Boston North End Audio Tour: Paul Revere & Italian History

Navigate North End history on your phone, stop when something catches your eye.

A self-guided audio walking tour of Boston's North End uses your smartphone and the WalknTours app to lead you through Italian and Irish immigrant history, Paul Revere's home, and landmarks like Copp's Hill Burying Ground. You move at your own pace, pausing to explore shops, churches, and burial grounds as long as you want; the audio guide is in English and suited to all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Boston North End history and culture

• Start at Tony Demarco Statue
• Visit classic bread and pasta shop
• Stop at Italian goods shop
• See Paul Revere's oldest home
• Walk through old North Park
• Visit oldest Italian immigrant church
• See oldest Italian restaurant
• Learn Irish immigrant story
• See Paul Revere statue and Prado park
• Explore burial ground and learn history

The Experience

The tour starts at the Tony Demarco Statue, where you'll hear about a world-famous boxer and first-generation immigrant whose family story shaped the North End. From there, the app guides you through a bread and pasta shop, an Italian import store, and Paul Revere's home—the oldest house in Boston—where the audio fills in the revolutionary history most visitors miss. You're not following a group; you're following a map on your phone, so you can linger at a storefront, duck into a church, or skip ahead if something doesn't hold your attention.

The route takes you through Old North Park and its connection to Moby Dick, past the oldest Italian restaurant in the North End, and into the Irish immigrant story tied to the Kennedy family. You'll see the Paul Revere statue and the Old North Church with its two lanterns—the signal that launched the midnight ride—and end at Copp's Hill Burying Ground, where the audio explains the graves of New Guinea residents, Captain Malcolm, and the Mather family tomb. The whole walk runs 50 minutes to an hour, but there's no clock; you set the pace.

Everything happens outside, and the app does the talking—no human guide, no entrance fees, no food or drinks included. You need a smartphone with the WalknTours app downloaded before you start, and the minimum age is 14. Public transportation stops nearby if you need them, and the tour works for any fitness level since you're walking at your own speed through a neighborhood, not climbing or hiking.

What’s included

• Location-aware smartphone audio guide through the WalknTours app.
• narration covering Paul Revere's revolutionary history, Italian and Irish immigration stories, and North End landmarks.
• access to the walking route through Copp's Hill Burying Ground, Old North Church, and neighborhood shops and restaurants.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by WalknTours

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to explore the North End's immigrant history and colonial landmarks without waiting for a group to move—the app lets you pause, backtrack, or skip ahead whenever you want, and you're done when you decide you're done.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What is the Tony Demarco Statue and why does the tour start there?

The Tony Demarco Statue honors a world-famous boxer and first-generation immigrant whose family's story represents the classic North End immigrant experience; the tour opens there to frame the neighborhood's history through his life.

Does the tour include entry to Copp's Hill Burying Ground?

Copp's Hill Burying Ground is part of the walking route and the audio guide explains the graves and history there, but no entrance ticket is included—the cemetery is accessible to walk through.

What do I need to bring or download to start the tour?

You need a smartphone with the WalknTours app installed before you arrive; the app provides location-aware audio narration and navigation throughout the North End walk.

Can I stop and explore shops or restaurants along the route?

Yes—the tour passes an Italian import shop, a bread and pasta shop, and the oldest Italian restaurant in the North End, and you can pause the audio and go inside whenever you want; the pace is entirely yours.

How long does the tour actually take?

The route is designed for 50 minutes to an hour of walking, but since you control the pace and can stop at any point, your actual time depends on how long you spend at each location.

Is this tour suitable for teenagers or people with limited mobility?

The tour is suited to all fitness levels and has a minimum age of 14; it's a flat neighborhood walk on public streets with no climbing or strenuous activity required.