Dear Reader,
So while visiting Boston a few weeks ago, my friend and I took two different free walking tours in the city from the same company. Here is my detailed review of both of them and what we thought. This post is in no way sponsored and all opinions are my own. They are also free, which is great.
Harvard
The first tour we took was of Harvard in Cambridge. This university just outside of Boston is world famous and definitely worth a visit. The free walking tour meets on the main square by the tourist information. It is easy to find and to get to from anywhere in the town. Make sure you find the right guide, because there are about three tours leaving from this same spot. Be prepared for the tour to take about 1.5 hours. Ours was led by an older gentleman names Ritchie who was well informed of the area and did a great job. The campus and the city are really small and you could definitely walk it on your own, but we liked having a tour to get the most out of our one day in the city. Due to the size of the city, the tour is not very intense walking so it can be done by anybody. You can also join or leave the tour at any point. I would suggest this tour because the school has such a history and heritage that is great to explore and learn about. We learned which room all the famous people stayed at during their time here and funny anecdotes about the students and campus life. Since the tour is free you really have nothing to loose so why not try it.
Freedom Trail
The second walking tour we took was in the heart of Boston along the freedom trail. This is one of the most important sites in Boston. It hits eleven of the sixteen famous sites in Boston and takes about two hours. The meeting spot is the Boston Yards Park next to the Metro stop. It can be a bit challenging to find so make sure you arrive a bit earlier. Again, there are a few tours leaving from the same spot so make sure you find your guide. This tour does involve more walking than the last one, so be aware. Also, we had Brian as our guide, which was great. He was well informed and had a lot of energy throughout the tour. Therefore, I would totally suggest this tour to families because Brian will do a great job keeping the kids engaged as well. Everything is done in a fun and entertaining way so the two hours fly by. The tour ends right next to Quincy Market so you can just get lunch right after the tour.
Those are the two free walking tours we took. If you would like to check them out, you can visit their website here. My friend and I really enjoyed them and would recommend them if you are visiting the city and want to learn about the history. They are free, but you should sign up beforehand. You can still come if you do not, it is never an issue. Further, you can perfectly do the two tours back to back. We took the first one around 10:00 AM or 10:30 AM and the second one started at 1:00 PM. You can take the metro in the city to get from one tour to another.
Did you take these tours before or would you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or on social media. If you are looking for more things to do in Boston, check out my guide on everything to do in one day here.
Kisses,
Juli