Off day activity suggestions for Boston

[bg72826]

Local here. A few suggestions for folks staying the week between M5 and M30:

Whale watching tours, they guarantee you'll see whales and it is a great time. Bring a jacket as it can be quite windy, plus non-drowsy motion sickness pills in case you get seasick.

Blue hills reservation for hiking is great, lots of trails. Beware of ticks! They are incredibly small and carry terrible diseases. Unfortunately they are everywhere in New England now, so check yourselves EVERYWHERE after a hike. They love warm nooks and crannies: armpits, between toes, anywhere in the groin, etc.

Charter a fishing trip. Striped bass and bluefish will be in that time of year and they are huge, some over 3 feet. I recommend a 6 hour trip instead of 4, as it often takes 30-45 min to get to the fishing spot. Guides don't guarantee you will catch, but if you do, they'll clean the fish for you. It used to cost about $100/hour of fishing, but with fuel prices up, I'd bet it is higher. Pricey, but an absolute blast. Bring food and drink, your guide will keep it cold for you. Early morning trips will be the most successful. 

The codzilla boat is fun for kids. The fast ferry to Provincetown is great, a fun way to spend a day, or an overnight trip. Bring a bicycle on the ferry to better noodle around P-town. Large gay scene there, too. No hate allowed.

Obviously Red Sox games will be a blast, plus there is a special game for Scottish supporters on Sunday after the Haiti match. I think the rivals of the Sox, the NY Yankees, will be playing some games that week, so that'll of course be intense.

If renting a car, there are many more places to go that I won't list here.

The zoos are kinda meh, the aquarium is ok. Fanueil hall and the freedom trail are fine but don't expect to be blown away.

Food: lobster rolls are expensive but can be excellent, new england clam chowder is wonderful, some decent local ice cream spots are around. Chinatown has legit Chinese food, dim sum on weekends is always fun. There is a style of IPA called a New England Double IPA, usually around 8% ABV and it is excellent, I personally like Trillium. 

Happy to answer other questions along these lines.

[giblet]

thanks for info, is Salem worth a day visit?  

[bg72826]

47 minutes ago, giblet said:

thanks for info, is Salem worth a day visit?  

Sure, its a fun town. You can see some of the Salem Witch trial stuff, the house of 7 gables, etc. Some great little shops and restaurants up that way.

[bg72826]

Another item that is definitely off the beaten path is whitewater rafting. You'll need transportation, but 2 hours or so West of Boston is the Deerfield river. It has timed releases and the rafting can be really extreme. Several big companies operate tours there: Zoar Outdoor, Crabapple, and Northern Outdoor are the big ones. I can't recommend this enough for those who have the adventurous spirit.

[YesTA]

59 minutes ago, giblet said:

thanks for info, is Salem worth a day visit?  

Hope so, im there for 9 nights 🤣

[giblet]

8 hours ago, YesTA said:

Hope so, im there for 9 nights 🤣

😆

[Andy of Lochcarron]

On 4/29/2026 at 11:54 AM, bg72826 said:

Local here. A few suggestions for folks staying the week between M5 and M30:

Whale watching tours, they guarantee you'll see whales and it is a great time. Bring a jacket as it can be quite windy, plus non-drowsy motion sickness pills in case you get seasick.

Blue hills reservation for hiking is great, lots of trails. Beware of ticks! They are incredibly small and carry terrible diseases. Unfortunately they are everywhere in New England now, so check yourselves EVERYWHERE after a hike. They love warm nooks and crannies: armpits, between toes, anywhere in the groin, etc.

Charter a fishing trip. Striped bass and bluefish will be in that time of year and they are huge, some over 3 feet. I recommend a 6 hour trip instead of 4, as it often takes 30-45 min to get to the fishing spot. Guides don't guarantee you will catch, but if you do, they'll clean the fish for you. It used to cost about $100/hour of fishing, but with fuel prices up, I'd bet it is higher. Pricey, but an absolute blast. Bring food and drink, your guide will keep it cold for you. Early morning trips will be the most successful. 

The codzilla boat is fun for kids. The fast ferry to Provincetown is great, a fun way to spend a day, or an overnight trip. Bring a bicycle on the ferry to better noodle around P-town. Large gay scene there, too. No hate allowed.

Obviously Red Sox games will be a blast, plus there is a special game for Scottish supporters on Sunday after the Haiti match. I think the rivals of the Sox, the NY Yankees, will be playing some games that week, so that'll of course be intense.

If renting a car, there are many more places to go that I won't list here.

The zoos are kinda meh, the aquarium is ok. Fanueil hall and the freedom trail are fine but don't expect to be blown away.

Food: lobster rolls are expensive but can be excellent, new england clam chowder is wonderful, some decent local ice cream spots are around. Chinatown has legit Chinese food, dim sum on weekends is always fun. There is a style of IPA called a New England Double IPA, usually around 8% ABV and it is excellent, I personally like Trillium. 

Happy to answer other questions along these lines.

Hi i was just going to wear shorts when I come over, but your advice about the prevalence of ticks is a slight concern, is it best to use deet on legs every day? Cheers thanks

[bg72826]

57 minutes ago, Andy of Lochcarron said:

Hi i was just going to wear shorts when I come over, but your advice about the prevalence of ticks is a slight concern, is it best to use deet on legs every day? Cheers thanks

Deet works great, just make sure if you're going hiking or walking through tall grass to check yourself. If I'm hiking, I try to wear lightweight pants but sometimes the heat and humidity is too much. You'll be fine wearing shorts in the city and most urban areas.

[Andy of Lochcarron]

16 minutes ago, bg72826 said:

Deet works great, just make sure if you're going hiking or walking through tall grass to check yourself. If I'm hiking, I try to wear lightweight pants but sometimes the heat and humidity is too much. You'll be fine wearing shorts in the city and most urban areas.

Great many thanks