Things to do in Boston
 

Can anyone give any advice on some cool things to do in Boston? Going to be there for 4 nights (ie shopping, sights, etc)?

Here's a five day itinerary from the destination section of this website:

Day 1
Walk the Freedom Trail, pausing to shop at Downtown Crossing and Faneuil Hall. After visiting the USS Constitution in Charlestown, catch the water shuttle to downtown. Walk into the North End for dinner.

Day 2
Visit the Museum of Science, and then take a stroll along the Charles and the Esplanade. Spend the afternoon in Cambridge. Hop the T into Kenmore Square for dinner and spend the evening club-hopping on Lansdowne Street. Or, on a more sedate Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday night, spend the evening at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Day 3
Wander through Beacon Hill and explore the Black Heritage Trail. Shop for antiques and trendy accessories on Charles Street. Explore the Boston Common and the Public Garden. Dine in the evening in or near the Theater District, and follow that with a show.

Day 4
Leave the city for Plymouth, to the south, where you can visit Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II. If you return to the city in time for dinner, sample one of the South End's gourmet eateries.

Day 5
Walk through Back Bay to marvel at its mansions, with stops at the Boston Public Library and the Gibson House. Stroll along Newbury Street for fine shopping and dinner. When the sun goes down, see the Boston Symphony or the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall, or watch the Red Sox play at Fenway Park.

1. Freedom Trail - It will cover most of the historical sites and can take a while to cover. I reccomend doing your own self-paced tour with the guidebooks that can be purchased at the historical center at Boston Commons. The tours contrain you to their schedule and I have guides give the wrong information before.

2. Fenway Park Tour - It has a great history.

Its just a start, but its been a long day and other people will pile on some stuff. Have a great time. If you want to treat yourself to a great steakhouse, try Grill 23.

There's so much & this is a great town. Depends on if you want to relax or WALK!
Take the ferry at Long Wharf (next to the aquarium) to the old historical clipper ship across the bay.

Go to the "Cheers" bar, pretend you're on Norm's stool and have a cold one.

Take the Old Town Trolley tours, get off at various stops and walk around. I think it has 2 different routes, I only had time for one.

Visit the New England Aquarium, if you haven't already seen a bunch of them.

Walk the Freedom Trail.

Explore the Central & Granary Burying Grounds at Boston Commons.

Enjoy a leisurely walk thru Boston Commons, take a swan boat ride in the Boston Public Garden Lagoon.

See the Old City Hall, as well as several other historical buildings.

Go to the top of the Prudential Tower for excellent views of the entire city. A good view of Fenway from there. Shop at the Prudential Center.

Be sure to see Trinity Church, so beautiful!

Tour Fenway.

And, if you are lucky enough to have time (I didn't), take the ferry to Long Pt. on Cape Cod and see the cranberry bogs.

Skip going to Plymouth. It's nowhere near as interesting as the in town stuff. The Duck Tour is goofy, but worth the time and money. malke reservations in advance. If you like museums, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Gardner Museum have excellent collections.

In all my visits to Boston (and they began as school field trips), my favorite activity was a culinary tour of Boston's North End. The Duck Tour is fun, but goofy. If I had to choose between the two I would do the culinary tour. Lots of history and food tastings. I would not have visited the JFK library/museum if a friend hadn't insisted but so glad we did. If you were alive during his presidency it will bring back so many memories. Last time we went there was a special exhibit of Jackie's outfits. I thought that would be silly but I was so surprised at how carefully her clothing was selected because of politics and who she was meeting. I also like to visit Haymarket Square when the vendors are there. Fridays are good. Saturdays are mobbed with shoppers. It's a good place to buy some fresh fruit and feel the vibrancy of a Boston "institution". It's next to Quincy Market which has modern shops and the North End is right across the street. We usually go to a show at night. Check for discounted tickets at the kiosk at Quincy Market.

Thanks- please disregard my recent posting on the same topic.

Would visiting Harvard in Cambridge be a cool thing to do? How far is it and what is the best way to get there??

I think you would enjoy a visit to Cambridge/Harvard Square. It is an easy ride on the red line of the T (subway)

How far away is Cambridge/Harvard from Faneuil Hall in terms of distance/mins?

It's about a 15 min T ride.

Where are some of the best places to shop in Boston (ie malls, markets)?

For what do you want to shop? Standard mall stuff, unique souveniers, Farmers Market stuff - give a clue and we will head you off to spend money.

It's sort of impossible to recommend things without having any idea about your interests. Cool things is a relative term. You must have some ideas of what you'd like to do since you booked a trip.

as for shopping, standard mall shopping and maybe a few unique boutiques etc.