What It Is

A 90-minute, guided walking tour of approximately one mile of the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, a long line of nationally historic sites specific to America’s revolutionary story.  The “Walk Into History” tour stops at 11 of the 16 sites on the trail.  Tours don’t go inside buildings and are held in rain, show, and sunshine.

Where It Is

Boston, Massachusetts.  Tours meet at Boston Common.

When We Went

June 2023

What We Did

We, and about 20 others, followed a very knowledgable, costumed guide approximately one mile from Boston Common, where our group met, to Faneuil Hall, where we all went our separate ways.  Our guide stopped in front of and described the events and importance of 11 historic sites:

  • Massachusetts State House
  • Park Street Church
  • Granary Burying Grounds
  • King’s Chapel
  • King’s Chapel Burying Grounds
  • First Public School Site/Ben Franklin statue
  • Old Corner Bookstore
  • Old South Meeting House
  • Old State House
  • Boston Massacre Site
  • Faneuil Hall


Afterward, my family spent another two or two-and-a-half hours continuing forward on the trail on our own (it’s a literal path: a fantastic double-thick line of red bricks) to the Paul Revere house and the Old North Church.  Then, we headed to the Union Oyster House, where we had a reservation for lunch, the Public Garden, and the Cheers bar.

How Much We Spent

We paid $17 each for my hubby and me; $15 for our 13-year-old (“student” rate), and $8 for our 10-year-old daughter (“child” rate).

How Much Time We Spent There

We spent about two hours with the tour (we arrived at 9:30 for our 10:00 tour and walked with the group until around 11:30).  Then, we explored on our own for about 2.5 hours, until around 2:00.

What We Liked

Our guide.  He was great.  He delivered the important information with clarity and a touch of humor.

We also liked seeing history “in the flesh.”  The fact that the city makes the Freedom Trail so easy to follow—whether you’re on a tour or not—is also a highlight.


What We Didn't Like

As long as we were standing still, we could hear our guide pretty well: he used a microphone and tried to keep our big group close.  Any time we were on the move and he was speaking, however, his voice got lost in the noise of traffic and other pedestrians.


Was it worth it? 

Was it worth it?  Yes. I used to be anti-guided-tour for some reason.  Maybe it’s me getting lazy, or maybe it’s knowing that my husband isn’t big on reading exhibit after exhibit, but I’ve come to appreciate how much information and inside knowledge you get—and how much more quickly you get it—from a person instead of a poster.  


For more information, visit Homepage | The Freedom Trail.


Did You Know?:  According to our tour guide, the face on Sam Adams beer does not belong to Samuel Adams.  When asked by someone in our tour group at Samuel Adams Brewery later that day if this was true or not, the guides had no clarifying comments.

Was It Worth It?
"Walk Into History" Freedom Trail Tour

​Posted November 2, 2025, by Janet Wolfe