How to Spend 1 Day in Boston: Travel Itinerary
Old State House, Boston, MA
How to Spend 1 Day in Boston: Travel Itinerary
I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news… but I have to admit that it’s utterly impossible to explore the entirety of Boston all in one day. That said, the good news is that you can fit in a ton of Boston charm into one full day, because of how walkable the city is!
Maybe you have a Sunday free to drive to downtown, or maybe you’re on a New England road trip and can only spare 12-24 hours in America’s Walking City - based on places we've experienced for ourselves, here’s what I recommend you see and do while you’re visiting Boston, MA for a day!
MORNING
8:30AM-9:30AM: Breakfast at Tatte Bakery & Cafe (Charles Street)
A Caramel Hazelnut Donut with a Vanilla Latte is a favorite way to start a day exploring Boston! Tatte Bakery has various locations throughout the city, but we are especially fond over the Tatte Bakery in Beacon Hill for its convenient location amongst the cobblestone and charming brick buildings. Other breakfast options at Tatte Bakery include breakfast sandwiches, a Croque Madame, and more! Whichever you decide, make sure to fuel up for a day of walking, but also make sure not to overstuff to the point where you want to nap afterwards! ;)
9:30AM-10:30AM: Shop on Charles Street
Spend the next hour or two wandering around the Boutique and Antique Shops dotted along Charles St.
Feel free to sneak in a photo op or two!
Photo Op: Acorn Street
Photo Op: Rouvalis Flowers Shop
10:30AM-11:30AM: Boston Public Garden & Boston Common
Once you’re done exploring Beacon Hill, walk over to the Boston Public Garden, followed by Boston Common (America’s oldest public park). Fingers crossed for local artists filling the air with music, or for swans swimming in the pond!
Photo Op: George Washington Statue
Photo Op: Public Garden Suspension Bridge
11:30AM-12:30PM: Walk the Freedom Trail
Boston Common is also where you’ll start walking along the Freedom Trail, which is a 2.5 mile red-brick path that leads you all throughout downtown Boston. It passes by 16 locations that are significant to American history.
You have the option to complete the entire trail, taking you all the way to Bunker HIll, but if you’re like us, ending at the Old North Church will satisfy your thirst for American history, leaving the second part of the trail for a future adventure!
Begin at the Boston Common Visitor’s Center
*Feel free to pick up a Freedom Trail Guide at the Visitor Center to learn fun facts during your walk around the city!
Massachusetts State House
Park Street Church
Granary Burying Ground
King’s Chapel & King’s Chapel Burying Ground
Boston Latin School Site/Benjamin Franklin Statue
Old Corner Bookstore
Old State House
Boston Massacre Site
Faneuil Hall
ALL of these stops are great photo op’s! This part of the Freedom Trail is estimated to take about 30 minutes but doesn’t account for time spent at each site for photos and breaks from walking!
AFTERNOON
12:30PM-1:30PM: Lunch at Faneuil Hall Marketplace/Quincy Market
This is one of our favorite places to grab a bite to eat! With so many options - lobster rolls, chowder, sandwiches, tacos, pizza, and more - we know you’ll find something that catches your eye. (There are also plenty of souvenir stands to take a look at!)
If you’re looking for something lighter and with a view, the nachos over at the Samuel Adams Taproom are sooo good! Enjoy every bite from their rooftop bar!
1:30PM-2:00PM: Continue Along the Freedom Trail
Paul Revere House
Old North Church
Both of these stops are great photo op’s! This part of the Freedom Trail is estimated to take about 15 minutes but doesn’t account for time spent at each site for photos and breaks from walking!
2:00PM-2:30PM: Have Cannolis or Dessert at either Mike’s Pastry or Modern Pastry in Little Italy
We personally haven’t established a favorite out of these two rivals quite yet. So as far as we know, you can’t go wrong with either! Once you’ve ordered your cannolis, enjoy them outside in the courtyard in front of Paul Revere’s House!
*From here, you have three options that we recommend choosing from:
You can continue along the Freedom Trail and head north towards Bunker Hill
You can walk over to Newbury St for shopping and dinner. (We highly recommend Saltie Girl for lobster rolls and seafood!)
You can check out the Seaport District (also) for shopping and dinner
For the sake of this itinerary, I’ll share what to do in the Seaport District!
2:30PM-3:00PM: Walk to the Seaport District
It takes about 20-25 minutes to walk over to the Seaport District from the North End, but enjoy the views of the Boston Harbor to your left along the way! (You can also scratch this itinerary altogether and visit the New England Aquarium for the evening!)
Enjoy a View
Either have some drinks at the Lookout Rooftop and Bar, or have a photo op at Fan Pier Park! You've done a lot of walking today - time to soak in the city views!
Photo Op: Skyline of Downtown Boston
EVENING
Whether you’d like to do more shopping, enjoy the harbor views, or take in the art displayed throughout the Seaport District, there is a ton to keep you busy and entertained for an evening!
For dinner, we recommend Ocean Prime for some delicious lobster, but you can’t go wrong with any of the other restaurants found in the Seaport District!
Annnd that’s a wrap!
Although this itinerary doesn’t capture all that Boston has to offer, we feel like it’ll capture a good amount of the Boston charm and leave you with a great first impression of America’s Walking City!
As we explore Boston even more, we’ll be sure to add on additional recommendations or alternate options as we discover more fun things to do! ‘Til then, this is our FAVORITE way to spend a Saturday or Sunday in our new city.
Have you been to Boston? Let me know some of your Boston favorites! And if you haven't been to Boston yet, where would you go first?!
'Til the next one,
Gen
