Boston in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

Three days in Boston is plenty of time to enjoy the most important sights, but to help you get the most out of it, I've put together this itinerary to help you get through all there is to see and do in Boston in the most efficient way.

With this three-day tour you'll see the most iconic points in the history of the American Revolution as you walk the Freedom Trail; enjoy fine dining in the Italian quarter of the North End; catch a baseball game at the famous Fenway Stadium; visit the famous universities of Harvard and MIT; and even go on a whale-watching cruise along the East Coast.

Begin your visit to the city of Boston with a tour of the Cambridge district. Cruise down the Charles River as you warm up for a visit to two of the world's most prestigious universities: Harvard University and MIT.

After a tour of their campuses, bookstores and landmarks, head to the Italian quarter of the North End to end the day with a delicious dinner.

Charles River Cruise

To start the first day of your trip, there's nothing better than enjoying a unique view of the city of Boston as you cruise down the Charles River. From the boat you'll be able to see Cambridge and its universities on one side and Boston on the other and see Beacon Hill, Prudential Center and other points of interest from a different perspective.

The boat usually departs from Lechmere Canal Park on Cambridge Side Mall and ends at the same point of origin.

If you're arriving by underground the closest stop is Lechmere on the Green Line. And if you've had your fill of sailing, you can book a Boston cruise to take you back to the waters of the East Coast or even if you like adventure, you can opt to book a ride on the Codzilla speedboat along the Boston waterfront

• Price: Boston Cruise, from AED 171.
• Duration: approximately 70 minutes.

Visit MIT

Just a 20-minute walk from Lechmere Canal Park will take you to Kendall Square, a great place to start your visit to MIT.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the most important technological university in the United States.

On your visit you can't miss the Lobby 7, also called the "infinite corridor" with 251 metres long, the Green Building, the tallest building on campus (it houses the Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences departments), the Great Dome and the Stata Center composed of the Gates and Dreyfoos towers.

• Price: organised tours from €18.
• Duration: just over an hour, depending on the tour or free entry.

Get to know Harvard University

After spending the morning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I recommend you book a tour of the Harvard campus in Boston, which will take you to the main sights, the Statue of John Harvard, the main square, the courtyard, the memorial, etc.

Did you know that Harvard University is older than the invention of calculus? That's right, when this prestigious university opened its doors in 1636, calculus did not even exist. Great minds have passed through this institution, up to 8 of the presidents of the United States studied in its classrooms.

During your visit, don't forget to visit "The Curious George Store" or the Cambridge Public Library. You can also visit the Harvard Museum, where you will find a large collection of art including pieces by Botticelli, Van Gogh, Picasso... among others.

• Price: Harvard campus tour in Boston, from AED 87
• Duration: just over an hour, depending on the tour or free admission.

North End: dinner in the Italian Quarter

To end the day, head to the Italian Quarter in the North End, where you can enjoy a variety of restaurants, cafes and markets. If you want to get there by public transport I recommend you to get off at Oak Grove, orange line, from there you will only have to walk about 5/10 minutes approximately.

The North End district is characterized by its mixture of cultures: Italians, Irish, Jews... different nationalities that immigrated to Boston and settled in this neighbourhood filling it with new traditions. With their arrival they brought with them a wide range of cuisine. In the North End, also known as the Italian quarter, you can find the best pizzerias in the city, or if you prefer, you can stroll through its markets and enjoy its cafés and bakeries.

If you're still hungry, don't hesitate and book a food tour of Boston for another day. And if you have a sweet tooth, the best option is to book a Boston underground doughnut tour. Another must-do is to book a Boston historic tavern tour or even book a Boston pub crawl.

On this second day of your trip I recommend you delve into the history of the American Revolution by visiting the most emblematic sites of the Revolutionary War.

The best way to start the day is to stroll through Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden before starting the Freedom Trail, a 4km route through 16 historic sites to learn more about Boston's past.

Take a short break from the Freedom Trail to visit the exclusive Beacon Hill neighbourhood and the city's most photographed street, Acorn Street. Keep in mind that the Freedom Trail, while not too long, usually takes most of a day to complete with stops.

Boston Common

Start the day with a stroll through America's oldest public park. Boston Common was opened in 1634 and although the land was originally used as a rubbish dump, over the years it became grazing land and a place to punish criminals (the park had a gallows until 1817).

Britain's troops found the park the perfect place to barrack before leaving for the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Enjoy the Boston Public Garden, ride the swan boats and see the Make Way for Ducklings statue. Boston Common is the perfect spot to start the Freedom Trail.

Beacon Hill

Before you start the Freedom Trail, head to Beacon Hill, a neighbourhood you'll fall in love with with its red brick houses and visit one of Boston's most photographed streets, Acorn Street.

This neighbourhood is one of the most exclusive and elegant areas of the city and is home to the famous Cheers bar.

Freedom Trail

This trail is the key to Boston's history. Four kilometres through the city, you'll discover 16 historic stops in the capital of Massachusetts. Once you've visited Beacon Hill you can return to Boston Common, where you'll find the start of this trail. Don't worry about getting lost, as this route is marked with red bricks and has information plaques about monuments and landmarks.

You can do this tour on your own or if you prefer you can hire a tour guide to explain in detail all the stops along the way, in this guide I recommend the main history tours in Boston.

Keep in mind that the Freedom Trail is a linear path, so you will not end up in the same location. The end of the trail is at the USS Constitution, the oldest active warship still in service. To see all the stops on the trail, visit the Freedom Trail website.

End your visit to Boston by getting in touch with nature and marine life. Living next to the East Coast has to have its benefits, and whale watching is certainly one of them.

Book your excursion into the sea to see and enjoy these majestic mammals. In the afternoon, enjoy Boston's favourite sport with a visit to Fenway Park baseball stadium.

Whale Watching or New England Aquarium

Get ready for a unique moment to see these majestic animals as you sail on a catamaran from Long Wharf. Due to the whale migration, the best time to see whales along the East Coast is between April and November.

Massachusetts Bay is home to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a place where different whales (humpback, pilot), fin whales and dolphins come to feed with their calves. Don't miss this unique experience and book in advance as this is a high demand activity.

Fenway Park

For all sports fans, Fenway Park is a must-see. If you are lucky enough to be in season you can't miss the chance, buy your Red Sox ticket and enjoy the best atmosphere at the stadium.

If there is no game available, don't worry, you can always book a tour of Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, and discover the best moments of Major League Baseball.

Museum of Fine Arts

Just a 10-minute walk from Fenway Park is Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, the fifth largest museum in the United States.

If you venture inside, you'll enjoy a collection of more than 450,000 works of Egyptian, Asian, European and American art. Van Gogh, Picasso, Da Vinci... dozens of great artists are represented in this magnificent gallery.

If you're left wanting to see other museums, check out this guide for my recommendation of the best museums in Boston.

To make the most of your visit, the city of Boston offers different sightseeing passes that include some of the activities or tickets at a reduced price.

If you want more detailed information about the different options you can read this article about Boston sightseeing passes.

Boston Citypass:

This card offers a discount of around 47% on admission to 4 attractions in particular for 9 consecutive days: the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science, and two more to choose between a Boston Harbor cruise, the Franklin Park Zoo or the Harvard University Museum of Natural History.

In this guide about the Boston City Pass I explain all the details of the card and if you want you can check their website for current prices and conditions.

Go City Boston

If you buy your Boston Go City All-Inclusive Pass, you will be able to tour the city of Boston without worrying about entrance fees thanks to your pass. Select the option that best suits your needs depending on the activities you are going to do and the days you have available.

You can download the app on your mobile phone and show the tickets for each activity. In the following link you can see all the details about the Go Boston Card.

• All Inclusive Pass: Visit up to 40 attractions and activities with this all-inclusive pass for 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days. With this card you can save more than 50% on admission to museums, activities, tours...
• Explorer Pass: Choose 2, 3, 4 or 5 of your favourite activities or places you don't want to miss in Boston and design your own itinerary saving money on every single ticket. You can choose from over 22 attractions: museums, activities, guided tours, etc. Once selected, you have up to 60 days to visit them from the first time you use your card.

If you only have three days to visit Boston and you want to make the most of it, I advise you to find the most efficient way to get around the city.

Book your hotel or accommodation in a well-connected location and find out how to get to the main points of interest. In this article I show you the best options for getting around the city:

Walking

Boston is considered one of the best cities to get around on foot. Its streets, parks and the different tourist routes of the capital are adapted for pedestrians. In addition, the short distance between places of interest means that you can organise your journey and itinerary without having to use any other means of transport.

Get around by metro with a Charlie ticket

If any of the tourist attractions you want to visit are further away from the centre or your accommodation is on the outskirts, I recommend you use the metro, known as the "T".

Currently, the underground consists of 5 easy-to-use lines, but for added safety you can download the Boston underground app on your mobile phone to organise your routes.

Tickets for public transport are known as "Charlie tickets"; depending on how many days you are going to spend in the city you can buy a single day ticket or a card that you can recharge in a more economical way, the "Charlie card". You can check the current prices for public transport in Boston on this website.

Bus

Just as popular as the underground, the bus will take you to different parts of the city. It is cheaper than the underground and has the same ticketing system, the Charlie tickets or Charlie Card.

Boston Trolleys

Although nowadays they have become more of a tourist attraction than a real means of transport, they still serve their purpose. Trolleys are like a small bus/tram that you can hop on and off as many times as you need as long as your pass is valid.

These mini buses cover the city's main routes and some of its tourist attractions such as the Aquarium, the USS Constitution and some museums.

Taxi - Uber

Unlike New York and its many yellow taxis, Boston's taxis are not very popular and sometimes it can be difficult to find one. However, Uber has a big business in the city and can be your ally if you need a quick ride.

Rent a car

Of all the options for getting around the city, this may be one of your least favourite, mainly due to the lack of parking. In addition, car parks tend to be chargeable and expensive.

If you're doing a driving tour and you've made it to Boston in your own car, I recommend you leave it near your accommodation and walk or take public transport around the city to save time and money.

Bike

Another ideal way to get to know the city and move between its different points of interest is by bicycle. This way, you can get around comfortably and quickly. You also have the option of booking a bicycle tour of Boston.

The capital of Massachusetts is special in every season of the year: the orange hue of the city with the falling leaves in autumn, the green and blooming parks in spring, the pleasant sunshine of summer or the movie-like winter with all the streets covered in snow.

There is so much to see and do in Boston. Of course, every season has its positive and negative sides. Boston has very extreme weather throughout the year, so if you decide to travel in the winter, I recommend that you pack plenty of warm layers as the days and nights can be extremely cold.

The summer months tend to attract a lot of tourists due to school holidays and the days are very hot, but you are guaranteed a beautiful sunny day while whale watching on a catamaran. Therefore, given the city's extreme climates, spring or autumn is the best time to visit the city.