The Freedom Trail is 2.5 miles of red line set into Boston's sidewalks, linking 16 historic sites from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument. Walking it costs nothing; a handful of the sites charge admission. The line does the navigating. The day around it — parking, opening hours, lunch, and what to do once you reach Charlestown — is where a little planning pays off.
Nothing here is a package you buy from us. It's a plan you assemble yourself: the map, the timings we checked, and — where something is worth booking — a link to the live, dated picks on our Boston page. The trail is linear and doesn't loop back, so the plan runs one way, from the Common in the morning to Charlestown by late afternoon.
Before You Start: Timing and Where to Park
Start in the morning. The trail itself is open whenever the sidewalks are, but the paid sites keep office hours: the Old State House and the Old South Meeting House open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Paul Revere House from 10 a.m., and the Old North Church from 10 a.m. Monday to Saturday (12:30 p.m. on Sundays, after the morning service). Start early enough to reach the first ticketed doors as they open, and the morning doesn't stall.
How long the day takes depends almost entirely on how long you spend inside the sites — the walk between them is the easy part. Treat the plan below as a full day with a sit-down lunch; skip the interiors and it compresses to a morning.
If you're driving, the Boston Common Garage at 0 Charles Street sits under the Common where the trail begins and is open 24 hours. Its posted weekday rate when we checked was $30 for up to 10 hours, with a $14 flat rate on evenings and weekends when reserved online. Because the trail is one-way, remember you'll be coming back to the car from Charlestown at the end of the day.
Your Day on the Freedom Trail
Downtown in the morning, the North End for lunch and its two best-known historic houses, Charlestown by late afternoon — then a choice of how to spend the evening.
Morning
Boston Common to Faneuil HallFree
The densest stretch of the trail, and most of it costs nothing: Boston Common, the Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church and the Granary Burying Ground, King's Chapel, the site of the Boston Latin School, the Old Corner Bookstore, and the Boston Massacre site outside the Old State House. It ends at Faneuil Hall, where the National Park Service runs a free visitor center on the first floor.
Morning
The one ticket worth buying downtown
If you go inside anywhere this morning, make it the Old State House and the Old South Meeting House — a single ticket covers both, and both are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. We don't resell them.
Afternoon
Lunch in the North End
The trail runs straight through the North End, Boston's Little Italy, which makes it the natural lunch stop. Eat wherever looks good — or turn lunch into the tour itself.
- A North End food tour — a guided walk through the neighborhood's food, with tastings along the way — lunch and local history at once.
- A North End pizza walk — three slices and a cannoli, walked between the neighborhood's pizza counters — the shorter, more casual option.
Afternoon
The Paul Revere House and the Old North Church
Both are short visits, and both are worth the modest price. The Paul Revere House charges $6 for adults ($5.50 for seniors and college students, $1 for children 5–17); the Old North Church's self-guided Discovery Pass is $10 for adults and $5 for youth, with a guided bell-chamber tour available for $15 and $10. The Paul Revere House sells tickets at its admissions booth when you arrive; we don't resell either. Copp's Hill Burying Ground, just beyond the church, is part of the trail too.
Afternoon
Across to Charlestown: USS Constitution and Bunker HillFree
The last stretch crosses into Charlestown for the trail's two big finishes, and both are free. The USS Constitution is a historic warship, with limited accessibility on board. The Bunker Hill Monument caps the trail; the top is reached only by 294 steps in a tight spiral stairway, so save some energy if you mean to climb.
Evening
How to end the day
Three ways to round off a day on the trail, each linked to live picks on our Boston page:
- On the water — a narrated harbor cruise or a sunset sail — the city you just walked, seen from the harbor it was built around.
- In the taverns — a guided historic pub crawl along the Freedom Trail, through the taverns where the Revolution was argued over.
- After dark — a ghost and graveyard tour — the same old streets and burying grounds, told as the city's darker stories.
Prefer a Guide?
The line on the pavement will get you from site to site, but it won't tell you what happened there. If you'd rather hear the story from a guide, two guided Freedom Trail walks are wired on our Boston page, alongside the rest of our Boston walking tours. Read the reviews before you book: with a guided walk, the guide makes the tour.
FAQ
Is the Freedom Trail free?
Yes. Walking the trail costs nothing — it's a red line set into the city's sidewalks. Some sites along it charge admission, including the Old State House and Old South Meeting House (one ticket covers both), the Paul Revere House, and the Old North Church. Others are free, including Faneuil Hall's visitor center, the USS Constitution, and the Bunker Hill Monument.
How long is the Freedom Trail, and how long does it take?
It's 2.5 miles and links 16 official historic sites. The time it takes depends mostly on how long you spend inside them — with the paid sites and a proper lunch, plan on the full day laid out above.
Where does the Freedom Trail start and end?
The official sites run from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. The trail is linear — it doesn't loop back — so if you parked or are staying near the Common, plan your return from Charlestown before you set out.
Where should I park for the Freedom Trail?
The Boston Common Garage at 0 Charles Street, under the Common where the trail starts, is open 24 hours. Its posted rates when we checked were $30 for up to 10 hours on weekdays and a $14 flat rate on evenings and weekends when booked online.
Can I print the map?
Yes. Use the Print this plan button under the map — the page prints without the site navigation. The map data is also available as a download, from OpenStreetMap under its open license.