Boston tour choices

[RRFPresident]

We'll be on the Caribbean Princess traveling to New England/Canada in mid-August. Our final excursion choice remains in what to take in Boston so I'm hoping someone in CC has taken these options and can offer some insight.

 

There's a "Historic Boston & Cambridge" tour and a "Scenic Boston & Harbor Cruise" tour. They go to slightly different sites (besides the fact that one includes a boat ride). If we take the earlier HB&C, we have 1 hr & 15 min leeway btwn that and the later SB&HC so we could take both.

 

However, it would mean we'd be on a tour from 10:45AM till 6:30PM and we're only in Boston from 10AM-7PM. One sight I really want to see is the Freedom Trail and the SB&HC claims to include it (albeit more like pointing it out as they drive past).

 

Anyone do either of these tours or thoughts on this plan to do both?

[138east]

I wouldn't do either unless Cambridge is an absolute must. Look at Old Town trolley - they have a stop near the port. http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/ Compare the trolley map to the Freedom Trail map to see where you might want to hop off/hop on - http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

 

The Freedom Trail is not a site - it is a self-directed walking tour of downtown Boston. The map gives you a suggested route through the city streets to find the historical sites of interest. You can pick and choose whatever you like. The trolley tour ranges quite a bit beyond the Freedom Trail but has many stops that are on the trail.

 

The old part of Boston is small and is easily walkable. IMO the experience is better on foot than a tour bus. If you feel like you must get on a boat in the harbor, you can take the MBTA water taxi from Long Wharf at the Aquarium to the Constitution for $1.70/pp each way.

 

To get really detailed, you can take the trolley to the Constitution, then take the water taxi back to Long Wharf, and walk back to trolley stop 5 without really missing anything.

[RRFPresident]

Thanks for the advice and links. We are leaning toward scrapping the ship tour choices and either picking up one of the guided tours throughout the day that TFT.org lists or booking a private tour with them so we can pick and choose which places to visit.

 

The harbour cruise part was just part of the 2nd tour, we didn't really desire to be on the water. As my mom keeps saying, 'you're getting there by boat and you want to go get on another boat?' :)

[138east]

You can build your own tour using the Freedom Trail and the trolley. The trolley will have ongoing commentary. Some of the sites will have their own tours when you get there. Just stay away from the tour buses - they just don't fit well in Boston streets, so there are places they simply don't go at all. That's why the trolley is so popular - the trolleys are smaller and run continuously picking up and dropping folks off at places like the North End that are difficult to get to in a tour bus.

[RandMcnally]

There are 16 sites along the Freedom Trail. If you take the Old Town Trolley you will see 12 of them from the trolley.

[nismo0604]

Do a boston duck tour, dont bother paying thru the ship. duck tours are great, land and water and you get to see everything

[138east]

Yes - but the duck tours leave from locations not convenient to the pier and only last 80 minutes. They can certainly be fun, but they don't begin to fill up an entire day.

[Snoofer]

Can you get to the Kennedy library from the Trolley?

 

If not, can you get there easily on your own without the ship tour?

[138east]

The Kennedy Library is not well located. By "T" you have to take the Silver Line to South Station, the Red Line to JFK/Umass and a shuttle bus to the library. This could easily take you an hour. The only other options would be cab or water taxi. What is the tour price?

[Snoofer]

The tour price is $68 for both the JFK library and Adams Home. It's 4 hours - which would pretty much be all we would be able to do while there. I was hoping for some time @ Quincy Market. Figured if we could just do JFK library on our own, we would have time for the market as well. But, since you say it would take 1 hr (there, one hour back) -- doesn't seem to fit too well in the schedule. May just do the Old Town Trolley instead to at least get a good overview of sights.

[138east]

Before you make a final decision explore this option - www.roweswharfwatertransport.com. I haven't used these folks, but they are the only place that will store luggage for you, so I have been recommending them to folks who disembark in Boston and need to kill an entire day before flying out in the evening. One family of 5 got a family pass - the water taxi picked them up at

Black Falcon, took them to Rowe's wharf to get rid of their luggage, and took them over to the airport at the end of the day for $15/pp. A day pass on this water taxi is $25/pp. JFK Library is on their list of destinations as is Central Wharf, which is near Quincy Market. Call them up to see if you can go from Black Falcon to JFK to Central Wharf to Black Falcon. This would allow you to do everything you want to in Boston at an extremely reasonable price.

[booklady26]

If you'd like to walk the Freedom Trail, it's easy to do on your own. If you take in all the sights, it can easily take you most of the day. We took a taxi to theBoston Commons. Just tell the driver that you want to go to the start of the trail and he'll drop you off right there. Actually take some time to walk around the Commons. It's a pretty park

 

We had a guide book and did it ourselves, but they also have guided walking tours that you can get right there. The trail is paved in red brick so it's easy to follow. There are no markings on sights or buildings to denote stops on the trail, so a guidebook is necessary.

 

Fanueil Hall & Quincy Market is about half way. You can stop there for lunch and some shopping and then continue on. We wanted to have lunch in the Union Oyster House north of the Market but it was too crowded. So we wound up at an old historic pub across the street, Bell in Hand. Had some great chowder (what else!) and a mug of ale brewed on premises.

 

We actually didn't make over to the Constitution and Bunker Hill. My husband is a life long Celtics fan and wanted to pick up a championship T-shirt at the TD Bank Garden. They won the NBA championship that year. In fact he's wearing it today to cheer them on for tonight's game.

 

We headed back to Quincy Markey where taxis are plentiful to return to the ship.

 

It was a great way to spend the day.