This family trip is filled with friendly activities like aquarium, whale watching, museum, boat ride and garden walks will certainly keep kids and parents entertained. It is easy to get around on foot and as long as you stay in Boston proper, you are never too far away from many family-friendly activities. The area around the Boston Common and Public Garden is the most central location when it comes to staying and exploring with kids. It is a great place to let them run around and get their energy out.
Travel tips
- Most hotels charge upwards of $40 a day to park on-site, and street parking often requires a residential-only neighborhood permit.
Recommended daily itinerary
Estimated cost: $2500-$5500 per person
Day 1
First day of the trip, check in to your hotel and get settled.
- Fly into BOS airport.
- Checkin to The Godfrey Hotel. The Godfrey Hotel Boston is modernizing the boutique hotel experience. Born of its lively neighborhood in the heart of Boston, Downtown Crossing, The Godfrey Hotel Boston is pure energy from the collaboration-friendly lobby and lounge to George Howell Coffee to the fanciful and eclectic ruka restobar.
Day 2
New England Aquarium and Whale Watch Cruise.
- Enjoy breakfast at Cafe Bonjour. We recommend bonjour french toast.
- Head over to New England Aquarium. The aquarium is educational yet entertaining, with multiple exhibit spaces mimicking natural environments for their many marine inhabitants including exotic marine life such as sea turtles, snakes, and rockhopper penguins. Book your ticket in advance.
- Enjoy your lunch at Chart House. We recommend beer battered fish and chips.
- Head over to long wharf and hop on a catamaran for the whale watch experience of a lifetime. You will sail out to the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, a rich feeding ground for all kinds of sea critters, from dolphins to seabirds to the iconic whales.
- Enjoy your dinner at Artisan Bistro. We recommend pan roasted chicken.
Day 3
Museum of Fine Arts and Boston Public Garden & Swan Boats.
- Enjoy your breakfast at Scali Cafe.
- Head over to Museum of Fine Arts, a prestigious art museum featuring exciting special exhibits, inspiring permanent collections, and fun programming for families year round. Explore the museum’s in-depth, American art, European paintings, Pre-Columbian and African gold, decorative arts and design, photography, prints and drawings, 20th- and 21st-century painting and sculpture, and Latin American art. Book tickets in advance.
- Enjoy your lunch at Monarch. Try their Crispy jalapeno calamari.
- Head over to Boston Public Garden . Enjoy a 15-minute pleasure swan boat ride on the water soaking in the sceneries of the garden.
- Enjoy your dinner at Nino’s Pizza. We recommend steak bomb pizza.
Day 4
MIT Museum and Harvard Museum of Natural History
- Enjoy your breakfast at Friendly Toast Restaurant.
- Drive to MIT Museum. Organized and run by one of the best scientific institutions in the entire country, MIT museum features documents and artifacts from MIT’s own collections. Explore the museum and learn about history of ship-building to how holograms work to architectural design.
- Enjoy your lunch at Muku Ramen. We recommend Black Miso ramen.
- Drive to Harvard Museum of Natural History. It is three museums in one: Comparative Zoology, a Herbaria, and the Mineralogical and Geological Museum. Explore the museum to learn about archaeology & ethnology.
- Enjoy your dinner at Yvonne’s. We recommend crispy tuna fregola.
Day 5
Last day of the trip.
- Explore nearby areas until your flight time. Pack up and get ready to head back home.
Hope you like this vacation itinerary. Browse more sample itineraries. Let us plan for your next trip. Request your free itinerary.