City Cruises Boston Historic Sightseeing Harbor Cruise
Badge of Excellence
Boston, USA
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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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.
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
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveller Photos
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 1,477 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Katy_L, July 2026
This was a great tour! I was pleasantly surprised by the indepth information covered and how much I learned on this tour. I would say the highlight of the tour is the actual tour guide, Kevin, who has a great voice and explains things in an understandable manner. Our friends who live in Boston area even enjoyed the tour a ton and were glad they came with us!
Karen_C, July 2026
The harbor cruise was educational and relaxing. You could tell that the guide loves her job. Very energetic.
Charlene_B, July 2026
Fantastic! Our tour guide, Liz, was wonderful. Her knowledge of Boston’s history was spot on and her delivery was entertaining. We sat on the upper deck closest to the rail facing the right side. Our views of Boston and the harbor were breathtaking. I highly recommend this tour.
Peter_L, July 2026
Tour guide, David Coffin, was excellent. Fantastic weather, learned plenty, and looking forward to doing it again
Lora_D, July 2026
I great way to see the sights while enjoying a boat ride. The narration was insightful and we learned a lot about Boston.
Doris_H, July 2026
Boat left on time. The narrator was informative and comical at the same time. Even though we go to Boston often, narrator mentioned a few items we didn’t know. Plenty of seating inside & outside boat.
Karen_C, July 2026
Bring a hat to protect from the sun!
Nice cruise - just the right amount of time for a little history of Boston.
Bridget_F, July 2026
Great way yo wrap a trip to Boston. Boat was comfortable and guide was excellent. Fun and informative tour.
Sam_M, July 2026
The entire tour references only what is to the starboard side/right side of the boat. All information is very rudimentary. If you want to see anything being referenced, sit on the right side. This tour is overpriced and boring. I would suggest looking into a different company for a harbor cruise tour if you can.
tmkz, July 2026
It was a great experience and history lesson. I will definitely do it again if I'm in Boston with my family or friends.
Gabriel_M, July 2026
Very nice guide, the benches could be comfier.......................................................
Jasmine_C, July 2026
I booked a boat ride at 4:10 PM for a 5:00 PM departure, less than an hour before the activity. When I arrived at the dock, I was directed to the wrong boat and ended up boarding the ferry instead. It was an unfortunate mistake, but I contacted Viator immediately to explain what had happened.
Unfortunately, Viator was unable to offer me another boat ride or provide a refund. Since then, I have called multiple times and have repeatedly been told that my case would be escalated. However, I have never received the promised follow-up email or phone call.
What has been most disappointing is not just the outcome, but the lack of communication and customer support after the incident. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend booking through Viator.
Thomas_D, July 2026
Tour guide speaker was great! Weather was perfect. Easy to get to on the wharf. Grab a pint at dock bar beforehand.
Lynn_S, July 2026
The cruise was good. There was an employee (male) who not only not engaged with passengers that were arriving but was dismissive and seemed inconvenienced when I asked a question. Everyone else was very attentive to their passengers
Maggie_V, July 2026
Good overview of the harbor area. Narration was informative but could have been a little louder. Good view from most parts of the boat.
Malcolm_M, July 2026
Good trip , guide Mike excellent .
Very informative tour round the Harbour, taking in all the local sites
Louise_C, July 2026
Short 1-hour tour but well scripted. Sound system was clear and you could hear and understand the narrator even over the distracted a yelling children. Nice tour for an hour.
Matthew_R, July 2026
Beverages are available for purchase. Wear a hat. The narrator (Kevin in our case) is on the top deck and he is talking about sites on the starboard side.
Eileen_C, July 2026
Informative, relaxing and fun. Love the history and looking at Boston from the water. Watching aircraft approaching landing runways at Logan was really cool!
Leslie_M, June 2026
Wonderful way to see great views while getting a different kind of history of the city of Boston. Only an hour, so it don’t doesn’t take a lot of your day. Our guide (tour narrator), Dave Coffin, was extremely entertaining, but also very knowledgeable. If you can get on one his tours, do it! Even with a LOT of fog, we still enjoyed it.
Sharon_C, June 2026
We had a beautiful day, which made it really enjoyable. Our guide was knowledgeable about the development of the harbor; maybe a little too obsessed about Logan airport, but gave us lots of fun facts.
It was a nice break from walking.
Jessica_G, June 2026
If it is foggy it is absolutely POINTLESS. This provider was aware that once we left the port that the remainder of the excursion would be foggy and they should have canceled it. I choose this excursion as a way to see some of the sights since I was only in town for 36 hours and this was an absolute waste. We were asked to use our imagination as to what we should be actually seeing. How can I imagine something I’ve never seen?
Craig_M, June 2026
Informative cruise about the Boston Bay/Wharf history. Or guide/captain was very entertaining and made the cruise not only fun but informative.
Carol_H, June 2026
I believe that the viator website for this tour was false advertising. The photo of the tour shows a more historical looking ship with sails,(similar to the USS Constitution) which would have been a different experience for this tour even if the ship were equipped with a motor. The tour we experienced was a typical harbor boat tour and not what we expected. However, the boat did have a guide to point out all the history of Boston harbor. The guide was very informative and I had no complaints about her performance. It was not what we envisioned. Viator needs to identify via photo the actual boat that conducts the tours. It was disappointing.
Mary_E, June 2026
Get there early. Could not get seats to sit on top deck. Captain was fantastic. Very funny and extremely entertaining and informative.
Veronica_B, June 2026
It was a beautiful ride out on the Boston Bay. As soon as we arrived at the dock, everything went smoothly. Our boat guide was very knowledgeable. It was great for the price!
Duane_S, June 2026
Very educational. Seats on the top deck were a little uncomfortable. The guide was very good. A great way to spend the afternoon.
Brenda_W, June 2026
Narrator was wonderful and entertaining. The cruise was very informative and interesting. The seating was excellent.
arlene16, June 2026
We booked this thinking it was a sailing ship. The picture on the activity is a ship with sails. After searching the harbour for such a ship we missed our 12.30 departure. The lovely guy at Boston Harbour Cruises exchanged the ticket for the next sailing. He explained it was a normal boat not the sailing ship in the picture.
The experience itself was good with a great tour guide. So, we did have fun and recommend this for a nice hour on the water with great views.
I would suggest you take off the sailing boat picture as it’s misleading.
Abbie_K, June 2026
This tour was a great way to learn about the history of Boston. Our narrator was friendly and funny. Was also cool to be right under planes flying out of the airport.
From USD 46.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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City Cruises Boston Historic Sightseeing Harbor Cruise
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