Boston Duck Tours

The best way to tour Boston by land and water!

 

Looking for a fun way to tour Boston? Boston Duck Tours take you on a unique adventure - one of Boston's top attractions!

Once aboard your Duck-mobile, you'll tour through several of the city's most historic neighborhoods - Downtown, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Charlestown.  The most exciting moment comes when you "splash down" into the Charles River!

Fortunately, you're in a World War II-style amphibious vehicle, so you'll enjoy the excursion around the river where you'll see some spectacular city skyline views.  Be sure to bring your camera! 

Each brightly-painted Boston Duck Tour vehicle has its own name celebrating the city's cherished heritage:  Red Sox Nation, Faneuil Holly, Haymarket Hannah, plus many more. 

Exuberant Duck Tour "ConDUCKtors" - Captain Courageous, Admiral Amnesia, and Colonial Duct Tape, to name a few - entertain you with witty and interesting commentary about Boston's history, attractions, and little known events. 

You'll cruise by all the places that made Boston the Birthplace of Liberty as well as a great place to visit today.  You'll see the golden-domed Massachusetts State House, the Bunker Hill Monument, Boston Common, Copley Square, Faneuil Hall, the glitzy shops along Newbury Street, plus much more. 

The famous Boston sights are interesting . . . but my favorite part of the tour is when you "splash down" in the Charles River.  Suddenly, you're water-borne . . . and the sites at water-level are fascinating. 

You'll see the Boston Esplanade, bridges, and city skylines on both sides of the river from a unique perspective.   You'll realize why this is one of everyone's favorite Boston cruises . . . and why many people go on the Boston Duck Tours more than once.

Tour routes occasionally change due to construction or other events.  And whenever the Red Sox win the World Series, the Duck vehicles lead the Celebration Parade.

Are the Boston Duck tours just for tourists?

Sure, the Boston Duck Tours are kind of touristy - but you'll see as many Boston locals on the vehicles as Boston tourists.  The tours are a popular way to celebrate promotions, birthdays, graduations, or just friendship while sitting back and enjoying a tour on a beautiful spring, summer, or autumn day. 

Although . . . you don't actually get to just sit back and go for a ride.  Some of the ConDUCTors strongly encourage you to "quack" at people on the street.  And sometimes, the people on the street "quack" back.  At the very least, they usually wave.  Of course, you don't have to do this.  But it's a lot of fun.  After all, how often, as an adult, do you get to quack at strangers?  And kids, of course, love this.

The Boston Duck Tours are kind of pricey, but they offer great value.  Not only are they fun, but they're so high off the ground that you have a great vantage spot for seeing the city while someone else drives. 

Insider tips

• If you're an avid photographer, try to get onto one of the original 32-passenger Duck Boats and grab an outer end seat in one of the non-enclosed back rows.  These older vehicles are slowly being replaced by new fully-enclosed 36-seat models - more comfortable on rainy days, but slightly less convenient for photos.
• Speaking of rain . . . Duck Tours operate rain or shine - so dress accordingly!  You'll stay mostly dry, but in you're sitting in one of the back non-enclosed rows on the older vehicles, you may get a bit of light spray from the river.  Also, the river can be much breezier (and colder) than land. 
• Tickets for Boston Duck Tours are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.  If you don't fancy going out on a rainy, windy, or cold day, you may not want to buy your ticket in advance.  If weather conditions prevent the boats from going into the river, half your ticket price will be refunded.  If the whole tour has to be canceled (a severe thunderstorm sometimes causes cancellations), you'll get a full refund.
• Should you ever buy your ticket in advance?  Well, there are trade-offs.  Pros: You avoid waiting in line to purchase a ticket, plus you can book your preferred time.  Tickets for a particular day often sell out well before noon, so this can be a big plus.  Cons: If the weather turns nasty or your schedule changes, you're still committed to the trip.
• Tours last about 80 minutes, and don't make stops.  If you have children of the age where bathroom needs can be unpredictable (that period after they're out of diapers but before they've learned to anticipate, um, coming events) you may want to either pop a pull-up on them or wait until they're a bit older. 

Details and Directions

Schedule:  Tours operate daily from late March through late November, and on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in December.  The last tours leave about an hour before sunset - departure times range from 5pm in March to 8pm in July to 3pm in November.  Most tours are 80 minutes, although discounted 55-minute tours are available at some days after 4pm from the New England Aquarium.

Departure points and closest T stations:  Museum of Science (Green Line/Lechmere), Prudential Center (Green Line/Prudential), New England Aquarium (Blue Line/Aquarium)



Where to buy tickets:  Prudential Center shopping arcade, across from Barnes and Noble (you'll see signs), Back Bay; Museum of Science (near Gift Shop), West End; New England Aquarium (starting in late April, near Whale Watch booth), Downtown Waterfront; Bostix booth near Faneuil Hall, Downtown.
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Cost:  Adults $29.95, Students/65+/Military $26, Children 3-11 $20, Children <3 $6. 
Add-on discounts:  If you buy your ticket at Pru Center, you'll get coupons offering a couple of dollars off admission to the Museum of Science and the Aquarium.   If you buy them at the Museum of Science, you'll get a discount coupon just for Museum of Science admission.  Likewise, buy your ticket at the Aquarium and you'll get a discount coupon just for the Aquarium. 
For more information: 617-267-3825; website