Explore the City of Boston with 5 FREE Walking Tours

Heading to Boston this year? Great! Are you into walking, and walking tours? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Boston is a very walkable city and in the summer there’s certainly no better way to see all that this beautiful city has to offer .

Below, you’ll find a neat list of free walking tours in Boston that will allow you to leave your wallet at home!

1. Explore Boston’s Historic Freedom Trail

The National Park Service Rangers offer a FREE 90-minute walking tour along Boston’s Freedom Trail. Boston’s Freedom trail is a 2.5 mile red brick walking trail that will lead you past more than 16 of Boston’s most important historical sites including;

The Boston Common, The State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel, King’s Chapel Burying Ground, Benjamin Franklin Statue/Boston Latin School, Old Corner Book Store, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Site of the Boston Massacre, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, The Old North Church, Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, Bunker Hill Monument, and the USS Constitution.

Freedom Trail Walking Tours are offered weather permitting and each tour is limited to 30 people. It’s first come, first served. Also, please note that tours fill up quickly in summer months so try to arrive early.

Freedom Trail Tour Schedule:

• April 19 – June 20; Sept. 1 – Nov. 28: Weekdays at 2 p.m. only, Weekends at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Last day for Freedom Trail tours is Sunday, November 28.
• June 21 – August 31: Daily at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Tours start at the Boston National Historical Park Visitor Center — [See Map].

2. Samuel Adams Brewery Tour

Get behind the scenes at one of the regions most popular breweries. The Sam Adams Brewery is located in Jamaica Plain and offers FREE tours approximately every 45 minutes. The best part is at the end of the tour where you’ll have the opportunity to sample some of Samuel Adam’s award winning brews!

The Samuel Adams Brewery Tour is open to ALL AGES, but you must be 21 with proper ID to take advantage of the award winning brew tasting at the end of the tour. Tours are given on a first-come, first-served basis and the brewery does not take reservations.

For more tour information, go to the official Samuel Adams Brewery Tour Website or call 617-368-5256.

3. Tour Boston’s Public Library

Take a walking tour of the Boston Public Library and you’ll be sure to find all sorts of interesting events, lectures, art exhibits and more.

The Boston Public Library offers tours highlighting the architecture of Charles Follen McKim and Philip Johnson, as well as many works of famed sculptors and painters. The library tour lasts about an hour and are given by volunteer guides.

Tour Schedule:

• Sunday 2:00 p.m
• Monday 2:30 p.m.
• Tuesday 6:00 p.m.
• Wednesday – No Tours
• Thursday 6:00 p.m.
• Friday 11:00 a.m.
• Saturday 11:00 a.m.
• Please Note: The 3rd Floor galleries are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, and will not be part of the tour.

For more information, go to the official website of the Boston Public Library

4. Fort Point Channel Harborwalk

Let your iPod take control with the Fort Point Channel Harborwalk Audio tour. This hour long audio tour will start at the InterContinental Hotel and take you 1.2 miles alongside one of Boston’s landmark neighborhoods.

Some of the highlights of the Harborwalk tour are the following:

• Hear sculptor Ana Crowley give an insider’s view of an artist-owned co-op building
• Step back to the 1950′s at the underground Lucky’s Lounge
• Check out where Martin Sheen met his demise in the Oscar-winning  movie “The Departed”

More Information:

• Starting Point:  InterContinental Hotel [See Map]
• Nearest T Stop:  South Station
• Best Times to Walk:  10am to 4pm daily

For even more information and to download the audio tour mp3, Click Here.

5. Downtown Boston Harborwalk

The one-hour Boston Harborwalk audio tour will start at the Christopher Columbus Park and bring you along the edge of Boston’s legendary waterfront. Along the way you’ll listen closely to local characters tell their stories about shipwrecks, Boston Harbor, and much more all from the comforts of your mp3 player.

More Information:

• Starting Point:  Christopher Columbus Statue [See Map]
• Nearest T Stop:  Aquarium Station
• Best Times to Walk:  10am to 4pm daily

For even more information and to download the audio tour mp3, Click Here.