to show the beauty and stunning vistas of the mountains from every corner that we turned.
The summit houses the Mt. Washington Observatory, a museum and small cafe.
Take a tour too to hear the stories of life on top where the largest wind gust of 231 mph. was recorded in 1934 and meet the people that spend a week at a time monitoring some of the worst weather in the world.
The Tip Top Hotel is also worth a visit and the third hotel on that site.
This indeed will not disappoint!

We purchased a hoody for our grandson from Mt. Washington Auto Rd. Retail and we are very pleased with the style and half off price! Nancy and Lucy served us well. Thank you!

The Mt. Washington Auto road is a mini adventure from behind the steering wheel.

The road is fairly easy going as long as you keep a steady pace, although the road narrows in some places, it is quite an easy trip in a modern car, just don't look down!

It's interesting to see the change of habitat as you climb the auto road, from lush green pastures at the beginning to rocky barren mountain top. The weather can also change a lot with sunshine changing to cloud at the summit in an instant.

The only drawback is the fee, but I guess it costs a lot to keep the road in good condition at the top of a mountain

A fun, very unique family or couple experience but do not attempt in inclement weather. Check with the station below before going up. The views on top are the best in New England, bar none. A great foliage trip!

Highly recommend for those wanting to get a great efficient overview of the mountain and history. The driver / tour guide (Hans) was knowledgeable, personable and entertaining. Some of the roads were narrow near the top, I was glad to be taking in the views verses trying to focus on not driving off the road. Also nice gift store and museum to visit at the bottom.

We went at 4:15 and our tour guide was Rick. He was fabulous! Loved his stories and he was full of information. There were no others with us, so it was like our own personal tour. We would highly recommend it!

I have never been more terrified in my life! What started out as a nice thing to do in New Hampshire this past weekend at my urging brought upon such panic in me. We paid $65,00 for my husband and I to go up. I should have turned around when I saw the sign stating there were no barriers but I changed seats with my husband and thought it would be okay. NOPE! The drive started out nice enough, beautiful Fall foliage however, I started to look down outside the passage window and began to stress out and have a panic attack. Never have I experienced this! Although my husband didn't admit it, I know he was nervous about continuing the drive and was he was secretly happy when I made him turn around. If we ever decide to do this again we would do the van tour and let someone else drive. This trip is not for the faint of heart that is for sure!

The cost to drive up is $45 for the car and driver and an additional $20 for each passenger. So for a family of 4 the cost is $105. The road up is fairly narrow with steep drops and no guardrails. The day we drove up was rainy with almost no visibility near the top. We and others had our hazard lights flashing as you could barely see if a car was in front of you. We drove to the top and parked. We needed thick winter coats gloves and hats. The wind is strong and there was snow on the ground. If one of us walked 10 feet away, they could no longer be seen. We walked up the stairs to the summit area where the first thing we saw was a closed building. Next to it was some porta potties in an enclosure. After that, is another parking lot – for workers and tours and then the Visitor Center. We could not see any of these buildings until we were right next to them, due to the visibility. In each case, we found one thing, walked a bit further then saw the next thing. To find the Visitor Center, we found first the parking lot and then followed the parking lot until we saw the building. The building has a little restaurant, gift shop, museum, visitor info and plenty of flush toilets. You can then exit the other side if the Visitor Center building, walk up a short way, to take a picture near the Summit sign. We also walked onto the observatory area, but the wind was soo strong that it was difficult to even stand still. The worst part was the drive down, as it was very difficult on the brakes. There are several pull outs with signs recommending you let your brakes cool and indeed, we needed to do that once, even though we were driving in low gear. Note: We noticed some hotel vans driving passengers to the top and back down. This may be an option if you are unsure of the drive or want to save your brakes.

My only negative would be the vans are not terribly comfortable. One too many rows of seats.
Our guide, Ray was very competent and entertaining. He made the experience very enjoyable. We had a perfect weather day, visibility 100 miles. Overall, highly recommend.

We’ve done the mount Washington auto road a few times and every time is exceptional. This time my husband and I had Mark as our driver and he was wonderful. He tells amazing stories and histories all while being very reassuring about his handling of the vehicle and the terrain. He also was the first to offer pictures and interact with his group even those less social. He would lend a helping hand while navigating the terrain. Mark’s knowledge, care, and charisma made this tour a 10/10 for us. Photo below was taken by Mark, he offered despite our selfie stick ;)

Our tour at 11:15 with Paul was a great ride up the highest mountain in New England. Paul gave us great information on the mountain and descriptions on places and points on our way up the road. Nice time on top and time to visit the museum and walk around the observation deck.

We did the tour the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend. We had great weather. It was not that windy on top of the mountain which was great. It was cold so prepare to be a lot colder than base. Check weather before you go. We did not drive as we took the tour offered. it was $ 40 /person which was well worth it. We had a great and informative guide. ( Thank you Barney ) and I did not have to drive and could admire the views. We had an hour at the summit to enjoy the view. It was a great tour. if you want a less stressful way to the top, then I highly recommend

If you're in the area, check it out. We stayed in Gorham, which was not far. If you don't want to drive it, there are lots of options. The things you hear about the drive, I had done Pikes Peak and the Moki Dugway in UT, so it really wasn't bad. Just be courteous and patient, stop and cool your brakes on the way down, as they will get warm. The guy at the entrance actually suggested we come back the next day due to the weather, which we did and got a nice mostly clear day, so the views were terrific. A little pricey, but still a must do if you are in the area. People at the summit helped each other with photos, so the line moved quickly. Food in the cafe was good , and the girls in the gift shop and the bottom were friendly too.

Ask for Claud as your driver. A wealth of information and very funny. Once at the top of Mt. Washington, it was the perfect amount of time to enjoy the view, tour the museum and have a cup of coffee.

Well, I have rode a motorcycle for 16 years. My husband and I love long trips on our Harleys but this one was quite unique. There were 7 of us with 5 bikes. We rode from NE PA to NH. Two of the couples rode trikes and my husband, another friend, and I rode our two wheelers! Let's just say, don't ride this road if you don't like heights or are not an experienced rider. Thank God for Bluetooth. My husband was leading the pack and after the first mile or so, I requested he talk to me almost the whole way up to get me through. His encouraging words helped so much. "Look three feet in front of you at the road. Don't look to the left or the right". Lol. First or second gear all the way up and the same coming down. The dirt one miler threw me for a loop but I got by. The cars coming down are going slow too. The curves are petrifying. You cannot see around them whatsoever. I hugged close to the mountain and my husband let me know if there was anyone coming around the curve. When we got to the top, we were in the clouds. However, what an experience to succeed at getting up there and realize where you actually are! Make sure you take pictures by the Tip Top House and the Mt. Washington sign. When our group was talking later on about the experience, we all agreed, it would be difficult to ride two up on two wheels. The trikes did not have any problems. And they left their trailers at the base of the mountain. If you do have a trailer, ask the people you pay if you can drop the trailer off their by their shed. They are more than happy to watch it for you.
Would I ride up again? Probably not. But I am sure glad I did, once. (Hahahaha!) The history of the mountain is amazing. And I can't stop talking about it. The White Mountain Forest is like riding in Heaven. Perfect roads! Why did I give the Autoroad a "5" when I was terrified ridin' it? Because it was worth every penny of nervousness, excitability, and suspense!

My wife and I took the van with our driver, Pete, to the summit. He made the trip very enjoyable. I am afraid of heights, so, Pete’s background as a truck driver was very reassuring. He was very informative and his dry sense of humor was greatly appreciated! He gets 5+ stars!!! I always wanted to go to the top of Mt Washington and never had the opportunity until I retired! Thanks for a great experience.

Been a while since we did the Mt Washington tour. We took the vans with the guided tour would definitely recommend it. Lets you look around more then driving up yourself. Had an awesome driver named Hans.

Very interesting and exciting! Well worth the trip. Recommend to anyone visiting the area! Our guide/driver, Ron was great.

We chose to go up the auto road making a reservation with the official Auto Road Tour Van! Loved it!! Our driver/guide Randy was terrific. Very knowledgeable and informative on the way up and down. The views were awesome! We both could look (a driver can't look at the views and the road) and we could relax on the way up and down. It was a bit cloudy at the top and quite windy! Still a thrill!! We also liked getting a senior discount and an added discount for staying at the Glen House.

Mount Washington was amazing. Our driver Randy made it extra special by his descriptions of the area, and of course keeping us safe on the treacherous ride up and back on the road.

We had a very fun and informative tour with Bruce. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. He recounted the history and pointed out important features of the terrain up and down the Mt. Washington Auto Road.

Great trip. Carol was an excellent guide. She was so considerate to look out for other travelers on the road to make sure they were ok and not stopped on the road due to car or other problems. She gave an excellent history and welcomed questions.
I would not drive up this mountain myself, so glad this service was available. It was a beautiful day, visibility 70 miles.
I traveled with a friend who used the train last fall. She said she enjoyed the van trip much more than the train. There were only 4 people in our van, she guessed there might have been 30ish in the rail car. She said train was very loud.

Our van driver on the Mount Washington auto road was named Nate. He was a very good and safe driver and we very much enjoyed our excursion with him. He is very knowledgable about the area the auto road and the mountain. He is very friendly and full of interesting information, basically a very enjoyable experience with him. We highly recommend taking the auto road coach if you wish to travel up the auto road. Thank you, RD

Great trip up into the clouds but…..For the $53 dollar cost for two they could have some better port o lets. The three just passed the gate are the stuff of nightmares. Give me a hose to wash my hands at least. Maybe go to the big lodge before heading up. Otherwise it’s a must do for tourists.

The views, even on a foggy day, were fabulous. Sarah was very knowledgeable about the history and climate zones on the mountain. Lots of fun tidbits about bike and car races and building the auto road. She pulled off several times for requested pix and let us stay out at pullouts as long as we wanted. Glad we wore hiking sox and shoes, as well as several layers on top. Very windy!! Totally worth a little discomfort, tho.

Not a surprise that the same family run and own this Auto Road operation and the Glenhouse Hotel, class act at both businesses. The van driver Claude is very entertaining, professional, and articulate. The trip was amazing, very windy (90 MPH) and Claude handled the van like it was nothing. Claude is also very well versed in the history and geology of the White Mountains. Ray also was very accommodating, he bent over backwards to get us on a van that was leaving earlier than our scheduled van, as there were cancellations looming due to the high winds.

Yes the views are gorgeous. Yes the weather is crazy - you can go through four seasons on the way up and more on the way down. But this road is no joke. I have some fear of heights but I took my fear medicine and thought I was ready. I was not. Even my husband, with nerves of steel, was relieved when I asked him to turn around (5,000 feet up, so we were pretty close. As others have said the first half is ok but the second was just too terrifying for me. The fog rolled in just as we approached the top so we weren’t sad about leaving the peak.

There are a number of ways to get to the top of Mt Washington. You can hike, a mountain van, Cog RR or drive the auto road. The benefits of the road are you can stop along the way to explore different areas and spend as much time as you want at the top and on trails. We chose to stop at the Alpine Garden and hike a couple of miles of the Appalachian Trail. The road is no joke, narrow with lots of curves. It is 8 miles long not for the faint of heart. Make sure your car has good breaks and you turn off at the pull offs to cool them. Check beforehand what the weather is like at the top. Don’t want to spend the money and nerves if there is poor visibility. It is always cold and windy too. But the views can be stunning.

I did this drive by myself, the ride up was fine, the higher you go the more narrow the road becomes and then at one point the road is not paved and the road also becomes more steep. There really should be signs along the way stating what the incline and decline is, this way you can always pull over at one of the lookout points and decide if you want to continue or turn around. I was terrified to come down, it was really scary, coming down is when you realize how high and steep the road is. There is a number you can call if you need help to come down, someone will come and drive your car down and there is a charge for that - $40 and good luck if your phone has a signal. The views are amazing and remember it is very chilly at the summit.

The trip up to the summit was amazing. Our driver Mark was very knowledgeable and was a great driver. Having a professional driver drive was very nice. We would never have done it without him.

We drove the Auto Road for the first time on 23/May. It was cloudy when we started and a downpour when we returned. The winds on top were 60+ MPH with visibility was posted as 50 feet, in reality it was more like 5 feet. It was a interesting trip to say the least. I know the ratings are good, but people need to know if you have any height issues, do not take this drive. When we got to the top, I could not see the exit road, and waited for someone to leave so we could follow them down. This is an unusual drive, but not for the inexperienced driver (I have over 50 years of experience). It was great to reach the top and a relief to reach bottom safely. We are GLAD we did this ride, but probably would not do it again. My wife was bare knuckles all the way up and most the way down, and with me having difficulties seeing the road, it was "difficult for sure". We strongly suggest you read the information they provide BEFORE going up, it will be helpful.

I have driven up the auto road every few years since 1989. It is nicer to drive the road now that it is fully paved, but there are still a few spots where it is nerve wracking because of the lack of guard rails. People driving one way don't always want to move over as they approach you, forcing you to stop and let them by. There is a narrated trip guide available for the trips up and down- this used to be on cassette, then a CD, now you are told to download the app for this. But, when there's no wi-fi available at the toll booth, it makes it hard to do this. (We downloaded it at the summit off the free wi-fi there). Driving yourself is the way to go if you want to spend any amount of time on the summit, as both the Cog Railway and guided van tours only give you about an hour on the summit.

I was very close to not riding up the auto road with my fiancé. I’m very afraid/anxious/terrified of heights and have had panic attacks in similar situations and I was FINE. I surprised myself to be honest. Yes, there are pieces that are very nerve wracking BUT here are some things that helped me along the way. 1. I didn’t drive, I was in the passenger seat. 2. At the check-in booth they give you a information packet that includes a link you can access on your phone and listen to an informative story about the mountain as you ascend (it was really interesting and I put my attention on the story as we drove). 3. Keep your gaze at the horizon and forward (you can still see the beautiful terrain but it helps you to avoid looking directly down at the side of the ledge). 4. The roads are wide enough for two cars just fine. 5. I saw comments people wrote before I went and a few people said once they hit the gravel road they turned around because it freaked them out (at that point you’re honestly so close and it’s so worth it to keep going). 6. GO EARLY!!! We arrived a little after they opened at 8am. There were no cars behind us so we didn’t feel rushed and took our time. Also, there were barely any cars coming down so we felt like we had plenty of room on the road. 7. Breathe. It took us around 20 minutes to ride to the top, I saw a lot of posts saying it took around 30 mins (I’m sure this depends on traffic but it was quick for us). 8. Once you get to the top you feel relieved and going down is NOT bad at all! You can actually keep your camera out and take pictures all the way down (the photos you missed on the way up because you may focus on other things and not look). Don’t miss this. You’ll be so happy you went :). Enjoy!

Our driver, Rik, made the mountain experience complete with exceptional facts regarding what makes Mt. Washington such a unique place not only in the US, but in the world. Rick’s knowledge and demeanor added a dimension to the whole visit which we wouldn’t have experienced driving the road ourselves.

This was such an exceptional experience. It was a little scary going up, but our guide was informative and extremely safe. We are so glad we decided to book and not drive up ourselves. We would never would have known the informative information that our guide gave us and he was friendly and fun.

Outstanding tour! Great to leave the driving to the expert so I could enjoy the view. Bill was an excellent guide who gave us so much history, so many interesting facts. Great little museum and building to warm up in, grab a hot beverage at the top. Fascinating place and I loved the entire experience. All the beautiful fall colors just added another dimension to it as well.

Expensive, but totally worth it on a clear day. Make sure you check the summit forecast and there are webcams that show you current conditions. The road is narrow and you will smell your brakes burning on the way down, especially if you don’t use the pull outs to rest them. Also, watch out for oncoming cars that will crowd your lane to avoid the road’s edge. There are shops, food, bathrooms and awesome views (on a clear day) at the summit.

Incredible views! The drive up and down was so much fun, and not near as sketchy as some make it out to be! The gift shops were great with very reasonable prices. Employees were the nicest people as well!

Icing on the cake was the snow flurry on (October 10th) at the summit.

Carol provided an excellent tour both up and down the mountain. She made us feel very safe while providing a wealth of information we would not have gotten had we driven the auto road ourselves. We were able to enjoy the scenery and spectacular views knowing her number one goal was getting us to our destination safely.

This is a tourist trap. We did not expect to have to pay $45 per person to do a tour. What happened was they wouldn't let us drive up because of the weight in our van ( cargo carrier and bikes). It would have been $95 to drive up for 5 of us if we unpacked our van so we chose to do a tour. It was so crowded at the top and just not worth the money. The tour guide was awesome and informative

The trip up the mountain was amazing. Kevin our guide was knowledgeable and funny. He really made the trip. We had beautiful weather at the top and an hour at the top was plenty time to explore. Thank you for driving Kevin - I know I couldn't. Well worth doing.

Our guide, Bill, provided an awesome tour that covered Geology, Biology, Meteorology, Physics and History of the area. Phenomenal tour!!!

Don’t even consider driving the road in your own. Best tour I have experienced in 49 states.

Definitely the way to go, don’t drive yourself, this is much more relaxing and you can see the scenery. Just the right amount of time. You also will get more from the informative guides also. It was overcast and foggy when we started but we went through the clouds and it was mostly sunny and actually warmer with no wind at the top, not what we were expecting. Unusual as our guide said. Definitely recommend.

Our family of 8 had such a great time doing the guided tour with Carol. She was very experienced and knowledgeable. It was very safe and comfortable for all age groups! She took us to some great locations for photos and a secret spot! We highly recommended Carol as well as the tour! We cut in front of lines and was much faster than driving up in your own vehicle.

My husband and I had a great time on the Mt. Washington Auto Road. We thought our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. I would highly recommend.

We had a 2 hour tour up the auto road with Hans as our driver. He gave us a lot of information about the climate, trees, history, and auto road. He seemed very knowledgeable. He stopped and let us take pictures since we had no view from the top. It really was a great experience and I would highly recommend it!

If you are not comfortable with heights while self-driving or would like better information on the Auto Road and the White Mountains, the guided van tour is a great option, and the price isn’t that much more than the self-drive. Our guide was outstanding and a wealth of knowledge about the road and the mountain. The scenery along the road is spectacular, and if the weather at the top is good, you can see forever (or so it seems).

This has been on our bucket list for years. Sad that it took so long to get here because we are NH natives. Started up the road around 9:30am and it took about 20 minutes to get to the top without stopping. What a ride! Beautiful vistas but a little scary because of the heights and narrow roadway. So worth it! Stayed at the top for a little over an hour. Visited the museum and the gift store to get some merch / souvenirs. When we left around 11:30, it was busy at the top, but not crowded. Thinking about a winter ride on the snow cat! Highly recommend, but go on a weekday and go early.

Bruce was a great driver and guide! We learned so much and had a great time. We are so glad they told us at check in how cool it was and we had time to purchase some awesome sweatshirts! It was so windy! Our grandsons loved it and we did too!

If you have the luxury to pick a clear day then this is a great way to get to the top. If you are confident in your driving abilities and your car. Even in low gear (up and down) I worried about my car making it up. Having the pedal to the floor and still having the car do a slow chug uphill was pretty nerve wracking. Getting down wasn't hard - except on my brakes! But that's what the pull outs are for. I found that several of them had informal trails that let you enjoy a mountain stroll while your car cools down. But the best part of driving the auto road yourself is you have all the time you need at the top. Have a bite in the café or stroll around the trails. Take your time. Enjoy it.

I've been wanting to go here for years and I as we both wanted to take in the views we booked a tour up. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we felt safe in his more than capable hands on the very hairy drive to the summit! We had perfect weather, very rare for October, so we had beautiful views.

The oldest man-made attraction in the country. Mount Washington is iconic, and the drive was fun (although, it scared my wife to death). The self-drive road is 8 miles to the top. There are pull outs to park. It took about 25 minutes to get to the top. Recommend you download their app so you can get some narration on the way up. It was interesting. We went up in nasty weather (cold, windy, rainy), but it was still fun. You don’t need a special car. I had a Toyota Corolla rental car, and it did fine. If you haven’t driven in the mountains much, make your descent in a low gear. Try come off your brakes when you can to give them a chance to cool. After a while, they may start to feel mushy, at that point, you might want to pull off into a parking area to let them cool for a few minutes. Good fun.

Did a tour with a company from across the highway entrance with an amazing Guide named Mark. He was very informative and great with my son. If you want a great history of the mountain while not having to drive yourself I highly recommend it.

We have been up the Mt. Washington Auto Road a few times and the driver/guide experience is variable. Last year we had a stop on the journey to the top of the mountain where the driver/guide described the vegetation and rock formations. Yesterday our driver/guide did not do this so that was a disappointment. He was knowledgeable but we all had difficulty hearing what he had to say.
That said, the trip is always amazing and well worthwhile taking.
We enjoyed the museums both at the summit and the base, both of which can be visited with the tickets.

Our family also travelled with Mark on 30th August 2024 as our guide. Amazing person. Perfect driver ,a thorough gentleman and very well informed. He kept us enthused with his informative conversation. I give him 10/10 and strongly recommend him to new visitors ..

Avtar Mota ...From India
akm24776@gmail.com.

We did the Auto Road in October. Fantastic experience. Cold and clear, fantastic long view from the top.
The drive is long, but just go slow and take some breaks for fantastic views.
Remember it's windy and cold at the summit.

I had been up Mt Washington twice with others driving. The road is narrow and I was a nervous passenger. This time, I chose a van tour over driving myself and the experience was excellent. The driver (Rick) was very knowledgeable and pointed out the names of all the surrounding mountains as he drove. Rick’s driving allowed me to relax and just enjoy the whole trip. We spent an hour at the summit, plenty of time to explore the museum and checkout the views.
Check the weather on the summit before you go. It was a beautiful and sunny 75 degrees at the base and cold enough to zip up a winter coat on top. Be prepared for the weather and go visit this stunning mountain.
Highly recommend taking the tour vans. You’ll have a safe and stress free ride, hear lots of information about the mountain and the area, and you’ll save your car brakes.

The guided tour to view the rare Bicknell Thrush was awesome! Driving up the mountain, early in the morning was a privilege in itself. Mark was our guide. He was very informative about the history and geology of the mountains along with birding and botany. His driving skills were professional and I soon forgot I had a fear of heights. The desending propane truck on the narrow road was nothing out of the ordinary for Mark. Because of his intimate knowledge of the mountain, we got to view this rare bird at our first stop. Mark told amazing stories, took photos of us at special landmarks. Mark shared humorous personal stories and it made an awesome trip outstanding. He is one of the nicest guides I've ever met!

Going to the top of Mount Washington was the highlight of our trip. It’s amazing to see the forest change as you gain elevation and it’s truly like another world at the top. We debated driving versus the guided tour. I’m very thankful we did this. The price is reasonable and the guide was great. More importantly it made me thankful I did not attempt to drive it myself. You will learn a lot from others mistakes and save your brakes.

The choice is: self drive or catch the tour. For 2, the tour is a few dollars more and no stressful driving.
Friday's weather was almost perfect - no wind and no rain/cloud/mist.
Our guide was Rick who spoke knowlegeably about trees, plants, history and geology.
Most important: he drove slowly and carefully.
If the weather is fine I recommend d Mt Wahington.

Taking the auto road tour was a great choice. My husband loves mountain views, and would have hated to have to keep his eyes on the road when he'd rather be looking out. And the fun facts we learned from our friendly guide Carol during the tour only made the experience better while we were on the way, and when we got to the top. We also felt very safe in the van with our two little children. Also, Mt Washington was just surreal!

My husband and I rode the cog railway 4 years ago so this time around we wanted to try the auto road. It cost $65 for two of us, which seems a bit expensive but the road is very well maintained, so guess that’s why. We had a totally different perspective driving this trip and had a great time. It wasn’t scary at all and there’s definitely space for 2 cars either way, even though it doesn’t look it. Fall foliage was so pretty too especially at the bottom.

It was cloudy at the top but the experience was still a 5. We had previously reserved the tour so couldn't cancel and glad that we couldn't. Our driver, Kevin, provided a bucket full of good information about the road and the mountain plus he made the drive up very uneventful. It was nice to be able to view the scenery on the way up by having an experienced driver.

This was very exhilarating. Paul was the best driver. I could have never drove the Mt Washington Auto Rd my self and felt safe with Paul. This is a once in a lifetime trip. Must see!

The tour was awesome! Bill was a fantastic guide and very knowledgeable about the history and climate zones on the mountain. The views were incredible! We had time to explore the summit and learned more about the mountain on the way down.

My husband and I did the drive up 20 years ago in June. This time we took our older teenagers in July. The ride up still made my palms sweaty, but the weather was nicer in July than when we went in June. It’s cooler and windy at the top. This is a must do if in the area.

We drove into Gorham, NH and decided to try to drive to the Summit at the last minute mid afternoon. I drove up and my husband drove down. It was scarier going up especially when giant pickup trucks were coming the other way hogging the road and you were on the outside. (Think Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP). The summit looked like a space outpost with just rocks around. It was sunny, the wind was calm and it was 72 degrees. Yeah! It was totally worth our time to do and to explore up top. Know the road down is a 12% grade. Luckily our car has a sport mode which we were able to use on the way down to avoid using our brakes. We watched the cog wheel train come up which was packed on a Sunday.

What a rip off. They charge PER PERSON and not per vehicle. Have lived in NH all my life and this is the least NH thing Ive experienced. Might as well have said “Heres your $200 bumper sticker, go f yourself” by the way this family that owns this doesnt pay taxes because their “non profit” status

This is the way to see Mt. Washington! Heavy duty van that comfortably seats 8-10. Bruce was an excellent driver and guide. Wealth of information about Mt. Washington. If we had driven ourselves we wouldn't have learned much. And probably burned out our brakes on the way down. There can be a 30 degree temperature difference between the base and the summit. The day we were there was raining at the top. I had a heavy water proof coat and hat. Could have used gloves.

The drive up and down is definitely worth it. But, it is scary, to say the least. Long narrow stretched, and no guard rails... blind spots around curves. But, once at the top, worth it for the views.

Amazing trip! Highly recommend and a must do when in New Hampshire! We arrived at approximately 11:30 am, and made our way to the entrance to pay. The tickets were a little pricey and we payed about 53 dollars for 2 people, however it was well worth the money. When we payed, we also received a bumper sticker for our car, and a handout that included some facts about the mountain and how to safely drive up/down. The 7.6 mile drive up the mountain took about 30 minutes, as we made sure to drive slowly and maintain our distance from the vehicles in front of us. The drive was certainly not for the faint of heart, as there were several portions of our drive that did not have any safety rails on either side. When looking down, we saw a steep decline of the mountain with nothing in place to protect the driver. The views were absolutely stunning, and it felt like we were immersed in clouds in several sections of the mountain. Once we reached the top, there was ample parking space and plenty of places to take pictures. We made our way inside of the visitor center, and there were several informational plaques detailing the existence of the mountain and even contained a plaque of all the people who have died on the mountain! We made our way to the huge observation deck and took several stunning pictures of the mountain. The temperature at the top was chilly, so I definitely recommend bringing a jacket. On our way down, there were several places to stop and take pictures, as well as to give our cars breaks a chance to rest.

Tip: I recommend spending 3 hours here if you truly want to see everything.

I have been up this road many times over the years. First time was the first time I came to NH in 1988. I seldom missed a year after that. When we moved to NH in 2018 one of the first things I did was bought the annual pass. We'd go up five or six times every year. For us it's a good destination for a day out. The views from the top are spectacular, for the east. You can see many many miles, as far as the Atlantic and over most of NH. On a good day it's an amazing place to be.

They talk up the road like it's some spectacular and dangerous adventure. OK, it's spectacular, but it's only a little over 6,000 feet. Many valleys in the west are higher than that. Modern cars in reasonable repair should have no issue driving straight up and straight back down again without frying their transmission or their brakes. The only thing I have personally seen have issues there was an old Lincoln Town Car which smoked its tiny brakes. But don't drive off the edge. There is typical national park style food at the top, unless the national park you are thinking of has a decent restaurant like the ones in Yosemite and Yellowstone and at Crater Lake.

But that was when the prices were reasonable. Last time we went the price of going up once with our visitors was what the season pass used to cost. I couldn't believe it! So this is a place we used to go, which was spectacular.

We had a wonderful ride to the summit. The weather was very good, the view was amazing. Our driver - Sarah - was great. Thank you!

We took the Auto Tour (a large van) & were so glad we did....lane widths are just adequate, and there are no guardrails. Smelled a lot of hot brakes! But oh my! What phenomenal views! The maples were aflame with color! And Mt Washington is way above the surrounding mountains, so you see peak after peak below you, as you look to the horizon, plus a few lakes. Just beautiful. Is we're ever here again, we may take the courage train up.

Awesome Tour with Mark!!! We learned a lot of history...very nice and pleasant!!! We have to reebook our time and we were accomodated right away!!!Thanks for the wonderful exp. and the helpful staff.

Refused to pay ridiculous amount for car 36 per person myself, wife and 3 daughters $180.00 hell no! What a joke! Went up this road many years ago when it was fair

This is a must do, well worth the price. Road is challenging, but if you have been behind the wheel few years, it shouldn't be a problem.
It's a fantastic view up there, we were lucky enough to reach the top on a clear day. There is a train that goes up too, but we didn't take it, if you don't feel like driving. Even the smaller cars make it to the top. There are places to pull off along the way to take a breath and appreciate the view. They are helpful specially on the way down so you don't overheat your breaks.

We drive ourselves and it’s such an awesome experience! Pictures or video will never do it justice, you have to see it in person. The views are breathtaking and the drive itself is half the fun. I was the driver, but I’m guessing being a passenger is scary as you get to look down the cliffs you could easily tumble down.
I love the top of the mountain too, such awesome views. There’s a post office if you want to send a post card from up there. The usual gift shop and some food. Cool little museum that shows some of the history of the mountain.
My only gripe would be that they charge extra based on your passengers in the car. Not sure why but still worth it to me. Our 7 year old thought it was neat but was bored pretty quickly at the top.

I Love going on the Mount Washington Auto Road! I’ve gone four times now. The drivers are great about information regarding the mountain and making sure you get the best experience!
This time I did the Sunrise Drive and it was beautiful! Mark made sure we would have a great view and answered all of our questions.

The road was recently just paved so it was in very good condition although it is narrow in many places and without guardrails. The trip up exhibits quite a contrast from the forested bottom to the windswept, treeless summit. There are park rangers at the top to answer your questions, a gift shop and a lunch counter. It was warm and not windy (unusual) when we were there, it would be a good idea to check the weather forecast for the summit when you expect to be there.
One side note is that the road up is not government property but is privately owned and maintained.

My brother and I went on guided tour in which you go in a very comfortable van with a driver. Our drive, Bill, was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. If you don’t like heights or want to experience the breathtaking views use the guided tour. It was a big relief not to drive up because then you get to see the sights and learn about the history of the mountain ranges and the environment. We were lucky to have a clear day but plan on having a sweatshirt once you reach the summit. We had an hour to enjoy the summit and had free access to the museum since we used the guided tour. They also gave us post cards that you could mail from the summit but I think they close at 4:30pm so hurry if you are on the 3:45pm tour. The tour was about a short 30 minute ride up and sit on the left side if you don’t feel comfortable being near the edge. Bill did let one of passengers sit up front which is very nice. I would highly recommend the guided tour to anyone since it was such a pleasant trip.

This is the way to go! Our driver, Rick, was a wealth of information and explained the terrain, weather, history, stories of hikers who train, search and rescue and so much more!!!! It gave us the opportunity to actually enjoy the views and ask questions. So glad we decided to use this way to get up the mountain. Extra hint-museum at top of mountain closes at 5 and store at base does also.

Rode the snow coach for the first time today. Claude our tour guide was AWESOME, felt safe the whole time. Perfect weather conditions at the tree line for photos. Definitely a MUST DO.

We took the snow coach up the auto road yesterday. Our driver Ray was very knowledgeable and friendly. Beautiful views despite the fog and wind.

The guide was nice and gave good explenations. He drove carefully.Making the reservation was very easy

Take the train or tour van if you have any fear of heights! This is scary. Very narrow road with no guardrails And very hard on your car. Brakes will be smelling and burning on the way down. Also very bad visibility the closer you get to the summit.

The last part of the drive to the top is scary, you have a deep ditch on the mountain side and on the other side it’s straight down!!! They still had snow in a couple of places and it was around 60 at the top. There are 2 gift stores one is the state park and one for the auto road. There is food - cafeteria style and a post office. There are places to pull off especially on the way down so your brakes can cool.

Well! We got there early had a snack and shopped. Once we loaded up and on the way my wife saw she was missing a ring! Ray immediately pulled over and radioed back to the store/base and alerted them about missing ring. Ray was wonderful in driving skilled as well as provide a fun, informative ride up the mountain, where we had a nice visit. Best news? The fantastic staff found the ring which had slipped off her hand as shopped. That’s what happens when u lose weight. Overall it was a great time and THANK YOU all for caring and finding ring.

We highly recommend this tour. Our friend who was driving couldn’t have enjoyed Mt Washington if he had to drive. Also, if you are not used to driving in the mountains, it could be a scary experience. Our tour driver was so nice and very entertaining. We had a great time.

We lucked out with a crystal clear day that added to the journey. Bill, our guide/driver, was extremely knowledgeable about the entire terrain and gave us abundant information about the different trees and tree lines. I thought we would have too much time at the summit (an hour) but we wound up just getting to the van at the appointed time after viewing the museum (fascinating) and going through the gift shop (usual souvenirs). The 2 hours were just right. My only issue was the audio equipment in the van. It was difficult to hear Bill for much of the time because the audio didn't work unless he adjusted it. Remember to tell your driver if you can't hear. I mentioned it once but should have told him again there was a problem. I felt safe on the road and didn't mind the elevation which I anticipated would happen. It's worth it to hear all about the road and its history.

It takes about 25 minutes to drive up Mount Washington. It can take longer if you choose to stop at the lookout points and go hiking or stop for photos.

What was really fun is the stuff at the top. There is the tip top house, which is closed, but you can get photos in front of it. There is the summit sign. There is a post office where you can send a post card (make sure to bring the address that you want to mail your post card to). There is a small museum. And there is a gift shop.

The gift shop at the top has some different items than the gift shop at the bottom of the mountain. I recommend looking at the bottom one, then traveling to the top. The prices are about the same, but that way you can decide which item you like the best!

This is the only way to go in my opinion. Why not leave the hassle of driving to somebody else who knows the terrain and how to safely navigate the narrow curves. That leaves you free to admire the views as you transition in elevation. I think it is more scenic than the cog railway. The latter is not as fun as in the old days when they were all steam driven. Remember it is always freezing cold at top so dress in layers. You will probably not want to linger more than an hour in any case. Our driver and guide was knowledgeable and incredibly informative throughout the trip. All of us had been up here by car in our early years and felt this was much more fun and had less potential damage to one's vehicle's engine and brakes.

My husband and I took the Auto Road Snowcoach tour today with Mark. It was amazing! He did an awesome job, very knowledgeable about the mountain and very helpful as well. If you haven't done the snowcoach tour, it is well worth it! Beautiful tour!

The ride to the top is beautiful. There are a few areas that your heart stops because you are holding your breath, but once you hit the top you have great views. Its only 6,600 feet. but you take an 8 mile drive. Well worth the trip.

We were up to the summit in September and loved it so we decided to try winter. Somehow we got beautiful weather both times. A little windy at tree line but nothing unmanageable and we were able to remove hats/gloves briefly with no problem to take photos. Absolutely recommended!

Ray was our driver. He is experienced and knowledgeable about Mt. Washington providing interesting information during our trip up and down the mountain. This is a good value and better than heating up your own brakes. The views are well worth it.

This was an amazing experience that I had to live. The views are espectacular. I’m not going to lie, going up there was a rush of adrenaline. I was scared but excited too. Kevin was our tour guide and he was so wonderful. Very kind, he was telling us all about the Mountains, trail tracks and everything. Loved this!

Bruce,our guide was awesome. Very knowledgeable and funny, great driver. Great way to get up to Mt. Washington without getting frazzled by the driving.

My wife and I really enjoyed our time at Mt Washington. Our driver Hans was very informative and really knew a lot about the history and vegetation at the different levels of our climb up.
When we returned are learning continued when Nancy fff Rd om the gift shop explained how the whole business was working to remove itself completely from the grid and they are almost there.

Best way to visit Mt. Washington. Leave the driving to someone else and enjoy the dramatically changing scenery from your seat. I got to ride shotgun, and it was superb. Our guide was a veteran with the company and kept us engaged with all manners of information and mountain lore.

Whoa!!
So it’s absolutely beautiful and worth the drive to get there. The first 3/4 of the drive was easy peasy...the last 1/4 was a big ole white knuckled nope. We had to pull over at the last pull off and breath. After a long discussion with the two other drivers in the car we decided to go down. The weather was beautiful and I bet the top was stunning but people were driving like real jerks and making it way too dangerous for us.
All and all a great trip and worth it! But scary as hell!!

This drive took my breath away and was the highlight of our trip! Make sure you have good breaks, but a must stop if you are staying anywhere remotely close to Mount Washington!

This is a must-do experience if you are in New Hampshire. There is a substantial charge for driving up, but its worth it, and the give you a bumper sticker that says this vehicle climbed Mt. Washington. You'll want to publicize that accomplishment if you survive the climb and return. It's worth every penny to reach the top and see the views and museum. Please, please follow the instructions they post frequently to cool your brakes on the way down. We met one car that lost braking power half way down - not good on an average 11% grade over 7 miles.

Well, this is not for the feint of heart that's for sure. I loved it! My friends were rather nervous, one scared and the other wouldn't look out the window.
The only thing that I thought was outrageous was the cost to drive up. There were 3 of us and it was $85.00! It was $45.00 for one car and one person, then $20.00 for each additional person. But I was determined to do it so I paid it and drove up. Absolutely beautiful!

Really enjoyed the chance to get to the top of Mt Washington despite the rain and wind. It was nice it to sit back and enjoy learning about the Appalachian Trail and geology of the area. We were able to get to the top and experience it even if there wasn’t a view. Would gladly do this again.

Our Driver, Rick, made the trip memorable and was very capable on that road! We were his only passengers for lst a.m. trip of the day so we got to know each other.
The Mt presented us an exceptional day of warm breezes and sunshine. The Fall colors were at peak!!! An hr at the top went by too fast. It was fun seeing the diversity of folks visiting with us :)) Everyone was amazed by the views. The only challenge was walking on/through the many big rocks, but it was rewarding to know we were capable at our ages (77 & 80). We also enjoyed the Museum which Rick pointed out when we returned to the starting point. I found a great 'hoodie' 50% off for a memento too!

Made it to the top of Mt. Washington yesterday, which happened to be the last Saturday of the season. We used the Auto Road Guided Tour Van and had the good fortune of having Paul as our driver. His knowledge and history of the mountain kept us all entertained on the drive up AND back down. If you want a great experience on your trip to Mt. Washington in NH, make sure you ask for Paul as your driver. He doesn't disappoint.

Recently did this climb up the mountain. You have to pay before going up, which they include a white bumper sticker. Very nice views up there. Highly recommended!

I wish I read the Trip Advisor reviews ahead of time - I might have paused in my enthusiasm for this drive and taken the train. Once you get above the tree line the road is narrow and twisty and I was terrified. I'm not afraid of heights but I now know I am afraid of narrow, twisty roads literally on the side of a mountain. I was the passenger in an F150 truck so maybe in a smaller car I wouldn't have felt so vulnerable on the edge of this mountain. Although the views were beautiful, I couldn't even look at them I could only stare straight ahead and hope to get to the top ASAP. It was hard to relax and enjoy the top knowing we had to go back down. My advice to everyone is TAKE THE TRAIN and relax and enjoy!

Great trip with Claude. Perfect weather, so brilliant views. So much better than driving ourselves. Plenty of time at the top.

Paul, our guide, was great. Great facts and trivia. Good sense of humor too. Very helpful to us oldtimers when loading and unloading. Aces! THANKS

We chose to do the guided tour up Mt Washington by van on the auto road instead of driving our own vehicle. Our tour guide was excellent. She was very knowledgeable about the history of the mountain, the geology of the mountain and the extreme weather one can encounter. It was a great way to experience this amazing terrain first hand. Would highly recommend

My wife and I (mid 70s) chose to take the Van tour up Mt. Washington because I knew that if I drove up myself, I would not see any scenery because I would be afraid to take my eyes off the road. My wife had recently had a medical procedure on her leg which made walking somewhat difficult. Our driver, Rick, noticed that she was using a cane and offered her the front seat next to him so that she could get in and out more easily. That was very thoughtful of him. He gave us very interesting information during the trip and answered many specific questions that we had. Rick was very entertaining and injected a lot of humor into his talk. The van itself was very comfortable and had large windows so we could see the scenery. The trip includes tickets to the museum that is on top of the mountain. I highly recommend this as the best way to see Mt. Washington.

This was our grandsons birthday present. Our guide was great . It was a wonderful trip. The weather was awful but it just added to the experience

Hans was our tour driver today and he was awesome!! Highly recommend doing the 2 hour tour. Hans definitely was full of knowledge and just really made the trip an awesome one

We did a van tour in early July. There were only 3 of us on the bus, so kind of private. The guide, who I believe was Bruce, he was definitely originally from Boston, was great. Gave us stories and information both on the way up and down. I think it would be challenging to drive up, so I give the guides a lot of credit. The road at times is narrow without guardrails. We had time at the top to visit the museum and have a small lunch. Unlike my experience with the Cog Railway, it's a comfortable trip up in the van. The Cog Railway is cool also, just not as comfortable. I've never taken it to the top, just part way.

Had a great ride up and down My. Washington. Glad we didn’t have to take our car. Had a full hour at the summit. Guide was very informative.

We had a very good time with Paul, our driver and guide, during two hours in the late afternoon. The view from the top is amazing, we could walk in the snow and see so far away beautiful lakes and other mountains. Down, the foliage was beautiful. Thanks a lot for everything !

Read some reviews it is a scary drive. I went on a cloud day. I have height phobia and was worried. The drive is not scary at all. It is similar to other mountain drive. Cloudy weather may help. I cannot see too far away. I am glad I did it.

We took the 2 hour guided tour because we have a RAM dually truck & they are not allowed on the auto road.
Pete was our driver in one of their vans. He was the sweetest, most knowledgeable man & his driving was excellent!!
It is a 30 minute drive to the summit, they give you an hour to look around. There is a Cafe & a little museum at the summit.
The cafe has snacks, sandwiches, hot drinks, cold drinks & other food. It is quite good.
The grill was not open as we were there in the morning.
The museum is pretty neat & is included with your admission to the auto road.
The summit was breathtaking & cold! It was 38° at the top, 78° at the bottom. The wind was 45mph & this was July 4th, 2022.
It is pretty awesome, you are in the clouds at the top.
It is a must do & see if you visit the area!
Thank you Pete!!

Our guided tour up Mt. Washington was amazing. The guide shared many interesting facts and was very knowledgeable about the mountain. The weather was great. Overall it was a great experience.

This is a 30 minute drive to the peak of Mount Washington with the wildest recorded weather anywhere! Don’t miss it and be sure to stay at the Glenhouse at the base of the auto Road. It was $252 in July but it was perfect and the food was excellent! Eggs benny in the am , live entertainment in the lounge .

This is a spectacular place to visit. We managed to go on a beautiful day where there was 100 miles view.
Our diver Bill did a wonderful job of driving and describing the history and different plant and animal life
At the top of Mount Washington the temperature was 38 degrees with an 50 mph wind. The overall temp was 17 degrees.
This is a wonderful place to enjoy.

Carol was an excellent guide . She was knowledgable and amusing keeping us well informed and entertained .
I’m not a great one for heights but felt extremely safe in her capable hands. Would highly recommend the Auto Road

A lifetime bucket list experience, truly amazing! Beyond expectations! Thrilling ascent! Anxious descent! Literally found ourselves in the clouds!

I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars due to the price is absolutely ridiculous For our car and 2 people was $53. It was extremely scary for I do not like heights there are sheer cliffs, sometimes the roads are so tight you have to pull your mirrors in to pass if someone else is passing by, there are hairpin turns and at some point it does turn into a dirt road for a period of time. We had the best weather they said in months, it was absolutely beautiful and clear We started before noon time to get to the top once we got to the top it wasn't as cold as I expected, there are a lot of stairs to climb once you get to the parking lot at the top. The views are breathtaking . Be prepared to stop often on your way down for you need to pull over quite a bit to make sure your brakes are not burning up. We have done Pikes Peak in Colorado though this is not as high the grades are much steeper and some of the turns are more scary.

Bruce did a fabulous job narrating Mt Washington. We rode in the new van & that is the best way to go. Saves on brakes & driver gets to look too!

We decided to try the guided van tour to save wear and tear on our car and nerves. So glad we did! Guide Kevin was funny and gave us lots of great history about the drive, the road, and top of the mountain. He was patient with my many questions and drove the auto road like a boss! The van was clean and comfortable with great visibility. Definitely tour the historic Red Barn at the base to learn more about all the vehicles that have been used to make the trip over the years. Very cool!

Mt. Washington is a long time favorite of ours. We enjoy going up, not matter how the method. This time we took the coach. Kevin was a great tour guide!! He was funny, polite and great to listen to. The clouds and fall colors were wonderful. Way to many people, but have to share right. We can't wait to go again

This weekend was probably my 5th trip up the Auto Road since I was a young adult. It never fails to amaze me! If you aren't a hiker, it's the quickest way to get to the summit. Spectacular views along the way, depending on the weather and cloud cover, and if you are a solo in the car there are plenty of turnouts where you can pull off to look at the scenery-many with short paths to picture ops. Go early as you can to get the best experience both driving and on the summit as on weekends it gets crowded and traffic can slow your progress. Heed the driving directions given to you at the toll house to relieve the stress on you and your car. We spend our entire day at the summit. There are ample trails to meander and some novice hiking to nearby crags is fun and great for photo ops. Completely cloudless days are rare, but whatever weather you get atop this mountain is amazing to witness. After all, it's the home of the world's worst weather!

This was such an exhilarating experience! It is a bit scary with the narrow roads we were thankful we were at the end of the day so driving both directions were low traffic. This is a must do if you are in the area!

Fabulous way to get up to the top! Our driver, Hans, did a great job with the drive and also kept us entertained with interesting facts and sights. It's definitely a frightening drive to the top but the views are absolutely magnificient. I'm glad we went with the driver instead of driving our own car as it probably would've been way more frightening and the driver won't be able to look out and enjoy the views the same way.

Our driver was safe, courteous and very knowledgeable about the mountain. I would advise everyone to not attempt to drive themself all the way to the top. The winds and possible clouds make it very challenging if you don't know the road. Let someone else do the driving so you can enjoy the breathtaking drive.

Ok so you do need to be able to drive and follow the rules - do that and you will be fine. Yes step curves, yes challenging elements, but on clear days the most wonderful bucket list experience of a lifetime. We drove one day poor conditions one day wonderful. Poor conditions was tough at top but we did it. Remember when driving down, do as instructed and use low gear and let engine do the work. Saw people use breaks too much and overheat brakes, there are plenty of places to cool them down, it if you aren’t stupid then it will be fine. We had an amazing adventure. Photos are from a poor day and a good day. Use the live feed from the top to see conditions before you arrive and that will help.

My favorite part was watching the scenery on our way to the mountain top. The tour guide's name was Pete.

Absolutely the best way to go up the mountain. Our guide was Marc..He was friendly and very informative. I do wish we had a little more time at the top to see the museum, explore a bit and grab lunch. We took the 11:15 tour because we had a 4 hr trip to get there and 4 hrs back home. Would definitely go again with maybe a little more planning on our part.

My wife and I drove the auto road to the top of Mt Washington. It was an easy drive if you follow the signs. There's a lot to do and see at the top. Very nice visitor center with a lot of information and history. There was also a very nice gift shop with lots of items to pick from. A great area at the top to take pictures of the Cog railway arriving and departing. There is a lot of good information online to help with planning. Very glad we did this, and I would do it again.

Went on the Snow Coach. Ray was great and very informative! I still wish I could have gone out when we got to 4200 feet. I understand about the wind though.

Prior to this trip we had driven ourselves up to Mt Washington a number of times. This time we took other family members in the van with Paul as our driver. There is no comparison as the experience was infinitely better. Besides actually being able to relax with Paul’s expertise in driving, he provided us with conversational stories and information about the history, geography, flora and vegetation of the area the entire drive. Stopping by the red building afterwards capped it all off. Thanks a million Paul. You really made our day,

This was not my first trek up the mountain. I have done it in my own car and twice on the tour. Much better on the tour, although a little pricey. In 1991 it was $20 a carload I believe, but they don't do that any longer. The driver was very nice and knowledgeable and told us all about the mountain on the way up and down. There are no stops along the way (in your car you can do this) but beautiful views along the way and of course once on top. Be prepared for cold weather. We thought we were, but once there we needed to purchase a winter hat and gloves. I wore a long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt and coat. With the wind chill it was about 23 degrees on July 4th. I have been there on warmer days. It was extremely windy. Hard to stay out long but beautiful anyway and took some nice pictures. Getting a picture in front of the summit sign was almost impossible unless you wanted to freeze and waste your hour doing so. There is a place to warm up in the gift shop and museum. I highly recommend this trip, just be prepared. Pay attention to your bus number! We did not, but quickly found the driver. Don't go on a day with low visibility. I think the visibility was 80 miles. I have gone up on days when the visibility was not so good. You won't see much with all the fog. Go on a later ride. I never made reservations before, but I had to this time, and some were sold out. Of course, it was July 4th weekend in all fairness.

We thoroughly enjoyed the shuttle up and down Mt. Washington. Claude was an excellent tour guide, continually providing us with interesting information along the way. We were made well aware of the weather we'd be facing on top of the mountain before boarding the shuttle, so the cold and wet weather was expected. We look forward to going back and taking the cog railway up to the summit.

The road itself is a blast! The views are beyond breathtaking. We were told that the mountaintop was totally "socked in." We made the trip anyway and boy howdy was it worth it. It was 80's and sunny at the bottom but blowing rain sideways at 45mph at the top. What fun! It really was. Now, on to the reason for the crappy review score. The staff at the entry to the road at the bottom of the mountain was absolutely rude, accusatory and very poor ambassadors of The Washington Auto Road. Our Ford Expedition was asked to pull around to the back of the checkpoint to be inspected. We, eight of us, were asked to list our weights (for each person) and the weights of our cargo on a form. Once done we were told by a rather unpleasant young woman that we were not being honest about our weights. I offered for all of us (I was the heaviest in our group at 170lbs.), my wife, three kids, and two grandkids (6 mo. and 2 yrs.) to be weighed. I explained to this "guard" that we would be glad to be weighed to prove we were being honest. She declined. I told her we would get out of the vehicle to show her we were a truck full of thin people. This went round and round but she finally agreed to let us proceed. As we left she muttered to a silent co-worker that there was no way our two coolers and car-top rack were within the 150lbs. we listed. She didn't bother to see that the carrier was empty (already unloaded at our hotel) and the coolers had very little left in them after a week of travel. What poor representatives of the Road, the staff, and of the great state of New Hampshire.

Awesome experience!!! 3/8/2025...... VERY windy!!! Excellent coach driver Carol!!! We can't wait to do it again in the summer!!

I really like this auto repair shop. They are always quick, professional, honest and do great work. I appreciate them keeping my van in great working order. It’s right on Callow so easy to get to.

We wanted to go to the highest peak in the northeast before relocating so booked a tour of Mount Washington and we were happy we did. Our guide, Bill, was knowledgeable and interesting. Being on a tour of Mount Washington allowed both my husband and I to take in the amazing views without needing to keep our eyes on the road. Mount Washington is sight to see and we highly recommend taking this tour.

What a fantastic experience - driving up a mountain! In our opinion, well worth the cost for the experience and the view at the top. Remember to pack a coat, hat, gloves for the top - the temp was 20C at the bottom, but -2C (with a wind chill of -21C!) at the summit which takes your breath away!

Easy to navigate the road if taken at a sensible speed. Deceptively steep on the way down so it’s essential you hold a low gear and follow the advice on braking, taking time to stop at the rest stops on the way down to cool your brakes and give your vehicle a few mins of cool down time.

Would definitely visit again!

[Note: the Auto Road is closed on days where the weather is adverse, so check online if it’s open before you go. Worth noting that a nice day at the bottom doesn’t guarantee a nice day at (and therefore access to) the summit.]

Was involved in the 2021 ATV ride up the Mount Washington Auto Road. It's NOT for the faint of heart - especially on an ATV but it's a huge fundraiser so it was worth it.

First thing I would say is that yes it is dangerous. Yes, it isn’t for the faint of heart. Yes, it is an intimidating drive. All that aside, you should do your research and not plan on going up the road to just blast it for being dangerous when you review it. If you do this, it is your fault not the road. Part of the attraction is the thrill. I’ve done it twice on a motorcycle, and it is a great experience. The Mt Evans of the East. You feel much higher than 6200 feet. The reason it is a 4 and not a 5 is the price. There are no discounts military, america the beautiful, or AAA etc. I had a passenger so it was $30 for the bike and $15 for passenger. I would give it a 5 if it was just per vehicle or a discount. The views are awesome if the weather cooperates. The drive up and down is the real treat!!

On the snowcoach. For starters dress warm it's cold up there and alot of people don't go prepared. The van is a typical one but has tracks on it instead of tires. The tracks are very noisy at times through the ride. Be prepared for a ruff ride at times as well. They do try to keep it as smooth as possible. There will be a few stops on the way to clean the windows of the van as they get plastered with snow fairly quickly from the tracks. The view will vary alot depending on the weather conditions but don't expect a long clear view. They bring you up to the tree line weather permitting. Up there you can get out and walk around a little they don't want you going to far or taking all day. Be prepared to have to wait for other groups to move to take pictures. Then you head down. Trip took i beleave around 1 hr 15 mins round trip bring some cash the drivers may remind you they would like a tip. Hopefully this helps you get a idea of what to expect. Some think it's great. I don't believe I would do it again.

I’m sure for people who do not have unrealistic fear of heights that this is a great activity. I however lost my mind on the way up, at the top and on the way down. Tears, sobs, hyperventilating. I had to completely cover my eyes the entire way down to keep myself calm. I could it get out of my vehicle at the top. I literally had to pray to Jesus the whole way down. If you have a fear of heights RETHINK THIS.

The guided tour to Mt Washington was so magnificent and magic with a mesmerizing view in the apex ! , I want to give special thanks to Kevin our guide , he was so friendly with a great sens of humour describing the history behind the Mt Washington auto road !

Fun Fact: this road was actually first opened to the public in 1861 (hard to believe but it's true)
Fun Fact 2: It is also the site of the oldest auto race in the United States

Mount Washington is the tallest peak east of the Mississippi and has been a popular tourist destination for people like us for more than a century.
there are numerous ways to reach the top (unfortunately we did not get the ticket for the cog railway) but never mind, this is equally adventurous. drive up it on a fall-colorful day to see the fantastic colors of New Hampshire's White Mountains and the windy clouds blowing past you as you climb to more than 6,000 feet in the air.

We had Jeep Compass (4WD) but I have seen cars like Toyota corolla and Honda civic in the parking lot - so you are good.

at someplace, There are no shoulders to use, though there are ample pull-off spots to allow slower drivers to allow others to pass.

Auto Road is simply a spectacular place to view fall foliage in New Hampshire due to the fact that you start in the valley and then can look down and see it from above.

IMP..!! IMP.. !! IMP..!!

As you come down the mountain, make sure to pay attention to the signs about putting the car into low gear and pulling off periodically to cool the brakes. though our rental car was new, the brake was smelling so we had to stop periodically.

it is truly one of the most amazing drives in the country.

The road is only 7.6 miles, but you can expect it to take anywhere from 30 -45 minutes to ascend

Fee: Car+driver- $ 45 (Oct-2022)
Extra person: $20 PP
children- $9 PP

Worse value for money I’ve ever spent on a vacation in my entire life. It was a tremendous waste of money, boring, and ruined by weather and a complaining family who ended our trip early. I’d like my money back because the experience was TERRIBLE!!!

This was an awesome experience and totally worth the harrowing trip up. Gorgeous the whole way but especially at the top. You are above the clouds and they fly past you. Worth every penny.

Great trip, our guide Mark was knowledgeable and very enthusiastic. This was the highlight of our trip to New Hampshire!

Oh my, read reviews CLOSELY!! Do not drive this road if your car is not in good working order and you aren’t skilled at driving on right curving roads up a mountain with no guardrails. We climbed Mt Washington in 2016 up Tuckermans Ravine. That was a grueling yet rewarding day, so we thought let’s do the “easy route” up the auto road as a side trip back from Maine. There is NOTHING easy about driving up Mt Washington and the auto road and honestly more terrifying than doing the hike. I’ve driven in the German and Austrian Alps, and this is 100 times scarier and more challenging. Once you hit 1000 feet the road narrows and the steep drop offs start, not to mention people coming down from the top with no room for error.

All that said, if you can conquer your fear, breath deep and loosen your grip on the wheel you can get through this most challenging of driving experiences.

If you go, learn how to down shift your automatic car (google it in advance). It does make a big difference going down in low gear. Do take the break stops if not for your car, do it for your heart rate to come down and for everyone else in the car to take a deep breath and rejoice that they are still alive.

We got lucky and had a clear day for the drive up and at the top…but having climbed it on a clear summer day only to be 100% cloud covered by our summit time, we can attest that the weather can turn quickly at the top, so be prepared for Mother Nature not to reward you with views after your life changing drive.

If you like risk taking and adventure this is 100% for you. If you can’t stomach driving to the grocery store, do everyone a favor and DO NOT attempt the drive.

This was my third time up the mountain via the two-hour guided tour. I would never drive up on my own. Why put your car through it when you can enjoy the view and the excellent information on the way up and down? Even though I've heard the tour script several times, each guide puts their own spin on it with anecdotes and in answering fellow passengers' questions. Our guide Hans was engaging and knowledgeable.

Amazing tour up Mt Washington Auto Road on the snow coach. Gorgeous views, friendly and safe driver, memorable experience! Can’t wait to go back and see it in the spring!

Mark, our auto road tour guide, was exceptional! Best ever! He MADE the tour! Not only was he well- versed in the history, facts, and features of Mt. Washington, he was personable, funny and KIND! He shared personal stories related to Mt. Washington to everyone’s delight! He even went so far as to guide my husband and me (2 old folks) through the museum at the top to make sure we got the most out of our tour! What a guy! Mark deserves accolades for smarts, kindness, and personality plus!

This is truly a scenic drive! While driving to the top of Mt. Washington, we saw at least 3 type climate zones: Fall leaves etc and about 39 degrees; evergreen trees that were small and a bit later covered with ice/snow; and at the top a few inches of snow, windy, and 32 degrees.

We chose to drive straight to the top, then use the pulloff places on the way down. There were a number of places with steep drop-offs, so you just need to be careful. My husband drove our F150 truck, and we had no trouble in the full size 2 lane road. There just was no side burm.

We're glad we made the trip, though it seemed a bit pricey. It it privately owned, which means it's not finally supported by the government. It would be great if the facilities at the top included restrooms and sold hot beverages. It was crowded in there, and most would probably have bought a coffee or hot chocolate.

We enjoyed our ride up Mt. Washington. The view was spectacular. We had a very clear day. Carol was our driver. She was a pleasure to ride with. She was very knowledgeable and gave us a good history on the round trip ride. She also made me feel very comfortable .

This is a great way to get the best experience of Mt Washington. It gives you the opportunity to enjoy the views without worrying about the driving. It was also great to learn from our driver ( Mark) about the different climate zones of the mountain. It was a shame that the weather at the top was awful, but that's all part of the experience. All in all, a great tour.

I booked our trip through the Mt. Washington Auto Road company. And while it seems pricey to pay $45 a person it was well worth it! Our driver was qualified not only to drive this crazy windy ascension but also filled the 30 minutes up and 30 minutes down with interesting information about the ecosystem and history of the mountain. The hour at the top was ours to visit the museum and we lucked out that the sky cleared for at least 70% of the time. I recommend having someone else drive so everyone can appreciate the amazing views with peace of mind.

We took the tour in the can and it was FANTASTIC. Well worth the admission price! Our guide Hans was great. Wealth of knowledge, great driver and so helpful. We will do this again!
Don’t bother driving yourself, it’s only about $10 more for the ride and you’ll be glad you did!

Fun visit, everyone involved was friendly and helpful. So glad we chose not to drive it ourselves, we’d have missed all the history and info from that the driver Carol gave us. You get plenty of time at the summit. Lovely gift shop at the base, museum and bathrooms.

We started the trip in the Red Barn museum as we arrived early it contained a history of the road to the top of the mountain and had a collection of the vehicles used. Very interesting and Pete was around to give a guided tour which was great.

Pete was our driver for the trip up to the summit, he was very knowledgeable and had loads of stories about the mountain. He was very personable and made the trip great.

Take time to visit the museum at the top a good insight into the work done by the guys that stay at the weather station all year round.

Definitely recommend taking this tour.

Exhilarating experience but also something that is not for anxious people!! I do not suffer from anxiety, but I was gripping the steering wheel!! Started out clear, sunny and 70 degrees. At the summit with the wind chill it was 16 degrees with ice on everything!! One person had a dog up there and one couple had a child about one year old. I would not recommend either. Have someone wait in the car with them!! Glad to say we did it, but I wouldn't do it again. Lol

We went and were lucky to have a super clear day. The weather was perfect. We were blessed to have Paul as our tour guide. He was very friendly, funny, and super knowledgeable about the mountain and its history. I know you can drive the mountain yourself, but to me, it was well worth the extra money to have the guide take you. Just made the trip that much more special. Definitely would recommend and we will be doing this again!

Excellent trip, very knowlegable comentary and well worth a visit. Much, much easier than attempting the drive ourselves with the added bonus that we got further up the mountain than the selfe drive cars.

great views and our driver/guide, Mark Santos, was very interesting,informative and entertaining. It was well worth it having someone else do the driving so we could enjoy the scenery all the way up and back. Had lunch at the top which was still priced within the realm of sanity. 5 stars!

We have been up Mount Washington Auto Road before, but never during the winter, via the Coach. Harry gave us a safe, interesting, humorous guided tour through the snow-packed narrow roadway to the top ... and back. We learned a lot about the Presidential Mountains, how the Auto Road was constructed, history, the weather, each other, and him. A 6th-generation nearby Vermonter, Harry clearly loves this area and shared it with us well!

We had a wonderful tour with Paul! He was knowledgeable, kind, and made the trip enjoyable. Because the summit was clouded in, Paul suggested stopping partway down for more clear views and photo opportunities, which ended up being incredible! Highly recommend a tour with Paul!

Mark was our tour guide. He was kind and knowledgeable and funny. I never would have wanted to drive our vehicle on that road, but he made us feel safe! Well worth the money!!

Our guide, Rick, was very informative. Of course the views were amazing. We had plenty of time at the top to do all the things we wanted to do. Well worth the money for the 2 hour guided shuttle tour.

Mark was a fantastic guide. He was very knowledgeable- full of wonderful stories. So thankful that he was driving - not me!!

We took the 2 hour guided tour, very well organized, tourguide was driving carefully and gave us a lot of interesting information. There was not enough time to explore everything on the summit (maybe we should have skipped the visit of the cafeteria...).

To get to the top off Mt Washington you either drive yourself or take a tour and I have to say that the tour is by far the better option. The guides are very well versed in the history and geology of the area, are incredibly adept at driving up and down what is a very precarious road, particularly in bad weather (which is most of the time) and give you plenty of time at the top to visit the museum and enjoy the views. The tour is only $40 more than doing it yourself and I think is very good value for money particularly as it takes the stress our of driving - brakes are an issue if you do this in your own vehicle..!!

We had a great time visiting Mt Washington and our guided tour up the auto road. Our guide Hans was so knowledgeable and was top notch customer service! I would highly recommend this trip! Beautiful views!

The auto road is Dangerous. I made a U-turn a little over 4,000 feet. I was driving solo. If you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks then I suggest you rethink driving up the auto road. The weather can change drastically and you may find yourself in the rain, with major fog, poor visibility, and faced with a possible accident. Read about the fatalities associated with Mount Washington before you go. Some of them involve a heart attack. So please be careful. You would think with all the money they're pulling in from the auto road fee, they would make the road/ride safe. It's a major irresponsibility to have a narrow road with no guard rails. By now, this should have been completed to secure the safety of tourists.

Had an awesome time driving our UTV to the summit and back — highly recommended! Engine braking made the trip down so easy - no stopping to cool brakes needed. What a great way to experience the mountain.

The guided tour up to Mount Washington was gorgeous! Our guide was amazing, the weather was not so perfect, because it was very cold and windy on the top. I would highly recommend the guided tour, do not drive by yourself. We saw many drivers stucked in the middle of the way up or down.

First, the cost. In-season, car and one person is $45. Add a spouse for another $20…. The drive is not easy. Narrow, steep drop-offs and switchbacks. Reminded me of Mt Evans and Pikes Peak in Colorado. That said, driving is the way to go. The cog-railway limits how long you can stay at the top. If you drive, you’re on your schedule. If the weather is so-so, go another day. If you get up there and there’s clouds, wait a minute and it’ll change. If you’re ok with the cost and the hazards of driving, then go!!!

Amazing experience!! This was our second time driving up to the summit. Don't think twice about driving to the summit, DO IT!! The road is well maintained and there are plenty of spots on the road to stop and take in the amazing views, and to let you brakes cool down. Be sure to stop in to the Mt. Washington Auto Road Base Lodge visitor's center and gift shop. The facility is super clean and the staff are very welcoming. Make sure to ask for Nancy and Lucy at the gift shop for wonderful shopping experience.

I read the reviews, especially the one that called this drive a waste of time. This was awesome. And when we finally got to the top, the winds were blasting at more than 50 mph, there was NO visibility and it was freezing. But what a thrill!

Very nice, safe and informative tour. Glad we decided to take this. Rick, our guide and driver was very nice and patient to answer questions, and humorous too. Looking to road conditions, I would advise all to take this tour.

3rd time ive been here and something changed. The staff was really rude. The guy at the base scolded me cause "they prefer cash". Then the gift shop at the top, bottom and across the street was closed. Why would they close at 430 and 5 if people are still up there and coming down? When I mentioned it the next day...we went back for souvenirs...the lady in the gift shop REALLY scolded me...telling me it was my fault that i went up at 4 o'clock. She snapped..."I was open til 5!" Ummm...yea...I was on top of your open mountain at 5. Honestly, she was nasty for no reason whatsoever...I told her it kinda sucked not being able to get souvenirs and we had to come back...for that I got yelled at. She also said I was too uneducated to understand how hard it is to get internet at 6200 feet because I didnt live there...well been to Pikes Peak and Mt Evans...both over 14,000 feet....they got internet up there....not sure why u cant do the same on your little hill in New Hampshire...incompetent perhaps? In case they missed it...most people are there to have a good time not get yelled at by the staff. Its worth the ride up....but avoid contact with staff.

First time visiting Mount Washington. We took the auto road. The price is $39 for the driver and car and $14 for the additional adult passenger. It's expensive. We made it to the top, 1917m 6288ft. The adrenaline started to rise as we climbed up and looked down. It was cold at the top, about -10 degrees and we went last September. You need to bring a coat. Overall it was a nice experience. Even though we couldn't see anything at the top.

Our driver was very congenial and knowledgeable. It was relaxing to have someone with experience driving us up the auto road!
The views on the way up, at the summit and on the way down are awe inspiring. The Presidential range is one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful gifts!

The last time I came was as a kid!

I brought my husband and kids this time.

Be aware that the price goes per person in your car. So you get charged for the driver plus vehicle, and then each additional passenger gets added on.

You can also walk (hike) or bike up on separate paths, too.

There is a gift shop with indoor restrooms on the opposite side of the street.

There's a porta potty and gift shop before you start up the mountain.

Some of the road is divided with markings, but some is not.

There are markings once you reach a new mile.

There are also lots of spots to pull over as you climb and descend the mountain. Most are big enough to hold a few vehicles at least.

There are plenty of spots to take pictures and videos.

There's a huge gift shop at the top of the mountain with lots of great varieties and prices of souvenirs, from stuffed animals to clothes to fridge magnets. Handicap parking section too in another part at the top.

Be careful with your brakes, and sometimes, other drivers will come around the curves on your side. Just go slow. Most times, they weren't going fast and were able to slow down and get back over in plenty of time.

All in all, very fun and a must if you want something different and terrifying.

My family and I live very close in my Washington auto Road. Needless to say we had never gone up the road before. What an excellent experience. We received the total package tour from Bruce Bunnell. He is definitely a great asset to that company. We learn so much, we had lots of fun. He made us laugh, we want to go again. We’re actually planning on doing this snow coach next spring. I highly recommend you asking for Bruce, what a great tour guide. Thank you so much.

This was my husband and my second time on this tour and we thought it would be a great experience for relatives visiting from Italy - who spoke no English. While we translated what we could, Mark, our tour guide, was very attentive to ensure their experience was nothing short of amazing. Even though Mark did not speak Italian, he was able to communicate in a way that ensured they were included and provided a once in a lifetime experience (not only for them, but for us as well). Mark did this while ensuring others on the tour with us were also provided the same level of attentiveness. Not only that, he was training a new employee at the same time! What Mark doesn't know is that our relatives told us after we left that it was a tremendous experience for them and they had no idea such a beautiful part of the world existed. It is something they will remember and treasure for the rest of their lives. Thank you, Mark, for a fantastic experience!

My wife and I had been talking about doing the Mt. Washington Auto Road for a while. We got there early in the morning, so we didn't have to endure a long line. After paying the road toll, we approached a sign warning drivers who might have a fear of heights. I'm thinking, "Duh, it's a mountain. Of course it's high." Well, I wasn't expecting the narrow roads, driving a few feet from ledges or the steep drop-offs at certain areas. However, I concentrated on the road ahead and didn't even bother looking to the sides unless we were pulling into one of the several spots that provided unimaginable views. Once we got to the top, the views were amazing, even if it was a bit cloudy. I should also point out that the weather dropped by a good 20 degrees from the base to the summit.

My wife was generous enough to drive on the way down, allowing me to take in the views that I refused myself to enjoy on the way up!

Ok, I am a middle aged guy, proudly full of 'toxic masculinity,' and I drive a 'lifted' Toyota Tacoma with oversized BF Goodrich Tires. Driving my truck, and wearing my $300 wrap around sunglasses, I must say that I feel like quite the BadA$$...or did before driving up this road.

From the moment I read the poor reviews, until I passed through the entrance gate to read the so-called Warning Sign about being scared of heights, I was more than ready to prove how 'wussified' most other reacted negatively to this experience.

For the first 2,000 feet or so of my easy climb up the mountain, I was thinking to myself, "This road is scary? Puh-leeezzz." As proceeded to exit the lower elevations to finally see over the tops of the trees, my attitude abruptly changed...and not in a good way. I just could NOT believe I was driving on a road where the edge just dropped off. I'm not referring to the edge of a shoulder, but the edge where the white line is, marking the boundary to where a normal shoulder would be.

As I ascended the mountain, I was getting increasingly nervous and thinking, "ok, if I just stay in the middle I will be ok." But it wasn't OK, because other trucks and SUVs started coming down the road, FORCING me even closer to the edge. If things couldn't get worse, the paved portion of the road turned to dirt, where my back wheels started to bounce on the ruts. I immediately threw my truck into 4WD to increase my traction, and it seemed to help.

Thankfully, the road turned back to pavement and I was starting to feel a little better, for about ONE minute. It was at this point the incline not only steepened, but I was forced into some hairpin turns. Making matters worse, my hands became so sweaty, that I felt like I might lose my grip on my steering wheel. When this happened, my wife started asking me if I was going to be OK. Of course, I replied by saying I was a little nervous, while secretly repeating in my head, over and over, "I want my mommy, I want my mommy. Please Jesus, allow us to live!"

Finally, we reached the top and parked the vehicle. I then admitted to my wife that I was unsure if I could make the drive down. She insisted that I "get it together" to regain my confidence, which at this point was ancient history. We did manage to get down the hill, and it wasn't as scary as I expected it (the descent) to be. There are also signs along the way down that tell you to pull over to let your brakes cool. Pay attention to these! My brakes were smoking everytime I pulled over. It's NO joke.

Speaking of NO joke, this climb is as scary as people warn. Many people will state that "it's an accident waiting to happen," but in reality, with only three fatalities in 155 years, it's actually got a better safety record than ANY Interstate. The management there will claim it's due to their focus on safety, but I believe it's actually due to each individual driver's SHEER WILL to survive. It's as simple as that!

How can I best describe this mountain road experience? Imagine you are on the 150th floor of a skyscraper and the only way to get to another room is to step outside a window and walk along the 6" edge until you get to your destination. How does this thought make you feel? Yeah, me too!

I gave this three stars because a) I feel like I overcame an obstacle that I would have otherwise avoided had I known (and believed) how scary it would be, and b) it is pretty cool (no pun) at the summit. We were clouded in, but I felt like I was in Iceland, due to the rocky nature of the surroundings. All told, I'm glad we took this drive. Would I do this again? Absolutely not. I was humbled enough the first time!

Wow! The auto road to the top of Mt Washington did not disappoint!! We were in our motorcycle and what a great experience. Took about 20 minutes each way. Just enough room for one car each way and boy were we close to that edge! Stunning views all the way, cool summit at the top, interesting small museum with details of the mountain. Had a snack bar and restroom at top as well. Tallest summit of the North East.

When you're in the Gorham, NH, area, you have to drive up the auto road to the summit of Mt. Washington. We had a view for half of the way up but as we approached the summit, our visibility was diminished by clouds. Don't let that deter you -- get up there and have your pic taken at the Mt. Washington sign. 71 mph winds-hang on!

Simply WOW!!!!!! Beautiful scenery! Beautiful view! We loved it! Bring your picnic and take the time to breathe and admire the view! This activity is worth a visit! Bring a warm sweater, you will need it at the top!

Great adventure. Driver was knowledgeable and informative. We picked a beautiful day for the trip. Not a cloud in the sky...lucky I know.

I am taking away 1 mark because although we enjoyed the drive up, I felt that it was a little pricey. $67 for 3 adults paid at the gate.
The drive up in beautiful at least for the first 2/3 the way, then its into the clouds you go where you can't see anything past 10ft in front of you, and thats on the drive. Once we were up at the summit, we couldn't see anything in front of us and had no clue where to even walk to because the path was not very obvious. Its was super windy, cold, and the misty clouds made us all feel damp. That said, the drive up is beautiful and its a very interesting thing they do up there with the monitoring of the weather. Too bad we couldn't see anything. This is a common thing on Mt. Washington, its home to the worst weather possible and its nearly always cloudy up there.
But stick around for a little bit because the clouds move in and out pretty quickly and sometimes you can get a few minutes of clarity before the clouds move back in.
So $67 for a beautiful 6.5 mile drive up a skinny road with no guard rails, you can decide if thats a good value for your family.

Absolutely the best. Bill our driver was so knowledgeable about the history and environment of Mount Washington. I think much better the train. But both are worth the time and expense.

Exciting drive to the top.
The view on the drive is spectacular!
At top this day, it was 33 degrees and snowing in our cloud cover.
What is fun to do after you drive up and down is watch the fellow video who holds the record time in the race to the top.

Great views! I must say though, if I paid $65 and only had half a seat with my butt cheek hanging off the van seat, I wouldn't be happy. These vans comfortably seat 7 tops. The last couple in the van had to sit this way even though they weren't told one of them could sit in the passenger seat until I asked for them. Other than that, it was a good ride with a chatty driver.

Such a great experience! Highly recommend adding this tour as part of your White Mountains experience. Our guide, Ray, was fabulous. So Knowledgable and kept it fun and informative. A fun family event to do as a break from skiing.

We have been up the mountain many times, but decided to take the Coach. The driver was awesome and gave us lots of information. Also in our Coach were friends from Switzerland. We figured out that “tree line” is about the same in the alps. I got to ride shotgun and knowing the driver (I’m sorry, I forgot your name 🤦🏻‍♀️) was so experienced I felt very comfortable just enjoying the ride and the views! Mt Washington is something everyone should experience!

Great trip. It is my 2nd trip up mt Washington with this company. We has Claude as a driver. Very funny ,yet informative to the max. Everything was phenomenal

We did this tour w friends. Jeff was our driver. Very friendly and very informative . We got stuck because of icy conditions. Jeff had to back down about 1/2 mile to turn around. Excitement!!! NOT!!! he did a great job . When we got back to base, we were given option of refund or going agsin at another time. We chose to try it later on in the next month or so....we can't wait to try to do this again and make it to the point we were supposed to this time.

We did not climb the mountain but we were served very nicely by Brandie and Martha at the Retail Store. Thank you all so much.

We had a great trip up and down Mount Washington. The price was more than I expected, but everything was neat and clean.

This is excellent but not for the faint hearted. Its 7 miles up to 600Oft. There are warning s if you don't like heights it might not be for you. Its a narrow road just able to fit 2 cars passing but there are a number of sections with shear drops at the side, no barriers. Excellent stop offs if you want to do some easy or very technical walks/treks. Need a good 2 hours just to go up and down

We wanted to visit Mount Washington for a while. and I finally got the chance to do it with my mom. we drove up the auto road which has a beautiful view when you get about 3000 feet. but this is a beautiful road. The mountain was very cold. Like 12 Degrees. But the views are absolutely gorgeous and on a clear day like the day we visited, you could see the atlantic ocean, quebec and maine and other states from the summit. They even have a gift shop,
but only 6 or 5 people can be in at one time.

We decided to use the auto road service because we had two people in our party of eight who were very hesitate about the drive up. We also didn't know if our vehicle would fit the weight restrictions. What a great decision this was! Our driver was Carol. She was very conscientious about the two in our party who were nervous. She went over what she sees in her mirrors versus how close it may seem to us. She told them where to sit in the van. She reassured them throughout the drive up and down. This was a big help! She also told us lot of information about Mt. Washington's history. Even out teenage kids enjoyed the trip. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. There was only 1/16th of a mile visibility at the top, very windy and sleeting. The visitor center at the top has a nice museum and gift shop. The auto road service also gives each person a post card to mail from the post office in the visitor center at the summit. Our postcards arrived by the time we got home! We would do this again if we ever decide to return.

This road is not for the timid or those afraid of heights. It's basically wide enough for two cars to pass. There are no guardrails. At the summit, the views are amazing and worth the white-knuckle drive up. Coming down, one must drive in low gear and utilize turnouts to cool the brakes.This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There's a terrific gift shop at the base of the mountain.

One word: Fabulous!
We took the 2-hour van trip to the top of Mount Washington. Our driver was Paul, who is informative & entertaining.
Save the wear & tear on your car. Relax and enjoy the views. Learn about the area from the driver of the van. Plenty of time to explore the top of the mountain.
Take the Auto Road Tour!!

It always makes a big difference when you have great weather going up to the top of Mt Washington - and we did. No wind and a sunny day with minimal clouds around us.
We have driven up the Auto Road a couple times, but this year we decided to do the 2 hour guided tour with our friends. Our driver and tour guide, Carol, made the trip more entertaining and informative with her non stop stories and info tidbits. She was a great driver making you feel comfortable as she navigated the mountain. We only had six people in the van so lots of room. Highly recommend and it is much easier on you and your car going the guided tour mode and letting the mountain staff do the driving.

We took the Auto Road Tour with Hans and our trip was outstanding! He was knowledgeable and funny. We learned a ton and saw amazing views. I highly recommend taking the tour so you can enjoy the sights while someone else drives.

As locals who have never been to the summit of Mt. Washington, this 2 hour guided tour was a fantastic experience! Our driver, Paul, was not only a skilled driver but also humorous and full of interesting information about the area. He really added to the enjoyment of the trip.
We were lucky with the weather~warm in the valley and no wind at the top, which is rare! It was about 60 degrees at the summit. While the views were a bit limited due to the smoke from the Canadian wildfires, the ride itself and the experience at the highest peak in the Northeast were totally worth it.
Highly recommend letting someone else do the driving~ save your brakes and enjoy the scenery stress-free!

Very unhelpful and not worth it........when checking in we were not told that it may open up.later.....which it did, but as we were in the lodge...were told "too late, when you're through ".... very disappointing and unhelpful considering we'd travelled 6000 miles.....a very commercial driven team

We took the Guided Tour. Couldn't go to the summit because of ice, but Ray made the trip extra special and was a fantastic guide! We will be back to see Ray for another tour in the snow!

A professional driver will make you feel safe and confident as they wind their way up to the summit. We have had two great experiences over the years with drivers explaining the ecosystems and pointing out highlights along the way! Approx an hour is given at the top and that will give you enough chance to see the highlights and given the wind may be all the time you would want. The van was roomy and comfortable and clean. We all thoroughly loved the driver and the round trip.
Plus we didn’t have to worry about ruining our car. ( coming down is really hard on brakes- be sure you know what to do if they overheat on you)
Well worth the money!!

The signs don't lie. If you are afraid of heights or high winds you probably shouldn't drive yourself. Only 4 stars due to weather. Hopefully will do it again when the view is better. But the experience was awesome. I would not recommend doing it with a large SUV or pickup. Road is very narrow and 1000 ft drop offs next to the edge with no guardrail. We ended up in the clouds at about mile 4. Temperature drop was about 20 degrees from bottom to top. Visability dropped to about 20ft. The clouds made it not as scary because you couldn't see how far the drop off was. On the way down we broke out of the cloud deck sooner and you could see how far down it went. The winds at the top were gusting at 64mph and the car was shaking on the narrow road. Always wanted to experience winds that high and it did not disappoint. They were lacking help and most things were closed at the summit. Had to ask for directions to find the steps to the parking lot visibility in the cloud was so bad. That road should be a driver training course for new drivers. You can't make a mistake. I will hopefully get back on a good day but overall the experience was exillerating to say the least.

We took the 2 hr RT guided van tour to the summit of Mt. Washington. Our driver/guide was awesome. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history, geology, geography, and ecology of the mountain. We stopped and got out of the van a various spots to take photos. Our time at the top was 1 hour which is adequate to experience the outside area as well as the museum and gift shop at the summit. There is a place to get some pre packed food/snack to eat at the inside picnic area and there are multiple clean bathrooms. No food was allowed on the van and only water to drink. Having an experienced driver driving was far better than driving own car. I would highly recommend the guided tour. BYW we lucked out with weather…sunny, very little wind, and temperatures in 50s.

I have taken the Snowcoach tour several times over the last several years. The tour was always wonderful and the drivers very knowledgeable.
My One Star Review is based on the outrageous price. They have more than doubled their price. I called this morning and asked to speak with one of their several managers. I was told by the dispatcher that they were all busy. I simply wanted to ask someone in management “how they could justify charging $70. for a one and a half hour tour” for children and adults. I wanted to hear someone in charge explain to me WHY they practice price gouging tourists. Their greed is intentionally excluding the average working class family from experiencing such a wonderful activity. Readers of this review should read some of the past reviews of this company. Specifically the review dated January 189 2017. This review captures the arrogance and greed of the general manager who belittles a customer who is simply seeking a legitimate refund. I’m hoping that the general manager at Snowcoach can explain to me and all who read this message- WHY should it cost a family of four (children 12 and older) nearly $300. for an hour and a half tour? And please don’t blame it on COVID! I’m so tired of hearing businesses blame COVID on their price gouging. The reason is GREED. The story of the family who originally started the tours using the Mount Washington Auto Road is fascinating. They obviously ran it as a lucrative business, but they took great pride in providing families a wonderful experience that was affordable. That PRIDE has been replaced by GREED!

It was a fantastic trip to the top of Mount Washington Mark was a fabulous guide . His knowledge of the history and area made the trip very special. We could have driven to the top but this is the best way to go on your first visit to the top. I can’t say enough about our experience with Mark and Mount Washington Auto Road .
Jim

This is seriously one of the most breathtaking, amazing experiences I have ever had. We took our two dogs up in our SUV and had an amazing time. It takes your breath away, and though a little thrilling times, it’s so worth the trek.

Unbelievable- make sure you go on a clear day. It is costly- you pay for every person in your car so make sure it's worth it. DON'T go if you are afraid of heights- you'll flip. It can be scary. The views are out of this world.

I am deathly afraid of heights, but I'm use to the roads without guardrails because of visiting family in the mountains of Mexico that also have no guardrails. Beautiful drive! Amazed at the Alpine environment and the history surrounding the mountain. I highly recommend this! The worse part are the other guests who do not listen to the signs or are just overly loud for no reason.

trip was great Carol our guide was very knowledge and gave us a lot of interest information.
We had perfect weather and actually got an early

Road up on the coach with Nate. It was a beautiful day, warm( broke the record of 58 degrees that day, Oct 6th). The views were spectacular and Nate was amazing describing the mountain, its weather, landscape and the development of the Auto Road. Interesting info on road maintenance as well.
Safe and careful driver!

Went up to the summit with Hans behind the wheel. Right from the start Hans gave us not just a mere guided tour, but an experience! His knowledge of not only the road itself, but the history of the mountain, it's geology and weather, it's flora, and the events held there made this trip a wonderful learning experience, while his personality and sense of humor puts you at ease, and ensures you will have a lot of fun! We'll be returning in the spring to see the alpine flowers in bloom!

I read how people express their anger about the hiker shuttle service. When hiking Mt Washington planning for oneself safety is top priority. If a person gets to the point where they are going to summit late and depend on someone saving them they should have turned around way beforehand. The shuttle is a service , don't direct your anger towards them for ones bad decisions.

We opted to let someone else do the driving to the top of Mt Washington and so glad we did. It would have been a white knuckle drive for us age 70+ folks with our big car. And Mark gave us a great narrative on the way - highly recommend him. A few years ago, I took the cog train and I much preferred the auto drive. Plus if you take the 9am tour, you beat some of the crowds.

Price to high now. $66 for a car, myself and wife. This will no longer be a yearly event for us if we even come back. Been visiting the mountain for decades. Not happy being told we are paying for the bridge and new toll booth.

This is NOT for the faint of heart or anyone but an experienced driver, with nerves of steel. The first 3 miles or so weren’t too bad and lulls you into feeling this drive isn’t too bad. Wrong. Once you get to 3,000 feet or so, the narrow road (just barely wide enough for two cars to pass), the sheer drops on one side of the road, with NO guardrails, will test your driving skills and your and your passengers nerves. I did get to the top, but not without quite a few “I shouldn’t have done this” moments. A lot of them! After getting back down (just as harrowing as going up), I felt exhilerated. All in all, it’s a thrill of all emotions. Fear, anxiety and pure adrenaline.would I do it again? Absolutely, for the rush.

Although my husband and I have driven up several mountains, we realized it's hard to enjoy the scenery when you're driving up precarious mountain roads. We decided to book the Mount Washington Auto Road guided tour and it was worth it. Our tour guide, Mark, shared the entire history of the mountain while driving up and down and and even walked around with us at the top to give us more info. Would HIGHLY recommend this group.

This was an amazing tour! We took the two hour guided tour, and it was great! It’s a windy mountain rd, and as someone afraid of heights, I’m glad someone else was driving! Our guide shared great info along the route, slowed down or stopped by all the great views and identified different things. I was also nervous an hour would be too much, but we easily could’ve spent multiple hours up there. It was stunning!

We drove ourselves to the summit. Based on a friend's recommendation, I sat in the back seat and didn't always look around as the views are beautiful but the road at times is narrow and a little unnerving. Weather was really good; I would have liked to stayed up at the summit longer but wanted to come down in case the weather changed. Definitely use your lower gear in your car coming down. We did pull over just once on the descent for about a minute, but no issues with the car (rental sedan). We'd do it again...and I'd sit in the back again! :)

The Mt. Washington Auto Road was something I have been wanting to do for years, 50 years ago took the Cog Railroad up to the summit. The plan was for us to drive up the mountain ourselves, but on the advice of fellow guests. We decided to take the van tour up the mountain. Our driver guide Ray was just fantastic. The knowledge of the mountain was great for us and the other explorers in the van. It was a beautiful day on top of the mountain and the temperature was 68 degrees with a clear view of the area. I would recommend this tour to anyone.

Mr. Bruce was an excellent driver, tour guide and historian about the Mount Washington Auto Road. He was interactive with adults and children alike!

I've hiked the mountain a couple of times in the past,can't do that now and love the world above treeline so we booked our tour and off we went up 6000 feet on an 8 mile winding ,steep road.
I can't imagine anything more beautiful.
Marc,our guide on the van tour was fantastic:knowledgeable, funny and great with my friend who needed extra assistance.
Riding through the forested, boreal,krumholtz and into the alpine zone an amazing experience.
Definitely, Definitely recommend going. Never scary; just breathtaking!!

Tho the trip can be pricey..it is well worth while as mark our guide was very good who knew the history of the mountain ..note private road..

It truly is an adventure. We left with sunny warm weather at the bottom, and cloudy freezing weather at the top. The views were wonderful. We did this road about 30 years ago. The difference is people taking selfies. You used to be able to walk to a particular spot and step on a marker indicating the highest point. Now, inspite of a strong wind and cold, you see people hogging up the spot to take selfies and exchange cameras. A shame. But otherwise it was a great trip up and one I would recommend.

It was around $65 for my husband and I to drive up the Mt Washington auto road. I feel like that’s a bit steep (just like the drive!)

It was a cool experience and it was nice that there was a restaurant, museum, and gift shop at the top…. Still not sure it was worth the price

The reason for 4 stars is that is was quite expensive. It was $71 for a family of 4 in a car. It’s a twisty, curvy, steep mountain road and kind of scary. The views, driving up and at the top, are amazing! You see green for miles and miles. There is an audio tour you can listen too that we actually really liked. Due to lack of service, we couldn’t hear it the first mile or two on our descent but then it picked back up. In addition to the Observation Point at the top, there are a couple gift shops, restrooms, vending machines and a small museum. We are happy we did this while in the area.

We took the drive up with Hans as our driver & guide. Very informative and entertaining. Lots of history once up and views. It did get chilly, around 40° once at the Summit. Make sure to see the museum. Really enjoy our 2 hours and not having to drive ourselves up. Roads are VERY narrow and lots of straight drop offs. Do yourself a favor and take the Van tour !!

Hello to all, this was our first trip to the auto road, been up to the top via cog railway.. . I will let you know that if you are a confident driver you will be fine. This isnt driving on ythe highway of a race to reach the top in record speed.

Allot of reviews will give you the impression. that this is dangerous, etc.. it isn't. We drove up in our 22 toyota highlander and had no issues and had enough space to pass, at the half way mark we had a F250 with a lift kit and wide tires pass us on the way up, traffic usually yields for vehicles driving up.. I had no issues. We had some fog but again taking your time you will be good to go!

The weather I'll be diffrent at the higher altitudes so expect it to be cooler and maybe a little foggy. Plan your trip so you are prepared. Summer weather gives less fog, etc especially driving up. Cooler weather may have more fog, etc.. pack a jacket or sweatshirt depending on the time you go.

Finally - Yes there are spots with out guard rails but remember people rolled in horses and buggys going to the top and down to the base, take your time going up and comming down you'll be fine. My wife and daughter took some pretty cool pic's while we were driving! Good luck!!

Unless you want to risk driving to the top and burning out your brakes and/or transmission, take the tour bus. Our driver Kevin was fantastic, full of history and stories. There are no guard rails, so having an experienced driver take us was quite comforting. The trip itself and the top of the mountain was well worth it.

Hans was a great tour guide; I like the added information that is included with your drive up and down. The price is well worth it. I grew up in the area over 40 years ago and have done this trip in personal cars as well. The drive is difficult on the car itself AND the driver cannot enjoy the trip as much because they MUST concentrate on driving safely up and down the mountain; it's no joke! I no longer live in the area and will continue to bring guests back and use the guided tour so that we can all enjoy the experience.

Ray was our tour guide and he was very knowledgeable, funny, relaxed and authentic. He was a great driver too which was a relief! The trip was beautiful and we all agreed that it was WELL worth the extra few dollars to be driven rather than to drive our own car. The summit was cold, so bundle up! But the view was spectacular and the whole experience was just wonderful. Highly recommend! P.S. Don’t skip the museum. It’s small but chock full of cool Mt. Washington history!

We took the guided van tour on 6/28/22 and highly enjoyed it. Our guide/driver was Bruce and make sure you ask for him, if you do it. Wonderful and knowledgeable. He also explained about the safety checks that are done daily on their vans. It's a pretty harrowing and narrow road, so way better to have someone else drive it. It can burn brakes out so you have to know how to drive in a different gear.

Make sure you wear long pants and bring winter jackets to put on. Couldn't believe how many people were unprepared and wore shorts. The wind chill was 29 at the top on the day we went! I chose 2pm so that the temps would be higher and in case there was morning fog that needed to burn off... but fog rolls in, back and forth at the summit. If you can afford it, another option is the Cog Railway.

What a wonderful way to see Mt. Washington. Very knowledgeable. Save the wear and tear of the car and get to see everything!

We took the guided tour with the mini van, Ray was our driver and guide . He shared history and interesting facts about the landscape , as well as involving us in the experience I have driven up to the top before and will tell you it was much more fun going as part of a guided tour .

The people were very helpful with any questions we had. Paul was our guide on the tour as he was simply the best! Very friendly, informative and entertaining! We will definitely be back.

The views of the mountains were absolutely beautiful. Our ride up the mountain as well as down the mountain was amazing, breathtaking, and overall a great adventure. Our driver Jeff was so informative, pleasant, and we were able to ask him question's he answered them all. He did a fantastic job. Our whole group could tell that he enjoys what he does.

I would only go here if the weather was clear and dry. Otherwise you won’t see anything. At the entrance, they let you know the conditions. Also there are areas with steep drop offs and no shoulders. The road is fully paved to the top and most of it is two lanes although there is no shoulder. The bottom 4 miles are just in forest so there is nothing scary there. The top 4 miles are steep without shoulders but fully paved. Be careful of blind curves and go slowly. For some people with fear of heights, it may be a scary drive. At the top, there is a restaurant with reasonably priced food, although a limited selection. There is also a gift shop, small museum and observation deck. Scenery is beautiful on a clear day. You have to drive in low gear on the descent to avoid burning your brakes. Only experienced drivers should do it though. It is cold at the top.

Don’t drive, take the tour. Our guide Mark was unbelievable! Very knowledgeable of the history of the summit and he added personal experiences that we enjoyed tremendously

We were debating whether to drive ourselves up Mt. Washington or take the cog train when we found out about this option. It turned out to be the perfect middle ground and was an easy and enjoyable way to get to the summit. There was another 3-person family on our tour and the 4 of us. We easily fit in the van and our tour guide, Randy, took off for the summit. During the 30 minute ride up, he paused several times so we could enjoy the spectacular views and take pictures (from inside the van, we did not get out). He offered interesting history and other engaging pieces of information. Once at the summit, we had about an hour to look around, hike, take tons of pictures, visit the museum (that comes free with your booking), shop at the gift store, take a restroom break and even grab a quick snack. On the 30 minute ride down, Randy offered more information and pointed out relevant sites and vistas. (I can’t imagine driving up/down the mountain ourselves - there are some seriously steep drop-offs and sharp curves. You would definitely not be able to enjoy the ride because you’d be clutching the steering wheel so tightly!) We all enjoyed this and highly recommend it!

Our trip to Mt. Washington. Beautiful scenery. Guide was very good. An enjoyable experience. Recommend the guided tour.

Our photography summer camp got a special VIP tour and had a terrific experience. The staff was amazing!

My husband and I drove up on a beautiful day, sunny with temperatures in the 80s at the bottom of the mountain. Driving was scary when we met traffic, but it was so worth it! The views were spectacular! Even on such beautiful day, the top of the mountain lived up to its reputation as “the worst weather in the world”, with wind at 42 mph! We highly recommend this excursion if you can handle the winding, steep road with no guard rails. Make sure you have good brakes for the trip down!

The guided Mt Washington Auto Road tour was AMAZING. Our tour guide Paul was knowledgeable, experienced and friendly. It was a smooth trip up and down the mountain with all the awesome views you could imagine. A trip well worth it!

This was a fabulous excursion on our visit to NH. We had the fortune of being guided by Mark. He was an amazing guide; had great stories and his excitement really shines through. He even helped put my fear of heights at ease.

The weather was rainy on the day of my tour and I was the only only one on this trip. Hans was very knowledgeable about the history of the road and the vegetation, climate zones and weather. I had a great time listening to his stories. I was glad for the weather because it gave me a very good idea about how crazy extreme it is at the summit. I didn't take many pictures, but the experience was worth it. I would never drive up this road myself, though I've driven some crazy ones in the western mountains.
This was one more check off my bucket list! I plan to go a couple of more times to check out the weather again and take some pictures. Thanks for the great tour!

Had a truly awesome ride up the mountain yesterday in a 61-year old Morgan. The road is steep, bendy, and narrow but stay calm and in low gear and you'll do just fine. The weather yesterday was perfect and visibility fantastic in all directions. Because of that the road was busy and my biggest problem was big SUVs and trucks slowing down as I was going up to squeeze past each other. It is a narrow road but the views are incredible. Highly recommended--but do check the weather at the summit first.

Sunday Coach ride up with Hans. 1/17. Cloudy, winds, 63 mph @ 4200’
Six of us had a great ride, Hans was knowledgeable with a bit of Auto Road Blarney.
With skiing limited and snowmobile trails not as yet opened, this was a great alternative activity and well worth the trip. Great photos. Recommend.

I was the passenger as my son drove both ways. I had the “experience “ of looking out the passenger side window over the edge of the road straight down the cliff on my side. Stay in your lane and go slowly! The views from the top were well worth it. Absolutely amazing. The gift shop and museum were great as well. Just a warning-if you have any difficulty walking the paths at the summit are rocky and uneven but plenty of walkable surface as well. Also-not cheap-$53 for car and 2 of us to drive up. Do this once!!!!

Amazing experience! We hiked Mt. Washington before and this time we decided to drive to the top since we were on vacation. It is an amazing experience to see how vegetation changes as you climb up and soon you will reach alpine zone! The temperature difference at the top is significant to the bottom so make sure you dress properly. The road is very windy and there is one mile that is gravel. You might run in to a dense fog so be prepared. Going down is tricky as you will see some cars set their brakes on fire! Use the LOWEST gear and use the turnaround areas often to cool down the breaks, engine, and transmission.

Our mountain tour was an incredible experience, but what truly made it unforgettable was Jeff. His knowledge, sense of humor, and genuine care turned a beautiful trip into something extraordinary. We left not only amazed by the scenery but also grateful for the insight and warmth our guide brought to the journey. Highly recommend!

We went on the 8:30 AM stage - early in the day as recommended by our son.
Our 8/10/21 tour was one of the 60 days a year that are crystal clear according to our
driver Peter. We got to the top before the crowds from the cog railway trains arrived -
their arrival was fun to watch, but glad we had the mountain to ourselves for half the time.
Wear proper sturdy footwear to access all viewpoints - not just the viewing platform. Only downside was only one hour on top on this awesome clear morning. One hour might seem
long, however, ifyou were socked in in the clouds.

We did the cog railway 26 years ago. The stage and the train are two very
different experiences. Both have their own highlights. I was glad I had my
jacket however my husband and most others were in shirtsleeves. After a bit I
too was in shirtsleeves as you can get your exercise with all the viewpoints and
museum to take in.

Tip; $5 senior discount and also another $5 each off offered from several lodgings in
the Jackson area.

The auto road and the narrator enhances your experience and is not to be missed Paul P was an excellent guide and filled Us in on many many details that we wouldn't have got otherwise the road is very difficult and people do freeze up on it so it's not worth the extra effort to drive it yourself Plus it's really not all that safe except for expert drivers like Paul p

We were dropping my son and his friend off at the top of the mountain to continue hiking the Appalachian Trail. He drove the car up. As we were nearing the top, my stomach was doing flips! I was terrified to drive down. I talked to one of the tour bus drivers and he radioed that I needed someone to drive me down. KIERAN came to our rescue! He drove the car down and chatted all the way. Super nice and super friendly. It was an excellent trip down! They charge $35 for a drive down and it was well worth it. We also tipped Kieran well. :-) Thank you Kieran!
Next time I go, I'm taking the tour van!!

We headed up this road the first day it opened for the season. PLEASE heed the information at the bottom -- if you're not into heights, this could really stress you out. Also - the temperature drop is for real. It went from 48 degrees at the bottom (already chilly for a May day) to just 28 with gusting winds at the top. Also, they will give you a heads up about visibility. This drive is not cheap with a family -- I think we paid 70+ dollars. Do you really want to spend the $$ to have no view? We crazily decided to go up although we were told "visibility was 100 feet." Fortunately for us, things worked out as they sometimes do. The views going up were still out of the clouds and amazing. The top was indeed immersed in clouds. Would if have been worth it if they had stayed that way? I'm not sure. But somehow they shifted after a half-hour and a view appeared that was magical. It's true the weather really CAN change on the drop of a time, good or bad. I gave it 4 stars for the cost and nervousness driving on a road that is sometimes very narrow (and close-to drop offs) if you have a car in the opposite lane. But if you get a nice day (or even some breaks in the clouds), it's absolutely worth it !!

We had an enjoyable and educational tour on the Mount Washington Auto Road. Our guide, Ray, was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable of the mountain and the area. We enjoyed his sence of humor. We would recommend the tour. Easier than driving your own vehicle. Great experience.