Boston 3-Day Itinerary: The Perfect Long Weekend in New England

Boston is one of America's most walkable cities, and three days is exactly the right amount of time to absorb its extraordinary concentration of history, world-class universities, and neighbourhood character. Begin day one on the Freedom Trail — a 2.5-mile red-brick path connecting 16 historic sites from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. The trail is self-guided and free, passing through the Old North Church, Paul Revere's House, and the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship still afloat in the world. Finish the day in the North End, Boston's Italian-American neighbourhood, where Hanover Street's trattorias serve some of the best pasta in New England and a stop at Mike's Pastry for a cannoli is non-negotiable.

Day two belongs to Cambridge and the universities. Cross the Charles River by the MBTA Red Line to Harvard Square, where the university's brick-and-yard campus is open to visitors and the surrounding neighbourhood sustains a density of independent bookshops, coffee houses, and restaurants that makes it one of the most intellectually stimulating urban environments in America. The Harvard Museum of Natural History, with its famous Glass Flowers and full dinosaur skeletons, is among the finest natural history collections in the country. Walk thirty minutes along Massachusetts Avenue to MIT, whose campus architecture ranges from brutalist concrete to cutting-edge contemporary design, and whose public museums cover science, engineering, and visual arts.

On day three, explore the waterfront and the Seaport District, Boston's most rapidly transformed neighbourhood. The Institute of Contemporary Art offers world-class rotating exhibitions in a striking glass building cantilevered over the harbour. The Boston Children's Museum next door is extraordinary for families. Walk back through the Financial District to Faneuil Hall Marketplace, then take the T to the Museum of Fine Arts in the Fenway, which holds one of the greatest permanent collections on the East Coast, including exceptional Egyptian, Asian, and Impressionist galleries. End with a pre-game meal near Fenway Park if the Red Sox are playing — experiencing an American baseball game in the country's oldest ballpark is one of sport's great atmospheric rituals.