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What Boston Tour Should I Take?

Updated: October 12, 2021

Not sure what tour to take?

Due to city regulations and the overall enjoyment of guests, we limit our tour size. Our tours are very popular and we often are forced to turn away many interested guests. We have found that groups have a higher than average no show rate. In order to be fair to everyone, we generally do not allow groups of 6 or more on our public tours without prepayment, which can be done on our Booking Page.

Figuring out what tour to take can be a hard choice! We offer a number of a tours, so we thought we'd put all the public tours we offer in one place to help you decide.

WHAT TOUR SHOULD I TAKE IN BOSTON?


Boston Travel Tips and Hacks

What tours are being offered as public tours right now?

Keep in mind that any tour we offer can also be booked as private tour, but we also offer a lot more types of tours as private tours! You can read about those here.

Private Tours You Hire a Guide For:


Can't make any of the tours on our Public Tour Schedule and don't want to book a private tour? We also have a number of Audio Tours available.

Kid Friendly Tours

We don't put age limits on any of our tours but these tours are best for younger visitors:

Adults Only Tours

This tour is rated R and is not recommended for guests under 16 unless they are comfortable with graphic information.

True Crime, Scandals & Ghost Tours

Local Neighborhood Tours

Best Tours for First Time Visitors

We think all of our tours are great for first time visitors. And what tour you would like really depends on... YOU! 

But these are the most popular tours for first time visitors. 

Best Tours for Locals / Repeat Visitors

Same as above - we think all our tours are great for everyone! What you find interesting is will influence what tours you'll like best. But we have a number of tours that are more popular with locals:

 


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Not sure which of our tours to take? Here is a brief summary of each tour so you can choose which one is best for you! See the section above for which tours are good for first time visitors or which ones are adults only.

Freedom Trail: Our original Boston tour that covers the first mile (and a little bit off the beaten path) of the Freedom Trail, this tour takes you to see nearly a dozen of the historic sites of this pre-Revolutionary city. Before taking the tour, read up on some of the sites and characters covered on our Freedom Trail Sites List. 2 hours, slow pace. Minimal but some places to sit along the way.

Before taking the tour, read up on some of the sites and characters covered on our Freedom Trail Sites List. - See more at: https://freetoursbyfoot.com/boston-tours/walking-tours/boston-freedom-trail/#sthash.Ax8aFpLv.dpuf
Before taking the tour, read up on some of the sites and characters covered on our Freedom Trail Sites List. - See more at: https://freetoursbyfoot.com/boston-tours/walking-tours/boston-freedom-trail/#sthash.Ax8aFpLv.dpuf

North End / Little Italy: (Second Half of Freedom Trail) This is one of Boston's oldest neighborhoods that has developed into the hub of Boston's Italian culture. The narrow winding streets transport you back to the time of Paul Revere and Cotton Mather, who lived here, and the smell of garlic bread and cannoli transport to Roma! Before taking the tour, read up on some of the sites and characters covered on our Freedom Trail Sites List. 2 hours, slow pace. Minimal places to sit along the way.

Beacon Hill Crime Tour: Known for it's swanky homes and high-class establishments, Beacon Hill also has a darker side. We will walk by crimes scene and tell the stories of the victims, and the murderers who killed them. This tour is R and is not recommended for children under 16. 2 hours, slow pace. No places to sit.

Cambridge / Harvard: Cross of the (no longer so) dirty water of the Charles River to the "New Town" of Cambridge, home of Hah-vahd University. From the intellectual elite who read, wrote and studied in Harvard Yard to the history of this centuries old town. 2 hours, slow pace.


AVAILABLE BY PRIVATE BOOKING ONLY:

Back Bay Tour: Walk with us and meet abolitionists, industrialists, artists in Boston's Back Bay Neighborhood.  From the architecture to the stories that make up the neighborhood's history, the Back Bay, built on landfill is an area with wonderful sites like  Trinity Church and the tallest skyscraper in New England. 2 hours, slow pace. Minimal places to sit along the way.

Kennedy and Boston Irish Tour: Boston is know for and proud of its Irish heritage and no other family in America is better know than the Kennedys.  We visit the neighborhood where the Irish were overcrowded into tenement housing. Telling the stories of  colorful and controversial politicians and a long drama between the wealthy and powerful versus a group of poor, displaced and despised newcomers. 2 hours, slow pace. Minimal places to sit along the way.

Black Heritage Tour: The city's black heritage trail explores Beacon Hill's rich historic African American neighborhood. You will explore and stroll past a rich tapestry of residential and church history, architecture, and learn about Beacon Hill's special place in history as one of the nation's stops along the  Underground Railroad and the courageous people who helped achieve the enslaved persons' freedom. 2 hours, slow pace. Minimal places to sit along the way.

 

About The Author

Brian Burgess

I was born in Cambridge and have been living in the Boston area all my life. I am a graduate of Boston's Emerson College with a degree in communications with a journalism/history focus. I have been leading tours for Free Tours By Foot Boston since it was started in the city of Boston in 2012, and enjoy sharing my knowledge of Boston's rich history with not only the guests on my tours, but with everyone I meet. <a href="https://freetoursbyfoot.com/contributors/brian-burgess/" Read More...
Updated: October 12th, 2021
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