Home > Boston > American History Tour: Cambridge, Lexington and Concord Day Trip from Boston
USD $54.00
American History Tour: Cambridge, Lexington and Concord Day Trip from Boston
Boston, United States of America
This fascinating historical day trip from Boston takes you to the famous nearby Massachusetts cities of Cambridge, Lexington and Concord. Journey along the Battle Road Trail, follow the route Paul Revere took, and visit Harvard Yard and Cambridge Common, both US National Historic Landmarks. You’ll also stand on legendary Lexington Battle Green – the site of the infamous Battle of Lexington – and pass the homes of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott. Your expert guide will teach you all about this area’s prominent role in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War while taking you to the cities’ most famous sights and off-the-beaten path locales.
You’ll be picked up from your Boston hotel in the morning for a quick drive over the Charles River to Cambridge, a city named in the honor of the University of Cambridge in England. This historic city is home to two of the world’s most prominent universities, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Hop off the coach and take a stroll along Harvard Yard, a large grassy area adjacent to Harvard Square that constitutes the oldest part and center the Harvard University campus. Your guide will explain how this locale became a US National Historic Landmark.
Nearby, you’ll see Cambridge Common, listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. This is public park is where George Washington took control of the Continental Army. Next, drive along Tory Row past the home of the famous poet and educator, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Continue driving to the nearby town of Lexington, famous for being the site of the first shot of the Revolutionary War. You’ll see a variety of historical buildings, parks and monuments, most dating from colonial and Revolutionary times, on your drive through town as well as take the time to have lunch on your own.
Hop off the coach at the Lexington Battle Green, formally known as the Lexington Common, for an up-close look at the site of the Battle of Lexington in 1642. Also a US National Historic Landmark, this field is fronted by a statue representing Captain John Parker, the leader of the Lexington minutemen. Hear about this man’s courageous efforts against 700 English soldiers as your guide conjures scenes from the Revolutionary War that happened on the very ground beneath your feet.
Your tour continues with a drive along the Battle Road Trail, a 5.5-mile (9-km) pathway in Lexington, Lincoln and Concord that marks the path once trodden by British soldiers from Boston during the war. You’ll also follow the route that Paul Revere took as he warned the countryside that “the British are coming!”
In Concord, journey past the homes of gothic novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott -- author of Little Women -- and Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist, poet and philosopher.
Finally, you'll make your way to the North Bridge, often called the Old North Bridge, where "the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard 'round the world.'" This is historical attraction was the site of the Battle of Concord; the current wooden pedestrian bridge is a replica of the one that stood on the day of the battle.
After your historical tour, your guide will drive you back to your Boston hotel, leaving you with many new, fascinating insights on American history.
It was one of the best tours I have ever been on. The tour bus driver was named Sam, he called himself Sam I am. he was amazing. Very knowledgeable and very funny. Get him if you can!
Review by: Glenda A, March 2018
This tour was great. Sam, the driver/tour guide was really informative and helpful. He went out of his way to make the tour memorable.
Review by: Gemma C, February 2018
Fantastic tour! The guide and driver was simply excellent.
Review by: Daryl N, February 2018
A great way to hear the story behind the beginning of the revolution. Having visited Boston almost every year for over a decade, it was refreshing to leave Downtown Boston, and visit the actual sites where the battles happened. The tour guide provides interesting historical stories along the way. Just a shame there was a huge snow downpour the weekend before my tour ... so didn't get to see much greenery on the battle fields. So avoid the cold of winter!
Review by: Lise Popejoy, January 2018
Very informative historical tour.
Review by: Candice B, December 2017
This was awesome. We learned a lot and it was drizzling almost the entire day but it didn't ruin the tour at all. The guide was really knowledgeable and if you love American History, this is where its at.
Review by: Cipring, November 2017
it was great
Review by: Peter R, November 2017
We had used Viator before in San Francisco and found them to be good. Visiting Boston we had not much time so booked the half day tour again through Viator. This turned out to be as good as before. We were picked up from a hotel in Quincy and experienced a bit of a delay due to the traffic but all went well once we were underway. Thankfully the weather was bright and sunny so we could explore Lexington a bit. We had time for tea and scones at the cafe close to where we were dropped off which was welcome after our early start. Then off to Concord where we followed in the footsteps of the fallen British soldiers who fought in the battle of Lexington. The visitor centre is an interesting place the movie is worth watching and take in the view with its trees to reminded me of some typical English country areas except the leaves seemed much brighter with some great red shades amongst the green and yellow._br/_ Tony our guide was an excellent speaker. I heartily recommend this tour which drops you off at Quincy market. You can extend it into the afternoon to see Boston but we had no time and also had done this before.
Review by: Patricia H, November 2017
It was so beautiful traveling part of the route that Dawes, Revere and Prescott took. My grandson 17h, a history buff was so moved to be standing where the American Revolution began! He said, You can read it in a book but where you're there, history comes alive! The leaves were beautiful, too. So much history in such a small area. We learned interesting facts about Paul Revere and the other Patriots. Our guide Jake was amazing.
Review by: Yael F, November 2017
Tony was fun, knowledgeable and pretty incredible. I loved the story telling and all the places we've visited. Thank you for being flexible and helpful :
Review by: Deborah O, October 2017
First of all, this review is from the perspective of a U.S. History teacher who was probably looking to get more out of the tour than the average traveler. The bus driver/guide was a woman who had been doing it for years, and while she gave a lot of good information, both historical and present-day, she gave a lot of personal anecdotes that were nice to hear, but not really relevant to the tour. I was thinking it was going to be one person driving the bus and another person who was a dedicated guide, but that was not the case. The tour really fell short for me because they only allow for a one-half hour stop in Lexington and another half-hour in Concord. I like to enjoy the visitors' center, watch any videos, read the historical markers, listen to the park rangers and local docents, but there was barely time to do any of that, let alone go to the bathroom and look in the gift shop. If you are looking for a quick breeze-through tour so that you can check Lexington and Concord off of your I've been there list, you will probably like this tour, but if you're looking to spend some time immersing yourself in history, I suggest you drive there yourself and make a day of it.
Review by: pdhoug, October 2017
Good tour. Learned allot, however needed another 15 minutes at both Lexington and Concord. Driver very good and knowledgeable. One change I would make is to have an handout and each stop laying out the sites of the battlefields. It would save time so you could see more. I would hope the leaders of this tour would start doing this. Overall it is a tour you need to take to learn about our history.
Review by: Valerie H, October 2017
We were picked up from our notified location and taken to a central hub. This was not particularly well organised and it took a while to get everybody sorted and on to their correct tours. Our driver was very interesting but we felt that the tour tried to cram too much into a short time. In Cambridge we just drove round busy streets without the chance to get off or even take photographs. I feel that it would be better to drop this from the half day tour and concentrate on Lexington and Concord which are more difficult to get to independently. In Lexington the driver was unable to find a parking space near to the Visitor Centre so by the time we walked there it was almost time to go back to the bus - walking wasn't a problem, we just needed more time. Concord was very interesting and we had just the right amount of time there. We were happy to be dropped off near Quincy Market with lunch recommendations.
Review by: sawalker, October 2017
I had looked forward to this tour but was very disappointed. The time frame said 4 to 4-1/2 hours approx., our tour was 3 hours from the time we left the transportation center to being dropped off at the end. I was disappointed that we had less than 30 minutes in both Lexington and Concord. Would like to have done the Tavern tour at Lexington but there was no time. A friend recommended this tour and said there was a lovely covered bridge, we never saw any covered bridge. There were no photo stops as we drove by places of interest. Not a tour I could recommend.
Review by: Awknowles10, October 2017
Excellent tour, our guide Tony was funny, informative, and a great bus driver, we felt very safe with his driving.
Review by: Amanda M, October 2017
I was slightly disappointed when we found out the tour was only 3.5 hours as I thought it was a day trip (which is how it appears in the website). _br/_ It was more of a coach tour than I had thought it would be. On the drive out most of the sights are on the right hand side.
Review by: John W, October 2017
The guide was fine, but not enough actual history was dealt with in depth. I expected more in depth information from the guide.
Review by: Dawn S, October 2017
We were picked up at hotel. driven to the place to catch the bus for our tour, this driver gave us a mini tour of Boston on the way. Then we transferred to the tour bus and off we went. The driver was very good knowledgeable and interesting. Several stops where we got off to see the sites with the guide making sure we knew what time to be back at the bus.
Review by: Nancy O, October 2017
We had a wonderful half day trip with our driver. It was disappointing to not get out at Harvard Yard since that was on the original outline for our trip. We understood the reason was due to Harvard not wanting buses to stop. I was impressed with the driving and we covered a lot of Harvard area. Going into Lexington and Concord we had wonderful weather and gorgeous homes. Following the trail that Paul Revere rode was inspiring. The bridge at Concord where the first shots were fired was a wonderful stop. My husband and I had already taken two Freedom Trail walking tours so it was nice to finish up with Concord and Lexington. We felt like we got the entire history lesson.
Review by: Catherine G, October 2017
Tour itself was wonderful, great guide. Communication regarding pick up time /place was very confusing. Received a text nite before tour designating one place, voice mail another place, upon arriving at transportation center, directed to a different location. Surprising for such a large tour company
Review by: Claudio B, October 2017
Our guide was Tony, and he was excellent! Lots of history, insights, and a great sense of humor, he recommended that we try the root beer in Buckman's Tavern/gift shop, and it's a must!
Review by: Xraybaroness, October 2017
Very nice, lots of interesting history
Review by: Dale F, October 2017
Great trip to see some historic sites outside of Boston. The guide was wonderful and very entertaining.
Review by: m1egg, October 2017
If you're trying to select between this and the freedom waling tour - pick the walking tour. This was informative and highly convenient as we basically stayed on the bus between brief stops but the walking tour is up close and personal with Boston.
Review by: James M, October 2017
As far as tours go, it was average. It was what we expected from a large bus tour. We were glad we took the tour, saw and learned things we wouldn't have on our own. We do wish we would have spent a little more money for a smaller group tour that would have been more personalized at the stops. Tony was knowledgeable, and gave us good information. He tried a little too hard at times to be funny.
Review by: Rachel G, September 2017
Our tour guide was excellent and we learned so much history. It was so interesting and informative. Great to be in the actual places where things happened. Our only complaint was having to wait almost an hour to be picked up at our hotel, due to bad traffic. Our tour was planned to end at 1:30pm and we were still going at 3 pm, which was due to the lateness of our starting time. But we had made other plans for the afternoon, so left the tour at 3 pm.
Review by: Charmaine T, September 2017
This was an excellent tour for me as a first time traveler to the Boston area. The tour guide/driver was very knowledgeable and it was clear that she thoroughly enjoyed sharing the history of the area with us all. We were blessed with a little rain toward the end of the tourn but it was a a beautiful day. I recommend this tour to anyone who has not been to these areas and also to those who would like the insight of the conditions men and women went through in striving for independence.
Review by: Stephen S, September 2017
Our tour with Tony was terrific. He was a knowledgeable tour guide with a good sense of humor. We spent time both in Lexington and Concord, but not as much as we would have liked. Our bus drove by MIT and Harvard, but there was no chance to get off the bus and walk around either campus, unfortunately. Overall, a good day of sightseeing for history buffs especially.
Review by: JOHN B, September 2017
Excellent guide and tour. Viator's performance prior to my tour however was woeful and indeed non existant! When I send 6 e-mails seeking some feedback from Viator I expect at least some atttempt to reply to me. I will not be booking anything ever again with an organistation that does not pay atttention to its passengers. Very very weak!
Review by: DAVID B, September 2017
Very poorly organised and due to problems the trip didn't start till after10 am. It should have started at 9.30am. The driver was entertaining and very knowledgable but we were sat at the very back of the coach next to the toilet in a cramped space which was uncomfortable.We only had two stops, the first being a gift shop with restroom. We stopped here for 30 minutes. We next stopped at Lexington and this was for 30 minutes as well. There was not enough time to visit all the sites and not even time to visit the visitor centre. We should have been able to stay for an hour. After this it was straight back to Boston on the freeway. Needless to say we didn't enjoy this trip very much
Review by: Gary P, September 2017
Tour was great however a lot of confusion with the bus passengers on that not scheduled not enough seats so you could sit together because people have to have windows. Fume smell on right side of bus not enough air in bus the driver Tony was excellent bus pickup in construction area had to move from one end place to another losing you place in line ..
Review by: Traveler, April 2017
The tour itself was pretty good, although I felt like information was being delivered at a pretty fast pace and it was sometimes hard to follow. What wasn't so great was being picked up 45 minutes late which impacted some of what we got to see/do and then being dropped off at the transportation center, rather than the hotel. This wasn't explained in the tour descriptions and was extremely inconvenient.
Review by: Patricia A. T, April 2017
The tour was very enjoyable and informative. If you are doing the 4 1/2 hour tour, I'd suggest having a good breakfast first, as there is no lunch time provided. The description of the trip states you will be picked up at your hotel, as well as being returned there. However, for the half day tour this is inaccurate. We were picked up at our hotel, but then dropped off at Faneuil Hall where people doing the full-day had lunch and then continued on with the trip. Later, they would be dropped off at their hotel. This created an issue for us as it was pelting rain and we had not taken an umbrella and had not planned to pay taxi fare. Other than that, the trip was great.
Review by: Patricia A. T, April 2017
The tour was very enjoyable and informative. If you are doing the 4 1/2 hour tour, I'd suggest having a good breakfast first, as there is no lunch time provided. The description of the trip states you will be picked up at your hotel, as well as being returned there. However, for the half day tour this is inaccurate. We were picked up at our hotel, but then dropped off at Faneuil Hall where people doing the full-day had lunch and then continued on with the trip. Later, they would be dropped off at their hotel. This created an issue for us as it was pelting rain and we had not taken an umbrella and had not planned to pay taxi fare. Other than that, the trip was great.
Review by: Albert W, January 2017
Took this half day trip over New Year's Eve so the weather was cool but the countryside was beautiful. The driver/guide Jerry was a real Bostonian and gave us a great amount of history for this trip. Too bad he was so preachy about today's morals and values compared to back in history.
Review by: Paul R, January 2017
We learned a lot on this tour. Our tour guide Frankie, is very knowledgeable and entertaining. He explained key facts, locations and dates and events well. I took many notes and quizzed our kids in the evening. I was pleased to see how much information they retained from this tour. Thanks Frankie!
Review by: Richard J M, December 2016
This tour was fantastic. Everything we saw was outstanding, however the absolute highlight of the trip was the Tour Guide Frankie. He was totally knowledgable about the history of Boston, the surrounding areas and the Revolutionary War.
Review by: Michael V, December 2016
Our tour guide was prompt in picking us up and very knowledgeable about the history of the area. He was quite engaging with our questions and when he didn't know the answer he told us so. It was a perfect day.
Review by: TERRY T, November 2016
Well done and very informative.
Review by: Joyce A, November 2016
Our guide was not one I'd want to have again. He did know some history, but treated us as if we were the Junior High students he is accustomed to leading. He and the driver took roads that skipped several things we wanted to see ex. Louisa May Alcott's house...a quick glance only because a fellow passenger insisted and told them how to get there with her phone app.
Review by: Susan P, November 2016
Very enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the stops at Lexington and at Concord Bridge. It was a very patriotic experience.
Review by: Bert R, October 2016
VERY good trip . Guide was informative and shared his views on a variety of subjects throughout the trip. Enjoyed his take on America's history and it's future !!! Very good guide !! Believe his name was Frankie....
Review by: Ruth S, October 2016
Our guide was a wealth of information on the history, geography and architecture of Cambridge, Lexington and Concord, very informative but not pedantic, and we saw a wide range of sites on this tour. I would recommend it highly as an overview of what to see in the area, and then you can go back and spend more time on your own, wherever you wish. Excellent value for money and a comfortable tour bus.
Review by: Dazza, October 2016
Excellent tour and guide. To visit and walk along important sites of revolutionary history was really worth doing!
Review by: Tony Y, October 2016
Bus driver made the trip f_br/_ exciting and fun!
Review by: Steve E, October 2016
Our tour to Cambridge, Lexington, and Concord was a fact filled morning tour that was conducted by Frankie. He is very interesting to listen to and gives good food suggestions. I agree with his comment about schoolchildren visiting Boston first then go to Washington, D.C. We had a great trip and a great visit to Boston!
Review by: Ian M, October 2016
Very informative guide. A little more time could have been allocated for the stops in Lexington and North Bridge. Recommend a tour like this to orientate yourselves with the sights of Boston.
Review by: Miles M, October 2016
Nice sights, when you get there. A LOT of talking by the bus driver the whole time. He did a good job covering the historic areas but was down to talking about cool billboards by the time we got back into the city... Good time allowed to get off the bus and walk around - enjoyed that. Area around Harvard is crowded and takes a long time to get through on a bus. Don't really write reviews but kept getting emails asking me to write one.
Review by: Dabney E, October 2016
We enjoyed the trip alot...cant recall our guides name, but she was knowledgeable and affable...it would help to have a few jokes or funny stories to tell as well...we had a beautiful day and it was a lovely trip.
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