Boston, the capital and largest city of Massachusetts, is a truly unique location where past and present blend together, between futuristic, modern skyscrapers and older buildings. Located in Massachusetts Bay, it also includes several small islands and is a destination for everyone: there are all kinds of attractions, lots of things to do and see. It deserves at least 3 full days!
So let's find out together what to see in Boston, the best attractions and things to do!
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What to see in Boston
1 - The Freedom Trail
Photo by Adavyd. Once you arrive in Boston, the first thing to do is definitely to walk The Freedom Trail! It is about 4 km long and runs through the entire city centre, which is why it will give you a first approach to the city!
Following it is really very easy: the inside of the trail is traced by red bricks and touches some of Boston's most important spots! It starts at the Visitor Information Centre in Boston Common Park and goes all the way to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. In between, there are 16 monuments and streets, of which the most famous and not-to-be-missed are the State House, Park Street Church, the statue of Ben Franklin, the Old State House (Boston's oldest building), the Boston Massacre and Faneuil Hall.
The route is easily accessible on foot from any point in the city, but we recommend you start at the starting point, the Visitor Information Centre at Boston Common Park, Park Street (Red Line) underground station - Get directions
Walkit with a guide: the Freedom Trail is really a place full of history and curiosities to discover! For this reason, we recommend that you walk it with a local guide. Info and costs here
2 - Downtown Boston and City Hall Plaza
Downtown Boston is the heart of the city! Here you will find numerous monuments, as well as several stops on the Freedom Trail. It can be discovered very well on foot, as it is cosy and characterised by beautiful views! Its beating heart is City Hall Plaza, a large square with important buildings, such as Boston City Hall and the John F. Kennedy Federal Building.
It also includes the Waterfront district, located on the waterfront, the ideal place to stroll around, perhaps at sunset, admiring the city skyline! It is also home to the Long Warf, an area where ferries and boat trips depart.
Downtown Boston stretches from the Waterfront to the opposite bank, near the West End. The neighbourhood is easy to discover on foot. Metro stops are Haymarket (Orange Line) to City Hall and Aquarium to the Waterfront (Blue Line) - Get directions
Admire Downtown from the sea: for the best view of the city and especially the Downtown district, we recommend enjoying a wonderful boat ride on the harbour! Info and costs here
3 - Boston Public Garden
The Boston Public Garden is the oldest garden in the city and is located right next to the Boston Common, another wonderful green area! It is a great place to relax from the city traffic and also to spend a quiet half-day!
There are so many things to do here! From spring you can take a little boat, the Swan Boats, to sail on the lake, while in winter, due to the cold weather, the lake itself becomes a skating rink! You can then stroll along the paths and discover all the statues in the park, such as the amusing Make Way for Ducklings, a sculpture of a mother duck followed by her ducklings. But the main statue is the George Washington Statue, located in a beautiful setting, with skyscrapers in the background!
The park is located along Charles Street. Easily accessible on foot from the Charles River Esplanade (850 m, 10 min). Arlington Reference Stop (tram lines B, C, D and E) - Get directions
Have a drink at Cheers Boston: formerly the Bull & Finch Pub, it's one of the city's most famous venues, where you can also meet several celebrities. It is located right across the street from the park and became famous for inspiring the TV show Cheers.
4 - Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market
Photo by Ajay Suresh. In Downtown, you can also start getting to know the local specialities and go shopping! Here you will find the wonderful Sala Faneuil. This is a shopping centre with many shops and restaurants, which includes 3 historic market buildings and is located along the aforementioned Freedom Trail.
Themost famous building in the complex is undoubtedly the Quincy Market, an old market built between 1824 and 1926, named in honour of Mayor Josiah Quincy, who organised its construction without any taxes or debts! From the outside you will immediately be drawn to its imposing, almost neoclassical structure, and wait until you see the inside! This is the right place to stop for lunch!
Directions: 4 S Market St, Downtown Boston. Easy walk to Old State House (280 m, 4 min). Reference stop Aquarium (Blue Line) - Get directions
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 11am-7pm
Ticket price: free
5 - North End and Old North Church
Photo by bynyalcin. When discovering Boston's many neighbourhoods, you can't miss the North End, north of Downtown. Here you will breathe in the air of home: in fact, you will find yourself walking through Boston's Little Italy! The area is full of restaurants, cafés, pastry shops and traditional Italian grocery shops, especially along lively Hanover Street.
It is also home to some of the oldest buildings in all of Boston, as well as several historic sites that are part of the Freedom Trail. Among them is the Old North Church, a site that played a crucial role at the start of the Revolutionary War!
North End is north of Downtown, the Old North Church is located at 193 Salem St. Easy walking distance from Quincy Market (850 m, 11 min). Reference stop North Station (Orange Line) - Get directions
Discover North End and its culinary side: as it is the Italian district, much larger than in New York, you will feel like you are in Italy for a moment! Enjoy a little bit of the atmosphere of home on a guided pizza tasting tour! Info and costs here
6 - The Paul Revere House
Photo by Beyond My Ken. We stay in the North End for another stop on the Freedom Trail. This time we stop at The Paul Revere House, built in 1680. It stands out immediately, as it is older than many of the buildings here, but American history was made here! It is therefore an absolute must-see.
This was in fact the colonial home of American patriot Paul Revere, a hero during the period of the American Revolution! It was in fact he, back on 18 April 1775, who warned the rebels that the British were coming to Lexington and Concord! Today it has been turned into a museum, giving everyone the chance to learn about the events of the revolution and the hero. Since 1961 the house has also become a National Historic Landmark!
Take a picture withPaul Revere: and after knowing all about his history, you can't help but take a picture with him! His statue is located in Paul Revere Mall, near the Old North Church.
How to get there: 19 N Square in the North End. Easy walking distance from Quincy Market (500 m, 6 min). Reference stop North Station (Orange Line) - Get directions
Hours: mid-April to October 9:30am-5:15pm, November to mid-April 9:30am-4:15pm
Ticket price: full $6.00 (€5.00), concessions $1.00 (€0.80)
7 - Back Bay and Prudential Center
Photo by Arnab Majumdar. Back Bay is another wonderful neighbourhood not to be missed in Boston! Located west of Downtown, overlooking the banks of the Charles River with the beautiful Charles River Esplanade, this is theexclusive neighbourhood known for its shopping and restaurants. One of the most popular streets for tourists and locals alike is undoubtedly Newbury Street, home to fashion boutiques, art galleries and outdoor cafés housed in elegant brick mansions. A stroll down the tree-lined avenue of Parisian-style Commonwealth Avenue is also a must.
And between visits, stop off at the Prudential Center, the world-famous shopping mall housed inside the Prudential Tower. The main attraction of the complex is definitely the Skywalk Observatory, the observation deck from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the whole of Boston!
Enjoy the best view of Boston: as one of the tallest buildings, the view is marvellous! We recommend that you reach the terrace at sunset, so you can also see Boston illuminated!
How to get there: 800 Boylston St, in the Back Bay. Easy walking distance to Boston Public Garden (900 m, 12 min). Reference stop Back Bay (Orange Line) - Get directions
Hours: Back Bay / Prudential Center Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 11am-7pm / Skywalk Observatory daily 10am-10pm
Ticket price: Back Bay and Prudential Center free / Skywalk Observatory full $21.00 (€17.30), concessions $15.00 (€12.40)
8 - Museum of Fine Art Boston
Photo by Omar David Sandoval Sida. Art lovers or not, you definitely cannot miss a visit to the Museum of Fine Art Boston(MFA), one of the largest museums in the United States of America! It is located further away from the city centre, in the university district, between Northeastern University and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Renovated just a few years ago, it has more than 450,000 works of art inside, making it one of the most comprehensive on the American continent. It ranges from the wonders of ancient Egypt to contemporary America, including Japan, with the largest collection of Japanese art outside the country.
Directions: 465 Huntington Ave, Northeastern University. Easy walking distance to Isabella Stewart-Gardner Museum (550 m, 7 min). Reference stop Museum of Fine Arts (Line E) -Get directions
Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, Mon-Mon closed
Admission fee: $25.00 (€20.60), under 17 free. For temporary exhibitions varying costs, see official website
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9 - Isabella Stewart-Gardner Museum
Photo by King of Hearts. After visiting the Museum of Fine Art Boston, you certainly can't miss the wonderful Isabella Stewart-Gardner Museum. Also located in the university district, it is surrounded by the private Simmons University, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the Wentworth Institute of Technology. It is an art museum reminiscent of a 15th-century Venetian palace, truly incredible! It is worth a visit if only for the beautiful building.
Inside is a world-famous art collection that belonged to Isabella Stewart Gardner, who commissioned architect Willard T. Sears to design this wonderful house-museum specifically to house her many collections of European and Asian art.
Enjoy the neighbourhood: after your visit, enjoy a walk around the neighbourhood. It's an area full of clubs and life and within walking distance is also the legendary Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.
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Directions: 25 Evans Way, Northeastern University. Easy walking distance to the Museum of Fine Art Boston (550 m, 7 min). Reference stop Museum of Fine Arts (line E) - Get directions
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, Tue closed
Ticket price: full $20.00 (€16.50), concessions $13.00 (€10.70)
10 - Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
Photo by Bob Linsdell. And as a final museum, we propose one that is particularly suitable for children! We're talking about the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the perfect place to learn about American history!
It is in fact a floating historical museum with live re-enactments, where you can immerse yourself in multimedia exhibits and relax in the tea room. The highlight is the faithful reproduction of the ship that in 1773 carried the cargo of tea that was thrown overboard by a group of Bostonians disguised as Indians in protest against the Mother Country, England. This event went down in history as one of the most significant in the escalation that led to the battle for American independence.
Join the interactive tour: remember the events of the 1773 Boston Tea Party protest and relive the battle and events with real actors and 3D holograms! Info and costs here
Directions: 306 Congress St, sil Fort Point Channel. Easy walk to Quincy Market (1.2 km, 15 min). Reference stop South Station (Red Line) - Get directions
Hours: Thu-Sun 10am-4pm
Ticket price: Full $29.95 (€24.80), Concessions $21.95 (€18.15)
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11 - Cambridge and Harvard
Photo by Rizka. It is impossible to go to Boston without going to Cambridge, a place very close to the city, which is now part of the suburbs. But why is this location so famous? It is home to Harvard University, one of the most prestigious universities in the world! Just the one you hear about in so many American films and TV series! Here you can visit the campus, without of course interfering with lectures and the private spaces of professors and students, and for a moment experience that wonderful atmosphere of American colleges, perhaps strolling throughHarvard Yard with a takeaway coffee in hand.
Also in the university complex is theHarvard Museum of Natural History, a natural history museum housed in theUniversity Museum Building. Here you can admire various collections focusing on the world and human nature, ideal to visit even with the little ones!
Discover it with a student: What could be better than discovering a university directly with a student who lives it every day? Let them accompany you on a discovery tour of all its secrets! Info and costs here
How to get there: Cambridge 7 km north of Boston. Harvard in. Reachable by car via I-90 E (10 min) or by direct metro Red Line from South Station to Harvard (10 min) - Get directions
Timetable: Cambridge always accessible / Harvard consult official website / The Harvard Museum of Natural History daily 9am-5pm
Ticket cost: Cambridge free / Harvard check official website / The Harvard Museum of Natural History full $15.00 (€12.40), concessions $10.00 (€8.20)
12 - Boston Harbor Islands State Park
If you want to spend half a day between nature and the sea after your many visits to the city, then you don't have to go far! In Massachusetts Bay you'll find Boston Harbor Islands State Park, a great place to hike, swim and even sleep under the stars if you have time to spare!
This natural area consists of some 34 small islands, all located between the historic New England harbour and the bay. These are true hidden gems, all easily accessible by ferry from Long Wharf. The most famous are Long Island, where the lighthouse is located, and Georges Island, where Fort Warren, a former American Civil War fort, is situated. But each little island has its own characteristics, some even ideal for relaxing and swimming!
The islands are located in Massachusetts Bay and are easily reached by ferry from Boston's Long Wharf (45 min) - Get directions
Plan your visit: to visit several of the islands you will need to travel by ferry. The service is offered by the Massachusetts BayTransportation Authority, which manages all transport in Boston. You can check routes, timetables and various info on the official website.
13 - Salem
Perhaps the name will sound familiar! And no, we're not talking about Salem, Sabrina's cat in the hugely popular 90s TV series Sabrina's Bewitched. Although there is a 'magical' connection: we are talking about the famous witch town, located right in the state of Massachusetts, overlooking the sea!
The town became famous for the tragic witchcraft trial, the bloodiest in history, back in 1692. And today here you can learn more about the events that led to the arrest of nearly 200 people, mostly women, accused of being witches. Many of the city's attractions revolve around this very theme. In addition to strolling through the streets of Salem, we recommend a visit to The Witch House at Salem, a historic house with exhibits about life in the 17th century and the witch trials. If you have enough time, we recommend a visit to the Salem Witch Museum (we recommend buying your ticket online).
Getting there: 40 km north of Boston. Easily accessible by car via I-93 N and I-95 N (40 min). Alternatively, direct Newburyport/Rockport Line train from North Station to Salem (31 min, 5 stops) - Get directions
Timetable: Salem always accessible / The Witch House at Salem generally 10am-4pm, varying hours, see official website / Salem Witch Museum year-round 10am-5pm, July and August until 7pm
Costs: Salem free / The Witch House at Salem $9.00 (€7.40) / Salem Witch Museum general $15.00 (€12.30), concessions $12.00 (€9.90)
What to see in a day
The city is easy to visit on foot, thanks mainly to the Freedom Trail, a 4 km long path through the city centre. Along the way, you will encounter no less than 16 points of interest significant to US history, especially the War of Independence. Most of these attractions, moreover, are free admission or free offerings. Obviously, some sacrifices will have to be made on a single day.
If the city is a stop on your US tour, here is the Boston in a Day itinerary.
First time in Boston? To make the most of your time and get a first impression of the city, we recommend booking a private tour with a local or a Hop-On Hop-Off tram tour in Old Town.
09:00 - Quincy Market
10:00 - Old State House and Old South Meeting House
11:00 - Old City Hall
12:00 - Granary Burying Ground
13:00 - Boston Common
14:30 - Massachusetts State House
16:00 - Old North Church and Paul Revere House
18:00 - Boston Sunset Cruise (sunset cruises, info and prices here)
Other attractions to visit
If you have more time available, there are other attractions worth visiting.
As far as museums are concerned, we recommend The Institute of Contemporary Art ($15.00/€12.40), featuring contemporary art, and the Museum of Science ($29.00/€24.00), dedicated to science.
Strolling around the city, be sure to stop at the wonderful Boston Public Library, lose yourself in the streets of Chinatown, and take in Beacon Hill, one of the city's most picturesque areas.
If you're travelling with children, be sure to visit the Boston Children's Museum ($18.00/€14.90), one of America's oldest children's museums, the New England Aquarium ($32.00/€26.50), located on Long Wharf, and the Franklin Park Zoo ($10.95/€9.00), further out of town.
10 things to do in Boston
1 - Take the historic tram
In Boston you'll find a historic tram line, which takes you all around the city center, impossible not to get on it! Info and costs here
2 - Attending a game at Fenway Park
The stadium is the historic home of the Boston Red Sox, a Major League Baseball team. Check the game schedule, it's an incredible experience
3 - See the city from Fan Pier Park
This is the best spot from which to admire the Boston skyline! Don't miss it at night, with all the skyscrapers lit up
4 - Stroll along the Charles River Esplanade
Hand in hand with your sweetheart, stroll along this riverfront boulevard, wonderful at sunset
5 - Buy a book at Brattle Book Shop
This is a true institution in the city, a book lover's paradise! Here you will find books even for $1.00, and they are all second-hand books, arranged on three floors. A stop here is a must
6 - Sunset cruise
To admire the city, we recommend taking a sunset cruise! An absolutely romantic experience. Info and costs here
7 - Discover the culinary side
Discover the city's traditional recipes while strolling through its most important monuments! Info and costs here
8 - Taste the famous lobster
Speaking of food, it's impossible to come to Boston without eating its world-famous lobster! From street food, with the lobster sandwich, to more elaborate dishes eaten seated in a restaurant
9 - Taste the Boston Beer Company's beer
Named after Samuel Adams, a well-known American patriot. It is one of the most famous beers in the United States and here you can visit the brewery
10 - Discover Boston's dark side
The city is full of ghost stories and ancient legends! You can discover its eerie history through the spookiest sites! Info and costs here
Getting around the city
Boston, despite being a large American city, is perfect for exploring on foot! The main attractions, including the famous Freedom Trail, are located in Boston Downtown. For a first approach to the city, we recommend taking part in a guided walking tour. Cycling, which is popular with locals, is also an excellent alternative.
As far as transport is concerned, the best option is the metro, which is fast and punctual, while buses can suffer from city traffic. We recommend you get a CharlieCard, a rechargeable card to use on the metro and buses, which is very convenient. Taxis are expensive, so we recommend that you only use them at night when public transport is not running. For a sightseeing tour, we recommend instead the tourist tram, which is also ideal for getting acclimatized, as it runs all around the historical center. And, being on the water, a boat tour in the harbor is a must, to see the city from a different perspective!
Recommended solutions and means of transport: on foot, bicycle, metro, tourist tram, uber (at night)
Recommended solutions and means of transport not recommended: car, taxi
Recommended city cards and passes: CharlieCard (rechargeable - see details), Day Pass (from $12.50/€10.30)
Plan your stay in Boston: tips, flights and hotels
Boston is served by Boston Logan International Airport, a few kilometers from the city center (compare flights). From Italy, there is at least one stopover. The best time to visit is from April to October, for the mild temperatures and the many festivals, but in general, there is no period not recommended. It is an expensive destination, like all American cities! To save money, we recommend purchasing the Go Boston Pass!
If you're looking for budget-friendly accommodations without compromising on comfort, consider staying in a motel in Boston. Motels offer convenient locations and affordable rates, making them an excellent choice for travelers on a budget. Motels in Boston on choosebostonhotel.com provides a comprehensive listing, ensuring you find the ideal option that suits your preferences and budget. Experience the city's vibrant atmosphere while enjoying comfortable and wallet-friendly accommodations.
For accommodation, we recommend staying Downtown (compare accommodation on booking), a central area well served by the metro! Staying here you can also get around on foot, as the main attractions are all close by! As for the nightlife, this is mainly in the sports bars, given the city's connection with sports, while trendy clubs and discos can be found in the Back Bay area.
If you are traveling as a family, you can't miss a tram ride and sailing tour, as well as a visit to the Boston Children's Museum and the New England Aquarium!
