8 Totally Touristy Things To Do in Boston

A lot of my friends I graduated with went to college in Boston but it never really appealed to me (I ended up in Washington). That’s of course until everyone was having a blast during their undergrad; the fun food, sports galore, all 4 seasons and beautiful architecture. But being on the west coast, my friends always wanted to visit me more often that not and I never got a chance to make it out to Boston.

….until now! When one of my best friends got married in Cape Cod (click right here for the Cape Cod post!), I. Was. Stoked. I finally got to visit Boston, yay! Having it be my first time, trust me when I say I did everything touristy. No shame at all about that, either! For all the future first-timers of Boston, I’ve compiled 8 touristy things to do!

Little Italy – If I could eat Italian food every single day, I wouldn’t complain. I love pizza, pasta, cannoli, basil, mozzarella, the works. So obviously, I needed to visit Little Italy while I was in Boston. It’s a small area in North Boston with tons of Italian charm and very easy to navigate through. Just make sure you go to Mike’s Pastry – Home of the Cannoli and bring cash! They have a huge variety of cannoli flavors as well as other delicious treats. Even my long time Boston friend says she craves it once in a while!  

Fenway Park – The home of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park is the oldest baseball stadium in Major League Baseball history. I used to be a baseball blogger (my first blog ever!), a baseball player and a lifetime fan so obviously I was giddy about seeing the historic Fenway Park for the first time. Not only that, I was coincidentally in town when the Yankees (their arch nemesis) were in town and managed to grab some tickets. They’ve done a fantastic job of maintaining the original structure of the park and I had a blast cheering the Sox on along with their crazy dedicated fans!

Eat a Lobster Roll – Although some friends from Maine told me they have better lobster rolls, I didn’t listen to them 🙂 I went on a search for a lobster roll the second I got to Boston and found it right along the river in a charming tented restaurant called the Barking Crab. I didn’t know what to expect, so I was surprised by the $30+ price tag on the rolls. But turns out, it’s approximately around that price through other restaurants in Boston. I enjoyed the Barking Crab not only for the fresh lobster roll but for the vibe, local beer selection and clever decor!

Boston Public Garden – It was cloudy when I strolled through the Boston Public Garden hence the dark pictures, but pictures don’t do it justice. The garden is a U.S National Historic Landmark and is free to enter. A lot of history, beautiful plantings and my favorite Make Way for Ducklings statue! Whether you’re going on a morning run, a park stroll or for a swan boat ride, I highly suggest a visit when in Boston.

Harvard University – I love college campuses; am I the only one? I don’t care where it is in the world, I love walking through them since they’re all beautiful in their own ways. But Harvard? I was especially excited about visiting this academic institution that ranks in one of the top best schools in the world. I also felt a certain amount of pride when I was there since I also attended an Ivy League school for my Master’s program. I highly recommend visiting Harvard. The red brick buildings and ivy makes for stunning photos!

Quincy Market –Big thank you to Anna from Instagram for messaging me about visiting Quincy Market! Quincy Market is along the Freedom Trail and like the name says, it’s a market! They have endless souvenirs and food stands which brought me so much joy! The only difficult part was trying to pick which stand to buy food from! I ended up going to Boston Chowda for a Shrimp Bun with Corn Chowder – can you say yum?!

Flour Bakery – I randomly came across this cafe thanks to Yelp, mostly because it was within walking distance from the hotel. Not only do they have an incredible variety of baked goods, they have hearty soups, filling sandwiches and some of the best coffee I’ve ever had! They have a few locations through Boston so don’t miss it!

The Freedom Trail – I can’t visit a new place without doing something related to that area’s history. The Freedom Trail is a wonderful way to have a walking tour of the city and explore some of its main historic sites. While you can pay for tours, you can also self-guide the experience by following the red bricks through the city. The entire trail from start to finish is approximately 3 miles with plenty of stops along the way if needed.

Bonus – I stayed at the InterContinental Boston Waterfront shown in the picture below. It’s the middle, mirrored building. I’ve had the pleasure of staying at several InterContinental properties around the world (I used to work for them, not because I have a money tree 🙂 ) and this would have to rank in the top 3 stayed at. The rooms are modern and stunning as well as their usual top notch customer service. The location can’t get much better either being close to all the action and only 2 blocks away from the metro!

Have you ever been to Boston? Any spots or experiences that I may have missed? Let me know in the comments below!  

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