How to Spend 3 Unforgettable Days in Boston

July 29, 2019
boston public garden itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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.
swan boat boston public garden itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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.
acorn street beacon hill boston map itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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.
boston tatte bakery breakfast brunch coffee brekky itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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.
reflection hancock tower copley square trinity church boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
hare rabbit tortoise turtle statue copley square trinity church boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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.
harvard university cambridge boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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.
harbor boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
quincy market faneuil hall army band music street boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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.
old state house downtown massacre freedom trial boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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!
caffee nero coffee pastries bakery cafe boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast
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.
squirrel common boston itinerary plan guide tourism usa america park east coast

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

43 comments

  1. I've pinned this. Would love to visit Boston as we live very near the original Boston in England. Looks just my kind of city.

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  2. Oh how I wish I would have known you were here - but so glad you had a great time! You visited some of my favorite places! Tatte has my favorite coffee! xo, Biana BlovedBoston

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  3. A great schedule for a quick trip to Boston - pinned!

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  4. Wow, what a wonderful travel... enjoy your week.
    Heidrun xxx

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  5. Glad you've joined this week's linky at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2019/07/pine-tree-versus-windshield.html

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  6. I'd have loved to meet you, Biana but as you can see our itinerary was so full we didn't have time for anything else.

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  7. Beautiful photos. My favorite is the reflection of Trinity Church in the modern glass-clad building. Great combination of old and new.
    My post features berries, blooms, and more.

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  8. I love, love, love the photos! What a wonderful trip!

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  9. Your itinerary is excellent! I used to work in downtown and in Kendal Square (MIT), so I know exactly where you went. For a European to say a hotel room is tiny, it must be really small. I would recommend the Marriott Hotel, either in Kendal Sq or the waterfront. Both are super convenient. I haven't been to Union Oyster House in ages. I may be biased, but I love Legal Seafood. There have opened all over town now. They have the best clam chowder (and rolls to go with it), fish and lobster!

    I know you packed a lot in 3 days. Another lovely neighborhood to visit is the North End. Great Italian food, and lots of history - Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church. Guess you have to go back and visit the Cape (my latest post) as well:-)

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  10. Lots of great tips and awesome photos!

    Your post rocks at 'My Corner of the World' this week!




    My Corner of the World

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  11. Looks like a really nice city.....love the tortoise and the hare bronze statues!

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  12. Great guide Cristina! I've always wanted to go and I like how you've included a Google maps with colour coded pins as this is exactly how I plan my travel and always forget to add them to my posts for others! Will be referring back when I do finally go!

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  13. This is a great 3-day itinerary. I've been to Boston a few times (mostly to visit family) and there is still a lot on this list that haven't had a chance to do yet! One day. <3.

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  14. Boston looks like an amazing City! I was there for about 6 hours many years ago, and have always vowed to go back. I love the thought of having a drink at the Cheers Bar, such an iconic set! Enjoyable read, thank you for sharing x

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  15. Boston looks beautiful! It is on my list of places to visit one day, my sister lived in Vermont for a while but I didn't get the opportunity to go then. Michelle x

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  16. love your squirrel shot!gorgeous Venetian house and the library #travellinkup

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  17. Boston is such a lovely city! It's one of my favourites on the East Coast! xx

    rhymeandribbons.com

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  18. What a great list of places to go! The family and I are planning a big trip to Boston/Salem in October to celebrate fall and Halloween. We love Boston and now I'll definitely have to add a few things to do ;) Visiting from Friday Favorites linkup!


    Kelly

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  19. We recently walked the whole freedom trail making frequent stops in the museums and things along the way and I tried so hard to get my kids to eat at the Oyster House but they were disgusted that all they had to offer was some seafood. Sounds like a wonderful three days.

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  20. Boston is easily one of my favorite cities to visit! This is such a great guide dear. Thanks!
    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

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  21. Love this guide Cristina. How cute are those ducklings. I do need to visit Boston one day and now I have a guide too

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  22. Boston's a great city. I haven't been there in a long time, but there's so much to see and do.
    x, Julie | ThisMainLineLife.com

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  23. I hope you get to go soon, Be! Boston is amazing

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  24. Thanks so much, Betty! Looking forward to the linkup this week!

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  25. Thanks so much! I thought the same when I saw the reflection

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  26. Thanks for the recommendations, Eileen! We were very surprised by the tiny room as well. We've always been to huge hotel rooms in the US.

    Legal Seafood sounds great, I love clam chowder ;)

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  27. Welcome to All Seasons and hope you'll become a regular member:)
    Great touristic impression of Boston you gave All Seasons. I especially love the army band - somehow it reminds me on New Orleans, where bands can spring up at any time anywhere:) Curious how you got to know about All Seasons?
    Since"Seasons" is thought of in the widest sense of the word, it can be a birthday, etc. because it's about "the experience of the season." Cheers:) Jesh

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  28. I hope you get to see all these places soon, Mandy!

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  29. Thanks, Kerry! I hope you can go back to Boston some day

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  30. Oh Vermont must be gorgeous during fall!

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  31. It's become one of my favorites as well!

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  32. Boston must look lovely in October, enjoy!

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  33. Thank you for stopping by, Jess!

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  34. Walking the whole freedom trail must be a wonderful experience! I'm sorry your kids didn't like seafood, I'm sure when they grow older they will like it :)

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  35. Thanks, Neha! So glad you enjoyed the guide :)

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  36. I agree, Julie! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  37. I'd love to visit New Orleans! Next time I'm in the US I want to tour some of the southern states.

    I found All Seasons via another blog, don't remember which, sorry.

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