The most exciting things to do in Boston in July move outdoors as beaches, cruises, walking tours, outdoor dining, and Red Sox games define summer in the city.
Looking for Fun Things to Do in Boston in July?
- Boston's Freedom Trail: A Revolutionary Walking Tour - Top-rated
- Whale Watching Cruise - Boston's most popular seasonal cruise experience
- Brunch Cruise on the Northern Lights - Savor a delicious brunch on this Boston Harbor sightseeing cruise
- Hop-On Hop-Off Boston Trolley Tour - Choose a 1-day or 2-day ticket
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum - Have fun on this interative trip through history
And as a bonus, some of the best things to do in Boston in July are free. Enjoy the greenery or a picnic in Boston's many gorgeous parks, catch the July 4th Boston Pops virtual concert and fireworks online, and soak up sun on a city beach.
Hot July days and warm nights make this one of the best months of the year in Boston to head to the beach or have a picnic in a park.
For more choices, check out the Boston Event Calendar for July and Boston's Best Summer Activities.
Top photo: Cooling off on a July day at the splash pool on Boston's Greenway near Faneuil Marketplace
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Cruise around Boston Harbor
Tour Boston by boat - the best way to see the city! Check out these fun sightseeing, music, and entertainment Boston Harbor cruises on the Yacht Northern Lights and Schooner Adirondack III:
Popular Cruises
- Northern Lights Sunset Cruise - Grab a refreshments from the bar and then relax as you watch the sun set on this sail around the Harbor, just in time to catch the USS Constitution fire its cannons as the sun dips down past the horizon
- Brunch Cruise on the Northern Lights - Savor a delicious 3-course brunch on this relaxing sightseeing cruise around Boston Harbor
- Boston Harbor Cruise on Northern Lights - Soak up Boston's unique sites and rich history on this comfortable sightseeing cruise around the Harbor - perfect friends and family experience! Food and beverages available for purchase at the bar
Sailing Cruises on the Adirondack III & IV:
- Adirondack Day Sail - Enjoy cool breezes and the afternoon sun on this relaxing sightseeing sail around Boston Harbor and the Inner Harbor Islands - Starts May 1
- Adirondack Sunset Sail - Relax as the setting sun turns the sky brilliant colors - Starts May 1
Mothers Day Cruise
- Mother's Brunch Day Cruise with Live Jazz - Celebrate your mom while you enjoy a delicious brunch and live jazz on this relaxing Harbor cruise - May 11 (don't wait to book - this always sells out!)
Fun Book Your July 4th Cruises Now (because they sell out far in advance!)
- Northern Lights - Harborfest Fireworks Cruise on a 1920's style commuter yacht - July 2
- Adirondack - Harborfest Fireworks Cruise on an 80-foot schooner - July 2
- Adirondack - USS Constitution Turn-Around Cruise with Continental breakfast- July 4
- Northern Lights - USS Constitution Turn-Around Cruise with 3-course brunch - July 4
- Northern Lights - July 4th Fireworks Cruise - 3 hour cruise from Boston featuring Winthrop's spectacular fireworks - July 4
- Adirondack - July 4th Fireworks Cruise - 3 to 3.5 hour cruise from Boston to watch Winthrop's fireworks - July 4
Labor Day Cruise
- Labor Day Fireworks Cruise on Northern Lights - You'll love this crowd-free option for watching the brilliant Labor Day Fireworks over Boston Harbor after a leisurely cruise on this classic commuter yacht - Find out more
Experience a Whale Watching Cruise
Escape the city heat by joining a whale watching cruise to Stellwagen Bank, a protected marine area 25 miles east Boston.
The 4-hour excursions leave from Long Wharf on the Boston's Downtown waterfront and take you through Boston Harbor to a different world. A marine biologist on board serves as a guide to make sure you don't miss a thing.
What will you see?
On a typical day, you may spot various types of large whales, dolphins, sea birds, and plenty of other marine creatures.
Be sure to bring your camera!
Get your whale watch tickets and reservations
More about Boston whale watching cruises
Rock to the Music at a Summer Concert
Check out all the fun concerts in Boston this July:
Concert Schedules & Tickets
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Top Boston July concerts for 2025 include the annual Boston Pops July 4th, the Pixies, Rod Stewart, Ghost, Thomas Rhett, Candlelight Concerts, & more:
- Boston Pops July 4th Free Concert - Hatch Shell on the Esplanade - July 4
- Tyler the Creator - TD Garden - July 8, 9
- Coldplay - Gillette Stadium - July 14, 15
- The Lumineers - Fenway Park - July 18
- Pixies - MGM Music Hall- July 18, 19
- Styx - Xfinity Center - July 19
- Thomas Rhett, Teddy Swims, Tucker Wetmore - Fenway Park - July 19
- Ghost - TD Garden - July 21
- Riley Green - MGM Music Hall- July 25
- Rod Stewart - Xfinity Center - July 26
- Goo Goo Dolls - Leader Bank Pavilion- July 29
- Candlelight Concerts - Multiple dates in July at various locations
Boston Concerts during other months
Tour Boston - By Land or Water
A Boston tour or cruise gives you a fun way to see parts of Boston you might not see on your own.
Here are three of the most popular sightseeing tours and cruises:
- Boston Bike Tour - A fun way to explore the best of Boston!
- Brunch Cruise on the Northern Lights - Savor a delicious brunch on this Boston Harbor sightseeing cruise
- Sunset Cruise on the Northern Lights - Sit back and relax on this sightseeing cruise of Boston Harbor
Another fun option is take the 15-minute ferry ride to the Boston Harbor Islands. Once there, you can explore, hike, take photographs, swim, bird watch, go on free tours led by the Park Rangers, picnic, and much more. You can even take another ferry to several smaller islands. You'll feel like you're in a different world - and you are!
Easy Ways to Save BIG in Boston
Cheer the Red Sox at Fenway Park
Winning or losing, the Boston Red Sox put on the best show in town. If you're visiting Boston and love baseball, attending a home game at Fenway is a "must do."
No matter which team you root for, being in Fenway Park on a balmy evening is one of the best things to do in Boston in July.
Get Schedule & Tickets
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Find All Red Sox Tickets for Fenway Park during July
Find Red Sox Tickets for the rest of the season
No game scheduled when you're in Boston? No worries, you can still go on a fascinating tour of the ballpark to get close-up views you won't get from the stands.
After your tour, stop by Bleacher Bar, a former batting cage located under the stands and now a fun place to enjoy a drink and burger along with direct views of the ballfield.
Find other top-rated bars near Fenway
Celebrate Summer at Boston's Museum of Ice Cream
On a hot July day, cool off and indulge your inner child at Boston's Museum of Ice Cream where you can have fun in the immersive interactive installations (including a Sprinkle Pool and Hall of Freezers), learn about the delicious history of ice cream, and capture your magic moments in photos.
Last but definitely not least: enjoy unlimited ice cream!
Kick Off the Summer at Boston's Harborfest
What is Harborfest? It's Boston's annual multi-day celebration of its revolutionary and military history in early July.
High points are Chowderfest, when everyone gets to sample the city's best clam chowders and vote for their favorite (always a tough decision), and a festive fireworks display over the Inner Harbor - but there's lots more to see and do.
Look for musical entertainment, Revolutionary War reenactors, visits to attractions along the Freedom Trail, and much more!
Find the Harborfest activities and daily schedules
Relax on a Boston Beach
Did you know that even though Boston's main waterfront is a harbor, you can reach several nice city beaches as easily as hopping on public transportation?
From Revere Beach where a huge sand-sculpting contest takes place this year in August (moved back a bit from its usual July) to Pleasure Bay Beach next to Castle Island, these beaches are perfect for a quick visit.
Join a Day Trip to Martha's Vineyard
The hot sunny days of July can be one of the best times to seek out island breezes, and luckily for Bostonians, Martha's Vineyard provides the perfect getaway for a day trip and pickup from Boston hotels makes getting to the ferry port easy.
After a scenic ferry crossing, you'll love exploring the cute shops and cottages in Edgartown, viewing the iconic Aquinnah lighthouse, and, if you choose, joining a guided island tour.
But most of all, enjoy the beauty that surrounds you!
Enjoy Shakespeare Under the Stars
Boston's most popular free outdoor theater event is the annual production of Shakespeare on the Common.
Bring a blanket, buy something yummy to eat from one of the gourmet food vendors who arrive for the event, and enjoy the bard under the stars.
More about Shakespeare on the Common.
Hotels near Boston Common
More Shows in Boston's Theatre District in July - Schedules & Tickets
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Check out the Boston theater schedule for July with its exciting mix of acrobatics and comedy:
- Back to the Future - Boston Opera House - July 8 - 20
- Shakespeare on the Common - Free on Boston Common, from mid-July through early August
- Blue Man Group - Charles Playhouse - Multiple shows all month
More Boston theater shows - other months
Celebrate Independence Day
The July 4th Pops Concert and Fireworks Spectacular is Boston's biggest July event - as well as being the biggest Independence Day celebration in the country. If you're visiting Boston for this holiday, you'll have a memorable experience.
On July 4th, Conductor Keith Lockhart leads the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra in playing familiar favorites and rousing patriotic music, complete with real cannon fire, on the Boston Esplanade, a grassy embankment along the Charles River.
As soon as the concert finishes, a spectacular display of fireworks light up the sky above the Charles River. It's the quintessential summer experience in Boston, and if you've seen it broadcast on television - well, it's even more wonderful in person!
Top Hotels near July 4th Fireworks & Pops Concert
More hotels close to Boston's July 4th fireworks
Catch a Game or Concert at Gillette Stadium - and Shop Nearby
You'll find New England Revolution games as well as some of the biggest concerts of the summer at Gillette Stadium, just 22 miles south of Boston.
Patriot Place, where Gillette Stadium is located, is packed with interesting shopping, nice restaurants in all price ranges, the only Bass Pro Shop in New England, a cool sports museum, a theater, and much more. You can stay over at the spectacular Renaissance Hotel right next to the stadium.
Wrentham Village Premium Outlets are nearby - shop enough, and your savings can pay for the whole weekend!
Gillette Stadium & Tickets
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Tickets
See Gillette Stadium games & concerts schedule
Immerse Yourself in Digital Art, Light, & Color
Escape the sometimes-steamy July by immersing yourself in the interactive exhibitions at WNDR, Boston's premier digital art experience.
As you pass through a series of rooms, you'll become part of a different world - one filled with light, color, and interactive surfaces which will immerse you in a series of 20+ experiences created by artists, technologists, designers, and collaborators - and in some installations, you.
After you soak up all the colors and sensory experiences at WNDR, continue escaping the heat with a couple of other indoor activities. Walk a few blocks to the nearby Charles Playhouse and catch an entertaining show by Blue Man Group, or head down to Boston's nearby waterfront and hop on a whale watching cruise to let breezes cool you off while you enjoy the thrill of spotting whales, dolphins, and other marine life.
WNDR Location: 500 Washington Street, Downtown Crossing, Boston
Nearest T station: Downtown Crossing
Find out more about WNDR Boston
Tee Up at Puttshack
Looking for something fun and active to do indoors?
Head to Puttshack in Seaport (58 Pier 4 Boulevard) for tech-infused mini golf, tasty brews, and good vibes.
Try all four courses, summer cocktails, and DJs on the weekend.
If you're in the suburbs, you'll find a second Boston area location in the Natick Mall.
More information: Puttshack's website
Play Games & Relax at Lawn on D
Lawn on D, a playground for adults (kids are welcome too but this is primarily an adult venue) located behind the Convention Center in the South Boston Waterfront, offers interactive installations, foodie-friendly bites and drinks, community events, and, of course, fun lawn games.
Look for Kaleidoscope Garden, a new light garden filled with illuminated disks that glow like fireflies, Urban Grove with shaded nest seating under a canopy with hue-changing lighting that glows after dark, and FitFest, free fitness classes taking place on select Saturdays.
You'll also find giant Adirondack chairs, pickle ball courts, and other spots to relax, hang out, and have fun.
Live music and other free events take place through October.
Hours: 7am - 11pm, with pickleball courts open from 9am - 9pm. Food/drink concessions are open from 3pm - 10pm on Wednesdays, and 12 noon - 10:30pm on Friday - Sunday.
Rules, in case you're wondering: No dogs, no outside alcohol, no outside food during concession hours.
Lawn on D occasionally closes to the public due to private events (always check their website before going).
Cool Off At An Outdoor Movie
July days can be steamy - so escape the heat at an outdoor movie under the stars.
Cool off on Friday evenings at Free Friday Flicks on the Esplanade. Bring a blanket, a snack, and relax while watching family-friendly favorites.
Find details for all on the Boston Events Calendar for July. Also, check out indoor Boston movie theaters - the perfect refuge on a rainy or hot and steamy summer day.
More Articles about What to Do in Boston in July
- Find Fun Boston Events for July
- Spend a day at a Boston beach
- Traveling with children? Find suggestions for Boston kids activities
- Soak up sun at one of the wonderful outdoor cafes in Boston's beautiful Back Bay neighborhood
- On a budget? See our favorite free things to do in Boston
- Plan ahead: Fall foliage cruises from Boston
Need a Boston Hotel or Apartment?
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