Boston Freedom Trail: 16 Sites & Revolutionary History Walking Tour

Two and a half hours, sixteen stops, one red brick line through 400 years

You walk sixteen Freedom Trail landmarks in Boston over two and a half hours with a small group and a guide who knows the stories behind each one, from the Boston Massacre site to Bunker Hill Monument. All entry fees are included, and the pace lets you ask questions without holding up the group. You finish at Copp's Hill Terrace with a view of the USS Constitution and a sense of how much happened in one small city over four centuries.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Boston's Freedom Trail sites

• Start at The Embrace statue
• View Massachusetts State House
• See abolitionist red brick church
• Visit Granary Burying Ground graves
• Pass by first Anglican Church
• Learn at Old South Meeting House
• See colonial apothecary building
• Pass Old State House
• Stop at Boston Massacre Site
• Visit Faneuil Hall Marketplace
• See Paul Revere's wooden house
• View lantern church steeple
• Visit Copp's Hill Burying Ground
• View Bunker Hill Monument
• End at USS Constitution view

The experience

The Embrace statue catches you off guard when you first see it: a bronze sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King standing near the Boston Common Visitor Information Center at 139 Tremont Street, and that's where the Freedom Trail walking tour begins. It's not what you'd expect as the starting point for a Revolutionary War story, but it sets the tone right away: Boston's history didn't stop in 1776. Your guide will walk you through the Massachusetts State House with its golden dome, then into the red brick church built in 1809 where abolitionists delivered some of the first anti-slavery speeches ever given in America. The contrast between what happened here and what happened two centuries earlier is part of what makes this Freedom Trail tour different from just reading about it in a textbook.

The walking tour hits all 16 sites in two and a half hours, which means you're moving at a steady pace but not rushing. You'll stand at the Granary Burying Ground where John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adams are buried, and your guide will tell you who they actually were, not the sanitized versions from school. The Old South Meeting House is where the Boston Tea Party was organized, and you'll hear the moment-by-moment account of how 92,000 pounds of tea ended up in the harbor. At the Boston Massacre Site, a circle of stones marks where five colonists were shot by redcoats in 1770, and the guide walks you through that night like you're standing there watching it happen. The Old State House, built in 1713 with a Lion and Unicorn carved into it, was the center of British power in Massachusetts, and also the place where colonists came to argue back.

You'll see the Paul Revere House, the oldest building in Boston, dating to 1680, and then head to the Old North Church where the signal lanterns hung on April 18th, 1775: "one if by land, two if by sea." From Copp's Hill Burying Ground, where British cannons were positioned during the Battle of Bunker Hill, you can see the 221-foot Bunker Hill Monument across the water, and from the same spot you'll see the masts of the USS Constitution, the oldest warship still afloat. Small groups mean you can actually ask questions instead of just listening to someone shout over thirty other people, and the guide will answer them without rushing you to the next stop.

The tour includes all fees and taxes, so there's nothing to pay at each site. You just walk and listen. Faneuil Hall, known as the Cradle of Liberty, is on the route, and so is the North End neighborhood where much of the Revolutionary action actually happened. If you're not sure whether you can handle two and a half hours on your feet, the tour is wheelchair accessible, and strollers work fine too. Public transportation is nearby if you need to step off and rest.

What’s included

Your day includes the full 2.5-hour Freedom Trail walking tour covering all 16 sites, entry fees to each location, and a guide who knows the stories behind each stop. Small group format means you can ask questions as you walk from the Boston Common through the North End, past the Old South Meeting House where the Boston Tea Party was organized, through the Boston Massacre Site, and ending at Copp's Hill Terrace with a view of Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:30 and 14:00Last departure this season: 31 Oct

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 9 years): free · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 25 · max 5 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Boston History Company

Is this one for you?Right for history buffs and first-time visitors who want the full Revolutionary story without arranging separate tickets at each site. Plan for two and a half hours of steady walking. That's what lets the guide take you through all 16 landmarks and the 400 years of history that happened along this one red brick line.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (3 to 9 years): free; Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the Freedom Trail walking tour?

Two and a half hours, covering all 16 sites from the Boston Common to Copp's Hill Terrace.

What's included in the tour price?

All fees and taxes for the 16 Freedom Trail sites, plus the guide. You don't pay separately at each location.

How many people are in a typical group?

Small groups, which allows for questions and interaction with the guide instead of being part of a large crowd.

Is the Freedom Trail tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and strollers work too. Public transportation options are available nearby.

Do I need to be very fit to do this tour?

You should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. It's two and a half hours of walking with some elevation changes, but the pace is steady and not rushed.

Where does the tour start?

At the Embrace statue next to the Boston Common Visitor Information Center at 139 Tremont Street.

Will I learn about events other than the American Revolution?

Yes. The tour covers Boston's 400-year history, including abolition, women's rights, American education, and immigration, not just the Revolutionary War.

Can I see the USS Constitution on this tour?

You'll see the masts and rigging of the USS Constitution from Copp's Hill Terrace at the end of the tour. It's the oldest warship afloat in the world.