Boston rewards walkers, and the routes come in sizes. Pick by the time and energy you have: a 90 minute guided walk, a short neighborhood loop, a 1.5 mile heritage trail, the full 2.5 mile Freedom Trail, or a long waterfront stroll. Most are free to follow on your own, and only the guided walk and the individual museums charge. 90 minutes with a guide: Walk Into History The Freedom Trail Foundation leads a walk of about a mile past 11 of the trail’s 16 official sites.

How much of Boston you can see depends mostly on the time you have, because the main sights sit close together along a walkable route. This page sorts them by time available, then lists the entry rules that can change a plan. One hour: Boston Common and its neighbors Start at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center, 139 Tremont St, where the Freedom Trail begins. The trail is 2.5 miles long, links 16 official sites and costs nothing to walk.

Boston is a city for couples who like to walk, look at art and book a good table. Its romantic options are mostly museums, old streets, a park and a harbor, and a short list done well makes a full weekend. The ideas below are arranged by time of day, so you can mix them as you like. Afternoon: a courtyard and a gallery The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, at 25 Evans Way, is built around a garden courtyard and rewards a slow visit.

Boston itself is the multi-day trip. Boston is not a destination for packaged multi-day circuits, so the plan below is a do-it-yourself one: a few days in town on the T, then an overnight or two by train or ferry if you want to see the coast. The city half is easy to plan. The longer road-trip legs into New Hampshire and Maine are less certain, so look up drive times and opening hours yourself before booking a night.

Boston has plenty to fill a family trip, and the biggest decisions are cost and timing: which stops are worth a full ticket, which are free for little ones, and which only run in warm weather. Most of the places below sit on or near a subway line. The subway is $2.40 a ride, and rules are on mbta.com . What a family of four pays For two adults and two children aged 3 to 11, the gate prices come to about:

Boston is the hub of the MBTA Commuter Rail, and rail is the sensible way to leave town for a day. Salem, Concord, Plymouth and the Cape Ann harbor towns all have stations, so you skip parking and traffic. Fares depend on the zone you cross, from $2.40 in Zone 1A to $13.25 in Zone 10. Tap-to-pay does not work on commuter trains, so buy a ticket or use the $10 Weekend Pass, and see the MBTA commuter rail page for the options.

Boston’s paid attractions are easier to plan around the calendar than around a map. Two of the big museums close on the same weekday, a few sell out well ahead, and the cheapest bundle only pays off if you use most of it. Check the day first, then the price. Which day to go Tuesday: the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are both closed. Plan harbor, ballpark or science stops for that day.