The Greater Boston area might just have more intriguing group tours per capita than anywhere else in the country. And they’re not all walking tours, as other options include tours via watercraft, trolleys, Segway scooters and more.
Tours in Boston and its surrounding meetings-friendly communities highlight everything that makes the area unique, including its wartime history, former mobster residents and current underwater residents, Harvard University and landmarks that are associated with some of the country’s greatest writers.
Boston
Boston’s tour options, from culinary tours, including those focusing on local beer, wine and chocolate, to tours that unveil the city’s intriguing history, can keep groups entertained for days.
Mobsters and Lobsters mingles local history with a meal that’s become synonymous with New England.
“Boston is rich in mob history from the days when mob activity, politics and law enforcement were intertwined,” says Marcia Weaver, creator and owner of Mobsters and Lobsters.
The one-hour trolley tour through downtown, North End, West End, Back Bay and South Boston features stories and sites of the Italian mafia, the Boston Strangler and the Irish mob, including the reign of mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger.
“We also talk about the history of the Charles Street Jail and its famous inhabitants,” Weaver says. “And there are stories of famous jewel heists and infamous art heists.”
Following the tour, participants visit Boston Winery for a wine tasting and then walk to the adjacent Venezia waterfront restaurant for a traditional boiled lobster dinner, which includes chowder, salad, dessert and coffee.
Weaver adds that arrangements can be made to pick up groups at locations in either Boston or Cambridge.
One of Boston’s popular waterborne tours is the New England Aquarium Whale Watch presented by Boston Harbor Cruises.
“The tour provides passengers with the unique opportunity to view some of nature’s biggest and most magnificent creatures in their natural habitat,” says Alison Nolan, principal and general manager of Boston Harbor Cruises.
The 3.5-hour cruise is on a state-of-the-art catamaran that travels to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which is located only 25 miles from Boston Harbor.
“The sanctuary is one of the top whale-watching locations in the world,” Nolan adds. “When passengers hop aboard they have the rare opportunity to see humpback whales and other globally endangered marine life. Passengers are able to learn more about the whales through onboard commentary and activities, and are also treated to some fantastic views of Boston and its skyline along the way.”
And back on land, Boston Segway Tours offers a fun way to get out to explore the city.
As participants zoom along the city’s streets, they will see Boston Common, the Public Garden, Granary Burial Ground, the New State House and other landmarks and architecture.
Cambridge
A must-visit landmark in Cambridge is the campus of Harvard, the storied Ivy League university.
Trademark Tours offers the Unofficial HAHVAHD Tour, a fun and slightly irreverent look at the campus complete with unusual historical tidbits and tales of the modern experiences of a student guide.
“Guides wear shirts printed with the word HAHVAHD in deference to the Boston area accent everyone loves to mimic,” says Robyn Culbertson, executive director for the Cambridge Office for Tourism.
Charles Riverboat Company offers waterborne and picturesque tours that teach passengers about Cambridge and Boston.
“The knowledgeable, friendly staff delivers an excellent narration as you glide down the Charles River,” Culbertson says.
And via Cambridge Historical Tours, costumed guides take participants on a journey through time as they lead them through Old Cambridge in Harvard Square.
“Each guide assumes a different period persona and mixes humorous anecdotes with historical facts in a way that brings the true feeling of living in another time to life,” Culbertson says, adding they can customize group tours, offering history, science and innovation, pub crawls and even ghost tours.
North of Boston
Groups convening in the area around the holidays can check out the Christmas in Salem Holiday House Tour, which is held from Dec. 4 through Dec. 6 this year.
According to Kristina Smith, communications coordinator for the North of Boston CVB, visitors are invited into Salem’s private homes, which have decked the halls for the holiday season.
“This self-guided tour gives visitors a peek into the architectural history and unique tales of Salem,” Smith says. “Each year, the tour features a different historic neighborhood. This year’s tour features the beautiful McIntire Historic District and its beautiful Federal-era townhouses.”
At the House of the Seven Gables, great literature meets local history during a 35-minute tour of the 17th century Turner-Ingersoll Mansion that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novel.
“In addition to a gorgeous garden, the property also features a wonderful gift shop full of unique items to bring back home,” Smith says.
Another option for visiting groups are tours at Privateer Rum Distillery, which occur on Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
“Explore their facility and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the distillation process,” Smith says. “Your 90-minute tour with a distilling specialist includes a sampling of Privateer’s spirits.”
Greater Merrimack Valley
Some of the most popular tours in Merrimack Valley are historic in nature.
Liberty Ride out of Lexington, Mass., travels along the historic Battle Road and visits the birthplaces of American liberty aboard a classic trolley.
According to Courtney O’Malley, sales and marketing manager for the Greater Merrimack Valley CVB, a costumed guide recounts the events of April 19, 1775, the day of the Lexington and Concord battles.
“Beginning at the Lexington Battle Green, some highlights of the tour include Buckman Tavern and the Concord Museum,” she says. “The group-friendly tour makes learning about history fun! You can hop on and off for photo ops and enjoy lunch in Lexington Center.”
The Industrial Revolution Tour is based in Lowell, Mass., the first planned industrial city in America, and which was at the center of the Industrial Revolution during the 1820s.
“During your visit to Lowell National Historical Park, you’ll walk through a restored textile mill and see the revolutionary equipment that made it possible for America to transform from an agricultural to an industrial society,” O’Malley says.
She adds that there are several literary tours that highlight the famous authors who once kicked around the area, including Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jack Kerouac and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
“The Greater Merrimack Valley is known worldwide as the birthplace of much of America’s great literature,” O’Malley says.
Groups can hike the trail around Walden Pond and retrace Thoreau’s footsteps; experience the places that inspired Kerouac’s work and visit his gravesite at Edson Cemetery; and visit Orchard House, the home of the Alcotts where Louisa May wrote Little Women.
