Best Boston Travel Guides

Recommended guides to tourism information about Boston

Boston travel guides, along with BostonDiscoveryGuide.com, will tell you everything you need to know about planning the perfect Boston vacation, staying in a wonderful hotel, dining in our special restaurants, enjoying top attractions, and finding interesting things to do.

But which guide book will give you the best information about Boston?

Frankly, some Boston travel guides provide more accurate descriptions of accommodations, attractions, restaurants, city maps, and things to do than others.

Here's the high-level summary of my top recommendations for excellent travel guide books for Boston in several categories.

Recommended Boston travel guides - Comprehensive

These comprehensive Boston travel books do a very good job of presenting a "big picture" view of the city while also providing enough details to help you successfully plan your trip.

See reviews of comprehensive travel guides for Boston

Recommended Boston travel guides - Kids and families

All of the comprehensive guides described above include fine sections on family-friendly Boston activities for kids of all ages, and in my opinion (as the mom of a teen and a pre-teen), they're better than the books written specifically about "Boston kids activities." So save your money and give this category a pass.

Most of the compact Boston travel guides recommended in the next section also include information about kids activities in Boston, even if it's just a list - which combined with the other information, will be fine.

Recommended Boston travel guides - Compact format

Condensed Boston travel guides can be convenient to carry around - but only if you can ready the print! These compact format travel books provide essentials, including great maps - and they're legible!

Recommended Boston travel guides - Tours, itineraries

Picking up a rental car at the airport can be convenient if you're heading out of Boston - but if you're heading into the city, a car can quickly become a liability.

Recommended Boston travel guides - Specialized

Picking up a rental car at the airport can be convenient if you're heading out of Boston - but if you're heading into the city, a car can quickly become a liability.

Comprehensive Boston travel guides - detailed reviews

A comprehensive travel guide to Boston can be the best place to start planning your trip (next to BostonDiscoveryGuide.com, of course), especially if you're planning your first visit to Boston. They'll give you an overview of neighborhoods, maps, top attractions, perhaps some suggested itineraries, and restaurant and hotel recommendations.

In addition, comprehensive travel books provide tips about getting here, public transportation, where to shop, and all kinds of other things to make your trip planning easy. Many also provide pull-out maps for you to take with you as you're walking around - a nice bonus!

Fodor's Boston 2011 - Full-Color Gold Guide - Published 2010, 396 pages

Organizes information by city neighborhood, making it easy to figure out which sites are close together. Also includes sections on sports, nightlife, the arts, beaches, etc., as well as Cambridge, other nearby areas, and daytrips.

Excellent pull-out map. Very good hotel reviews, and well-chosen restaurants. Includes a useful subway map on the back inside cover, and a number of color photos. Printed on glossy paper with a nice feel. Useful for first-time as well as return visitors.

Frommer's Boston 2011 (Frommer's Complete Guides) - Published 2010, 330 pages

Organizes information by topic. Begins with several "Best" lists (Best Shopping, Best Museums, Best Outdoor Activities, etc.), information about getting here, and then 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day itineraries. Assumes you know where sites are located - for example, several evening itinerary suggestions are in Cambridge (a separate city across the Charles River from Boston).

Hotels and restaurants are listed by neighborhood. A section on top attractions lists interesting information about attractions - but doesn't specify neighborhoods for most of them, leaving the reader to figure out which sites are near each other - and which aren't.

Excellent pull-out map. Generally very good, detailed hotel and restaurant reviews, although I don't personally agree with some of their assessments and comparisons. Small subway map on inner cover. In my opinion, more useful for return visitors who know the city reasonably well than for first-time visitors.

You can also pre-order Frommer's Boston 2012, due out very soon.

Boston (Eyewitness Travel Guide) - Published 2011, 208 pages

Hundreds of stunning color photographs and maps of locations, neighborhoods, even site plans for certain attractions throughout this book, plus an excellent pull-out map. Information is detailed, accurate, and tells you what you need to know for a successful visit.

It begins with itineraries (some of the best I've seen in terms of your ability to actually complete them in the allocated time) and Boston history, then describes what you'll find in each neighborhood, includes chapters on restaurants, hotels, entertainment, sports, etc., and concludes with practical information including a useful street finder. The color-coded map is especially useful, as site information is keyed to it. Good for first time as well as return visitors.

Lonely Planet Boston Encounter - Published 2009, 176 pages

If you're a fan of the Lonely Planet series (as I am), you'll love this one - well-researched, with lots of insider detail. This is the "Encounter" edition - more (gorgeous) photos, less text than the regular edition, as well as less general information about visiting the city, making it not totally comprehensive. Excellent pull-out map and on-the-page maps; color coding makes them easy to use but tiny print on the on-the-maps makes them difficult to use.

The book is organized by Boston neighborhoods, with additional sections on hotels, itineraries, restaurants, music, shopping, etc. Unfortunately, due to the publication date, some of the information is out of date.

Other comprehensive Boston travel guides

The Rough Guide to Boston (Rough Guide Boston) - 6th edition, published 2011, 280 pages

Very good in-depth descriptions of sites around the city, as well as discussions about the Boston culture (specifically, its sports culture), cooking, traditions, etc. The Rough Guide to Boston also has detailed information on topics that other Boston guidebooks don't - for example, a detailed and extensive list of Boston and Cambridge bookstores, including a subsection on used books.

Lots of small maps are within the book, but no pull-out map. Fortunately, the detailed information more than compensates for this omission.

Boston (City Guide - Insight Guides) - Published 2010, 256 pages

Excellent comprehensive introduction to Boston history, culture, architecture, art, cuisine, and similar topics, plus detailed descriptions of neighborhoods and top attractions, restaurants, and bars. Brief hotel section, with a few choices highlighted for each neighborhood.

Maps and the many color photos are excellent, although unfortunately, no pull-out map. The last section includes a well-designed mini-street atlas.

The Insight Guides series also includes the compact Boston Step by Step (which does provide a pull-out map). Don't be fooled, though, into thinking that it is a condensed version of Boston City Guide. Even though both cover most of the same attractions, the material is treated differently. Both are excellent resources - so buy the comprehensive guide for trip planning before you come, and Step by Step for carrying around with you once you're here.

Boston For Dummies - Published 2007, 312 pages

Step-by-step planning information for your Boston trip. Lots of good information, but very little is grouped by neighborhood or area, making your actual planning much harder unless you already know locations.

However, if you usually like the Dummies series, you may like this book. Unfortunately, a fair amount of information is out of date due to when the book was published. The author, Marie Morris, is a terrific writer and also wrote Frommers Day by Day - perhaps a better use for your book-buying dollars.

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Recommended Boston travel guides - Compact format

Condensed Boston travel guides can be convenient to carry around - but only if they include the information you need, and you can ready the print! These small-format travel books provide essentials, including great maps - and they're legible!

Frommer's Boston Day by Day - Published 2009, 192 pages

Compact book with many excellent maps, both large and small, and nice photos. The subway maps are especially useful - use them, and you'll know exactly where you are. Organizes information based on 1-, 2-, and 3-day walking tours around Boston neighborhoods. Short, concise descriptions about attractions, restaurants, cruises, etc. High-quality paper feels slightly laminated, so you can carry the book with you on a rainy day and it will probably survive intact.

If you want to pick only one Boston travel guide, Frommer's Boston Day by Day might be the #1 choice.

Top 10 Boston (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide) - Published 2011, 160 pages

If you're a fan of "top 10" lists, this compact Boston travel guide will be a good choice. You'll find lists of the top 10 restaurants, attractions, hotels, and more. Particularly good are the neighborhood lists, with the author's recommendations for the top 10 things to see and do in each one. You may not agree with all the choices - I don't myself - but it's a good beginning point. Includes a pull-out map plus fold-out maps of each location, but print on the fold-outs is rather small.

As an alternate, you may want to consider the more comprehensive (and superb) Boston Eyewitness guide by the same author. Like the comprehensive guide, Top 10 Boston features gorgeous photos.

Boston Step by Step - Published 2009, 128 pages

This slim guide, part of the Insight Guides series, packs in tours through 9 Boston neighborhoods, Cambridge, the Harbor Islands, and 5 other daytrip tours to Salem, Plymouth, Provincetown, Lexington/Concord, and Cape Ann, along with attractions, restaurants, local information, and tour maps for each area. Additional sections provide overviews of shopping, history, sports/entertainment, hotels, and general Boston travel tips. Includes a pull-out city map, and a fold-out subway map.

Slightly laminated paper gives a great feel as well as durability.

Boston Step by Step is another contender for #1 choice of all Boston guide books.

Fodor's Flashmaps Boston - 5th edition, published 2009, 128 pages

55 thematic lists keyed to full-color maps make sure you'll hit all the most interesting places and attractions, based on your interests, in central Boston and parts of Cambridge. Shows you where everything is, plus its small size makes it easy to carry. If you're visiting Boston for the first time, you may want a more comprehensive guide as well, but if you've been here before, this may be the only guide you'll need.

Other compact travel guides to Boston

Not For Tourists Guide to Boston 2011 7th edition, published 2011, 376 pages

Very compact - and so is the print. But if you're looking for a tiny compact Boston travel guide to fit easily in your pocket, this is it.

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Recommended Boston travel guides - Tours, itineraries

Walking Boston: 34 Tours Through Beantown's Cobblestone Streets, Historic Districts, Ivory Towers and New Waterfront - Published 2008, 238 pages

With 34 tours outlined, you're sure to find a few of interest to you! Each tour includes a very good map, photos, details about the main places you'll see, and tips about where to eat, drink, and shop. Approximately half the book focuses on Boston, and the other half on other nearby areas such as Cambridge as well as a few daytrips. This is one of my own favorite Boston walking tour books, and I especially like the way the author provides interesting tidbits of information about sights along the way.

Walking Tours of Boston's Made Land - Published 2006, 224 pages

The 12 tours outlined in this fascinating book by historian Nancy Seasholes trace how the land mass of Boston has literally been doubled in size during the past 375 years. The tours will take you along Boston's Downtown Waterfront, Back Bay, Charlestown, Bay Village, the South End, Beacon Hill, and more, and as Seasholes explains how and why the human-made land was created, you'll learn fascinating bits of Boston history.

Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands - Published 2011, 224 pages

This book about Boston's 34 Harbor Islands gives you all the information you'll need to explore this national water park that's as close as 20 minutes from Downtown Boston. Several of the islands are accessible by public ferry, while you'll need to sail to the outer islands. One of the best resources for describing what you'll find and can do at each island.

The Boston Globe Historic Walks in Old Boston - 4th edition, published 2000, 352 pages

Historian and former Boston Globe editor John Harris makes almost 4 centuries of history come alive in the 40+ walks through the oldest parts of Boston described in this thoroughly researched guide. You'll almost expect Ben Franklin or Sam Adams appear before your eyes as you pass the landmarks along the streets. John Harris is a master at weaving layers of social and city history together. Black and white photos as well as clearly drawn maps are a plus. This book is another of my personal favorites.

Unfortunately, this superb book is out of print but you can still find reasonably used and even new copies available through Amazon and other book sellers.

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Recommended Boston travel guides - Specialized

Photographing Boston: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them (The Photographer's Guide) - Published in 2011, 96 pages

Terrific resource, written by an avid photographer. Sites are organized by neighborhood and attraction, such as the North End and the Freedom Trail, and there's enough information about what you'll see that this book also doubles as a decent tour guide. For inspiration, the book includes about 90 color photographs.

AIA Guide to Boston: Contemporary Landmarks, Urban Design, Parks, Historic Buildings and Neighborhoods (AIA Guides) - 3rd edition, published in 2008, 384 pages

If you're an architect or fascinated with building styles, architectural history, or the social history shaping the Boston cityscape, this book is a must-have. Organized by neighborhoods, the book describes the history, architectural styles, and many more details of all the significant buildings in each area - which on some blocks is every single building, house, major site (such as the historic burying grounds), and even some monuments. Numerous black and white photos bring the text to life.

The authors also include short histories of how each neighborhood developed, and many insider details and stories. Bonus sections at the back of the book include a collection of excellent maps of the covered areas, a glossary of architecture terms, and possibly my favorite part of the whole book, a series of suggested tours based on themes such as "Boston Urban Design."

This book is one of my personal favorites - I buy a new copy every time a new edition is published, and like each one even better than the last.

Boston's Best Dive Bars: Drinking and Diving in Beantown - Published 2011, 176 pages

Even though this is part of a "dive bars" series, the author - Luke O'Neil, a former Boston Globe writer - really knows Boston's dive bars. Suggestions - all 90 or so of them - are spot on.

Sure, you can have a good visit to Boston without this book. But if you want to get a glimpse of "real" Boston watering holes, beyond designer cocktails and microbrewery beers - the kind of place that your uncle might go when he wants to knock a few back with his friends and maybe toss a few darts and curse the Yankees - this is the guide book you'll want.

Boston Sites and Insights: An Essential Guide to Historic Landmarks In and Around Boston - Revised edition, published 2004, 368 pages

Very readable book about the history of 50 Boston landmarks, based on author Susan Wilson's former column in the Boston Globe about the city's historic treasures. What makes this book especially interesting is that the author - a historian by background - did extensive primary source research about each site, and in the process debunked some of the popular myths about them.

The book is actually about much more than Boston's historic landmarks - it's about the history of the city, its people, the birth of independence, and movements for human liberty. Best of all, it's written in such an entertaining way that it's hard to stop reading it until you're done.