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Top Tour operators in Boston, United States
Top Rated Tour operators in Boston
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Boston Duck Tours New England Aquarium Departure Location
Boston Freedom Trail Walking Tour
Boston Freedom Trail
Boston Custom Tours
Walking Boston
Boston By Foot
Reviews
Carl led our Boston By Little Feet tour and it was perfect. Unlike most other touring groups in Boston, our group was small and intimate. Carl didn’t need a microphone and loudspeaker so everyone could hear, and we didn’t have to keep up with a group of 30. We could ask clarifying questions whenever we wanted and Carl was full of Boston knowledge! He kept both our kids engaged and interested while keeping it stimulating for the adults! I wish we could just stick him in our pocket and take him all over Boston with us. Boston By Foot is the only way to tour Boston!
I work near Beacon Hill and my work got us a group tour of the area. Very nice - learned a lot - saw places I never knew existed although they were a few blocks away. Highly recommended for Bostonians and non-Bostonians alike
Educational experience and I really enjoyed the Beacon Hill neighborhood. The tour guide Ben was very insightful and provided both historical info and background insight about the building architecture and notable historic figures in Boston.
I absolutely love Boston By Foot. A friend invited me to the Fort Point tour and it was wonderful. Then we went to the Chinatown tour. Equally fascinating! THEN I became a member and plan on doing lots more. In fact, today I did a tour with Michael on the Heart of the Freedom Trail. He was SOOO knowledgeable and such a great storyteller. Thanks for all of the hard work these folks do to tell the incredible history of Boston!
Boston By Foot offers an exceptional journey through history, culture, and the rich tapestry of Boston's past. The tour is thoughtfully curated, with attractions perfectly spaced to ensure a comfortable and engaging experience. Our guide, Mr. Hu, stood out with his deep knowledge and infectious passion for American history. His patient and enthusiastic storytelling made the history of Boston, from its colonial roots to the stories of its notable figures, come alive in a way that was both enlightening and inspiring. Walking through the city with him, I felt so proud being a Bostonian. The experience was not just educational but also a heartfelt reminder of the city's significant heritage and its role in shaping American history.
I took my 7 and 4 year olds on the Boston by Little Feet tour and it was perfect for kids. Carl did a wonderful job keeping the kids engaged. The tour was the perfect length as my kids started to get tired right at the very end. I definitely recommend this tour for kids!
The dark side of Boston was a great tour led by our guide, Hannah. We started timely and were a big group. The pace of the tour was good for everyone to catch up with. Hannah answered any questions that we had and shared some amazing stories of Boston.
Great and novel way to see Bahston, both from the road and the water. Guide will help you understand the history of the places you visit. Tour takes you around lots of historical areas as well as the theatre district, Beacon Hill, Financial district and the Charles River. Highly recommended.
Awesome tour guide Jeremiah, made our trip to Boston from Australia well worth it!!
Must do tour with kids. Just as informative as the freedom trail tour and you get to see more of the city. There was less time on the water than I expected, but it turned out to be a good thing with a long er drive through time with a guide. Bonus, they led the kids take a turn driving !
NICK ROBBERTS! What can we say, very informative! Would highly recommend anyone taking his tour! When we come back, we will try to book with him for other tours of the area!
What a great way to see the city. Your guide was great and very informative. We had my two sons and their friends on board this fun ride. All kids had a chance to steer while we were in the charles.
Funny and entertaining tour guide but wished his jokes would be universal and inclusive.. mostly American based jokes which we as Asians not so familiar.. luv that we can try to drive the "duck"... the pointing out of buildings and history can be a bit confusing with so many interjections and anecdotes.. for someone who is interested in its rich history a bit turned down... otherwise a great experience for a tourist...
What a brilliant tour. Our family has been on this tour several times and private pepper was brilliant. He was full of facts and made the tour a brilliant experience. Quack quack. We were in the pink duck.
Excellent! You see almost all of Boston on this walking tour. We did self guided so we could stop along the way. Be ready to start first thing in the morning. The visitor center had very friendly and helpful staff. Multiple tour options and maps or books for purchase. Keep going to USS Constitution and Bunker Hill. We took an Uber from there back to Boston Harbor.
Had a great time, your seat is reserved when you buy your ticket, so you don’t have to come early to be first in line. They were on time, and the tour was fun and educational. Great way to visit the city on land and on water on the same tour! Wish more cities had duck boats!
I'm not one for writing bad reviews. Sorry DUCK Tours but sadly the one star is solely due to the conDUCKtor we got stuck with. Now we know everyone has a bad day, but when you are a tour guide for 60-90 minutes at a time where tourist pay decent money to attend, ya gotta make the best of it and leave your bad day aside (if that's what it was). Maybe you just hate your job so much that everyone gets a bad tour with you. I don't know. Almost Educated Aaron was rude, talked way to fast and couldn't even take in everything he was saying, was not funny though trying to be (drop the Adam Sandler wannabe because it doesn't work for you). It was like he was just wanting the tour to be over and rushed through everything. Maybe he should have stayed home with his long time girlfriend where he's happy or maybe go work back in the jail. Maybe that's more your vibe but you are clearly unhappy doing the DUCK tours. We've heard so much about these DUCK tours and how fun and informative they are and couldn't wait to come to Boston and see what it was all about. Well, highly disappointed in an understatement. Get off the DUCK if Almost Educated Aaron is your conDUCKtor.
On a positive note...the drive was great, the views were great and the other people on the boat were great. I still want a refund though!
On a positive note...the drive was great, the views were great and the other people on the boat were great. I still want a refund though!
Underwhelmed. Guide did not visit each location advertised on the Tripadvisor site. Tour went over the designated time as the guide was “too thorough” and long-winded.
Save your money. Buy a guide book and have a self guided tour at your own pace. Allowing yourself to decide where to linger and where to move along quickly.
There’s so many walking tours and guides, you can eavesdrop and pick up some info…since you’ll be in the queue often waiting for these big groups to vacate different interest points.
The route is clearly marked and easy to follow. Accessible by Subway.
Save your money. Buy a guide book and have a self guided tour at your own pace. Allowing yourself to decide where to linger and where to move along quickly.
There’s so many walking tours and guides, you can eavesdrop and pick up some info…since you’ll be in the queue often waiting for these big groups to vacate different interest points.
The route is clearly marked and easy to follow. Accessible by Subway.
I normally stray away from doing tours, as it makes me feel too much like a tourist. But it was beautiful day out, and the duck truck was sitting right there ready to start the next tour— so I decided to give it a try. And I’m glad I did.
It was a nice way to spend part of my day away. It was super casual, and offers really great views of the city from land and water. It’s also some interesting history along the way too.
My tour guide was quirky, but did a good job of mixing humor and historical facts together. At one point, while in the water, she even invites people to assist driving the boat. It’s pretty cool, and kids love it. I even did it myself and got some cool photos in the driver seat.
As embarrassing as it can be, there is quite a bit of quacking during the tour. But it’s fun to do, and helps get everyone engaged and loosened up.
Definitely try this, if looking for something quick and harmlessly fun to do in the Boston area.
It was a nice way to spend part of my day away. It was super casual, and offers really great views of the city from land and water. It’s also some interesting history along the way too.
My tour guide was quirky, but did a good job of mixing humor and historical facts together. At one point, while in the water, she even invites people to assist driving the boat. It’s pretty cool, and kids love it. I even did it myself and got some cool photos in the driver seat.
As embarrassing as it can be, there is quite a bit of quacking during the tour. But it’s fun to do, and helps get everyone engaged and loosened up.
Definitely try this, if looking for something quick and harmlessly fun to do in the Boston area.
I found out about Boston by Foot (a non-profit ran by volunteers) after a lot of searching. Emily was a great tour guide. I did the Road to Revolution tour. She was very knowledgeable about the history of everything we saw. The $17 tour was well worth it and gave us 2 hours of entertainment. A must for any history enthusiast
We really enjoyed this guided tour! Our tour guide ("Mother Goose" character) was really knowledgeable and knew Boston well, as a true native. The tour would have been much more hollow without the expertise provided by the guide. One major downside, however, is that the tour only goes through half the Freedom Trail, stopping at Faneuil Hall...still was a 90 minute tour, but would have loved having the insights for the rest of the trail. I'd really give this 4.5 stars if I could because of that, but 5 because overall, I want to spread the word that this was worth the expense and very enjoyable!
Fantastic tour! My 12 year old was engaged. The tour guide struck a nice balance between being old-fashioned and not sentimentalizing or glossing over the darker parts of history.
My family and I enjoyed the Freedom Trail Tour. The meeting point is at the information center in the Park. You can purchase tickets there to show your printed copy. We stopped frequently to talk about the early settlement and buildings. It lasted just over an hour and did not end where we began. We also didn’t visit every spot on the freedom trail either.
Declan was the greatest tour guide I have ever seen! His humor is unmatched and his ability to bring history to life was amazing to see in person. You can clearly see that Declan thoroughly loves his history and his passion rubbed off on our entire group. Could not recommend him enough! Truly the best tour guide I have ever had.
Our guide was amazing, very knowledgeable, funny and entertaining. Cold day, and the wind sliced thru us Texans…but our guide made the trip worth it!
Top notch! We have done many private tours, and Declan rates as one of the very best. Professional, flexible, extremely knowledgeable, and sensitive to his group’s needs, he is worth every penny. We will definitely recommend him to our family and friends!
We went on a Freedom Trail tour with Benjamin Burdick and he was AMAZING: really knowledgeable about the history of Boston and thoroughly hilarious. I would recommend this tour as a “must see” if you are spending any time in Boston. Be sure to bring a little cash along. We really wanted to tip him at the end for the excellent job of bringing American history to life for us.
We have just finished a fantastic 2 day tour through Boston and the surrounds hosted by Declan.
Firstly I would like to say thank you to Declan for being such a wonderful personality and a wealth of knowledge.
We feel that without this tour we would not have the same appreciation for Boston as a city and would never have found the many places we visited.
The tour was very personal and Declan was very generous with his time. Both days started at 9am which was our request and continued until after 7pm.
Declan focus was to ensure we all got what we wanted from our visit. He was well planned, thorough and very entertaining the whole time.
At the end of the 2 days we were sorry to be saying cheerio to our new found friend.
Great job Declan we wish you well in your daily adventures.
Firstly I would like to say thank you to Declan for being such a wonderful personality and a wealth of knowledge.
We feel that without this tour we would not have the same appreciation for Boston as a city and would never have found the many places we visited.
The tour was very personal and Declan was very generous with his time. Both days started at 9am which was our request and continued until after 7pm.
Declan focus was to ensure we all got what we wanted from our visit. He was well planned, thorough and very entertaining the whole time.
At the end of the 2 days we were sorry to be saying cheerio to our new found friend.
Great job Declan we wish you well in your daily adventures.
My husband and I took our two teenage grandsons on an American Heritage tour of New England, Philadelphia and Washington. The boys are American citizens but grew up in Israel ... so never studied American History in school. Because of their ages, it was important for me to find guides that would make the history lessons come alive, which Declan certainly did. He picked us up in Lexington, Mass. where we were staying and took us first to the Lexington green where he provided an animated and very informative presentation as to the events leading up to the start of the revolution. The balance of the tour was in Boston and was also very engaging. Declan was terrific with the boys and went out of his way to accommodate my husband who has health issues and was not able to participate in every facet of the tour.
Me and my wife had wonderful day
Our guide was very informative and she knew the history. It's great to see young people who invest in their knowledge of the past. She even gave me good advice on some other tours and navigating the city.
You need to start early in te morning in order to complete the whole trail. In case not possible you can split in two days or just select points of interest and use the subway.
Great private tour from our cruise port! We felt like we know Boston! Such a beautiful city! Declan was fun and very knowledgeable! Having never been to Boston before - we spent Sunday afternoon seeing all the sights we have always heard about!
We would highly recommend Declan.
He made the tour just exactly what we wanted. Even requesting a stop at Mike’s pastry!! Thanks again!
We would highly recommend Declan.
He made the tour just exactly what we wanted. Even requesting a stop at Mike’s pastry!! Thanks again!
The tour was awesome and our guide had so much energy. He was funny and quite knowledgeable about all the stops along the tour. He also answered ALL of our questions we had about different things we saw that were not part of the tour. The tour was included in our Go pass so I had no cash to tip at the end. Please carry some cash because these guys and gals do a fantastic job! A tip at the end of the tour would be a small token of appreciation.
Declan was amazing! He really knew his stuff, and he was really great at telling the stories - we learned a lot & had fun too!!!
Enjoyed a wonderful tour brought to live by a fantastic tour guide - Richard. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is the time and place I came away with as good an understanding of American patriotism as a Canadian can likely have. I strongly recommend this tour! And if you're moved by world-changing stories of people fighting against all odds in the pursuit of liberty, bring your tissues.
Very informative and entertaining overview of local history with a leisurely walk.
This was an excellent experience. My tween daughter and I did the 10:30am tour on July 4 - called the "reverse tour" because it starts outside of Faneuil Hall instead of at the Boston Common. We had about 20 people in our group.
1. Our tour guide was "Barzillai Lew" a Revolutionary Character who had an thorough knowledge on the subject and answered all questions presented to him, with detail. He was also very entertaining.
2. Please be aware this is hiking. The walk lasted 90 minutes and there is no sitting for any of it. On the day we visited it was also really hot.
3. There will be a place early on where you can buy water - but be prepared and bring your own, you will need it.
4. There are no stops to go inside. Take note of any building you want to revisit (the meeting halls, the churches) and return later in the day.
This is part of the Go Boston Card. I wouldn't do it twice, but I would not have wanted to miss it. Highly recommend for those who are able to make the walk and have the time.
1. Our tour guide was "Barzillai Lew" a Revolutionary Character who had an thorough knowledge on the subject and answered all questions presented to him, with detail. He was also very entertaining.
2. Please be aware this is hiking. The walk lasted 90 minutes and there is no sitting for any of it. On the day we visited it was also really hot.
3. There will be a place early on where you can buy water - but be prepared and bring your own, you will need it.
4. There are no stops to go inside. Take note of any building you want to revisit (the meeting halls, the churches) and return later in the day.
This is part of the Go Boston Card. I wouldn't do it twice, but I would not have wanted to miss it. Highly recommend for those who are able to make the walk and have the time.
My boyfriend and I had a tour w\ "Isiah Thomas" ( real name is Rob Crean.) He was very interesting and entertaining. He was extremely knowledgeable and very funny. =) I definitely recommend anyone taking his tour during your visit to Boston!!! It was a great opportunity to learn ALL about Boston, it was just an all around great experience. This is a type of tour that is great for adults and kids in grade school. I was recommending to my friends w\ kids that once they start taking History classes, they should take a trip down to Boston for some hands-on learning. I feel this would be more better than reading a textbook! Please take a look !!!
Declan is awesome. I couldn't imagine a better tour guide. Declan completely customizes your tour based on your interests and is Extremely knowledgeable about all of the history in Boston. He knew every fact, date, story, etc. that I could possibly think of.
If we had tried to do Boston by ourselves I would have probably read the plaques at sites and said it was ok, but with Declan I really felt like I was there- he made it so entertaining and interesting. Would highly recommend.
If we had tried to do Boston by ourselves I would have probably read the plaques at sites and said it was ok, but with Declan I really felt like I was there- he made it so entertaining and interesting. Would highly recommend.