Cambridge Private Historical and Cultural Driving Tour

Get to know the historical, cultural, and intellectual side of Cambridge on this private driving tour from Boston!
Your tour includes a stop at the renowned MIT campus, where we can explore its innovative art and architecture.

We’ll also visit the oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S., Harvard University. With your guide, you’ll tour Harvard’s beautiful campus, passing historic buildings such as the impressive Widener Library – housing over 3.5 million books! – and the more demure but beautiful Memorial Church.

During your tour, you might recognize areas that have been featured in films, including Harvard Yard, the oldest part of the University’s grounds, as well as Harvard Square.

We’ll then head to Cambridge Common to explore this picturesque park’s American Revolutionary War monuments. Among the top things to do in Cambridge is beautiful Mount Auburn Cemetery, the perfect place to wrap up our tour before the drive back to any ending location of your choosing.

What's included:

• Local english speaking guide.
• Discover historic sites with connections to the American Revolutionary War
• Enjoy the extraordinary architecture and public art of the MIT campus
• Tour a hidden gem of Cambridge, a gorgeous cemetery with notable burials
• Visit buildings like Memorial Church, Widener Library, and the Great Dome
• Explore the Harvard University campus, Harvard Yard, and Cambridge Common
• Private Transportation

Not included:

• Additional food and drink, souvenirs, tips/gratuities for your guide

What to expect:

Duration: 4 hours

Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

Your tour guide will pick you up from anywhere within the city of Boston. From there, it’s only a short drive to start exploring the top attractions in Cambridge!

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Cambridge

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll spend the day touring the city with a local guide, who will show you the top things to do in Cambridge. Explore the fascinating art and architecture of MIT, hear the history of Harvard University, and visit sites connected to the American Revolutionary War.

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Back Bay

, , Boston, Massachusetts

We may pass by this lovely neighborhood of Boston where leafy streets are lined with handsome Victorian brownstone buildings.

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Harvard University

1350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, 02138-3800, Massachusetts

Your Harvard tour takes place in and around this Ivy League university that is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The school is known for its beautiful campus, historic buildings, many styles of architecture, movie filming locations, and its long history of notable graduates.

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Harvard Square

Brattle St, , Cambridge, 02138-3755, Massachusetts

The plaza in the heart of Harvard Square serves as a meeting point for local residents and, in particular, Harvard students, who come here to enjoy the area’s many stores, coffee shops, and entertainment venues.

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John Harvard Statue

Harvard Yard, 1, Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts

Your Hahvahd Tour will pass by this stately bronze likeness of John Harvard, an English minister who supported the school in the early days of America’s colonial period. The sculpture is also interestingly nicknamed the “statue of three lies”...

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Cambridge Common

Garden Street & Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts

This 16-acre public park near Harvard Square is where George Washington took command of the Continental Army and is now a green oasis for recreation and respite from urban living.

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Harvard Cooperative Society

1400 Massachusetts Ave, , Cambridge, 02138-3807, Massachusetts

You’ll have a chance to pop into this long-standing bookshop serving the students of Harvard and MIT, with roots dating back to 1882. It’s also where you can grab some crimson garb or adhesive stickers to show your support for the school!

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Harvard Memorial Church

1 Harvard Yard, Cambridge, 02138-6500, Massachusetts

You'll pass by this steepled inter-denominational Protestant church built in 1932 to honor the men and women of Harvard University who died in the first world war.

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Memorial Hall

45 Quincy St, Between Cambridge and Kirkland Streets, Cambridge, 02138-3003, Massachusetts

You'll pass by this beautiful gothic masterpiece built between 1870 and 1877 in memory of Harvard men who had fought for the Union in the American Civil War.

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First Parish Cambridge Unitarian Universalist

3 Church St, Cambridge, 02138-3715, Massachusetts

Your Harvard and Cambridge tour can include a stop at this church known for its 400-year history, during which it has played a role in state government, aided in the creation of Harvard, and has evolved in its perspectives on LGBTQ matters in religious thought. You’ll learn the history behind this religious institution as well as the lesser-known story behind the Paul Revere bell housed within.

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Mount Auburn Cemetery

580 Mount Auburn St, , Cambridge, 02138-5529, Massachusetts

This beautifully landscaped cemetery – the first garden cemetery in the United States – serves as both a resting place for many notable Boston elites as well as an arboretum for a variety of trees. Find out from your local tour guide what sets this National Historic Landmark apart from other cemeteries!

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Kendall Square

, , Cambridge, Massachusetts

We’ll be passing through this neighborhood that has seen many changes in the past few decades, transitioning from an industrial center to a hub for biotech. As you drive through, your tour guide will point out major tech buildings as well as the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the campus’s mind-bending architecture. You’ll love exploring what is considered “the most innovative square mile on the planet”!

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MIT Museum

314 Main Street, Gambrill Center, Building E-28, Cambridge, 02142, Massachusetts

Your private tour can include admission to any museums that might interest the group. One of the top attractions in Cambridge we can arrange admission to is the MIT museum, a center with exhibits on AI, biotech, holography, robotics, and more.

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Memorial Drive

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Our driving tour may take this route to Cambridge and which follows the Charles River, featuring sweeping vistas of Boston and the Back Bay with picturesque sailing vessels stretching across the whole span of water. During the drive, you’ll get to know how this river played a crucial role in the first stages of the American Revolution.

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Brattle Square

Cambridge, Massachusetts

From this square, we can explore the history of Brattle Street, [part of which earned the nickname “Tory’s Row” due to the many Loyalist mansions there during the Revolutionary War. Your tour guide will point out some of its most handsome historic homes and the street’s pre- and post-Revolution history.

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MIT Chapel

84 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, 02139-4300, Massachusetts

This odd cylindrical-shaped building is one of the many interesting buildings found on MIT’s campus, an example of mid-century modern architecture by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, who also designed St. Louis, Missouri’s Gateway Arch!

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Harvard Stadium

79 N Harvard St, Boston, 02163-1010, Massachusetts

For our sports fans, our Boston driving tour will pass by this National Historic Landmark, home to the Harvard Crimson football program and the nation's oldest permanent concrete structure dedicated to intercollegiate athletics.

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The Alchemist

84 Massachusetts Ave, MIT Stratton Student Center Lawn, Cambridge, 02139-4300, Massachusetts

You’ll be enthralled by this sculpture, one of many on MIT’s campus, created by Jaume Plensa and consisting of mathematical symbols in the shape of a human form.

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Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Massachusetts

105 Brattle Street, , Cambridge, 02138-3407, Massachusetts

This historic house once was the home of famous American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and even served as headquarters for General George Washington during the Siege of Boston at the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. Arrange admission in advance with our team to take a tour of this handsome home!

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Central Square

Massachusetts Ave, , Cambridge, 02139-4132, Massachusetts

We’ll likely pass through this busy intersection known for its variety of restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues and also for its notable previous residents…

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Charles River

, , Cambridge, Massachusetts

Relax and enjoy the sights as you ride along the Charles River, with beautiful views of the Back Bay and the Boston skyline to enjoy along the way. Your tour guide will fill you in on the history of this river and its important connection to the American Revolutionary War.

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Stata Center

Stata Center, 32 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

You’ll spot this most unusual building, one of the many eccentric and innovative buildings found on the MIT campus. Learn the symbolism behind this Frank Gehry creation, among others, from your tour guide.

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Harvard Bridge

Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, 02139, Massachusetts

We may cross this historic bridge spanning the scenic Charles River on our way to explore the top attractions in Cambridge!

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Harvard Museum of Natural History

26 Oxford St, , Cambridge, 02138-2932, Massachusetts

One of the top attractions in Harvard, this museum draws visitors from all over the world for its dino displays, rare minerals and gemstones, meteorites, and more! Let us know if you’d like to include admission to this renowned museum on your private tour!

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