Boston in Five Days

 A guide made specifically for a classmate's trip, but can be used by you!

Day 1:

·       Take the free shuttle from airport to the subway and buy week long pass (Charlie Card) for the public transportation (the T).

·       www.bostonhostel.org is a site for a relatively cheap ($35-41/night with linens, towels, wifi, and breakfast included) and extremely convenient hostel

·       Walk from the hostel to Boston Commons and the Botanical Gardens: Beautiful and peaceful with a couple famous statues, swan boat rides, and children playing in a wadding pond

·       Check out the Massachusetts State House right at the opposite end of the Commons with free tours

·       The Black Heritage Trail is also right there

·       For food, Cheers is only a couple blocks away or Chinatown is close by where I have been to a very good hot pot restaurant

Day 2:

·       To get the most out of the many historical sites in Boston has to offer, I highly recommend the Old Town Trolley tour which allows you two days of guided transportation around the city. Tickets can be purchased at several stop locations or online for a discount.

·       Before you actually ride around too much on the trolley, you should take advantage of the free harbor cruise included with your ticket.

·       After the cruise, take the trolley around to spots that you will not spend time in the days to follow.

Day 3:

·       In the morning, take the T to the aquarium and purchase a CityPass (a great discount for 5 attractions). Then, enjoy the aquarium.

·       After, walk over to Fanniuel Hall/Quincey Marketplace and you HAVE to eat at Ned Devine’s. It’s a great place with the famous New England clam chowder. This is also a great place to do some shopping and catch street performances.

·       Tours and maps of the freedom trail are available in Fanniuel Hall. Much of the 2.5 mile red line will be covered in the trolley tour, but a couple sections will not be.

·       I advise waiting until this day to use your ticket for The Old State House from the trolley tour. Because you get this additional ticket, you can save your CityPass option ticket for the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

·       From The Old State House, follow the freedom trail towards the 4^th trolley stop to see the sites that the trolley does not cover.

·       Riding back to trolley stop 6 is probably you best option when you decide that you are done for the day. 

 Day 4:

·       To get to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, you will take the red line from South Station to Harvard.

·       Spend the morning and afternoon taking Harvard in. The science building is my favorite building so far and I always find my way into the Squash and Tennis shop on the next block over from the front gate.

·       There are awesome shops and little restaurants to enjoy around the campus. I highly recommend dedicating a lot of your day!

·       In the mid-afternoon, take the red line to the green line to the Science Museum.

Day 5:

·       In the morning, make your way to the Museum of Fine Arts and use your CityPass.

·       After, take the T back to Prudential Station and you may want to have lunch at the cheesecake factory.

·       Walk to the Skywalk Observatory and redeem your last CityPass.

·       If you have more time in your day, there are free concerts in Copley Square in August and that is just a short T ride away.

Budget:

5 Nights in Hostel      ~$200

Food                            ~$120

Charlie Card                   $15

Old Town Trolley         ~$37

CityPass                          $46

Souvenirs                      ~$32

Total                           ~$450 

Alternative Plan:

·       Do not get either pass, and instead extend time at each attraction and walking around the city. You would still be able to go to Harvard and walk around and some museums all over the city have select free admission times.

·       The islands just off the coast are also very nice to visit and could be considered as an alternative to one pass or another.

·       If interested in spending a day in New York City, the bus is about $20 each way. I would recommend cutting out Day 2 and visiting NYC on the fifth day in that circumstance, unless are able to stay an additional day and afford the additional costs.

The Boston Caribbean Carnival takes place in August during the third weekend in Franklin Park. The Italian Feast Days on the North End and the Copley Square Concerts are also events unique to August in Boston.

Enjoy!