Boston Harborwalk & Tea Party Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour
Description
This is not a ticket to attractions along the route. Immerse yourself in the stories of the American Revolution, Boston Tea Party, and Sons of Liberty as you stroll along Boston’s scenic Harborwalk! With this self-guided audio tour, unearth tales of rebellion, sabotage, and intrigue surrounding the Founding Fathers. As you walk, discover Boston's historical and storied past while enjoying its beautiful harbor views between South Station and Long Wharf. After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our historic tour begins at one of Boston's most underappreciated marvels of architecture: South Station. We'll take a moment to analyze the enormous eagle and clock dominating the facade. Note: The tour is over 1.5 miles long, with more than 18 audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
As we walk along Boston's Harborwalk, we'll look out across the water for a glimpse of an actual blast from the past: a colonial ship packed with tea crates! We'll learn about the events of Boston's Tea Party but we'll also dive deeper: what really caused this riot? Why were taxes so high? What did a far-away international war have to do with the price of tea in Boston?
Right across the street, we'll find a stunning example of modern architecture with the Federal Reserve. As we walk past, we'll learn the intriguing stories behind the bland name.
At Russia Wharf, we're officially at the start of our Harborwalk journey and our trip into the past. We'll learn about the booming international trade during the colonial era.... the foundation which would later lead to the epic Boston Tea Party.
The Brutalist-style Harbor Towers are unmissable. Brutalism was all the rage in the 1970s. Today, the style polarizes observers. Some people see a kind of strange beauty in the sparse, overbearing structures. Others see, well, just plain ugly buildings! These days, you can always identify the style anywhere by its grim, fortress-like appearance. We'll learn about the towers, Boston's struggle between affordable and luxury living, and one of the city's most ambitious projects: cleaning up this very harbor.
Our journey brings us to Rowe's Wharf — named for one of the tea smugglers who encouraged the "Tea Party"! We'll learn about John Rowe and his adventures with the law as we walk through.
The Harbor Hotel is a stunning piece of architecture, blending modern and colonial styles seamlessly. Its 80-foot copper dome contains a glass cupola. If you walk to the center of the archway and look straight up, you can see all the through the top of the dome to the glass cupola above.
Our tour along the scenic Harborwalk ends at one of Boston's most historic spots: Long Wharf. From colonial battles against the British to modern crowds of tourists, this Wharf remains a Boston hotspot. Enjoy the views and history as we conclude our story at this scenic stop.
We're now approaching a popular stop in Boston and along the Harborwalk: the Aquarium! This huge attraction is partially built over the Harbor, allowing the aquarium access to the natural environment of Boston's Harbor.
The Harborwalk is 43 miles long, but we’ll focus on the historic Waterfront District from South Station to Long Wharf. That’s only about 1 mile. We’ll cover everything from the Boston Tea Party to the newest skyscrapers along the shore.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Walking tours: couples can share one tour by splitting headphones
- New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
- For the best experience, bring headphones/earbuds for your walking tour.
- The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.
- Your password can be used on the same number of devices as travelers booked. Enter the same password on each device.
Reviews(18)
Park at Harbor Garage for this experience, it starts around the N.E. Aquarium. The walk is like a sidewalk thing around the buildings, right against the water and the buildings so it is right against, it curves with the landscape. VERY nice experience. When you get to one of the spots with the app, it automatically tells you about the area which you arrived. Super interesting and a great job/informative.
Jennifer, I’m really glad to hear that my Boston Harborwalk & Tea Party GPS Walking Audio Tour was such a lovely and informative experience for you. It’s great that you enjoyed the waterfront walk and that the GPS-triggered audio worked smoothly as you reached each spot. I also appreciate you sharing helpful tips, such as parking and the starting area—that’s very useful for others. To explore more of Massachusetts' rich history and scenic beauty at your own pace, check out my Massachusetts Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Bundle. From the historic paths of the Freedom Trail to the scenic drives of Cape Cod, there's plenty to experience. Have fun exploring!
The app was quite easy to use and follow. I enjoyed that I could do this on my own timeline and have complete flexibility to linger at a stop or pass through. Great tool that I will be using in other cities.
Sharon, it's great to hear you enjoyed the Boston Harborwalk & Tea Party self-guided audio tour. I’m happy the app was easy to use and that the flexibility to linger or move at your own pace made the experience more enjoyable. If you have more adventures in the area, don’t miss our Massachusetts Bundle. It features Salem, the Freedom Trail, Boston Harborwalk, and more—perfect for exploring the state’s rich history and charm.
Easy to use and navigate. The tour was very informative and added a lot of useful information to our walk through the Boston harbour area. We managed to conduct the tour using one phone and one ear bud each. It worked perfectly.
Richard, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed my Boston Harborwalk Audio Tour. I’m happy it was simple to use and navigate, and that you found the information useful during your walk through the Boston Harbor area. It’s great to know the tour worked perfectly with one phone and one earbud each. If you’re planning more adventures, don’t miss our Massachusetts Bundle. It features Salem, the Freedom Trail, Martha’s Vineyard, and more—great for exploring the state’s rich history and charm.
A detailed guide with just enough of an experience of the Harbor Walk. The stop near the Tea Party Museum was great. You can go in the gift shop without buying a ticket to the museum.
Angela, great to know you enjoyed exploring Harborwalk with my audio guide. The Tea Party stop is a favorite & must, and I’m glad you found the visit to the gift shop worthwhile, too. If you’re planning more adventures in the area, don’t miss our Massachusetts Bundle. It includes Salem, the Freedom Trail, Martha’s Vineyard, and more—perfect for diving deeper into the state’s rich history and charm.
Friendly, interactive and informative walking tour of Boston freedom trail. Definitely recommend to families and individuals. guide took into consideration of heat, walking terrain, etc.
I'm glad you enjoyed my Boston Harborwalk and Tea Party tour. It's great to hear that my tour was interactive and informative and that it took your comfort into account. Your recommendation means a great deal, and I hope others will also appreciate the flexibility and depth of the experience. If you’re planning more adventures in the area, don’t miss our Massachusetts Bundle. It includes Salem, the Freedom Trail, Martha’s Vineyard, and more—perfect for diving deeper into the state’s rich history and charm.
Easy to load and use the app. GPS assures that tour aligns with the user’s location. Narration was interesting and educational. Using the app was far better than walking aimlessly through the city. I’ll be sure to look up additional tours when I’m touring other cities. Highly recommend!
I am glad you enjoyed my Boston Tour! To explore more of Massachusetts' rich history and scenic beauty at your own pace, check out my Massachusetts Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Bundle. From the historic paths of the Freedom Trail to the scenic drives of Cape Cod, there's a lot to experience. Have fun exploring!
I really enjoyed this GPS audio tour. Basically, you will along a Google Maps-like app to tour around the Seaport area of Boston. As you walk to the different stops, the app uses GPS to play the information about what you are seeing. The narrator was very engaging and funny. The tour was a good length and was very interesting. The sites were great and it was a beautiful and fun afternoon!
I am glad you enjoyed your walk through Boston's Seaport area, Evan! It sounds like the GPS audio tour, with its engaging narrative and fun facts, made for a memorable afternoon. If you want to uncover more of Massachusetts' rich history and scenic beauty at your own pace, our Massachusetts Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours Bundle is ready to take you on more adventures. From the historic paths of the Freedom Trail to the scenic drives of Cape Cod, there’s a wealth of experiences waiting for you. Check out where you booked your Harborwalk tour to access these enriching self-guided audio tours—excited for you to explore more captivating sites!
Great information about the Boston Tea party. Loved learning about the expensive rentals and hotel rates!
Dear Patty, thank you for taking the time to leave a positive review of the tour I provided. I am thrilled to hear that you found it informative and enjoyed learning about the Boston Tea Party. If you are planning to travel more, you might want to consider my Action+ Tour Bundle, which includes over 100 self-guided tours. Thank you again for your kind words.
This self-guided tour is clear, concise, and interesting. I like the way it has each stop be a relatively quick overview, while at perhaps half of them, adding another 1-3 items for optional, more detailed, topics.
So glad that you enjoyed walking Boston’s Harborwalk with my tour! I love when people take advantage of the “Learn More” stories — there’s so much to every stop! I have other tours across the country, which I hope you check out on future vacations.
Here visiting family and found this tour and thought it would be a great opportunity. Very informative and instructive. Just remember to bring your earbuds as it’s easier to listen to.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Kelly! I’m delighted that my tour of Boston Harborwalk added to your learning and that you enjoyed it. I also have 100 other self-guided tours for other parks, scenic drives, cities, and historic sites in the US — hopefully, you’ll get the chance to try them next time! Also, to remind you, the tour you bought is yours for a lifetime. So, you can listen to it at home or on your next visit.
