Boston on Foot: Freedom Trail, North End, Harvard
Walking is the quickest way to see Boston, and you can choose between paid guided walks and free routes you follow yourself. Wear sturdy shoes, bring water and check the hours of any house museum along the way.
Guided: Walk Into History
The Freedom Trail Foundation runs a 90 minute guided walk of about a mile that stops at 11 of the 16 official sites. It starts from the Boston Common Visitor Information Center at 139 Tremont St. Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors or students and $8 for children 6 to 12, and under-6s go free. Departures are at 10, 11, 12, 1 and 2 every day, and summer adds more in the afternoon. Book through thefreedomtrail.org .
Self-guided: the full Freedom Trail
Prefer your own pace? The trail covers 2.5 miles between Boston Common and the Bunker Hill Monument, marked by a red line, and it costs nothing to walk. Pay only for the sites you go inside.
Black Heritage Trail
This free route of about 1.5 miles can be followed with the National Park Service app. It begins at the Shaw and 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial opposite the State House, so begin it in a respectful frame of mind. Park rangers lead tours in the warmer months, and the schedule is on the NPS site . The Museum of African American History, 46 Joy St, holds the 1806 African Meeting House, the oldest surviving Black church building in the United States. Its general admission days are Thursday to Sunday, 10 to 4. It charges $15 for adults including a Meeting House talk, or $10 without the talk, and $8 for youth and seniors. Note that the Abiel Smith School has no step-free access. More at maah.org .
The North End on foot
A short loop from Hanover Street takes in pastry shops and Italian groceries. Modern Pastry, 257 Hanover St, is reported to accept cards, while Mike’s Pastry at number 300 has been described both ways, so take cash. Salumeria Italiana, 151 Richmond St, opened in the early 1960s. The loop can end at Old North Church and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, which is a cemetery and should be treated as one.
Harvard Yard
Cross the river to Cambridge and stop first at the Visitor Center in the Smith Campus Center, open weekdays 9 to 5. Student guides lead free Historical Tours of Harvard Yard, with a maximum of 10 people, so sign up beforehand. A free app supports self-guided visits. Details are at harvard.edu . Longfellow House grounds are free from dawn to dusk, while the house itself opens in summer.
Old State House tours
The joint Old State House and Old South Meeting House ticket includes guided tours. It costs $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and $10 for youth 6 to 17. See revolutionaryspaces.org .
Waterfront
The Harborwalk is commonly described as 43 miles of a planned 47. It is free but has gaps, so choose a section and look at a map first.
Winter walking
From roughly December to March, Boston gets nor’easters, heavy snow and wind chill. Check the forecast and MBTA alerts, and expect ranger tours and some house museums to be off or limited. Another option is a paid guide, found through GetYourGuide .
Read more: bus tours in Boston and sightseeing in Boston .