11 of the best things to do in Boston

Boston is a city steeped in history.

It’s also one with prolific natural beauty, unwavering pride in its sports teams and a whole selection of renowned museums. Boston baked beans that once filled sailors and merchants may have earned the city the nickname Beantown, but these days you can expect much more on your plate. Here you’ll find a flourishing dining scene, where some of the best seafood in the US is served alongside enticing global dishes.

There’s an endless list of to-dos in the largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Here are 11 of the very best experiences to help you plan your visit.

1. Walk the Freedom Trail with a guide or at your own pace

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile walk through the city that leads past 16 colonial and revolutionary historical sites, and it’s one of the city’s most popular visitor attractions. Stops include the Boston Common (the city’s main green space), the golden-domed Massachusetts State House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, the warship USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument. 

Planning tip: There are group tours that lead you along the Freedom Trail, with guides in 18th-century costumes. You can also do it yourself – just download a map from the Freedom Trail website and follow the bricks on the sidewalk. A self-guided tour allows you to go at your own pace, giving you the flexibility to stop at Faneuil Hall to munch through a few of the local food stalls, or to book a supplementary tour aboard the USS Constitution. You can even split the trail up over several days to make the most out of each of the Boston neighborhoods it winds through. 

2. Surround yourself with culture at Boston’s Museums

There’s a museum for just about every taste in Boston. If fine arts is your jam, there are paintings, sculptures and tapestries at the Isabella Stewart Gardener, while the sprawling MFA features more than 450,000 works of art. For more targeted collections, there’s the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Science, the Boston Children’s Museum and the ever-popular fish-filled New England Aquarium.

3. Explore Boston’s distinct neighborhoods 

Each of Boston’s various neighborhoods…