Walking is the best way to see Boston. The narrow, twisting streets that make driving such a headache are a treat for pedestrians, who are never far from something worth seeing. The central city is compact -- walking quickly from one end to the other takes about an hour -- and abounds with historically and architecturally interesting buildings and neighborhoods.
In this section you'll find a tour of Boston's Back Bay and one of Harvard Square in Cambridge. For information on Boston's most famous walking tour, the 2 1/2-mile Freedom Trail, look under "Attractions".
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, and if you're not inclined to pay designer prices for designer water, bring your own bottle and fill it at your hotel.
Focus on Women's History
The Boston Women's Heritage Trail (tel. 617/522-2872; www.bwht.org) creates walking tours with stops at homes, churches, and social and political institutions associated with women who made great contributions to society. Subjects include Julia Ward Howe, social reformer Dorothea Dix, colonial religious leader Anne Hutchinson, and less famous Bostonians such as Phillis Wheatley, a slave who became the first African-American published poet, and abolitionist and feminist Lucy Stone. You can buy a guidebook at the National Park Service Visitor Center at 15 State St., at some local historic sites and bookstores, or online.
March is Women's History Month; special events include lectures, walking tours, museum events, and workshops. Check the website for details.
