Boston's Emerald Necklace Guided Bicycle Tour

Overview

The Emerald Necklace bike tour is an amazing way to see Boston’s most famous green spaces in a ‘green’ way - you may forget you are in the heart of the city! Discover Frederick Law Olmsted’s famous system of parks on this bicycle tour of the historic Emerald Necklace. From the shaded boulevard on Commonwealth Avenue to the popular shores of Jamaica Pond to the winding paths of the Arnold Arboretum, this route is a fabulous way to experience Boston's park system. The route is a favorite among locals! The parks are gorgeous any time of the year, but the foliage peaks in color between mid October and early November.

This tour is up to 4 hours long and covers at least 15 miles, with several hills. Riders must be comfortable spending that much time on a bike and covering that distance. This ride covers many hidden gems in Boston.

City: Boston

Sun 23 Feb

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $89.00

Make a reservation

Sun 23 Feb

Starting at $89.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional guide

Use of bicycle

Use of helmet

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
This tour is up to 4 hours long and covers at least 15 miles, with several hills. Riders must be comfortable spending that much time on a bike and covering that distance.
There is street riding on this ride
Tours rebooked within 48 hours of your tour time are subject to a $20 rebooking fee (per person)
You MUST be at least 16 years old and at least 5 feet tall to ride an E-bike.
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Guides required to regularly wash hands

What To Expect

Urban AdvenTours

Arrive at our shop 30 minutes prior to your tour time. You'll be asked to sign a waiver and be fitted on your bike. You guide will provide an overview of the ride, what to expect, as well as our safety tips and rules of the road.

North End

Our ride will start in the North End, Boston's Italian neighborhood. You will likely smell the garlic as we roll through. At the end of your tour, you guide will be happy to recommend a restaurant or pastry shop (mmm...cannolis!)

Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge

Curious to know the inspiration behind Boston's new(ish) bridge? Our guides will let you know a few fun facts behind the design...

TD Garden

Along our route, we'll ride past TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and many a concert!

Beacon Hill

Cycle through Beacon Hill, on of Boston's most famous - and photographed - neighborhoods.

Louisburg Square

Louisburg Square is famously known as a literary square, with previous residents including Louisa May Alcott and Robert Frost.

Charles River Esplanade

Our route will take us along the river on the Esplanade, where we'll ride by the Hatch Shell, the outdoor concert stage which was made famous by the Boston Pops Orchestra, which performs during the Fourth of July fireworks.

Back Bay

We'll ride through the Back Bay Fens, one of the parks in the Emerald Necklace park system, which was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The Fens are home to Victory Gardens dating back to WWII, as well as two of Boston's art museums - the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Museum of Fine Arts

The MFA is a world class art museum. We'll stop to see one of their unique art installations outside of the museum. Banners outside will give you an idea of current exhibits, but the MFA is always worth a visit while you're in Boston.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

We'll pass by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - we recommend planning a visit during your time in Boston!

Emerald Necklace

During this tour, we'll ride through the famed Emerald Necklace, which is a chain of green spaces and parks. You may not even feel as though you are right in the heart of a city!

Jamaica Pond

Ride around Jamaica Pond, a kettle pond within the Emerald Necklace.

Arnold Arboretum

We'll ride through Arnold Arboretum, the second "link" in the Emerald Necklace park system

South End

Ride through Boston's South End neighborhood.

Copley Square

Copley Plaza is the heart of the Back Bay neighborhood. The John Hancock building, Trinity Church, and the Boston Public Library surround the square. Copley Plaza also marks the finish line for the Boston Marathon.

Trinity Church

You'll see Trinity Church when we stop in Copley Plaza.

John Hancock Tower

See the John Hancock Tower during our stop at Copley Plaza.

Boston Public Library

You'll see the Boston Public Library when we stop in Copley Square.

Commonwealth Avenue Mall

Ride in the bike path along Comm Ave

Boston Public Garden

Ride along the Boston Public Garden, home to the famous Swan Boats and Make Way for Ducklings sculptures.

Boston Common

We'll visit America's oldest park!

Downtown Crossing

We'll ride through Downtown Crossing, the original shopping district in Boston.

Freedom Trail

Many people ask if we will ride the Freedom Trail on tour. While it's not possible to follow the entire route on bike, we'll cross over the Freedom Trail multiple times along our tour.

Old South Meeting House

As we ride through Downtown Crossing, you'll see the Old South Meeting House.

Rose Kennedy Greenway

One of the city's newest parks, created during "the Big Dig". Rose Kennedy Greenway is the home of many unique art installations, gardens, splash fountains, and farmer's markets.

Boston Harbor Cruises

From Long Wharf, you can see the Old State House - the site of the Boston Massacre - the Custom House Building, the Seaport District of South Boston, and the neighborhood of East Boston.

Show 23 more stops

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (9)

micheem

Oct 2022

While this is a great mode of exercise, the tour wasn't really all that informative. We stopped just a few times in the 4 hours, so we passed by a lot of sites but didn't learn anything about them. We were quite disappointed in the value offered. We would have been better off just renting a bike for the day if all we wanted was some exercise.

maggiej859

Oct 2021

What a beautiful way to experience Boston for the first time! Pell, our guide, knew all kinds of information and history about the many places we rode by. Our pace was comfortable and very friendly for wide-eyed tourists like me. The Emerald Necklace route took us through many different areas of the city, from the Back Bay and the Harbor to Jamaica Pond and the Arboretum. We biked through many beautiful parks and greenways. Highly recommend this for anyone going to Boston for the first time! There were only a couple of spots where we biked uphill, and they were pretty mild and brief. You don't have to be a Tour de France athlete to enjoy this ride. I didn't even drink half of my water bottle.

OksanaVR

Oct 2021

Great overview of Boston. It was good to have a guide who grew up in Boston and knew a lot about the city and its history.

Response from Host

Oct 2021

So glad that you were able to join us, Oksana! We appreciate that you took the time to write us a review - thank you for five stars!