One Day in Boston

Start here early, before the joggers thin out and the tour groups arrive. Boston Common is the oldest public park in the country, and the Public Garden next door is the pretty half: a Victorian suspension bridge, beds of tulips in spring, and the Swan Boats that have been paddling the lagoon since 1877. Find the George Washington statue at the Commonwealth Avenue gate, then loop back through the Common to pick up the red-painted Freedom Trail line at the northeast corner.

Pick up the red line at the Common and follow it north. The first landmark is the Massachusetts State House with its unmistakable gold dome, free to admire from outside. A few minutes on you pass Park Street Church, then the Granary Burying Ground, where Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock are buried, all free. King's Chapel rounds out the morning stretch. The whole walk is about a mile and flat, and by starting before 10am you stay ahead of the guided tour crowds that clog the narrow sidewalks by midday.

The trail's most famous stop, and the reason the walk is worth doing in order. This is where the two lanterns were hung in 1775 to signal Paul Revere that the British were crossing by sea. The interior is original colonial pews, narrow and tall, and the $8 entry includes a short talk from a guide. The Paul Revere statue in the little plaza outside is the photo everyone takes. From here you are already in the North End, so lunch is two blocks away.

Boston's Little Italy, and the right place for the day's big meal. Giacomo's on Hanover Street is the local pick for a plate of pasta or seafood at a fair price, but the line can run long on weekends, so grab a slice from one of the pizzerias and save room for a cannoli from Mike's Pastry a few doors down. Weekday lunches are easier; dinners and weekends at the popular spots need a plan or a willingness to wait.

A short walk south from the North End brings you to this cluster of granite market buildings that have been the city's public gathering place since the 1740s. Faneuil Hall itself, the upstairs meeting room where Samuel Adams argued for independence, is free. Quincy Market behind it is a long hall of food stalls and street performers. It leans tourist-heavy, but the building is beautiful and the energy is fun for a first visit. Walk through, grab a coffee or a snack, and keep moving.

The waterfront anchor, and the day's one paid attraction worth the price. The centerpiece is a four-story Giant Ocean Tank with sea turtles, sharks, and a spiral ramp that wraps you around it from bottom to top. The penguin colony at the base and the harbor seal shows outside are included. Budget about 75 minutes and buy tickets online to skip the counter line, which can stretch past the door on summer weekends.

The day's wind-down, a flat waterfront path that runs from the aquarium south past the ICA and into the Seaport district. The city skyline is behind you and the harbor opens up ahead; in the late afternoon the light on the water is the best of the day. Walk as far as you feel like. The full stretch to the Seaport takes about 25 minutes at an easy pace, and you end up exactly where dinner is.

End the day with Boston's signature meal. Row 34 on Congress Street does excellent oysters and a raw bar, with mains in the $25 to $40 range and a half-dozen oysters for about $20. If you would rather close the loop and eat in the North End instead, walk back for pasta at one of the Hanover Street spots you passed at lunch. Either way, book ahead for a weekend dinner or arrive right at opening to grab a seat.