How to Spend 3 Unforgettable Days in Boston

July 29, 2019
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Boston can be defined as the US historical capital. As a history lover, that's one of the things that made me choose this city as part of our 10-day East Coast trip this summer. I also love architecture, so the mixture of old buildings and modern ones in the capital of Massachusetts was something else to see.

Boston has impressive museums, beautiful neighborhoods and many reasons for sports fans to visit. Everyone can find a reason to visit it. We really enjoyed our three days there and I have many tips to share with you.

This complete guide includes everything you need to do in Boston, where to sleep, where to eat -including vegan options- and last but not least a very useful map with pins for all of that plus shops you can't miss.

This is how we spent three unforgettable days in Boston.

3 DAYS IN BOSTON ITINERARY: DAY 1

On the 4th of July, our plane landed at Boston Logan International Airport. We took the Silver Line bus -it's free- to South Station and from there we took the metro to our hotel. It was around 3pm when we checked-in the Boston Plaza Hotel. The hotel lobby is beautiful and luxurious and the staff were really kind and friendly, however our room was teeny tiny and we had to take turns to walk around it.

After a short rest we headed out. When I create an itinerary, I always divide the city map in areas. We always visit the closest to our hotel first because the day of our arrival is when we are the most tired. So the closest place to the Boston Plaza is the Public Garden.

We have seen many parks and and gardens all around the world but we found the Boston Public Garden particularly lovely. Its swan boats, duckling statues, and pretty little bridge create it a charming romantic atmosphere. There were also adorable squirrels everywhere.
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ducklings statue 4th july boston public garden itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
Make way for ducklings! This is Boston's most beloved sculpture in the romantic Public Gardens. Bostonians dress them up for special occasions like the 4th of July here.

Any Cheers fans out there? If you are, you probably know that the 80's TV show was filmed and set in Boston. Nowadays, you can visit the set and have a drink and some food at the iconic pub.

Our next stop was Boston Common, another green area of the city. It's a great spot to hang out, rest or work out and has great views of the city but we didn't find it as special as the Public Garden. Both are great for a picnic though.

If you walk north of the park, you'll find yourself in the beautiful Beacon Hill neighborhood. An exclusive residential area where it's worth wandering the streets. It's really quiet and lovely and here you can find amazing unique stores. Probably the most famous place around Beacon Hill is the highly instagrammable Acorn Street. This beautiful cobblestone lane with brick houses on both sides is one of the most photographed places in Boston but beware, there's a no trespassing sign on the street. Only professional photo shoots with a permit are allowed. However, you can still take a pic of the street without entering.
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The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile-long path through downtown Boston, that passes by locations significant to the history of the United States. You can choose to do the whole trail or divide it in parts which is what we did. On this first day we say the Old North Church, the State House and Granary Burying Ground.
granary burying ground freedom trail map boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
boston sunset state house freedom trail map itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
We had dinner at 5 Guys. Not the fanciest spot but we had heard so many good things about it -apparently, they make Obama's favorite burgers- that we had to try it!

We were incredibly jet-lagged and tired but we still made it to the Fireworks Spectacular show by river Charles because you don't get to opportunities like this every day.

3 DAYS IN BOSTON ITINERARY: DAY 2

We had breakfast at Boston's best coffee shop, Tatte Bakery. It's popular among locals and tourists so it gets pretty packed. They have several locations around Boston but we went to the one in Back Bay which was the closest to the hotel. We loved it so much that we had breakfast there every day.
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With a satisfied belly, we headed downtown. We stopped at Copley Square where you can find three main Boston landmarks: Trinity Church, the impressive skyscraper John Hancock Tower and Boston's impressive Public Library. There's also a wonderful Farmer's Market in Copley Square.
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public library copley square boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
public library copley square patio fountain boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
Then, we went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. This place is a bit further away but totally worth it. This Venetian-style house has one of the most impressive private art collections I've ever seen. General admission is $15. Fun fact: if you name is Isabella you go in for free! Go to their website to plan your visit.
isabella stewart gardner museum venetian palace boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
isabella stewart gardner museum venetian palace boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
Our next stop was MIT -look for the breathtaking building by famous architect Frank Gehry- and Harvard University. On our way to the latter, we stopped for lunch at Life Alive, a vegan cafe with delicious healthy food.

I love visiting American universities. One of my favorite things to do when I was living in California was to stroll around Stanford University. I just love the beautifully design campus, the architecture and especially the ambiance. Harvard has all of that as well.
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harvard university cambridge boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
On our way back to the hotel we stopped to grab some dinner at by Chloe, another great vegan option.

3 DAYS IN BOSTON ITINERARY: DAY 3

We crossed the Public Garden and Boston Common to get to the harbor, then we stopped at the bustling Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, probably the most touristy spots in the city. It's a great place to grab some lunch and buy some souvenirs.
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union oyster house lobster roll seafood landmark freedom trail boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
We couldn't leave Boston without trying their most famous food: lobster. We had lunch at the oldest restaurant in America, Union Oyster House. It is also a National Historic Landmark and is part of the Freedom Trail. We had a lobster roll each and we absolutely loved it!
Our two last stops were the Old State House -part of the Freedom Trail- and the Tea Party Ships and Museum.
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tea part ships museum boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
On our way back to the hotel, when we were around Downtown Crossing -a pedestrian shopping area east of Boston Common- it started pouring with rain so we got some shelter at Caffe Nero, one of the loveliest cafes in the city. It's a great spot for reading or working on your laptop, too bad we didn't have time for that!
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That is how we spent 3 unforgettable day in Boston. As you can see our days were pretty full and we walked until our feet and legs hurt but felt so happy about all the things we saw and experienced. The following day we flew to DC but more on that next week.

Also, check out these posts for the ultimate 10-day east coast itinerary and tips for shopping in the USA.
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BOSTON ITINERARY MAP

This Boston map includes all the things you need for your trip: what to do, what to eat, where to stay and where to shop. The blue pins are the sights, yellow pins mark places to eat and the green ones are the location for my favorite shops. Click on the star next to the title to save to your maps in Google.
WEAR THIS HERE

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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Boston Venetian style palace art collection