Harvard Yard, Cambridge: Our most recommended tours and activities

Boston: Harvard University Guided Walking Tour with Student

1. Boston: Harvard University Guided Walking Tour with Student

Join a student-led walking tour of America's oldest university, Harvard. See the historic campus through the eyes of a student and visit highlights, including the John Harvard Statue and Memorial Hall. Beginning in the heart of Harvard Square, you'll be led into the historic Harvard Yard by an enthusiastic Harvard student. Enjoy the sights while your guide entertains and inspires with tales of Harvard history and personal experience at the university they call home. You'll get an up-close look at major Harvard landmarks including Johnston Gate, the John Harvard Statue, Memorial Hall, and Widener Library. You'll even become privy to a few Harvard secrets along the way! Whether you're a student visiting colleges or a family on vacation, the Hahvahd Tour is undoubtedly the top way to see Harvard.

From New York City: Boston and the Freedom Trail Day Trip

2. From New York City: Boston and the Freedom Trail Day Trip

Depart New York along the Eastern Coast through Connecticut to Massachusetts and to its capital, Boston. Your first stop is the city of Cambridge where will find one of the most famous and most prestigious universities in the world: Harvard. The tour starts with a walk in Harvard Yard; the oldest academic ground in America. See Widener library, then rub the shoe of John Harvard for good luck. Continue to a panoramic tour passing by City Hall, MIT and Cambridge College. Then cross the Charles River and arrive in the center of the intellectual capital of the country. Visit Copley Square, home to beautiful Trinity church. Next up is a walk along the Freedom Trail through Boston Common Park. Break for lunch at Quincy Market, and try the world famous Clam Chowder or a lobster roll. After lunch, visit the site of the famous Tea Party and the navy ship Constitution. In the late afternoon, depart southwest for an evening arrival in New York.

From NYC: Boston City and Harvard Guided Day Trip

3. From NYC: Boston City and Harvard Guided Day Trip

Come discover beautiful Boston. Have your transportation and itinerary taken care of your while your only job is to sit back and enjoy this stunning city. Explore the best Boston has to offer including: Fenway Park stadium, home to the Boston Red SoxHarvard University Main campus: Harvard Yard, Old Yard, John Harvard Statue, Johnston Gate, Harvard souvenir store.Copley Square: Trinity church, Fairmont Copley Hotel, Boston Public Library, John Hancock Tower, “End line” to Boston MarathonBoston Common and the public gardens  Freedom trail: Massachusetts State house, Old state House, Granary Burying ground, Kings chapel, Faneuil hallQuincy Market Start your day in New York City, where your tour guide will share stories of different places on your journey to Boston. Once in Boston, begin your tour at Copley Square, have lunch at Quincy Market and visit Harvard University's main campus.

Harvard Yard Outdoor Escape: The Mysterious Porcelain Club

4. Harvard Yard Outdoor Escape: The Mysterious Porcelain Club

Explore the Harvard Yard in a unique way with an exploration game downloaded on your smartphone. Discover mysterious clues, solve puzzles, and use logic to lead you to the next destination. See Boston's iconic locations, tease your brain, and have a little fun. Begin the game at Harvard Square by opening the application on your phone. The tour takes between 1.5 and 2 hours, but feel free to explore at your own pace. Pause the game and resume anytime from your last visited location. Solve challenges and allow the story to unfold in front of you. Follow the exact directions and get the next code to crack. Find yourself exploring the Widener Library, pondering the statue of John Harvard, and learning the truth of The Statue of Three Lies. Figure out who keeps stealing the chair of the president of The Harvard Crimson and finish the tour at Harvard Lampoon Building. Play on your own, in a small group, or divide all your friends into groups and compete against each other. Try something new and go on an adventure in Boston.

Cambridge: Self-Guided GPS Driving Audio Tour

5. Cambridge: Self-Guided GPS Driving Audio Tour

Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app, which will function as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! Note: This 5+mile-long tour covers the essentials of Cambridge in 1-2 hours. Enjoy a tour developed by local guides, curated by creative writers, and narrated by professional voice artists and stop to watch videos along the way. First, discover Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood before crossing the Charles River and entering Cambridge. Discover MIT and head onto Broadway, where you’ll find some serious history as well as the cutting-edge Draper Laboratory. Pass by buildings built in the 1880s and get your first look at Harvard, as well as a redoubt used by General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Then, see the high school attended by celebrities like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. See Harvard’s Memorial Hall and the Cambridge Common. In Kerry Corner, learn about Cambridge’s Irish history, before seeing Cambridge City Hall. Pass the First Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King, Jr. attended services, before returning to MIT.

Boston: Harvard & Cambridge University Private Walking Tour

6. Boston: Harvard & Cambridge University Private Walking Tour

Community Impact: -We mindfully design our tours to explore areas on foot, thus doing our part to lessen our environmental impact. -Additionally, your guide will share information about Harvard University's ongoing efforts in supporting environmental issues and leading the way in creating a cleaner and more sustainable living space -We are committed to a “360-degree view” of storytelling, featuring stories about under-represented groups, such as women, immigrants, and people of various ethnicities, ages, religions, and sexual orientations -During our visit to Harvard, we will provide recommendations and offer opportunities to patronize small and local businesses to help them continue to thrive against rising gentrification -Your guide will share information on how Harvard attracts hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding to Massachusetts, fueling science, medical discoveries, and spending in the regional economy Summary: Get a glimpse of Harvard life walking around Harvard’s classic campus and learn the origins of this very first American college. Our Harvard tour – or should be say, Hahvahd Tour – will be a mix of history and architecture. For the latter, you can expect beautiful gothic styles, including Memorial Hall and charming Memorial Church. Your guide will even let you in on the secret of the whispering arch at Sever Hall. While Widener Library is only accessible to current students, your guide will fill you in on this impressive Beaux-Arts building, which houses over 3.5 million books! Among the sculptures found throughout the campus, you’ll learn about the world-famous statue of John Harvard and dispel some oft-repeated myths. We’ll then take a stroll across “Havahd Yahd” – as seen in movies such as Good Will Hunting and The Firm – and learn the long list of dignitaries who graduated from this prestigious university. Although the list of Harvard drop-outs is just as fascinating! Following a stroll through the world-famous Harvard Coop, you may be enticed to buy a crimson sweatshirt to show your support for the school. Time-permitting, we can include a Cambridge tour segment to the lush Cambridge Common or Harvard Square, a favorite shopping and socializing spot for students and locals alike.

US East Coast: Fall Highlights Self-Guided Audio Tour w/ App

7. US East Coast: Fall Highlights Self-Guided Audio Tour w/ App

Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app, which will function as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! Note: In this bundle, is 350+ mile-long and each tour takes 2-3 hours to complete. Discover over 22 iconic East Coast fall foliage locations in the US at your own pace with a self-guided audio tour. Best of all, enjoy unlimited access to your audio tour for any future trips to the East Coast. Dive into the history and nature of this striking part of the US, from North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway to Maine's Acadia National Park. This East Coast bundle tour is a must-have, promising an all-encompassing journey through America's historical heartlands, vibrant cities, and awe-inspiring natural landscapes. Whether you prefer urban exploration, peaceful countryside, or the thrill of discovering hidden historical gems, this East Coast tour has you covered. In Massachusetts alone, traverse the historic Boston Freedom Trail, catch an idyllic view from Bunker Hill Monument, or explore Harvard Yard, the heart of the world-famous university. Venture further to the charming Cape Cod, Cape Ann, and Martha's Vineyard, or delve into the past with Salem's notorious witch trials and the historic towns of Lexington and Concord. Your journey through Virginia and Tennessee exposes you to the majesty of the Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains, connected by the stunning Blue Ridge Parkway. New Hampshire's Kancamagus Scenic Byway is a driver's paradise, offering unmatched fall foliage views. Experience the charming maritime appeal of Maine's Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. Further south, take in the opulent history and coastal beauty of Rhode Island's Scenic Newport and Newport Cliffwalk. Explore New York City on foot with a stroll through Central Park, one of the most famous urban parks worldwide. Finally, immerse yourself in the nation's history in Washington D.C., walking through iconic landmarks and monumental buildings. Each destination is a marvel in its own right, offering unique cultural, historical, and natural attractions.

Other Sightseeing Options in Harvard Yard, Cambridge

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What people are saying about Harvard Yard, Cambridge

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 1,645 reviews

Frannie war der beste Guide den man haben kann, sehr freundlich und sympathisch, sie macht den Job wirklich gern und man merkt ihr den Spaß an den sie dabei hat. Sie hat uns vieles über Harvard erzählt und stand auch für alle Fragen zur Verfügung.

Nice walk and funny facts about Harvard! But, sometimes the guide started explaining something about a place when not everybody was there yet..

Fantastic experience, Luke is really an amazing guide, good luck with your medical school and have fun!

Great tour and very informative. Guide Cameron was engaging and made the experience interesting.

It was a great tour, interesting and worth the money