Illustrious Schools: Group Tour of MIT And Harvard
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Cambridge, USA
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover two of the USA's–and the world’s–most prestigious and historic colleges with exclusive access and a guided tour of each. Explore iconic campus buildings and statues, learn about whimsical traditions passed down through generations of students, visit key historic moments in both colleges’ histories, and hear about some of their most famous alumni.
- Visit secret off-limits areas as well as academic buildings and residences
- Hear about Harvard’s part in the American Revolution
- Learn more about the colleges than you would by just visiting alone
- Take a photo of the Boston skyline from Harvard Bridge
What's Included
- Tour Guide Services
- Subway ticket from MIT to Harvard
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Ripple Cafe314 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
Your tour guide will meet you in front of the Ripple Cafe on Main Street in Cambridge. The cafe is next to the Kendall Station subway stop on the Red Line. Your guide will be wearing a Boston Hidden Gems t-shirt and name tag.
End point
- Harvard SquareTwo Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Tour will end in Harvard Square, next to the Red Line subway stop with the same name.
Itinerary
1
MIT Media Lab
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Green Building
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Harvard Bridge
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
MIT Banana Lounge
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Stata Center
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Kendall/MIT
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
8
Massachusetts Ave @ Johnston Gate
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
John Harvard Statue
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
2 Kirkland St
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
11
Memorial Hall
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
12
Harvard Memorial Church
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
13
The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
14
Wadsworth House
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
15
Lowell House
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
16
Harvard Square
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Weekend vs Weekday Tours - the tour goes inside some MIT buildings on weekdays only! The MIT campus buildings are closed on weekends and major holidays; the listed tour price is lower to account for this. Harvard does not allow any public tours inside any buildings.
- Parking is very difficult to find near the tour starting point. We strongly advise against driving and recommend taking public transit or taxi/Uber. The closest garage next to the tour start point is the Green Garage at Kendall and costs USD52 for 3+ hours. Very limited metered street parking is available around the starting area of the tour, we advise arriving at least 30 minutes ahead of the tour start time to look for metered parking.
- Public transport is the easiest way to get to the tour start point. Take the MBTA (subway) to the Kendall/MIT station on the Red Line, the tour start point is next to the main entrance to the subway station.
- Tour starts exactly on time. If you are running late, you can catch up with the tour group by following the tour stops listed on the itinerary. First tour stop is MIT Media Lab, second stop is the Green Building, and so on. Your tour guide will not be able to answer any phone calls to direct you after the tour starts.
- This tour focuses on history, architecture, and stories about the two universities. If you are looking for a tour for perspective future students, please contact the admissions department of the university.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 130 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Nicola_E, Jul 2026
Chris was great. Very interesting tour learning about MIT and Harvard. Go to go inside MIT which was great and learned some fun facts. Harvard was impressive and we learned some great historical facts
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience! We're thrilled you enjoyed learning about MIT and Harvard with Chris and appreciated the fascinating insights during the tour.
Maria_Q, Jul 2026
This was a scenic tour. It would have been ok if that is what you are looking for. But it should have been clear that this was a 4 mile walking tour. Parking was incredibly difficult at meet up location. Most street parking was 2 hours. Was in fear my car would get towed. Left mid tour. Was looking for more about the school. This was not that. Pretty views and pictures of stuff that happened at those locations. Not worth the money. I found it a waste of time and money.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for the feedback. We’re glad the scenery came through even if the tour wasn't the right fit overall.
A couple of clarifications in case future guests read this review: the tour is listed as 3.5-hour history/architecture walking tour, not a current-student or admissions-focused one. We also emphasize that we are not a student tour at the start of the day and give guests the opportunity to cancel at that moment. Guests with your expectations are why we have that pre-tour announcement, to ensure that everyone gets the experience they paid for and expected.
On parking, our listing does note that "Parking is very difficult to find near the tour starting point. We strongly advise against driving and recommend taking public transit or taxi/Uber." We are sorry you got stuck circling for a spot; that is exactly why the listing includes that guidance up front.
We’re sorry you didn’t find value in the tour. Feel free to reach out to us directly at info@bostonhiddengems.com if you'd like to talk it through.
Armando_V, Jun 2026
Was fin knowledgeable. The only thing was a lot of noise at times hard to hear. Not your fault. But had a great time
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear you had a great time at MIT and Harvard with Jenny despite the occasional noise.
Deborah_G, Jun 2026
This was a very interesting & well-paced tiur. The time went by quickly. Our guide graduated from MIT with an advanced degree (PhD). Her insights were wonderful
& her love of the school , as well as pride on Harvard & Boston, were evident. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for sharing your delightful experience! We're thrilled to hear you appreciated Jodie's expertise and enthusiasm!
Jonas_A, Jun 2026
Very cool overview of MIT and Harvard. This isn’t a school led tour, of course, so it’s fairly generalized. Our guide, BJ, was knowledgeable and kept it interesting. Would highly recommend any tour he’s leading.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks for your review! We're happy to hear you would recommend BJ's tours and that you found it cool and interesting!
Shaan_K, Jun 2026
Jody was great! Great tour of both MIT and Harvard! Lots of info, but presented in a relatable way. Great stories
Response from Host, Jun 2026
We're glad to hear you had a great tour of MIT and Harvard with Jodie and that she kept it relatable! Thanks for your review!
tarainnc, Jun 2026
Rocky did a fantastic job as our Tour Guide. She was knowledgeable and providing great historical details at both Harvard and MIT. In addition, Rocky was incredibly considerate in making sure there was plenty of time for pictures, moved at the pace of the group (I never felt rushed) and also checked in with everyone periodically to see how we were handling the heat. She regularly pointed out restrooms and places to refill water bottles. Highly recommend doing a tour with Rocky.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
We're thrilled to hear you had a fantastic tour of MIT & Harvard with Rocky and that she paced it well! Thanks so much for your recommendation.
Ashley_R, Jun 2026
Fantastic tour! My 9 and 12 year old boys loved the tour as well! BJ was our tour guide- top notch, very knowledgable and down to earth. Would definitely recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste del tour y que BJ hizo la experiencia memorable para toda la familia. ¡Gracias por recomendar nuestros servicios!
Tyler_K, Apr 2026
Bobby was a great guide around MIT and Harvard! Showed us ton of spots and gave some great fun facts!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled Bobby showcased both campuses effectively. We hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Aaron_M, Mar 2026
Alex, was very knowledgeable about the history if both schools and presented it in a very easy to digest format. I took my 3 kids on this tour and we all enjoyed it!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you, Aaron, for your wonderful feedback! We're so glad you and your kids enjoyed the tour and found Alexandria's presentation engaging and informative. We hope to welcome you again for more enriching experiences!
jennifergu3, Jan 2026
We had a great experience on this windy cold day! Our guide was very passionate and helpful. Good experience!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
We're glad to hear you had a great tour of MIT & Harvard with Jenny!
Lymarie_G, Dec 2025
The tour girl Alex is extremely good , she kept us very entertained, share tons of interesting and fun facts. The time spent in each of the universities is perfect, allows to enjoy the campuses, take a lot of photos and even enter inside of MIt main building. We really enjoyed how she lead the group and has a very sharming voice.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thanks for your review! We're happy to hear you had an entertaining tour of MIT & Harvard with Alexandria!
Sian_T, Dec 2025
Excellent and informative tour of MIT and Harvard. Very good delivery of lots of interesting facts and figures!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
We're happy to hear Maria gave you an excellent tour of MIT & Harvard!
Ashish_M, Nov 2025
I wanted to share my appreciation for the awesome walking tour of Harvard and MIT. The experience was truly memorable!
Harvard Highlights: Walking through Harvard Yard and seeing iconic spots like the John Harvard Statue and Widener Library gave me a real sense of history and tradition.
MIT Experience: On the Charles River to explore MIT’s campus was equally inspiring. The bold architecture and the innovative vibe made the tour feel like a journey into the future.
The stories, insights, and energy throughout the tour were fantastic. It was a perfect blend of history, innovation, and campus life. Thank you for making it engaging and informative—I left feeling inspired and energized!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thanks for your thorough review! We're glad to hear you had a great tour of MIT & Harvard with Jenny!
Suzanne_D, Oct 2025
Wonderful overview of 2 places I have always wanted to see. Jenny, our guide, was knowledgeable, and she seemed delighted to be with us.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thanks for your review! We're glad to hear you had a great time visiting MIT & Harvard with Jenny!
MARK_C, Oct 2025
Great tour. Our guide Jenny was very good. I highly recommend this tour. The guide was very well-versed in both MIT and Harvard history, lore, and tradition.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thanks for your review! We're glad to hear you had a great tour of MIT & Harvard with Jenny!
Johnny_Y, Sep 2025
Alexandria is an excellent communicator and kept the group actively engaged throughout the tour with delightful "Who's Who Qs" and sharing of different creative bright genius innovations/ inventions and the "Stupendous Delightful Hacks" created by the brilliant and creative minds at MIT. Harvard was wonderful and grand. She conveyed how an old historic and grand institution, like Harvard, tried so hard to keep its old tradition as is" and, yet conceding that "in time" it needed to adapt to the ever ongoing changes of the current world to maintain its competitive position and survive as a great educational institution. Many thanks again to Alexandria in sharing her knowledge of MIT and Harvard and we wish her much success in her life endeavors.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
What a wonderful, thorough review! Thank you so much for sharing, we will be sure to pass your kind words on to Alexandria! We're glad you enjoyed the tour!
Rebecca_H, Sep 2025
I really enjoyed the tour and learned a lot about both schools. It was really interesting to see how they both differed. MIT is all about innovation and Harvard is all about tradition. The guide on my tour was great. He was very personable and projected his voice very well.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thanks for your review! We're glad Alex gave you a great tour of MIT & Harvard!
kelly_i, Sep 2025
This was a fantastic experience. The guide Jenny was phenomenal at her job. She was so friendly, engaging and happy to answer any questions asked.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
We're happy to hear you had a fantastic tour of MIT & Harvard with Jenny!
Marco_S, Sep 2025
Alexandria was a great guide and made our tour very informative and fun. It was great to learn about these prestigious schools and some wonderful trivia along the way.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thanks so much for your review! We're glad to hear that you had a great tour with Alexandria!
sungsoo_k, Aug 2025
Good overview of the school's history, not too heavy. Covered some distance. Start quiet in MIT, end in a crowd at Harvard.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Love that last line - how accurate! Thanks for your review, glad you had a good tour of MIT & Harvard!
David_L, Aug 2025
It was very interesting and covered many things about both MIT and Havard, but stressed the differences between the two. It especially emphasized the openness of MIT buildings to public access compared go the more restrictive Harvard. Jenny made it fun and interesting, but kept things moving.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks for your review! We're glad you had a fun and interesting tour with Jenny!
Sheela_M, Aug 2025
It was nice to get the info about the universities from an expert guide! Would definitely recommend to friends!!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
We're glad you had a nice tour of MIT & Harvard with Jenny! Thanks for leaving a review!
Elizabeth_G, Jul 2025
Alex was a great tour guide! Very knowledgeable and personable. He was entertaining and enthusiastic even on this extremely hot day.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Glad you had a great tour with Alex (and what a hot one it was)! Thanks for your review!
Bipul_S, Jul 2025
Amazing and extremely knowledgeable and insightful tour of the 2 world class universities - MIT and Harvard.
Our tour guide was Alexandria, she was top class.
Great interactive way of engaging with the audience while providing every information in detail, some great photo stops.
We are so glad we did this tour and got the best possible out of it.
Highly recommended.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks so much for your review! Glad you had a great tour of MIT & Harvard with Alexandria!
Misty_C, Jul 2025
Alexandria was a great tour guide; very informative. There is one small break between Harvard and MIT tours at Ripple cafe for a quick bathroom stop & a drink. We had no idea how much we would enjoy the stories and history of these two universities but, we did! I would take more tours with Alexandria if we had more time in Boston. She is a great tour guide and we had a few while in Boston. Couple things to note:1. It does last 3 hours 2. You take the red line from MIT station to Harvard on tour 3. Your tour ends at Harvard
The only thing I would recommend is, as a tour guide, to offer/ take more pics of the families at certain stops. Most people love pics and ones that are not selfie style.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks so much for your review! Glad you had a great time with Alexandria! We will make sure to include more photo stops. Cheers!
Kelli_C, Jul 2025
First time visiting MIT and Harvard! What an amazing, informative tour with Alexandria! Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks so much for your review! Glad to hear you had a great tour with Alexandria!
Stephanie_K, Jun 2025
Fantastic tour and time went really quickly! Alex was an amazing guide - knowledgeable, fun, super organised and a highlight of the tour. Highly recommend!!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks for your review! We're glad you had a great time on your MIT & Harvard tour with Alex!
Jenny_S, Dec 2024
This was a fantastic tour, and Alex was a very skilled and personable guide. I originally balked at the length of the tour (3.5 hours), but it ended up being perfect (even on a wintery Boston day!). The tour was thoughtfully planned, packed with fun and interesting sites and information, reasonable priced, and the tour guide was professional, personable, knowledgeable, and enjoyable to interact with. This is our second Viator tour and both have been homeruns! We love to learn when we travel and Viator tours really seems to fit the bill.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thanks so much for your review - we're glad you enjoyed the MIT & Harvard tour! We put a lot of love & care into designing it, and we're happy to see it's well-received!
You also may be interested to know that Viator is actually just a booking platform (like Expedia is for flights); most of the experiences on the platform are provided by local operators. Your tour in this case was provided by Boston Hidden Gems - we are a family-owned operator based in the city! But regardless of how you find our tours, we're glad you enjoyed it and we appreciate your business!
ChristineA_Z, Sep 2024
John made this tour so interesting. I loved the time spent at MIT and the “hack” stories. I would definitely recommend this tour. It is east access from the T
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for your recommendation! We agree, the hacks are a great little tidbit about MIT :)
From $57.00
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