Boston is known for being the birthplace of freedom, a city of breaking barriers and reforming revolution, and a bustling commerce center with the best rural New England scenery. Today it is one of the most forward-thinking and on-the-move cities in the U.S., so how are you to decide what to do while you’re there and how to do it? Here is a list of nine of the best and most unique Boston sightseeing experiences offered, giving you the upper hand on your historical, exciting, and beautiful city trip.
- By Boat . . .
Boston Duck Tours: Get ready to splash into action with these WWII style amphibious landing vehicles. Set sail with your conDUCKtor as he narrates the birthplace of freedom to you by street, then by sea. You will pass the golden-domed State House, Bunker Hill, Copley, TD Banknorth, and so many more downtown buildings before hitting the Charles River for the best views of the Boston-Cambridge skyline.
Boston Tea Party Tour: Meet Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty at Griffin's Wharf as they lead an exciting re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party. You will destroy the Crown’s tea with the crew as you board an authentic 18th-century replica vessel docked at the Boston Tea Party Museum. For the next hour and a half, you will be sailing the seas learning facts about the American Revolution through the helpful crew and an award-winning multi-sensory film!
Boston Skyline/Sunset Kayak Tour: This is a Charles River tour with a twist, as you will be paddling your own way through Boston on this kayak tour. Meet in Kendall Square and choose between a daytime skyline or evening sunset tour as you get an intro to the basic strokes and choose your double kayak. You will be paddling along the Cambridge shore, seeing the Great Dome, Esplanade, Hancock, and many footbridges of Storrow Lagoon. There is no skill needed, just a passion for history and tales of Boston. The view isn’t half bad from the water either!
Codzilla: The fastest and most thrilling tour you could get of the Boston skyline is on the 2,800 horsepower speed vessel, Codzilla. Here you will zip across the ocean at 40 mph, listening to blaring rock and roll and enjoying the wet and wild scenery, as you will get splashed on this tour! Some people call this the Boston Harbor Water Coaster, as you will see clearly when you board for a Boston adventure full of entertainment, thrills, and laughter.
- By Bus . . .
Old Town Trolley Tours: The sweetest way to see Boston is with Old Town Trolley Tours, on a 3-hour tour of the most decadent desserts and chocolate firsts in this city. Boston is home to the first chocolate factory, as well as the birthplace of Tollhouse cookies and hot fudge sundaes. Your character chef tour guide will take you to the Top of the Hub, Omni Parker Hotel (Boston Cream Pie), and Langham Fleuri, all for the most delicious facts and treats pertaining to Boston’s history. The trip is packed full of chocolate trivia, sure to satisfy your Bostonian sweet tooth.
Fall Foliage Tour: One of the biggest draws to this area during the fall is the classic New England auburn, gold, brown, and orange scenery popping through the countryside. On this bus tour, you will drive east among the rolling hills to various small Massachusetts towns around Boston, camera-wielding to best see the scenic auburns. You will stop at historic taverns, colonial churches, farms and prairies, lakes and ponds, and finally the gorgeous and large Willard Brook State Forest. You will even get a chance to stop at an apple orchard to get the full New England fall experience.
- and Beyond . . .
Bostonians Behaving Badly - Riot Tour: This is the most riotous tour in Boston, a walking tour through four centuries of protests, social violence, and downright bad behavior. Relive the Stamp Act Protest, Boston Tea Party, as well as lesser-known riots and street violence. There are history and culture lessons abound as you see how the powerless sought voice-over oppression in the heart of Boston. The tour will take about 90 minutes and begins on 290 Congress Street. You will have the chance to discuss and see various brothel riots, bread riots, and Ursuline riots as you learn about Boston in a more personal and immersive way than ever before!
Hahvahd Tour: This one of a kind dramatic presentation by current Harvard students gives guests an inside look at Harvard and Cambridge in a truly theatrical fashion. You will see Harvard Yard, Harvard Square, Memorial Hall, and Massachusetts hall as you learn about the school’s history and history of the people who have gone there. This 70-minute tour comes to an end at the Museum of Natural History, where you will have the option to eat lunch with your tour guides at Fire and Ice.
Ghosts and Gravestones Tour: The last tour on our list is a spooky take on this history-filled city. This 90-minute walking tour shows the historic and haunted history of Boston through murder sites and graveyards. Guided by your own personal gravedigger, you will see the site of the biggest grave-robbing in New England, as well as the sites of various tortures, punishments, and executions at the 400-year-old cemetery. You’ll even hear the stories of local legends such as the homicidal opera dive and cursed privateer in this unique historical tour of Boston.
