Best of Boston...And Beyond

Day 1 – Welcome to Boston!

Optional transfers from our departure points will have us at LAX this morning for a scheduled, non-stop flight arriving in Boston late this afternoon. Those guests making their own flight arrangements can request the group’s flight schedule to coordinate a flight arrival time that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfer to the hotel. In Boston, we’ll board our deluxe motorcoach and continue to Wynn Resorts’ Encore Boston Harbor where we’ll unpack once for a relaxing five-night stay. This Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star resort on the Mystic River features lavishly appointed rooms, 11 extraordinary restaurants and a 200,000 square foot, non-smoking casino with Las Vegas-style slot machines and table games. Enjoy the balance of the evening at leisure.

Day 2 – Boston

After an included breakfast, we’ll join a local guide for a driving tour of Boston – the birthplace of American liberty! We’ll see sites along Boston’s Freedom Trail including the Old South Meeting House, Faneuil Hall and the Old State House – site of the Boston Massacre. See the golden-domed Massachusetts State House, Public Garden and Boston Common, and travel through several of Boston’s neighborhoods like Back Bay and Beacon Hill. Visit Old North Church & Historic Site – celebrating its 300th birthday in 2023! Two lanterns in the church’s bell tower warned Paul Revere that the British Army was crossing the Charles River. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch on your own at Quincy Market, featuring a large food hall. This afternoon we’ll enjoy a narrated Historic Harbor Cruise to see some of the 34 islands and peninsulas that make up Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park, the historic Boston Light, the Bunker Hill Monument, the bustling Port of Boston and extravagant waterfront homes. Enjoy an included dinner at a locals’ favorite. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 3 – Boston, Lexington & Concord

Following an included breakfast, we’ll join a local guide and travel west to the historic town of Lexington, where the events which led to the Revolutionary War will unfold before your eyes. We’ll visit Lexington Battle Green and see the Lexington Minuteman Statue and Buckman Tavern, the historic meeting place where the militia gathered in the early morning hours of April 19, 1775 to await the oncoming British Redcoat troops. We continue to Concord and visit Minute Man National Historical Park to see the “Old North Bridge” and the famed Minute Man Statue, designed by sculptor Daniel Chester French. We’ll drive past the homes of Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau and enjoy an included lunch at Concord’s Colonial Inn, a landmark historic hotel with a rich history dating back to 1716. This afternoon we’ll explore Cambridge, the quaint New England town on the Charles River that is home to two of the most prestigious universities in the nation – Harvard University and MIT. We’ll stroll through Harvard Yard, the oldest part of the Harvard University campus. We return to the resort with the evening at leisure. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 4 – Massachusetts’ North Shore

Following an included breakfast, we’ll be joined by a local guide and travel north to Massachusetts’ North Shore, a region rich in history and heart-stopping scenery. We’ll enjoy a driving tour of Salem highlighting four centuries of architecture including the 1668 House of the Seven Gables, grand mansions on Chestnut Street and charming Victorian cottages near Salem Common. Learn about Salem Witch Trials of 1692 when we visit the Salem Witch Museum. Here we’ll travel back in time to 17th century Salem and witness the tragic events that led to this dramatic period in American history, brought to life through imaginative stage sets. This afternoon we’ll continue to Gloucester– America’s oldest fishing port and home to the Andrea Gale – the infamous fishing boat that went down in “The Perfect Storm.” We’ll make stops to admire the Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial and the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial. We continue to Rockport and enjoy time at leisure exploring the boutiques on Main Street and Bearskin Neck, home to Motif Number 1, a fishing shack known as “the most often-painted building in America.” Enjoy an included dinner at a locals’ favorite. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 5 – Boston, Journey Home

Following an included breakfast, we’ll travel south to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Browse the museum’s exhibits focused on the early U.S. Space Program, Kennedy’s presidential campaign, the Kennedy Family and Jackie Kennedy Onassis. We’ll continue south to Plymouth and learn about the Pilgrim landing here in 1620 and visit both Plymouth Rock and the National Monument to the Forefathers. Tour the newly restored Mayflower II – the full-scale reproduction of the Pilgrim’s famed ship and the majestic centerpiece of historic Plymouth Harbor. This afternoon we’ll visit Plimoth Patuxet (formerly Plimoth Plantation) to learn about the Indigenous people and English colonists who met along these historic shores 400 years ago! Stroll through the 17th Century English Village, a living recreation of early Plymouth, complete with costumed interpreters playing the role of residents of Plymouth Colony as if they are living in the 1600s. Enjoy an included dinner at a locals’ favorite this evening. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 6 – Boston, Journey Home

After an included breakfast, we’ll visit Boston National Historical Park in Charlestown Navy Yard to see the USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat. Launched on October 21, 1797, she later earned the nickname, “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812. Visit the USS Constitution Museum, bringing the history of this iconic warship to life through 3,000 original artifacts and a variety of interactive exhibits. Learn how the ship was built as well as how sailors lived, worked and ate while at sea. We’ll continue to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and become part of the famous event that forever changed the course of American history. Meet “Sam Adams” and participate in a re-enactment of the destruction of the tea aboard a tall ship. This afternoon we’ll arrive at Boston Logan International Airport for our scheduled non-stop flight to Los Angeles. Those guests making their own flight arrangements can request the group’s flight schedule to coordinate a flight departure time that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfer to the airport. Back in Los Angeles, those guests with pre-arranged transfers will be returned to their respective destinations. (Breakfast)

While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary.