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Things to do guide

The best things to do in Boston

Updated 1 October 2026 · 17 things to do

Pictured: Mandarin Oriental Boston

Boston is where the United States began, and it never stops reminding you. Brick sidewalks lead past graveyards where revolutionaries are buried, 18th-century meeting houses sit beside glass towers, and the whole city is small enough to cross on foot in an afternoon.

It's also a student town, a sports town and a serious food town. Walk the Freedom Trail in the morning, eat a bowl of clam chowder for lunch, take in a world-class museum or a ball game in the afternoon, and finish with a plate of pasta in the North End.

Don't miss

  1. 1The Freedom Trail
  2. 2Beacon Hill
  3. 3Fenway Park
  4. 4Harvard Yard and Cambridge
  5. 5Salem

History on foot

The birthplace of the American Revolution, laid out for walking.

  1. The Freedom Trail

    Landmark

    A stretch of the red-brick Freedom Trail in Boston
    Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0

    A red line on the pavement, about two and a half miles long, leads you through 16 sites from Boston Common to Charlestown, taking in the Old State House, the site of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere's house and Old North Church. It's the easiest way to see the city, and there's no way to get lost.

    Tip: Do it in sections rather than all at once, and follow the red line or bricks.

  2. Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

    Museum

    Tea Wharf at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
    Photo: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Climb aboard replica 18th-century ships moored beside the waterfront and join the story of the 1773 protest that helped set the Revolution in motion. It's a hands-on, lively museum, with actors and the chance to toss a (replica) tea chest into the harbour.

  3. USS Constitution

    Landmark

    The USS Constitution in Boston harbour
    Photo: Rama, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Known as Old Ironsides, this wooden warship launched in 1797 is still afloat in the Charlestown Navy Yard, and is the oldest commissioned ship in the world still afloat. Naval sailors lead tours, and a nearby museum tells her story.

  4. Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

    Market

    A historic meeting hall and marketplace beside the waterfront, with a food hall in the long granite Quincy Market building and buskers outside. It's touristy, but it's also genuinely central to Boston's story, and a good place for a quick bite.

Parks and neighbourhoods

  1. Boston Common

    Nature

    Lawns and trees in Boston Common
    Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The oldest public park in the United States, with wide lawns, huge trees and a frog pond that turns into a skating rink in winter. It's where the Freedom Trail begins, and a lovely place to people-watch.

  2. Public Garden and the Swan Boats

    Nature

    Swan Boats on the pond in the Boston Public Garden
    Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Across Charles Street from the Common, the Public Garden is a formal, flower-filled Victorian park with a lagoon, weeping willows and bronze ducklings from the children's book Make Way for Ducklings. The pedal-powered Swan Boats have glided across the lagoon since the 1870s.

  3. Beacon Hill

    Neighbourhood

    Cobbled Acorn Street on Beacon Hill
    Photo: R Boed, CC BY 2.0

    Gas lamps, red-brick townhouses, black shutters and cobbled lanes make this the most photogenic neighbourhood in Boston. Wander down Acorn Street, one of the most-photographed streets in the country, then browse the antique shops and cafés of Charles Street.

    Tip: Be respectful. People live in these houses, and the streets are quiet.

  4. The North End

    Neighbourhood

    Boston's Italian quarter is a warren of narrow streets, family-run trattorias and bakeries, around Hanover Street. It's also home to the Paul Revere House and Old North Church. Eat pasta, take a cannoli to go and enjoy the neighbourhood feel.

  5. Newbury Street

    Neighbourhood

    Brownstones along Newbury Street in Back Bay
    Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A long, tree-lined street of brownstones in Back Bay, packed with boutiques, galleries, cafés and sidewalk tables. It's Boston's best shopping and strolling street, and it links the Public Garden to Massachusetts Avenue.

Museums and sport

  1. Museum of Fine Arts

    Museum

    One of the great art museums of the United States, with sweeping collections that range from ancient Egyptian pieces and Japanese art to Impressionists and American painting. It's big, so pick a wing or two rather than trying to see everything.

  2. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

    Museum

    The courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
    Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A Venetian-style palazzo built around a flower-filled courtyard, filled with the eclectic collection of its founder, who arranged everything herself. Several paintings were stolen in a famous 1990 robbery, and their empty frames still hang on the walls.

  3. Fenway Park

    Landmark

    The main entrance of Fenway Park
    Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Home of the Boston Red Sox since 1912 and one of the most beloved ballparks in baseball, with the towering Green Monster wall in left field. Catch a game if you can, because the atmosphere is half the fun, or take a tour when there's no match on.

    Tip: Tickets sell out for big games, so book early.

Eat and drink

  1. New England clam chowder

    Food

    A thick, creamy soup of clams, potatoes and onion, served with oyster crackers. Every restaurant has its version, from simple harbour shacks to smart seafood houses. A cup is a good lunch on a cold day.

  2. Lobster rolls

    Food

    Sweet lobster meat in a buttered, toasted split-top bun, served warm with butter or chilled with a little mayonnaise. It's the quintessential New England summer meal, and Boston's seafood places do it well.

Day trips

  1. Harvard Yard and Cambridge

    Neighbourhood

    Harvard Yard in summer
    Photo: Marco Almbauer, Public domain

    Cross the Charles River by subway and you reach Cambridge, home of Harvard and MIT. Harvard Yard is the old heart of the university, with red-brick halls, leafy paths and the famous statue of John Harvard. Harvard Square around it has bookshops, cafés and buskers.

  2. Salem

    Day trip

    The Salem Witch Museum at dusk
    Photo: Fletcher, CC BY 4.0

    North of Boston, Salem is the town of the 1692 witch trials, and it leans into the story with museums, memorials and a seasonal Halloween party. It's also a handsome old seaport, with the excellent Peabody Essex Museum.

    Tip: October is busy and atmospheric. Book ahead and expect crowds.

  3. Lexington and Concord

    Day trip

    The Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts
    Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0

    The first battles of the Revolutionary War were fought in these two small towns in April 1775. At Concord's Old North Bridge, in Minute Man National Historical Park, you can stand where it began, among green fields and stone walls.

Where to stay in Boston

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Boston →

Getting around

Boston is very walkable, and the Freedom Trail is best done on foot. The subway, known as the T, covers Cambridge and Back Bay, and commuter rail trains run to Salem and other day-trip towns. You won't need a car in the city itself.

When to go

Spring and early summer bring blossom and mild days, and autumn is brilliant for foliage. Summers are warm and lively. Winters are cold and snowy, though the city looks great in the snow.

Questions about visiting Boston

What is Boston best known for?
Its role in the American Revolution and the Freedom Trail, Fenway Park and the Red Sox, Harvard and MIT, clam chowder and lobster rolls.
How many days do you need in Boston?
Three days covers the Freedom Trail, a museum or two, Cambridge and a ball game or good meals. Add a day for Salem or Concord.
Is Boston worth visiting?
Yes. It is compact, walkable and full of history, with great museums, restaurants and green spaces, and it is a short flight from the UK.
What is there to do in Boston with kids?
The Swan Boats, the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the aquarium and a Red Sox game are all popular with children.
Do you need a car in Boston?
No. The city is walkable and the subway is good, and trains go to Salem and other nearby towns.

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