First trip to Boston next weekend...help!

[busy mom]

My DH and I will be in Boston next weekend for the first time and are looking for some suggestions to fill 3 days.

We would like to spend some of our time either on, or near the water, so boating options, or patio restaurants would be appreciated.

We are hoping to take in as much as possible, so are also looking at visiting the "touristy" places as well. We are ok with walking, but would also like to know other transportation options.

We love seafood, so any casual, authentic seafood restaurant recommendations would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[QueenIsabella]

My DD lives in Boston, and went to college there--it's a fun place to visit, and a great walking-around city. Some things we really enjoy there are:

Boston Science Museum
Boston Public Library--seriously, this a great place to visit. Lots of art, amazing courtyard, and it's free!
Duck Boats--you MUST do this! It's so fun! It's a land and sea tour of historical sights. Truly a blast!
Freedom Trail--this is a lot of walking, but worth it, especially for history buffs
Eataly--if you're Italian, stop in--it's like walking through an Italian market. It's in the base of the Prudential Building
Haymarket Square--if you prefer the open-stall market for real
New England Aquarium--very interesting. And right next door to Legal Seafoods, which is kind of pricey but worth the trip

I'm sure there are boat tours, and if you have the inclination, whale watches depart from nearby (we went from Nantucket, I think there are others). A whale watch is several hours out at sea, but well worth it--the humpbacks come right up to the boat. Seriously--they are thisclose, you could almost touch them.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

Whale watches depart from the Aquarium so that might be a good stop--although Boston was in love with brutalist architecture for a time and...it's not the nicest aquarium ever. Anything on the water downtown is going to be ridiculously expensive. Especially patio restaurants ($10 for a non-alcoholic shirley temple, no refills, are you kidding me??). Walking the freedom trail will take you through the North End (and really you'll be close to the harbor the whole time) and I'd suggest picking any restaurant around there for an amazing Italian meal. Then dessert at either Mike's Pastry or Modern Pastry. I'm sure people will fight about which one you should go to, but the answer is: the one with the shorter line! Get a lobster tail. It's a pastry. It's soooo good.

The freedom trail will fill a whole day, maybe two if you like to linger. Duck boats are expensive but a fun way to do a tour. There's also trolley tours that go around. Spend some time in the Boston Garden/Commons and go on a Swan Boat before pictures at the Make Way for Ducklings statues.

The Aquarium is also where boats leave to go to the harbor islands or harbor tours. George's Island is a fun day trip out in the middle of the water. Old fort to explore, bring your lunch for a picnic but watch out for ticks!

Legal Seafoods is a chain, but it's really good and also right at the Aquarium.

The Science Museum is right on the river, so even if you don't want to hang out there you can just stroll down the Esplanade along the river. It's very nice, but there aren't places to get food or drinks unless there's some kind of festival happening.

 

[Lvsdisney]

Faneuil Hall and that area is great, super touristy. The USS Constitution is fun. Newberry Street for the shops, Boston check out Harvard while you're there too!

 

[platamama]

We just got back from Boston a few weeks ago - our first time there too. Even though we were there for 6 days, there was still a lot we didn't get to do that I wish we had. We stayed in Cambridge, but came to the wharf area (around the Aquarium) almost daily via the MBTA system and I think we would have saved a lot of time if we'd just stayed in that area (I didn't want to spend that much on lodging though). I wish we had done the Duck boat tours! Next time for sure we will. I also wanted to do a hop on hop off bus tour but we never managed to squeeze that in (the reviews for CityView Tours are pretty bad, so go with the other company -- Old Town Trolley, I think?). I wish the Red Sox had had a game while we were there.

Highlights for us: guided Freedom Trail (we only did the Boston Commons to Faneuil Hall portion; there is another that goes from Fanueil to Bunker Hill Monument), bike tour of Boston going along the Charles River through Urban Adventours, Whale Watching tour, the public library, the Science Museum, going down to Plimoth Plantation (had to rent a car), Harvard Museum of Natural History. We got a Go Boston card so that really did set the pace for where/what we did, and we got our money's worth out of it but it wasn't a massive savings.

Had a yummy lobster roll & clam chowder from Boston Chowda inside Faneuil Hall, but it is a crowded food court with people vulturing for tables to sit at so that part wasn't so nice. We did have a nice dinner in the North End at a restaurant called Rabia's, and a friend ordered Power up Pasta and her plate was enormous and filled with seafood! She couldn't finish it all.

Hope you have a fun trip! Boston is a lovely city.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Agree with Duck Boat tour. Whether or not you're a baseball fan I highly suggest doing a tour of Fenway - it was a great tour. Take a look at a map of the Freedom Trail and see if there's anything that sparks your interest. Like others have said, it's VERY long. A side note about it; I'm in average shape and found the walk to be incredibly hard on my hips. The uneven surfaces were terrible for my body (I guess I'm overly sensitive). Perhaps very comfy shoes and stretching before and after.

Maybe do your Duck Boat tour first. If you have a good driver they will point out all the sites of interest and perhaps their descriptions will interest you more. Ours pointed out the oldest bar in the country so of course my husband HAD to have a beer there. We spent a very short time in Boston but felt we saw a lot!

 

[BOST99]

Great suggestions so far. The Harborwalk is a nice all around the harbor and wharfs near the aquarium and Boston Harbor Hotel. You can also take it over to the Seaport which is the new trendy district. Lots of new restaurants in this area too.

The Legal Seafoods Harborside is pretty good and overlooks the water. Any Legal is good but somewhat expensive meal. Make sure to get a reservation if planning to go. If you want to try a few others for seafood: No Name Restaurant and Neptune's Oyster in North End are very popular and known for good food. Other areas to look for food is the South End.

For Drinks (or a dinner) I love the atmosphere at the Liberty Hotel - former prison turned hotel.

Also nice to walk the greenway which goes from South Station to the North End. It is a series of green park with water sprinklers through the financial district.

Transportation - you can do taxis, uber, MBTA "T." We also have bike sharing through Hubway so you can pick up a bike and ride it to a spot and leave it there. If you take the T, get a Charlie Card (instead of a Charlie ticket) since rides are less if you use a card. You can just load money onto the card.

 

[leebee]

Do the Duck Tours first- great way to see the city, and find out places you might not have known about! I grew up in the Boston area (Peabody, right next door to Salem) so I'm pretty familiar with Boston- but I LOVED the Duck Tour!

Did you know that Sam Adams brewery is within walking distance of the T (orange line, IIRC)? There's a brewery tour and tasting room- FREE, at least the last time we went.

If you want to get out on the water, go see the USS Constitution. It's currently undergoing repairs so you can't tour it, but the museum is kind-of interesting. I recommend this because you can get there by water taxi. Go to the Aquarium (blue line) and find the water shuttle stop. You can use your Charlie Card to ride the water shuttle from the Aquarium out into the harbor and to Charlestown/USS Constitution stop. Since you can't tour the boat and don't want this to be a "wasted" trip, go to Coldstone Creamery that's right there by the Constitution! Honestly, this is the most affordable way to get out onto the water and see the skyline!

I like the Science Museum and the Aquarium, but now that many, many cities have really outstanding museums like these, I don't think that seeing them is "all that" anymore. I would, however, recommend going to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (take the green line). WE really, really like the exhibits there!

If you are in the North End (and you SHOULD be), EAT. There are lots of mom-n-pop restaurants, very small, store-front kinds of places, not what I'd really expected for restaurants. At first I was hesitant, as some look a little... questionable?... but they are terrific! Our favorite for a long time has been G'viannis, on Prince St, but we haven't been in maybe 5 years or so, so cannot really vouch for it currently (but I bet it's still good).

I'd skip places like Union Oyster House (I know... but it's expensive and last time we were there, the service was awful), Legal Seafoods (it's become too chain-like), etc. Head over to tripadvisor and see what people are saying/recommending for places to eat.

Other fun things are the Tea Party ship, the Freedom Trail, Swan Boats. I'd like to do the Fenway Park tour some day. Go to the top of the Prudential Tower for the best view of the city!!

 

[1st*toright]

I love Boston! Its a great city to see on foot - and I bet a bike tour would be great too! If you are only there for 3 days, I would concentrate on just the touristy stuff and the neighborhoods nearby - there is a whole lot to see in a pretty small area. Where are you staying? On a short trip I always try to minimize time getting from place to place and try to center my touring based on where I'm staying.

There is Fanueil Hall and the Aquarium area (very touristy, but probably a good idea on a first visit). The Aquarium can be super crowded, so much that its hard to see stuff, so you may want to skip actually going in there. I second the suggestion to take advantage of the ferries that run from there - Georges Island (and the other Harbor Islands) are really wonderful - a short ferry ride from downtown Boston but a world away. We actually camped on one the islands years ago. Definitely worth a visit. There are also booze cruise type boats that do tours of the harbor - I've never done one of those. I've heard nothing but good things about Duck Tours, although I haven't actually done that either.

On a three day trip I'd give the Science Museum a miss, just cause its a little out of the way and a lot like other Science Museums. If you feel like you need to do some museuming, the Fine Arts Museum and the Isabella Steward Gardener Museums are more uniquely Boston (and amazing).

I loved the USS Constitution, but if you can't tour the ship, it might be a bit of a letdown.

I really like the Common and the Public Garden, and Chinatown is right near there if you feel like having dim sum. More of a time to wander around and people watch, so either great or not, depending on your style.

I love the Greenway (recommended above) and the Fort Point area - I worked in that neighborhood years ago and there was NOTHING down there, and it is all trendy and up and coming now. Not sure a first time visitor would be as impressed by the Greenway - its a nice long park, but my love for it is partly because it used to be a giant highway with 10 lanes of traffic cutting through the city (and cutting off the city from the harbor) so it is especially awesome to see the new green space. There is a great bar called Drink on Congress Street (across the Fort Point channel)- its super trendy and they make amazing (and expensive!) cocktails. It is right under Sportello, which is a great (and expensive) restaurant - a nice combo for a splashy date night. For seriously touristy activities in that area there are the Tea Party Ships - very cool replicas in the same spot that the actual Boston Tea Party took place. I've never actually done the tour, but it looks neat.

As far as getting around, lots of things are very walkable. The T is also not too hard to figure out (again, to save time getting from here to there, scope out which line is closest to where you are staying and pick activities that are on the same line, or not to far to transfer to), and uber/lyft are another good option (except during rush hour or after Red Sox games when surge pricing can be crazy).

Cambridge and Harvard Square are neat to check out, but again, only if you're staying out in that direction.

We don't live in the Boston area anymore, but it is still within driving distance. We are planning an overnight for a Red Sox game and a stay at the Liberty Hotel in a couple of weeks- not a budget trip, but should be really fun.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Is Durgin's restaurant still there? It used to be a Boston institution. And if you're baseball fans, they give tours of Fenway Park.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Whale watches depart from the Aquarium so that might be a good stop--although Boston was in love with brutalist architecture for a time and...it's not the nicest aquarium ever. Anything on the water downtown is going to be ridiculously expensive. Especially patio restaurants ($10 for a non-alcoholic shirley temple, no refills, are you kidding me??). Walking the freedom trail will take you through the North End (and really you'll be close to the harbor the whole time) and I'd suggest picking any restaurant around there for an amazing Italian meal. Then dessert at either Mike's Pastry or Modern Pastry. I'm sure people will fight about which one you should go to, but the answer is: the one with the shorter line! Get a lobster tail. It's a pastry. It's soooo good.

The freedom trail will fill a whole day, maybe two if you like to linger. Duck boats are expensive but a fun way to do a tour. There's also trolley tours that go around. Spend some time in the Boston Garden/Commons and go on a Swan Boat before pictures at the Make Way for Ducklings statues.

The Aquarium is also where boats leave to go to the harbor islands or harbor tours. George's Island is a fun day trip out in the middle of the water. Old fort to explore, bring your lunch for a picnic but watch out for ticks!

Legal Seafoods is a chain, but it's really good and also right at the Aquarium.

The Science Museum is right on the river, so even if you don't want to hang out there you can just stroll down the Esplanade along the river. It's very nice, but there aren't places to get food or drinks unless there's some kind of festival happening.

What is wrong with you?!?! Everyone knows that it's Mike's for cannoli for dessert! You and I may need to step outside over this one!

Seriously, though, OP--you literally can't go wrong in the North End if you like Italian food. I've had some of the best meals in little hole-in-the-wall places, so authentic, you'll be waiting for Nona to whack you with a wooden spoon!

 

[eeyoresmom]

Modern Pastry

 

[Kaytie]

Durgin Park is still there http://arkrestaurants.com/durgin_park/
Fenway tours http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/tour.jsp

 

[monorailmom]

We live just a little north of Boston, my DH and DD work there, so we are there frequently.

Highly recommend the Duck Tours. They're funny, informative, and just a good time. Be sure to ride the Swan Boats in the Public Garden. The Freedom Trail tours are also great if you're not familiar with Boston history. (and there's a lot of it haha!)

Okay, so we are Aquarium members and love it there. Yes, it can be crowded, but you will really enjoy it if you like aquariums.

Legal Sea Food is amazing but yes, terribly expensive, even for Boston. I would recommend the Sail Loft. It isn't far from the Aquarium at all, and is pretty close to Hanover St. where you can go to *Mike's Pastry* for the most amazing cannoli you'll ever have. Now mind you, the Sail Loft isn't impressive looking, but many tables have water views and the food is always excellent.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Modern Pastry

Sacrilege! OP, I think the only solution to this is to try both Mike's and Modern Pastry, and decide for yourself. It might take a few dozen taste-tests to be absolutely sure! But when you're done, you'll agree with me that Mike's cannoli are heaven on earth!

 

[LovesTimone]

We spent a long weekend in Boston a couple of years ago, and the absolute highlight of our trip was going to the JFK Library, it was wonderful. We walked the freedom trail, which was hard to follow, at times... I guess if your on a walking tour with a guide it would be different, we did it on our own with two other couples, we did see the highlights Paul Revere, North Church, Fanueil Hall etc... We did spend sometime walking around in the north end, having lunch at this little place with about 10 or 12 tables...the food was so good and getting dessert at 'Mike's bakery worth the wait by the way. We did a whale watching cruise. It was a waste of a couple of hours... the Captain and crew were not friendly at all, what got me is one of the crew members said hope you all can swim and there might be enough vest to go around.... survival of the fittest you know...ha ha... and with everyone throwing up the sharks are sure to be following, I guess it was his attempt at being funny or cute, but this started a lot of kids looking at their mom and dad, even a few crying.... and the trip had a lot of sea sick people on it, one lady was really sick while we were docked... I was like why would they let her sail if she is so sick and we haven't even left the dock. I know she paid for it... but what about everyone else that paid for their trip to hear her moaning and throwing up the whole time. I just don't get it... why would you put yourself through that. Yes she stated that she always gets sick on a boat, maybe this would be different....

Our friends are from Maine and they were shocked and disgusted with the conditions of the city, it was filthy and just gross in parts, not just in the tourist areas, everywhere we went.. I will say the North end was the cleanest area we were in. We almost got ran over about a dozen times, when crossing the street, with the lights in the cross walks, people blowing their horns and screaming out the window and giving everyone hand signals for eternal sign of love....... while the light was red for them to stop.... Crazy....it got to be comical and we would just laugh about it...

I can say been there done that... got the T-shirt....

 

[eeyoresmom]

Sacrilege! OP, I think the only solution to this is to try both Mike's and Modern Pastry, and decide for yourself. It might take a few dozen taste-tests to be absolutely sure! But when you're done, you'll agree with me that Mike's cannoli are heaven on earth!

At least they're near each other

 

[mjkacmom]

We live just a little north of Boston, my DH and DD work there, so we are there frequently.

Highly recommend the Duck Tours. They're funny, informative, and just a good time. Be sure to ride the Swan Boats in the Public Garden. The Freedom Trail tours are also great if you're not familiar with Boston history. (and there's a lot of it haha!)

Okay, so we are Aquarium members and love it there. Yes, it can be crowded, but you will really enjoy it if you like aquariums.

Legal Sea Food is amazing but yes, terribly expensive, even for Boston. I would recommend the Sail Loft. It isn't far from the Aquarium at all, and is pretty close to Hanover St. where you can go to *Mike's Pastry* for the most amazing cannoli you'll ever have. Now mind you, the Sail Loft isn't impressive looking, but many tables have water views and the food is always excellent.

I'm surprised about the mention of Legal seafood - it's a chain. We only have 2 here in NJ, both in shopping malls. I thought the food was good for a chain, though.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

Legal Seafood started here. And I'm telling you, lobster tail pastries are what you want to get! I've got a sock and some batteries and I'm ready to go when it comes to disagreeing!

 

[Psychodisney]

Last year we bought the Go Boston card from Costco. Used it on many of the activities mentioned above and I'm sure we saved money.