Touring Boston
This city invented the American history tour — there’s a red brick line on the sidewalk to prove it. Here’s every way to tour Boston: on foot, on the water, on a WWII landing craft, and free.
Pick your tour
Boston is compact enough that most tours start within a block of a T stop — and half the best ones are walks you can start whenever you like.
The Freedom Trail
The classic · since 1951
Two and a half miles of red brick line connecting 16 official sites, from Boston Common through the North End to Bunker Hill. Walk it free and self-guided, or join the costumed 18th-century guides who leave from the Common — the theatrical version of the same route.
Duck boats
Streets + the Charles · since 1994
The amphibious WWII-style landing craft that roll past the sights, then drive straight into the Charles River for the skyline float. Loud, beloved, and the vehicle of choice for championship parades. Seasonal — roughly spring through fall — with several departure points around town.
Harbor cruises & whale watching
From Long Wharf · seasonal
Sightseeing loops, sunset sails, and high-speed catamarans out to Stellwagen Bank, the federal marine sanctuary where the whales feed. Humpbacks in season, skyline both ways. Dress warmer than the forecast says — it’s colder on the water.
Fenway Park tours
America’s oldest ballpark · 1912
The ballpark tour runs year-round, game day or not — the Green Monster, the manual scoreboard, the lone red seat in the right-field bleachers. For many visitors this is the best hour in Boston, even if they couldn’t name a single player.
Walking tours
The city at eye level
Boston By Foot’s volunteer guides have run architecture and history walks since 1976; the North End’s food tours eat their way through the old Italian neighborhood; and lantern-lit graveyard tours work the colonial burying grounds after dark.
The Black Heritage Trail
Beacon Hill · free
The north slope of Beacon Hill was the heart of Boston’s free Black community in the decades before the Civil War. The trail links its homes, schools, and meeting houses — walk it self-guided any day, or join the National Park Service’s ranger-led walks in season.
Trolley loops
Hop-on, hop-off
The narrated trolley loops circle the major sights all day — the first-timer’s move when you want the lay of the land without planning a route, or when someone in the group would rather ride than walk. Board at any stop on the loop.
Campus tours
Across the river
Harvard’s student-led tours of the Yard leave from Harvard Square and come with three and a half centuries of stories; MIT’s campus is a self-guided walk through public art and famous corridors. Both pair well with a bookstore afternoon in the Square.
The ones you can’t do anywhere else
- Swan Boats · since 1877The pedal-powered swans have circled the Public Garden lagoon for nearly 150 years — the same family has run them from the start. Fifteen unhurried minutes, warmer months only.
- USS Constitution“Old Ironsides,” the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, is free to board at the Charlestown Navy Yard — active-duty Navy sailors give the tours. The museum next door is the full story. Charlestown guide →
- Make Way for Ducklings walkThe bronze ducklings in the Public Garden are the finish line of Boston’s best family stroll: retrace Mrs. Mallard’s route from the book, then ride the swans.
- Boston Public Library toursFree art-and-architecture tours of the 1895 McKim building — murals by Sargent, a courtyard out of an Italian palazzo, and the most beautiful reading room in America. Back Bay guide →
- The HarborWalkMiles of continuous public path along the water’s edge, from the North End wharves through the Seaport — the free self-guided waterfront tour. Seaport guide →
Know before you go
- Seasons matter on the water: duck boats, harbor cruises, and whale watches run roughly spring through fall — exact dates shift year to year. Fenway, trolley, library, and most walking tours run year-round.
- Summer weekends sell out: the famous ones — duck boats especially — are worth booking ahead in July and August. Walking tours and the free trails need no reservation at all.
- Take the T to the start: every tour above begins within a couple of blocks of a station. Check live T status before you head out.
- One-off tours land in the calendar: open houses, hard-hat tours, and special walks show up in our events calendar and This Weekend all year.
The Explore Boston newsletter
See the city like you live here
Every morning at 6:30, the Explore Boston daily covers the city’s news, events, and weekends — special tours and open houses included. Free, seven mornings a week.
Join 7,500+ Bostonians · one short email a day · unsubscribe anytime