Boston, United States: travel guide
New England's Revolutionary capital, where the Freedom Trail links Boston Common — the nation's first public park, 1634 — to the Italian North End; Harvard and MIT sit across the Charles in Cambridge.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
- Country
- United States
- Currency
- USD
- Time zone
- America/New_York
- Nearest airport
- BOS
Top places to visit in Boston
Fenway Park
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 1.5 h · entry USD 25
The oldest active Major League Baseball stadium (1912), home of the Boston Red Sox, famous for the "Green Monster" left-field wall. Guided tours run daily.
Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h
Historic 1742 meeting hall known as the "Cradle of Liberty," adjoined by the bustling Quincy Market food hall and surrounding shops and street performers.
Boston Common
Nature · 4.7 rating · about 1 h
The oldest public park in the United States (1634), a 50-acre green at the start of the Freedom Trail with the Frog Pond, monuments and seasonal events.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum · 4.8 rating · about 3 h · entry USD 27
One of the largest art museums in the US, with over 450,000 works spanning ancient Egyptian, Asian, European and American collections.
Freedom Trail
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 3 h
A 2.5-mile red-brick walking route through downtown Boston linking 16 historically significant Revolutionary-era sites, from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument.
New England Aquarium
Wildlife · 4.6 rating · about 2.5 h · entry USD 35
Waterfront aquarium centered on a four-story Giant Ocean Tank Caribbean coral reef, with penguins, seals and an IMAX theater.
Harvard University
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 2 h
The oldest US university (1636) in Cambridge; stroll historic Harvard Yard, see the John Harvard statue and visit the Harvard Art Museums and natural history collections.
Public Garden
Nature · 4.8 rating · about 1 h
America's first public botanical garden (1837), famed for its Swan Boats, lagoon, the Make Way for Ducklings statues and Victorian plantings.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h
World-renowned science and engineering university along the Charles River, known for its bold modern architecture, the Great Dome and the MIT Museum.
Newbury Street
Market · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h
Back Bay's premier shopping and dining promenade, eight blocks of brownstone storefronts with boutiques, galleries and sidewalk cafes.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Museum · 4.8 rating · about 2 h · entry USD 21
A Venetian-style palazzo housing the personal collection of Isabella Stewart Gardner, arranged around a glass-roofed garden courtyard; site of a famous 1990 art heist.
Boston Public Library
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1 h
The first large free municipal library in the US (1848); the McKim Building is a Renaissance-Revival landmark with the Bates Hall reading room and a courtyard.
Things to do
- Freedom Trail Walking Tour Walking Tour · 1.5 h · from USD 35 per person
- Boston Duck Tour Sightseeing Tour · 1.3 h · from USD 53 per person
- Boston Harbor Whale Watch Boat · 3.5 h · from USD 75 per person
- Fenway Park Guided Tour Guided Tour · 1 h · from USD 25 per person
- Boston Harbor Sightseeing Cruise Boat · 1.5 h · from USD 38 per person
- North End Italian Food Tour Food Tour · 3 h · from USD 75 per person
- Harvard & Cambridge Walking Tour Walking Tour · 1.3 h · from USD 18 per person
- Boston Bike Tour Cycling · 2.5 h · from USD 55 per person
Day trips and tours
- Salem Witch Trials Day Trip 7 h · from USD 95
- Cape Cod & Provincetown Day Tour 10 h · from USD 130
- Lexington & Concord Revolution Tour 6 h · from USD 90
- Plymouth & Plimoth Patuxet Day Trip 8 h · from USD 110
Where to stay in Boston
- Back Bay about USD 320 per night
Elegant Victorian brownstone district with upscale shopping on Newbury Street, walkable to most sights and well connected by the T.
- Beacon Hill about USD 330 per night
Historic gas-lamp-lit neighborhood with cobblestone streets, charming and central but pricey and short on large hotels.
- Downtown / Freedom Trail about USD 290 per night
Right on the Freedom Trail near Faneuil Hall; central for sightseeing with a mix of business hotels, can be quiet at night.
- Seaport about USD 300 per night
Modern waterfront district with new hotels, restaurants and harbor views; trendy but a bit removed from historic core.
- Fenway about USD 230 per night
Lively area around Fenway Park and the museums; good value, great for nightlife and baseball, slightly farther from downtown.
Hotels
- Four Seasons Hotel Boston 5-star · USD 600 to USD 1,200 per night
- The Liberty, a Luxury Collection Hotel 5-star · USD 450 to USD 900 per night
- The Lenox Hotel 4-star · USD 300 to USD 550 per night
- The Verb Hotel 4-star · USD 220 to USD 420 per night
- Boston Marriott Long Wharf 4-star · USD 280 to USD 500 per night
- HI Boston Hostel 2-star · USD 50 to USD 160 per night
Where to eat
- Mike's Pastry Bakery, Italian, Dessert · about USD 12 per person
- Quincy Market Colonnade American, Food Hall, New England · about USD 18 per person
- Union Oyster House Seafood, American, New England · about USD 45 per person
- Regina Pizzeria Italian, Pizza · about USD 20 per person
- Giacomo's Ristorante Italian, Southern Italian · about USD 40 per person
- Legal Sea Foods (Harborside) Seafood, New England · about USD 45 per person
- Neptune Oyster Seafood, Raw Bar · about USD 75 per person
- Atlantic Fish Company Seafood, American · about USD 50 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Metro main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Ride Hail main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
Fake tour & ticket touts
Faneuil Hall, Boston Common, near Duck Tour stops
Touts sell "discount" duck tour, trolley or harbor-cruise tickets that are counterfeit or for non-existent departures, then disappear.
How to avoid it: Buy only from official operators' booths, websites or apps. Verify the company name and never pay cash to a street seller for a "deal".
Three-card monte / shell game
Tourist areas near Faneuil Hall and Downtown Crossing
A street dealer runs a fast card or cup-and-ball game with planted "winners" to lure bets; the game is rigged and you cannot win.
How to avoid it: Never play street gambling games — they are always a scam and often involve pickpocket accomplices in the crowd.
Airport taxi overcharging
Logan International Airport (BOS)
Some drivers quote a flat inflated fare, claim the meter is broken, or take long routes through tunnels to run up tolls from arriving tourists.
How to avoid it: Insist on the meter, use the official taxi queue, or book Uber/Lyft. Downtown should be roughly $25-45 including the tunnel toll and airport fee.
Aggressive street "donation" or CD hustle
Quincy Market, Newbury Street
Someone hands you a CD, bracelet or flyer "for free," then demands a donation or payment once it is in your hand.
How to avoid it: Do not accept unsolicited items. A firm "no thank you" and walking on is enough.
Overpriced pedicab rides
Faneuil Hall, North End, around Fenway on game nights
Pedicab drivers quote a low "per person" rate but charge per minute or per block, ending in a surprisingly large fare.
How to avoid it: Agree on the total price in writing/clearly before getting in, and confirm whether it is per person or total.