Beacon Hill is one of Boston’s most historic and beautiful neighborhoods. Featuring brownstones adorned with colorful shutters, cobblestone pathways, gaslit street lanterns, a distinct neighborhood feel, and proximity to the city’s most famous green spaces…what’s not to love?
If you find yourself in Boston, don’t miss the opportunity to take a walk around this picturesque neighborhood, filled with equal parts history and charm.







Things to do in and Around Beacon Hill
Ditch the map! Enjoy an aimless stroll through the many quiet and hilly side streets, giving yourself the chance to fully appreciate the area’s celebrated architecture.
Get your camera ready and head to Acorn Street. This narrow, pedestrian-only thoroughfare offers a great photo opportunity and is a classic Beacon Hill vantage point.
Visit Boston Common, America’s oldest public park. During warmer months, the Common plays host to a variety of sports games, picnics, sunbathers, dog walkers and more. During the wintertime, you can go ice skating on Frog Pond or attend the city’s Christmas tree lighting.
Stop and smell the roses at the Boston Public Garden, located just across Charles St. from Boston Common. The Victorian-era space is home to Boston’s famous swan boats and beloved Make Way for Ducklings statues.
Take in views of the iconic gold dome at the Massachusetts State House. If you’d like to see more of the building, they offer free walking tours from 10 am – 3:30 pm that last forty-five minutes.
Walk on the city’s Freedom Trail. This self-guided walking tour will lead you to Boston’s most historic churches, museums, parks and more. A section of it winds its way through Beacon Hill. (Boston Common and the State House are among the trail’s many stops in this area.) Some of the neighborhood’s stops are also a part of the Black Heritage Trail, including the African Meeting House and the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial.
Cross the Arthur Field Footbridge over Storrow Drive to reach the Charles River esplanade and take a walk along the water.
Enjoy the lively neighborhood atmosphere on Charles St., lined with shops, bars and restaurants.




A few Charles St. favorites:
Enjoy a coffee break at Tatte Bakery and Café.
For any fellow paper and stationery lovers, stop by Black Ink at 101 Charles St. to browse small batch, handmade cards and quirky home goods.
Visit Savenor’s Market, a butcher and market that’s been an institution in the Boston area since 1939 and is known for being a favorite of Julia Child’s. The Beacon Hill location at 160 Charles St. opened a year after its original Harvard Square store tragically burned down in 1992.
Enjoy a meal at the Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro. (Fun fact: I interned here while studying Hospitality Management at Boston University!) The long and narrow dining room lined with banquettes on each side and filled with natural light offers a classic brunch atmosphere.




You Might Also Like: The Ultimate New England Summer Weekend: 48 Hours on Martha’s Vineyard



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Have you visited Boston and/or Beacon Hill before? What were your favorite parts? Let me know in the Comments section below!
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32 Comments
cengiz
April 9, 2018 at 3:11 amI love it.. Congrats
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:30 pmThanks for reading!
Allison
April 12, 2018 at 4:11 pmI haven’t been to Boston in so long! I loved Beacon Hill, especially the Freedom Trail and Boston Common.
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:31 pmI agree, the Common is beautiful and the Freedom Trail is such a fun activity. Both really fun ways to get a feel for the city!
Katherine
April 12, 2018 at 4:19 pmI’m great at ditching maps, since I can hardly follow them in the first place 😉 I’d love to meander around Boston Common, I think that would be a great half day for me.
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:32 pmI am the same way! Even when I think I’m following one…sometimes I’m not! 🙂 But yes I’d definitely say it’s the perfect half day activity!
Keri | Ladies What Travel
April 13, 2018 at 9:28 amAh man, this makes me want to visit Boston even more! #FarawayFiles
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:32 pmI hope you can make it there soon! It’s such a nice city to visit…not too big to navigate, but tons of stuff to see and do. 🙂
Sheree
April 13, 2018 at 11:19 amI’ve never visited but it looks amazing! Great photos 🙂 #flyawayfriday
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:32 pmThanks so much Sheree!
Valerie Hansen
April 13, 2018 at 1:24 pmBoston is so quaint, and I am dying to visit! Your pictures are just beautiful..I have never been to the East Coast yet, hoping to go soon!
Valerie
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:34 pmThanks so much! I hope you can visit soon – I think fall would be an especially nice time for Boston! 🙂
Melina
April 13, 2018 at 7:29 pmThe last time I was in a Boston, it rained so hard I didn’t get to do very much. I was so bummed. I need to go back when the weather is better. #flyawayfriday
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:35 pmIt’s definitely a city that gets a lot of dreary weather and sunshine makes all the difference. I was pleasantly surprised at the blue skies during my walk. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Ruth
April 14, 2018 at 2:47 amThis place is gorgeous. It reminds me a lot of the houses I saw on Pennsylvania. With such a uniform color (bricks), it is nice to see pops of color on doors and windows. I can take pictures of those for hours! #FlyAwayFriday
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:35 pmI agree! I loved all of the different styles of door knockers and mailboxes, too. Little pieces of personality for each home. 🙂
Hilary
April 14, 2018 at 12:25 pmI’ve never visited Boston, but I’ve always wanted to. Especially with all that amazing history, which is a real passion of mine. I also love to take photos of street lamps, and these are wonderful! The brick, the lamps, the doorways… such a picturesque place. #farawayfiles
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:36 pmIf you like history, you would love the Freedom Trail! I hope you get to visit sometime soon. 🙂
Corey | fifi + hop
April 15, 2018 at 10:40 pmLove Beacon Hill! Though it’s been years for me. I totally agree to ditch the map! Last time I was in Boston we just bumbled around Beacon Hill and soaked up all the charm. Fantastic photos of a beautiful neighborhood. Thanks for linking up with #farawayfiles
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:38 pmThanks for reading, Corey!
Erin Gustafson | Oregon Girl Around the World
April 16, 2018 at 8:37 amBoston is such a fun town and so much history and character. It’s really unique in the US I think. Beautiful pictures as always Caity. Thank you for sharing a look at Beacon Hill with #FarawayFiles. Erin
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:39 pmThanks so much Erin!
Urska
April 17, 2018 at 11:06 amWhat a lovely set of photos. I had no idea Boston is so gorgeous. #FarawayFiles
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:39 pmThanks for checking out the post, Urska! 🙂
Beth
April 18, 2018 at 5:05 amSo cool seeing these pics after living among London’s city streets for three years. Boston is such a great city, love all of its history. Thanks for sharing. #FarawayFiles
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:41 pmI love London! I wish I could teleport myself there for an afternoon neighborhood photo shoot. 🙂 Thanks for reading, Beth!
Janine Good
April 26, 2018 at 11:15 amWhat a great post! I went to Boston last summer and loved it! I’m not happy with them right now eliminating our hockey team from the playoffs though haha! Thank you for coming to Fly Away Friday! See you tomorrow!
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:42 pmI’m glad you liked it! It’s such a fun city to visit and it really transforms in the summertime…thawing from those long winters. 🙂
Kana
April 26, 2018 at 3:27 pmI LOVE the Beacon Hill neighborhood! I got some great photos like yours from when I was a there a couple of years ago! Thanks for joining Fly Away Friday, see you tomorrow! xo
Caity Pfohl
April 29, 2018 at 9:44 pmThanks Kana! It’s such a fun place to photograph, and I was so thankful for the sun!
Sharon
July 13, 2018 at 7:16 pmBoston is one of my favorite cities! I’ve been to Beacon Hill a long time ago but not on my more recent trip. Pinning this for future travel planning. I would visit Boston again any time and I love this historic neighborhood.
Caity Pfohl
August 12, 2018 at 8:17 pmThanks for reading, Sharon! I love Boston and am always recommending it to people…such a great, walkable city with beautiful historic buildings to boot! I studied at BU so I guess I might be a little biased 🙂