This Boston 3 Day Itinerary is perfect for a visit with kids. Boston, Massachusetts is a great city, especially for families. There is so much to do you could spend a week and still not do and see everything. I have highlighted some of the top activities but there is so much to do and beach options nearby. If you haven’t been to Boston it really should be on your list and here’s why.
Logan Airport Boston MA
We have never flown into Logan Airport, but we have flown out of it. There are several Priority pass lounges available and 2 Restaurants. This is always exciting for us because with CSR priority pass you get unlimited visits for cardholders and 2 guests. This means we can go to Both of these restaurants if we wanted to and you will receive $28 off with your pass and it seems only 1 additional guest for a total of $56 credit at each restaurant. Only 1 card per cardholder per visit. Any unused balance can not be used for gratuity (but usually it will cover tax). Afterward, you can head to a lounge for drinks and dessert. Of course, assuming you have enough time.
Stephanie’s Restaurant
Stephanie’s Restaurant in TerminalB is included with Priority Pass. Here’s their review on Yelp. Lunch at 10:30 am, Seats at the high bar table area (not the actual bar) have outlets at every seat (look under the table). Side tables mostly do not — only some have. As far as I’ve seen, booths do not have outlets. The lobster roll is not skimp and costs $30 but is just ok. Breakfast prices range from $14 for a breakfast sandwich to $28 for steak and eggs (ok I could eat here for breakfast if I can get my steak!)
Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar and Grill
Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar and Grill in Terminal C is included with Priority Pass. It’s land-side before security. The restaurant accepts priority pass from 2 pm to 8 pm.
The menu has a mix of reasonably prices appetizers for $11-$14. Chicken Tenders for $11 is perfect for kids, $7 for New England clam chowder, and $14 for Fish Taco trio, and Entree salads range from $14-$15. You can also get sandwiches to range $14-$15 with a lobster roll costing $22
The lounges include The Lounge Terminal C; As well as The club and Air Franc lounge Terminal E.
Boston MA Food
I absolutely LOVE New England Food. Fresh seafood is my favorite and there’s nothing better than a buttery lobster roll and a bowl of New England clam chowder. Other fresh seafood includes oysters, fish fry, fried clam strips, and steamed clams which are my son’s favorite food and there up there on my husband’s list too. And if you can’t decide to try a new England clam bake typically made with lobster, clams mussels shrimp potatoes, and sausage. Boston baked beans, yes, it’s where they got the name Beantown and honestly, they are good. And make sure to finish at least one meal with a Boston cream pie. For someone who really doesn’t love cake, this is one of my favorite desserts.
Where to Stay in Boston MA with Kids
When visiting cities, I prefer to be within walking distance to some or most of the attractions I will give up luxury for convenience. Simply because we will get more done if we do not have to travel far in the morning and evenings. I also prefer to be closer to the hotel in the evening in case the kids hit their limits.
Hyatt Boston Hotels
There are 2 Hyatt’s in Downtown Boston. Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall and Hyatt Regency Boston. With Hyatt’s recent category changes, both will now cost 20,000 pts per night which makes it easy to choose Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall for its prime location. The Hyatt Regency Boston is only an 8 min walk away so it is still a good choice. We Stayed at Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall which was a great location. You can read all about our Boston on a Budget trip. We’ve also stayed at the Hyatt Regency Boston/Cambridge with a category 4 free night certificate. It was not an ideal location for restaurants, public transportation and I would recommend an alternative accommodations. If you have a car I think that Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor might be a better option, at least their breakfast menu looks nicer if your Globalist.
Staying Outside the City
There are many more affordable places to stay outside the city. While I am not a huge fan of doing this if you aren’t spending a full week traveling into the city every day it really isn’t a big deal. It might be nice to stay near the airport at a more affordable hotel and be close to your early morning flight. Or the reality is you may want to head to other areas outside of the city as well. If you don’t want to drive in the city or do not plan to rent a car be sure to stay near a subway stop.
Great Wolf’s Lodge New England
This is about an hour away from Boston but it’s a great place for kids and they often have specials as low as $169/night for a family of 4. If you only plan a day or 2 in Boston it wouldn’t be so bad to travel to or even, consider a split stay with a hotel a bit closer. This resort was originally another hotel I believe Holiday Inn and was converted to a wolf’s lodge, so it designed a little differently than a traditional wolf’s lodge.
Attractions
There’ is so much to see and do in Boston, I want to highlight so of the amazing family-focused activities. The Go Boston card seems to bet the best value for attraction passes out there. However, I hesitate to recommend these types of cards because I find it pushes people to rush and squeeze attractions to get their money’s worth. If you get 4 attractions in on the 3-day card it seemed to have some savings. Keep in mind there’s so much free things to do in Boston you don’t really need to spend any money on entertainment.
Boston Aquarium
New England Aquarium includes a four-story Caribbean coral reef, shark and ray touch tank, and much. Our family loves aquariums, and this is a really great one.
Whale Watch
Included in the 3 Day Go Boston Card is one premium activity which includes the option of a New England Aquarium Whale Watch. Here are some highlights and they offer a guaranteed whale sighting (usually this means you get a return ticket if they don’t see any). You could see Humpback Whales, Finback Whales, or even Minke Whales. They’re also a chance to see White Sided Dolphins.
Museum of Science
The Museum of Science’s many exhibits include the Hall of human life, theater of electricity, Triceratops cliff, and a live animal center. They also have drop-in activities and live presentations. You can check out their daily schedule here. If you have a Museum Membership that participates in the ASTC Museum Reciprocity program admission here would be free as well as at the Boston Children’s Museum. In fact, the cost of an ASTC museum pass in our area was $100 for an annual family membership which was less than the cost of the museum admission for 4 people so it was worth purchasing an annual pass from our local museum before we visited Boston. This museum is fantastic for all ages and you can easily spend more than a day here.
Boston Children’s Museum
Highlights of the Children’s museum include an art studio, the commons which is a place to play including brain-building fun., Japanese house, kid power which includes pedal power activities to light up dance floors, climbing walls, and power pump seats. There’s even a New Balance Foundation Climbing wall which is an incredible 3-story climbing structure made of flowing cribbed platforms.
Legoland Discover Center
We have only visited the Westchester location, but they are the same. There are 2 rides which are basic, but the kids really enjoy it. There a climbing area and a place to build cars and race them. you can easily spend half a day here. You can often find a 1 kid-free with a purchase of a full-priced adult ticket coupon on Lego toys either purchased at a store or included in a happy meal when they are offering a Lego promo. You can even have someone mail you one for free through eBay- plus a small handling fee.
Hop on and off Trolley
If you do decide to go with the Go Boston Card you can grab a 2-day ticket for the Boston Trolley Sightseeing tour. The trolley makes 9 stops around the area and it’s an easy way to get to all the above attractions and more.
Boston 3 Day Itinerary with Kids
We usually bring breakfast with us if it isn’t included in our hotel stay. This is for several reasons 1) I’m not a big breakfast person 2) my kids seriously barely eat and usually just want cereal 3) I like to get going quickly and not waste too much time eating first thing.
Day 1: Science Museum
If you are driving I recommend leaving as early as possible to arrive as early as possible. If you are flying in early today, quickly drop your luggage off and head to the science museum.
Spend the Day at the Science museum. Depending on when you arrive or finish up you may want to grab lunch offered at the museum including dining options by Wolfgang Pick Catering. There’ pizza pasta and salads and much more. If you decide to have lunch near by before or after the science museum check out these restaurants.
If time enjoy the hop on and off trolley or use it to take you over to Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Where you can shop around and enjoy dinner at one of the many great restaurants. It’s also not too far of a walk over to the area and there’s many restaurants around the area.
Day 2: Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a group of historic sites all connected by a red brick trail. With the US Constitution on one end and Boston Commons park on the other end you can easily spend more than a day exploring everything. I recommend selecting a 1-3 places to actually enter and spend some time in. If you do not want to climb the Bunker Hill monument, start your morning at the US constitution. this way if you run out of time you can always visit Boston Commons on Day 3.
Day 3:
Start your day at the New England Aquarium. This will help get the kid’s energy out so they will be happy to be sitting on the whale watch this afternoon.
Enjoy lunch at the aquarium or if you are finished by lunch check out one of these great restaurants in the area.
2:30 or 3:30pm Whale Watch. I recommend bringing entertainment (even iPad) for the little ones for the times it’s a bit quiet, slow, and boring. Make sure you bring plenty of snacks and drinks for the kids. If you have time in-between or after your whale watch head to Boston Commons.
Dinner: I am sure you will all be hungry after your sea adventure so you can either check out a great restaurant near by or head back to your hotel area to eat close by.
Or
Children’s Museum
If you aren’t up for a whale watch this is a great option for younger kids. This is a great way to tire the kids out before heading back home if your driving or have an evening flight out. If you aren’t leaving today enjoy a full loop around the trolley tour and stop by Cheers for a beer if you haven’t used up your 2 days pass yet.
Check Out These other Great New England Itineraries
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Thank you. I started blogging gradually. To document our memories and share details of our trips with others. Hoping to inspire families to travel and find affordable travel options.