Boston Travel Guide: What to See, Where to Go and What to Eat

To kick off our United States of America road trip adventure this summer, we explored Boston, the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, located on the East side of the United States.

I really enjoyed our visit to Boston. Our general impressions was: it is a very clean city with friendly, helpful people and some really lovely spots.

The Logistics

How Did We Get There?

Outbound: We flew from London Heathrow Airport, London to Boston Logan Airport.

Inbound: We had a return journey via Boston too, however we continued on a road trip from here for two weeks so did not fly out straight away. We returned to Boston for the final night of our trip, and flew home from Boston Logan back to London Heathrow.

How Long Did We Go For?

We had two full days to get to know the city, and the final day of our trip (but we did not do any sight seeing on this day as we were preparing to go home). I think this is plenty of time to explore Boston, as whilst it has lots of lovely spots, there are not too many attractions and it feels like more of a liveable city than London, for example, so there isn’t loads to do.

Where Did We Stay?

We stayed in Hotel AKA in Back Bay. Found in the old Boston Police Headquarters, the hotel was a great base for our trip as it was in comfortable walking distance to Newbury Street, where there are lots of places to eat, and the quaint Boston Public Garden.

Check out where we stayed here.

When Did We Visit?

We went to Boston in mid August. The weather was great on the first day, with a necessity for suncream as it was very hot. However, the second day was rainy and wet, and whilst not cold, we did plan our trip around the weather so we spent most of the time outside on the first day and the majority inside on the second. Usually, Bostonian weather is much hotter in August, but this year has seen much wetter and cooler weather.

How Did We Travel Around?

We mainly walked around the city, and caught Uber’s when we wanted to travel a bit further, such as when we visited Cambridge. This worked out as more financially viable for the two days we were here, as we were sharing taxis between three people and the costs for using the underground would not have been much less. Boston is a very walkable city, though, and you can comfortably travel on foot if preferred.

CityMapper was, as ever, a handy tool to use when figuring out distances between places and travel times.

What To See & Do In Boston

Planning a trip to Boston? Here’s some things to fill your time with:

Follow the Freedom Trail: This is a 2.5 mile journey to 16 historical sites which together tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond. Stops include Boston Common and Massachusetts State Building. We took ourselves round the trail, but there is an option to have a guided tour; catch this from Boston Common.

Visit Cambridge to see Harvard University: One of the most famous and prestigious Ivy League institutions in the world, Harvard was a true highlight of the whole trip. I loved walking round the historic campus - we saw Harvard Yard, the library, and the John Harvard statue - and visiting the Harvard Bookstore. It was such a privilege to see this iconic university in person.

Explore the beautiful Boston Public Library: This is a gorgeous building with so much stunning ceiling art and a very functional library where you can study, work, and read.

Enjoy a touch of retail therapy: Window shop at Macy’s, an iconic department store. There are loads of expensive designer shops here, but you can grab a bargain if the sales are on.

See the ‘Cheers’ set: Found on Beacon Hill, the pub became the original inspiration for the setting of the TV show which premiered in 1982. I’m too young to remember to show and to appreciate the spot, but my parents loved it!

Eating & Drinking In Boston We checked out a few places whilst in Boston, here are some of the faves:

Piattini: This is a lush cafe style restaurant situated on Newbury Street. We had two meals here. The first meal was on our first night in America: I had the Arugula salad (butternut squash, rocket, and beetroot). A perfectly light evening meal was just what we were after when we’d had a long day of travelling. The second meal was on our final night: we shared a Gamberetti salad (pan seared tiger shrimp, arugula, dried cranberries, goat cheese, candied pecans, balsamic vinaigrette) for our first course, and I had the Burrata Ravioli (fresh burrata stuffed ravioli, truffle cream, blistered cherry tomato caponat) for my main course. The food was insanely delicious, and the waiting staff were lovely too. Check it out.

Eva: Also on Newbury Street, this restaurant has a pleasant feel and nice ambience. I had a delicious swordfish steak with couscous and chickpeas. Although, we felt our meal was overpriced for the quality, and this isn’t one to go for if you’re travelling to Boston on a budget. Find out more here.

Precinct Kitchen + Bar: This is the restaurant that sits within the Hotel AKA complex. We had a lovely evening meal here on our third night, and enjoyed our breakfasts here too. For breakfast, the crab Benedict (tomato, avocado, breakfast potatoes) is a solid option if you’re feeling savoury, whilst protein pancakes are a yummy choice for the sweet toothed among us. For dinner, there are plenty of traditional American dishes and New England seafood choices. I had the tuna and avocado tartar, salmon and fondant potatoes, and chocolate caramel lava cake. For the final lunch of the holiday when we looped back to Boston at the end of our trip, I had the lobster roll and it was super yummy. Again, quite pricey, if that’s what you’re looking for I would suggest leaving this one. But it is a great restaurant and the staff are absolutely fantastic here - shout out to Greg for being the best waiter of the holiday! Take a look at the menu. Overall, Boston is a vibrant but peaceful city, with pockets of leafy green amidst the looming skyscrapers. It is nowhere near as bustling as London or New York, which makes it an arguably more tranquil city to experience, but still there is plenty to do for a short trip. A strong recommend!

If you travel to Boston, let me know how you get on via Instagram!