At the end of the Summer, my husband and I took the kiddies on a trip to Boston and the surrounding areas. To say that we had a good time is a serious understatement. Both of my children said on multiple occasions "This is the best trip EVER!".
When planning our family vacation to Boston, I made sure that there was plenty of action because we don't like down time, plenty of stuff for the kids, great eats and drinks for the hubby, and a sprinkle of education and history for me everyone.
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6 Day Itinerary for a family vacation to Boston, MA
Where should we stay?
We chose to stay at the Hilton Boston Downtown Faneuil Hall hotel (link). This hotel won out because of it's key location, reasonable prices, valet parking because city parking is the worst, and a family friendly atmosphere.
Do we need a rental car?
If you're driving, obviously, no. If you're flying, I highly recommend a rental car (link). While many things on this itinerary are within walking distance or accessible through Boston's convenient public transportation, two days of this trip will require a vehicle. You will also need to arrange for transportation from the airport to the hotel and vice versa.
Day One
This is the travel day! Whether by flight or car, I purposely left this day light to account for the time needed to get to Boston.
2. Dinner at the famous Giacomo's Ristorante (link) North End of Boston
Is this really the best Italian food in Boston? I let you know in this post (link).
Day Two
Tip: We chose the Duck Tour because of the kids. The Boston Duck Tour is FUN, especially when the amphibious bus drives right into the Charles River. If you're traveling with an older, more serious crowd, then I would recommend the Boston Old Town Trolley Tour.
2. First half of the Freedom Trail (link). - We have kids and the Freedom Trail can be a little boring, so we chose to break it up into two days and walk it ourselves. For those who are looking for a more serious experience, book a Freedom Trail tour. You'll learn a lot and can experience it in one shot.
3. Boston Tea Party Experience (link) - This really was an experience! It is an actual reenactment and everyone is a part of it. You get role playing cards and the option to speak. You can throw fake boxes of tea into the harbor and are encouraged to speak like they did back in the day. The coolest part of the experience for me was seeing an actual box from the Boston Tea Party and learning every where it went before it made it into this historic museum.
4. Dinner at a local restaurant.
I recommend Ristorante Lucia. Click here (link) for my full review!
5. Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience (link) This unique experience was unexpectedly both of my children's favorite activity on the trip. It took almost two hours to walk through and really was spectacular.
Day Three
1. Canobie Lake Park (link) - This park was AMAZING! Click here (link) to see my full review so you can plan accordingly.
2. Dinner at the Ye Old Union Oyster House (link) - This is way more than a dinner and one of my favorite stops. Click here (link) to read my full review on this famous restaurant.
Day Four
1. Drive out to Salem, MA.
3. Witch Dungeon Museum (link) - You're going to see a lot of museums regarding the Salem Witch Trials. We did two of them this time around and I've done several others in the past. Of all of them, this was my favorite, especially with kids. It was relatively short and is a live reenactment of a real trial. Afterwards, you're brought into a replica dungeon with an engaging host walking you through what an imprisoned life was like. In other words, it's the most kid friendly of all the museums.
4. Stop by The Coven's Cottage (link). This is the only shop that made it's way into my itinerary because it really was an experience in itself. First off, it's absolutely beautiful inside but, unfortunately, no photography is allowed. Second, the staff is knowledgeable and super-friendly. Third, I bought way too many things but at reasonable prices. My favorite purchases were stones specially picked out by me for each of us, dried herbs, and a plaque of The Green Man with all different colorful birds hanging from him. It really is a MUST STOP in Salem.
4. Dinner at a restaurant of choice along Pickering Wharf (link).
5. Walk down the historic Derby Wharf and visit the Derby Wharf Light Station (link).
Day Five
3. Boston Public Garden (link) - This magnificently beautiful, historic park dates back to 1837 and is very conveniently located near the start of the Freedom Trail. In other words, if following my itinerary, walk it backwards. It is also the home of the famous Swan Boat Rides and Duckling Statues. You'll want to carve a significant amount of time for this park because it's that gorgeous and with that many things to see.
4. Dinner near or just outside of Quincy Market (link). Make sure to follow this up with some light shopping and street performances.
Note: My daughter and son found a street performer that they adored. They felt like stars as the two of them danced for several songs in the middle of the cobblestone road and surrounded by an audience. It's been a few weeks and baby girl is STILL talking about this with sparkles in her eyes!
Day Six
1. Breakfast at The Friendly Toast (link) aka the BEST breakfast spot in Boston!
3. Tour the Mayflower II (link) and participate in their interactive experiences.
4. Spend lots of time at the Plimoth Patuxet Experience (link). Here you'll feel like you stepped back into the 1600s. You'll walk through recreated villages where you'll meet real life Native Americans and actors pretending to be pilgrims. They're engaging, friendly, and really dedicated to making the experience as realistic as possible. Shout out to the woman who entertained my son with "mowing the lawn" (ripping up the grass) for an hour!
Fun Fact: Plimoth Patuxet (link) is where the opening scene to the original Hocus Pocus was filmed. To me, that's worth the stop alone!
If I had to do it all over again, I'd add another day in Boston and spend a night in Plymouth. I was pleasantly surprised with how incredibly beautiful Plymouth was. We didn't have time to eat here nor did we get to fully enjoy the parks surrounding Plymouth rock or shop in the quaint village. A full day here would have been perfect to get it all done. We also missed quite a few things in Boston that an extra day would have helped with. It's all good, though, because now we just have to make sure we go back again!
- R&W
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