Illustrious Schools: Group Tour of MIT And Harvard
Description
The tour starts on the MIT campus, where you will follow your guide to learn about the school's history, famous pranks, inventions, and much more! Your tour guide will show you buildings designed by world-famous architects, dormitories home to hilarious MIT "hacks", and stunning views of Boston from across the river! After MIT, your tour guide will take you to Harvard using the subway system. Your subway fare is included in the cost of the tour. Learn the history of Harvard University, the oldest college in the country. See the "Statue of the Three Lies", deceiving visitors for almost 150 years. Learn about Harvard's academic legacy, as well as some rather whimsical traditions practiced by the students! See the house where George Washington stayed during his visit to Boston during the American Revolution and Harvard's part in the war. The tour will show you the academic, residential, and hidden parts of one of the world's most prestigious universities!
Tour Options
Itinerary
See the MIT Media Lab, home to some of the most innovative cross-discipline creations stemming from MIT.
See the Green Building, designed by I.M.Pei. Learn about the famous "Tetris" student prank.
See the iconic MIT Dome and learn about the police car placed on top of the dome to protest parking tickets.
See the Smoot markers on the Harvard Bridge, connecting Cambridge and Boston. Take a picture of the Boston skyline.
Learn about the hilarious story behind the Banana Lounge.
See the quirky State Center, both an architectural marvel and a design nightmare.
Take the Red Line subway two stops to the Harvard University Area. Cost of the subway ride is included in the tour. Your tour guide will direct you on using the subway.
Enter Harvard Yard through the main entrance - Johnson Gate.
Learn why the famous Harvard Yard statue is called the "Statue of the Three Lies".
Learn about the various dormitories located around the historical Harvard Yard and who lived there while at Harvard.
See Memorial Hall, a multifunctional building inside an old church.
See the Memorial Church, standing in the middle of Harvard Yard.
See the main library of Harvard University and hear the tragic story behind it.
See one of the oldest buildings in Harvard Yard, where George Washington stayed during the American Revolution.
See a few of the Upper Classmen housing of Harvard University and learn about the tradition of "Housing Day".
End the tour at the bustling Harvard Square. Your tour guide can suggest places for souvenir shopping and/or lunch.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Weekend vs Weekday Tours - the tour goes inside some MIT buildings on weekdays only! The MIT campus buildings are closed on weekends and major holidays. On the days that we do not go inside MIT, the tour price is $5 less. Harvard does not allow any public tours inside any buildings.
- Parking is very difficult to find near the tour starting point. We strongly advise against driving and recommend taking public transit or taxi/Uber. The closest garage next to the tour start point is the Green Garage at Kendall and costs $52 for 3+ hours. Very limited metered street parking is available around the starting area of the tour, we advise arriving at least 30 minutes ahead of the tour start time to look for metered parking.
- Public transport is the easiest way to get to the tour start point. Take the MBTA (subway) to the Kendall/MIT station on the Red Line, the tour start point is next to the main entrance to the subway station.
- Tour starts exactly on time. If you are running late, you can catch up with the tour group by following the tour stops listed on the itinerary. First tour stop is MIT Media Lab, second stop is the Green Building, and so on. Your tour guide will not be able to answer any phone calls to direct you after the tour starts.
- This tour focuses on history, architecture, and stories about the two universities. If you are looking for a tour for perspective future students, please contact the admissions department of the university.
Reviews(125)
Great time with right information
This was a scenic tour. It would have been ok if that is what you are looking for. But it should have been clear that this was a 4 mile walking tour. Parking was incredibly difficult at meet up location. Most street parking was 2 hours. Was in fear my car would get towed. Left mid tour. Was looking for more about the school. This was not that. Pretty views and pictures of stuff that happened at those locations. Not worth the money. I found it a waste of time and money.
Thank you for the feedback. We’re glad the scenery came through even if the tour wasn't the right fit overall. A couple of clarifications in case future guests read this review: the tour is listed as 3.5-hour history/architecture walking tour, not a current-student or admissions-focused one. We also emphasize that we are not a student tour at the start of the day and give guests the opportunity to cancel at that moment. Guests with your expectations are why we have that pre-tour announcement, to ensure that everyone gets the experience they paid for and expected. On parking, our listing does note that "Parking is very difficult to find near the tour starting point. We strongly advise against driving and recommend taking public transit or taxi/Uber." We are sorry you got stuck circling for a spot; that is exactly why the listing includes that guidance up front. We’re sorry you didn’t find value in the tour. Feel free to reach out to us directly at info@bostonhiddengems.com if you'd like to talk it through.
Was fin knowledgeable. The only thing was a lot of noise at times hard to hear. Not your fault. But had a great time
Jenny was great, so helpful and knowledgeable. The tour itself as very informative and interesting. We came on a hot day and Jenny made sure to keep us under shade while still showing us all the important stops, she even took pictures when requested! Just a heads up, if you book through get your guide, they don’t state what company the tour was with (in this case it was hidden gems), if it wasn’t for Jenny chatting to us, we wouldn’t know!
Thank you for your kind words, and we're glad you enjoyed the tour! Many people are in the same boat, not understanding how the partnerships work that these types of websites have with local operators - glad Jenny was able to explain! We'll pass on your kind words.
This was a very interesting & well-paced tiur. The time went by quickly. Our guide graduated from MIT with an advanced degree (PhD). Her insights were wonderful & her love of the school , as well as pride on Harvard & Boston, were evident. Highly recommend.
Thank you for sharing your delightful experience! We're thrilled to hear you appreciated Jodie's expertise and enthusiasm!
Very cool overview of MIT and Harvard. This isn’t a school led tour, of course, so it’s fairly generalized. Our guide, BJ, was knowledgeable and kept it interesting. Would highly recommend any tour he’s leading.
Thanks for your review! We're happy to hear you would recommend BJ's tours and that you found it cool and interesting!
Jody was great! Great tour of both MIT and Harvard! Lots of info, but presented in a relatable way. Great stories
We're glad to hear you had a great tour of MIT and Harvard with Jodie and that she kept it relatable! Thanks for your review!
Rocky did a fantastic job as our Tour Guide. She was knowledgeable and providing great historical details at both Harvard and MIT. In addition, Rocky was incredibly considerate in making sure there was plenty of time for pictures, moved at the pace of the group (I never felt rushed) and also checked in with everyone periodically to see how we were handling the heat. She regularly pointed out restrooms and places to refill water bottles. Highly recommend doing a tour with Rocky.
We're thrilled to hear you had a fantastic tour of MIT & Harvard with Rocky and that she paced it well! Thanks so much for your recommendation.
Loved it. Tour guide was fantastic very informative.
We’re so glad you enjoyed your tour of MIT and Harvard! Thank you for sharing your experience!
Fantastic tour! My 9 and 12 year old boys loved the tour as well! BJ was our tour guide- top notch, very knowledgable and down to earth. Would definitely recommend.
Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste del tour y que BJ hizo la experiencia memorable para toda la familia. ¡Gracias por recomendar nuestros servicios!
