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Beyond Boston

City Cruises Boston Historic Sightseeing Harbor Cruise

Badge of Excellence
Boston, USA
Very popular!
5+ bookings in the past 6 hours.
  • 1 hour (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travellers loved this

4.5
·
· Gail_S ·
Sept 2026
Well organized, seating is comfortable, great views, skilled boat crew and entertaining, knowledgable host/narrator. She was entertaining and covered a remarkable amount of fascinating facts and stories. Well worth the 60 minutes and the price of admission!
· Tessa_P ·
Sept 2026
Such a beautiful boat ride and wonderful to learn more about the history of Boston. Our guide was fantastic. The 6:30PM tour time is perfect to catch sunset on the water and see one of the historic ships “fire” into the water.

Overview

See some of the top attractions in Boston from the waterfront on this narrated sightseeing cruise. Explore the world-famous Boston Harbor and see the city’s historic sites while listening to live commentary on board, from tales of the Revolutionary War to local legends. While you cruise, enjoy views of the city skyline as well as the Boston Harbor Islands, USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”), and the Bunker Hill Monument.
  • Historic sightseeing cruise of Boston Harbor
  • Narrated tour with tales of the Revolutionary War, Legends of the Sea, and Boston's Historical Figures
  • Learn how the harbor was transformed into one of the cleanest waterways
  • Choose from multiple departure times to fit your schedule

What's Included

  • 60-minute Historic Sightseeing Cruise of Boston Harbor
  • Narrated tour.
  • See stunning panoramic views of Boston's skyline and waterfront areas.
  • Skip the ticket booth and head straight to the boat for faster boarding
  • Food & Beverages (available for purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 1 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA

    Please arrive at the Boston Harbor Cruises meeting point early – boarding begins 15 minutes before departure.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Discover some of the important historic attractions along Boston’s inner and outer harbors during this entertaining and educational sightseeing cruise.

On this narrated tour, see the USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat and America’s Ship of State.

Check out Old North Church, where the famous “one if by land, and two if by sea” signal is said to have been sent by Paul Revere back in 1775. There’s also Boston Light, a lighthouse located on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor and the first light station established on the North American continent.

Boston Harbor City Cruises (Pass By)

Castle Island (Pass By)

Logan International Airport (Pass By)

USS Constitution (Pass By)

Bunker Hill Monument (Pass By)

Boston Harbor City Cruises (Pass By)

Old North Church & Historic Site (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Pushchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Most travellers can participate
  • The boat is wheelchair accessible, however the restrooms are not wheelchair accessible
  • Boarding begins 15 minutes before departure. Guests must arrive early, as late arrivals will likely miss the boat.
  • Infants are free, however, they are REQUIRED to have a ticket.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 250 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveller's review)

Featured review

Karen_C
Liz provided a great narration while the ship was sailing, and the crew was so welcoming as we boarded.. The two young men who took photos, which were available for purchase after the cruise, were friendly and helpful. Sitting on the deck of the ship in the sunshine, surrounded by fresh air and a gentle breeze, was incredibly relaxing. My family and I enjoyed this tour very much, and we highly recommend it.

Reviews

4.5
based on 1,553 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Sort by: Most recent

Worth your time!

Addie_G, Oct 2026
A fantastic way to see and learn more about Boston and it's historic harbor! The guide had a sense of humor that added to the experience because it made it interactive.

Worth while excursion!

Desiree_S, Oct 2026
Well informed guide, very informative , friendly. Buying tickets & finding meeting point was easy. Pleased we did it!

Michael was great....

Deborah_C, Oct 2026
Michael was great. Informative & knowledgeable. As there weren’t many passengers, seating was great!

Boat Harbor tour

Jeannie_A, Oct 2026
The host, David, was funny and knowledgeable. Road on the top level. Beautiful 4 pm excursion. Arrive 20 min early to get to the front if the line ti get a seat up top.

This was a great hour...

Valerie_R, Oct 2026
This was a great hour long cruise of the harbor. Mike was a great MC, who was clear and funny when explaining the history of the islands and the general history of the harbor. Would definitely recommend this tour.

Very knowledgeable tour guider

Li_Z, Oct 2026
Very interesting about history. The guider ‘s explanation is so great! He is very knowledgeable with full of passion

Worse service

Ajita_S, Oct 2026
Although I reached out 30 minutes prior to notify Viator of a traffic delay due to a road crash, I did not receive a prompt response. Upon arriving at the venue, staff informed us that nothing could be handled on-site as it is booked by third party vendor Viator and directed us to contact Viator. I followed up throughout the day to request a reschedule for any available time today or tomorrow, but was told no assistance could be provided from Viator. While I acknowledge that I arrived late due to traffic, the lack of support and resolution from Viator is unacceptable and has significantly damaged my trust in Viator’s service. Losing the full amount paid without receiving adequate support or flexibility is extremely frustrating.

Highly recommend

Dona_M, Oct 2026
The boat was clean. Loading and unloading efficient. The tour guide / speaker was fantastic. Great and informative tour!!

Great tour! Tour...

Steve_W, Oct 2026
Great tour! Tour director was entertaining and knowledgeable, with a good combination of information and quiet time to just enjoy the harbor sites. Travelled with a family member in a wheelchair. Staff was friendly and helpful! I recommend this tour to anyone who wants to get some great pictures of the Boston skyline while learning some basic Boston history!

Very entertaining. Smooth...

Marla_C, Oct 2026
Very entertaining. Smooth ride with great captain and tour guide. Beautiful Boston weather in October 2026

The cruise is very...

Fiona_S, Oct 2026
The cruise is very interesting, the host gave the information in an entertaining way and involved the whole group. It was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Discount Offered is Kind of a Scam

Sheyanna_W, Oct 2026
The Boston Harbor cruise was great. However, using the Viator app was a bit of a scam if you only have two people. They send you a discount code that you can’t really use since most tours total just under the $100 minimum. The app also won’t let you book two different tours which would give a person enough $$ wise for the discount code. Seems like a pretty effective hook to get you to try out the app thinking you are getting a 20% off when iin reality you don’t undercut at all. Don’t offer a discount if you are going to make it realistically unusable.

Great view

Brooke_S, Oct 2026
You get to see a bunch of sites from a different view it was nice to see things you can’t see from land.

Sights worth seeing

Terry_S, Oct 2026
Amazing experience. Narrator was exceptional. Great tour of Boston harbor. Enjoyed the boat and views.

Good time

Colleen_J, Oct 2026
It was enjoyable- the tour guide was humorous and knew what she was talking about. We learned a lot and she gave us good tips on where to go next

A Nice Hour Tour

Cassandra_C, Sept 2026
It’s informative and fun. We sat downstairs and even though it was a bit choppy, felt no discomfort. Like seeing the U.S.S. Constitution. And having a plane fly over us into Logan International Airport was cool.

Great boat ride!

Debra_G, Sept 2026
Wonderful tour, highly recommend. But if you sit at the back, outside, you can't hear much of what the tour guide is saying. We live locally, so that wasn't a problem for us, but if you want to hear, don't sit out back.

Must do in Boston!

Mary_H, Sept 2026
It was a great trip around the harbor. Learned interesting history about Boston. I would recommend this 1 hour tour.

Great view of Boston from the water

Barb_H, Sept 2026
We had a lovely cruise! It was wonderful to see Boston from the water. Our guide/narrator was very informative and enthusiastic. I would definitely recommend this activity.

A great young historian brought it all alive.

virginia_p, Sept 2026
A fast moving tour. Very interesting. We are older and managed due to being reasonably fit but it was tiring.

Great experience! Emily,...

Andrew_D, Sept 2026
Great experience! Emily, the tour guide was witty, knowledgeable, and made the experience worth every penny. I highly recommend!

The fascinating evolution of Boston Harbor, on a comfortable boat ride

Gail_S, Sept 2026
Well organized, seating is comfortable, great views, skilled boat crew and entertaining, knowledgable host/narrator. She was entertaining and covered a remarkable amount of fascinating facts and stories. Well worth the 60 minutes and the price of admission!

History of harbor

Richard_L, Sept 2026
The boat ride around the harbor itself is fairly unremarkable. What makes the trip worthwhile is the guide’s history of Boston and the harbor.

Good tour and great narration

Jeffrey_N, Sept 2026
My friends and I really enjoyed the hour tour on the Boston harbor. The guide provided good information and was entertaining. The speaker system was very good and his narration could be heard on all levels. The Ciry Tour company also thought about positioning of the chairs so that the guide was always talking about things directly forward.

Good for the harbor cruises- but eh, it is the Boston Harbor LOL

Sarah_K, Sept 2026
The tour is fun bc it is a harbor tour. We do a Harper tour everywhere we go and to be fair. Boston Harbor is pretty boring and pretty industrial. Look Airport. Look we had the dirtest harbor. Look cargo ships. Whatever it is good to see and you get to learn a lot of history. Our guide was super sweet. 4 out of 5 only due to no snacks and beer/wine to purchase.

Awesome way to see the city!

Jeannine_M, Sept 2026
From the water is such a great way to see different parts of the city. The guide was very knowledgeable and very funny! Even with a little rain, it was well worth it. Love, the fact that there are snacks and booze available to purchase!

Do this quick tour

Angel_L, Sept 2026
The boat ride was relaxing and learned some things about Boston with the talking tour guide person and got good pictures

Beautiful Cruise!

Tessa_P, Sept 2026
Such a beautiful boat ride and wonderful to learn more about the history of Boston. Our guide was fantastic. The 6:30PM tour time is perfect to catch sunset on the water and see one of the historic ships “fire” into the water.

Great excursion

Lesandra_S, Sept 2026
It is very informative, but can get very breezy up on the top of the third deck of the ship so definitely take some warm clothes if you get cold easily. Emily gave a lot of the history and had lots of jokes.

Bad customer service

David_L, Aug 2026
Showed up 2 minutes before the departure time and they wouldn’t allow me in. Nothing in ticket about showing up earlier
Member Pricing
From

USD 43.70

per person
Was USD 46.00(-5%)

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 12 days in advance.

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