Forty things to do in Boston, each with an address and the nearest T stop. Use it as a checklist over several visits. Want it scheduled into days? See the 3-day itinerary or the weekend itinerary.
The short answer
The five to do first
If you only have one day, these are non-negotiable.
01 · Icons
The icons: see these once
On every postcard, and worth doing anyway.
Walk the Freedom Trail
Boston Common, 139 Tremont StT Park Street (Red, Green)2.5 mi, 2–3 hrs
Sixteen historic sites on a red brick line from the Common to the USS Constitution. The best orientation to the city.
See a game at Fenway Park
4 Jersey St, FenwayT Kenmore (Green)From ~$25
The oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, open since 1912. No game on your dates? Take the tour and sit in the Green Monster seats.
Spend an afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave, FenwayT Museum of Fine Arts (Green E)~$25
One of the largest art museums in the US. Pick one wing: Art of the Americas, the Japanese garden, or the Egyptian galleries.
See the Public Garden and the Make Way for Ducklings statues
4 Charles StT Arlington (Green)Free; Swan Boats extra
America's oldest public botanical garden. The bronze ducklings near the Beacon Street corner are the photo everyone takes.
Photograph Acorn Street
Acorn St, Beacon HillT Charles/MGH (Red)Free
A cobblestone lane often called the most photographed street in America. Go on a weekday evening to avoid the tripods.
Take a harbor cruise or the Charlestown ferry
Long Wharf, 1 Long WharfT Aquarium (Blue)Ferry fare; cruises from ~$30
The MBTA ferry to the Charlestown Navy Yard is the cheapest way onto the water. Whale watching and sunset cruises leave from the same wharf in season.
02 · Food
Food to try
Eat a hot buttered lobster roll
Neptune Oyster, 63 Salem StRow 34, 383 Congress St$30–45
Warm with butter is the one to try first.
Have a cannoli in the North End
Mike's Pastry, 300 Hanover StModern Pastry, 257 Hanover St
Boston's longest-running dessert rivalry.
A bowl of clam chowder
Union Oyster House, 41 Union StT Government Center (Blue, Green)
America's oldest continuously operating restaurant, open since 1826. Order the chowder at the raw bar.
A slice from Regina Pizzeria
11½ Thacher St, North EndT Haymarket (Orange, Green)
Thin and charred, from the original brick oven since 1926. Widely considered Boston's best pizza.
An oyster at a raw bar
Neptune Oyster, 63 Salem StB&G Oysters, 550 Tremont St$3–4 each
North Shore and Cape Cod oysters are some of the best on the East Coast.
03 · Views
Views to see
Watch sunset from the Charles River Esplanade
Arlington St or Fiedler FootbridgeT Charles/MGH (Red)Free
Faces west, so it gets the sunset every evening. The dock by the Hatch Shell is the spot.
The skyline from Piers Park, East Boston
95 Marginal St, East BostonT Maverick (Blue)Free
The best free view of the Downtown skyline, across the harbor and mostly tourist-free.
View Boston, atop the Prudential Center
800 Boylston St, Back BayT Prudential (Green E)Check pricing
Indoor 360-degree observation deck over the whole city. Good for a rainy day.
More in the best views of Boston.
04
Seasonal and once-a-year
| Event | When | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Marathon | Patriots' Day, mid-April | The world's oldest annual marathon; the finish line on Boylston St is free to watch. |
| Lilac Sunday | Second Sunday in May | The one day a year picnicking is allowed at the Arnold Arboretum. |
| Fourth of July on the Esplanade | July 4 | The Boston Pops concert and a major fireworks display over the Charles. |
| Head of the Charles Regatta | Mid-October | The largest two-day rowing event in the world, free to watch from the riverbanks. |
| Christmas tree lighting | Early December | Boston Common's tree, a gift from Nova Scotia every year since 1971. |
| First Night | December 31 | Boston's New Year's Eve celebration, with mostly free events across downtown. |
05 · Cambridge
Cambridge
Walk through Harvard Yard
Harvard University, CambridgeT Harvard (Red)Free
The oldest university in the US. The Harvard Art Museums two blocks away are free every day.
See MIT's campus and the Charles from the Cambridge side
77 Massachusetts AveT Kendall/MIT (Red)Free
See the Great Dome and the Stata Center, then take the riverside path to the Longfellow Bridge.
Kayak or paddle the Charles River
Community Boating, 21 David G Mugar WayT Charles/MGH (Red)~$25/hr, seasonal
Paddle between the Back Bay and Cambridge skylines on a summer afternoon.
More in things to do in Harvard Square.
06 · Day trips
Day trips
Salem
Commuter rail from North Station~35 min each way
Witch trial history, a walkable harbor town and the Peabody Essex Museum. Very busy in October.
The Boston Harbor Islands
Ferry from Long WharfSeasonal, May–October
A national park a short ferry ride away: beaches, hiking and a Civil War fort on Georges Island.
Cape Cod
~1.5–2 hrs by car or seasonal ferry
Best as an overnight. Provincetown and the Cape Cod National Seashore are the highlights.
Walden Pond, Concord
915 Walden St, ConcordCommuter rail to Concord
Thoreau's pond plus Concord's Revolutionary War sites. An easy half-day.
Plymouth
~45 min by car; seasonal ferry in summer
Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower II and a walkable historic waterfront.
07 · Local rites
Local rites
Buy fruit at Haymarket
Blackstone St, near Government CenterFridays and Saturdays
The oldest open-air produce market in the country. Loud, cash-only and very cheap.
A hot dog at Sullivan's, Castle Island
2010 William J Day Blvd, South BostonBus 9 or 11 from Broadway
A takeout stand at a harbor fort, selling cheap hot dogs and clam plates since 1951, with Logan planes overhead.
A Bruins or Celtics game at TD Garden
100 Legends WayT North Station (Orange, Green)
Two storied franchises in a downtown arena you can walk to.
Sunday at SoWa Open Market
460 Harrison Ave, South EndT Tufts Medical Center (Orange)Sun 11–4, May–Oct
About 200 vendors, food trucks and a vintage market in a former power station.
08
The full checklist
All 40 in one table, for printing.
| # | Item | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walk the Freedom Trail | Icons |
| 2 | See a game at Fenway Park | Icons |
| 3 | Spend an afternoon at the MFA | Icons |
| 4 | Public Garden and the Ducklings | Icons |
| 5 | Photograph Acorn Street | Icons |
| 6 | Harbor cruise or Charlestown ferry | Icons |
| 7 | Hot buttered lobster roll | Food |
| 8 | North End cannoli | Food |
| 9 | Clam chowder at Union Oyster House | Food |
| 10 | A slice from Regina Pizzeria | Food |
| 11 | An oyster at a raw bar | Food |
| 12 | Sunset from the Esplanade | Views |
| 13 | Skyline from Piers Park | Views |
| 14 | View Boston observation deck | Views |
| 15 | Boston Marathon finish line | Seasonal |
| 16 | Lilac Sunday at the Arboretum | Seasonal |
| 17 | Fourth of July on the Esplanade | Seasonal |
| 18 | Head of the Charles Regatta | Seasonal |
| 19 | Christmas tree lighting on the Common | Seasonal |
| 20 | First Night, New Year's Eve | Seasonal |
| 21 | Harvard Yard | Cambridge |
| 22 | MIT campus and the river path | Cambridge |
| 23 | Kayak the Charles River | Cambridge |
| 24 | Harvard Art Museums | Cambridge |
| 25 | Salem day trip | Day trips |
| 26 | Boston Harbor Islands | Day trips |
| 27 | Cape Cod | Day trips |
| 28 | Walden Pond, Concord | Day trips |
| 29 | Plymouth | Day trips |
| 30 | Haymarket on a Friday or Saturday | Local rites |
| 31 | A hot dog at Sullivan's, Castle Island | Local rites |
| 32 | A Bruins or Celtics game | Local rites |
| 33 | SoWa Open Market on a Sunday | Local rites |
| 34 | Walk Newbury Street, Back Bay | Neighborhoods |
| 35 | Explore the North End's side streets | Neighborhoods |
| 36 | Beacon Hill's gas lamps at dusk | Neighborhoods |
| 37 | The Seaport waterfront and the ICA | Neighborhoods |
| 38 | Read in Bates Hall, Boston Public Library | Culture |
| 39 | The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | Culture |
| 40 | A free Thursday night at the ICA | Culture |
FAQ
Boston bucket list: common questions
What are the must-do things in Boston?
Walk the Freedom Trail, see a game at Fenway Park, eat a lobster roll and a cannoli, watch sunset from the Esplanade, and walk through Harvard Yard.
How many days do you need to do the Boston bucket list?
The core 20 items fit into 3 to 4 days. Add a Salem or Cape Cod day trip, or time it around Head of the Charles or the Marathon, with 5 to 7 days.
What is the number one thing to do in Boston?
Walking the Freedom Trail from Boston Common to the North End: history, architecture and food in one 2.5-mile walk.
Is the Boston bucket list different in winter?
Yes. Swan Boats, Harbor Islands ferries and outdoor markets close, but the Freedom Trail, museums, Fenway tours, TD Garden games and the Commonwealth Avenue lights still apply.
What Boston foods should be on every bucket list?
A hot buttered lobster roll, a North End cannoli, clam chowder, a Regina pizza, and an oyster at a raw bar.