Boston Sightseeing for Seniors How to Get Around

What is the best way for two active Seniors to travel around Boston city sights for 3 or 4 days? We're 75 years old.

Bob B.
Madison, Wisconsin

Top photo: Hop on hop off trolley in Boston

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Thanks for asking this excellent question.

Boston's compact size makes it a great walking city, but regardless of one's age, the best way to make the most of your visit is to combine sightseeing tours that include transportation with plenty of time for breaks to relax and explore on your own.

For example, Boston's popular hop-on hop-off trolleys give you a fantastic sightseeing tour of all the city's top historic attractions, Fenway Park, Seaport, Cambridge, and lots more - the perfect way to become familiar with the city! You can get off your trolley at any point to have coffee or lunch, visit a museum, relax in a park, or explore an interesting area, and then get back on and ride some more.

Or choose a guided bus tour where you'll spend part of the time sightseeing on the tour bus and part of the time exploring the destinations. For example, you could join a tour of historic sites in nearby Quincy and Plymouth, including the birthplaces of US Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, the Mayflower II, a replica of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to the New World in 1620, and Plimouth Plantation, where the Pilgrims lived.

Want to see Boston by water? You can relax on a short sightseeing cruise past historic and contemporary landmarks, get close-up looks at whales, dolphins, and other marine life on a whale-watching cruise, or experience a fun land-water combo tour on a Boston Duck Tour.

In the evening, choose a "City Lights" champagne cruise on the Northern Lights, a 1940s-style classic commuter yacht.

More fun cruises for you to consider:

Get skip-the-line tickets to popular attractions such as the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science (included in the Boston CityPASS), and Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum - after all, why waste time and energy while standing in long lines? Also, these indoor attractions give you a comfortable place to be if you're here on a sweltering hot summer day, a drenching downpour, or the frigid wind we sometimes get in February and March.

And finally - consider an adventure outside of the city. Several excursions combine transportation and guided tours with plenty of time to relax, such as the Plimouth Plantation living history museum where you'll experience a recreation of the first Pilgrim settlement in Massachusetts and or a day trip to Martha's Vineyard where you can explore on your own or choose an optional island tour.

If you're visiting during the fall, the New England fall foliage tours by bus gives you fantastic views of autumn colors in the White Mountains of nearby New Hampshire. These luxury bus tours are much, much easier and usually cheaper than renting a car and driving. Although they typically last all day, they include time for lunch and other breaks, and even at the destinations, you can pace yourself.

Combine your sightseeing tours, visits to attractions, and cruises with blocks of time to relax in some of our beautiful parks or perhaps at a sidewalk cafe. Visit an art gallery or two, or get tickets for a show in the Theatre District.

One important tip: wear comfortable walking shoes! We do have some streets and walks made from cobble stones which can trip you up if you're wearing platform heels, flip-flops, or any type of shoe without good support! If you're coming in the summer, bring a water bottle and, of course, sun screen.

Also, depending on where you're going, Boston's subway (we call it the "T") can be a convenient way to get around. Ride services such as Uber and Lyft can also be a good option. In general, though, distances are short here thanks to Boston's compact size, so walking is often the easiest and fastest option.

Hope this helps! Have a wonderful time in Boston!