3 days in Boston

Day by day

1. Day 1: Freedom Trail and Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

   Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market and Boston Common and Public Garden, then Fenway Park in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Freedom Trail

      A red-brick line in the pavement links sixteen historic sites over about 4 km: Boston Common, the State House, the Granary Burying Ground where Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock are buried, the Old State House near the Boston Massacre site, Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere House, Old North Church and, across the river in Charlestown, USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument.

   2. Late morning

      Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

      Quincy Market is fine for a quick cup of chowder, but the North End and the Boston Public Market nearby are better for a proper meal.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: New England clam chowder

      Union Oyster House near Faneuil Hall, open since 1826 and among the oldest restaurants in the US, and seafood restaurants all over the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Boston Common and Public Garden

      Boston Common, set aside in 1634, is the oldest public park in the US.

   5. Evening

      Fenway Park

      Arrive early to walk Jersey Street and Lansdowne Street, which fill with food stands and bars before the first pitch.

2. Day 2: Museum of Fine Arts and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

   Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Old North Church and Paul Revere House, then Fenway and Lansdowne Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Museum of Fine Arts

      Look up in the rotunda and main staircase at the murals Sargent painted for the museum in the 1920s.

   2. Late morning

      Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

      Isabella Stewart Gardner built a Venetian-style palazzo to display her Titian, Rembrandt, Botticelli and Sargent paintings around a glass-roofed courtyard that is in flower all year.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Lobster roll

      Neptune Oyster in the North End is known for its warm buttered version; seafood shacks on the waterfront and in the Seaport serve the cold style.

   4. Afternoon

      Old North Church and Paul Revere House

      Visit the two back to back, then walk to Hanover Street for a cannoli.

   5. Evening

      Fenway and Lansdowne Street

      Sports bars, the House of Blues and the MGM Music Hall around Fenway Park, packed on game and concert nights.

3. Day 3: New England Aquarium and USS Constitution

   New England Aquarium, USS Constitution and Harvard Yard, then Faneuil Hall and the Financial District in the evening.

   1. Morning

      New England Aquarium

      On Central Wharf, the aquarium's four-storey Giant Ocean Tank holds sea turtles, sharks and a Caribbean coral reef, with a ramp spiralling around it and a penguin colony at its base.

   2. Late morning

      USS Constitution

      Adults need photo ID for the security check at the ship; the MBTA ferry from Long Wharf to the Navy Yard doubles as a short, cheap harbour cruise.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fried clams

      Clam shacks on the North Shore, especially in Essex and Ipswich, and seafood counters in the city in summer.

   4. Afternoon

      Harvard Yard

      The historic core of Harvard, the oldest university in the US (founded 1636), is open to walk through, with the John Harvard statue, the columned Widener Library and Memorial Church under the elms.

   5. Evening

      Faneuil Hall and the Financial District

      Irish pubs with live music and after-work bars near Quincy Market.

Before you go

• Fenway Park: Popular games sell out; buy through the Red Sox's official ticketing rather than street resellers.
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Entry is by timed ticket; book online for weekends.

If it rains

• Swap in Boston Public Library, Central Library (Back Bay): Sit in the courtyard on a sunny day; it is one of the calmest spots in Back Bay.
• Swap in Museum of Science (Charles River): Book planetarium and Omni shows when you buy entry; the lightning show is included with admission.
• Swap in Institute of Contemporary Art (Seaport District): Find the Mediatheque, a stepped room whose single window frames nothing but the water below.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Back Bay keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Beacon Hill ($$$$) suits couples, quiet stays and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–23 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.1 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Boston
• 2 days in Boston
• 4 days in Boston
• 5 days in Boston
• 7 days in Boston

Questions travellers ask