Boston Freedom Trail & Beacon Hill Tour: Discover the City’s History

Key facts

What's included

Itinerary

1. Stop 1

   Please meet outside the main public entrance of the Boston RMV Service Center, located at 156 Blackstone Street. The RMV is in the same building as the Boston Public Market and sits directly across from the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Look for the glass-and-metal awning that extends over the sidewalk—this is right beside the Surface Rd & Hanover St bus stop. Above the entrance, you'll see a sign that reads “Massachusetts Department of Transportation.” This is the spot where your guide will be waiting.

   15 minutes

2. Stop 2

   Your tour starts at Faneuil Hall, where you'll learn about the revolutionaries who first pushed for independence from Great Britain.

   15 minutes

3. Stop 3 Pass by

   From Faneuil Hall, you can see Custom House Tower, Boston’s first skyscraper and the original storage site for incoming goods.

4. Stop 4

   Learn about the Boston Tea Party at this former church, where Bostonians planned their 1773 act of rebellion and shouted "No taxation without representation!"

   5 minutes

5. Stop 5 Pass by

   Passing by the site of Boston’s first bookstore, discover where publishers of Thoreau’s Walden, Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, and Longfellow’s Midnight Ride of Paul Revere once operated.

6. Stop 6

   Visit the hall that housed Boston’s city council and the nation’s first public school. Admire its French architecture and take a photo with the Bronze Donkey.

   10 minutes

7. Stop 7 Pass by

   Walk through Downtown Crossing, pass Old City Hall, and visit King’s Chapel. If lucky, you might hear the organist playing the oldest church organ in the US.

8. Stop 8

   Stop at the Old State House, where the Declaration of Independence was announced in 1776. Your guide will share stories of that moment and the Boston Massacre.

   15 minutes

9. Stop 9

   Stroll through Boston Common, the oldest city park in the US, home to memorials, fountains, and recreation areas since 1634.

   10 minutes

10. Stop 10 Pass by

    Explore one of Boston’s most vibrant neighborhoods, once a sailors' and soldiers' area, now a lively, iconic spot. Your guide will share its transformation story.

11. Stop 11 Pass by

    Visit a lesser-known memorial honoring one of the first African American regiments in the Civil War and their colonel, Robert Gould Shaw.

12. Stop 12

    Admire the Massachusetts State House’s glittering dome. Learn about John Hancock, Paul Revere, and how the building has served Boston’s government since 1795.

    10 minutes

13. Stop 13

    Pass by Boston’s historic cemetery, dating back to 1660, where Revolutionary heroes like Hancock, Revere, and Adams are buried.

    10 minutes

14. Stop 14

    End your tour at Boston Common’s first public park, a lively space used for walks, exercise, and relaxation since the Revolution. It’s a perfect spot to continue exploring Boston afterward.

    15 minutes

Meeting point & pickup

Meet at the starting point

Meet outside the main public entrance of the Boston RMV Service Center, located at 156 Blackstone Street, in the same building as the Boston Public Market, directly across from the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

Cancellation & confirmation