Boston is a bright and bustling modern city, steeped in history.

Recent victories for their sports teams – the Red Sox and New England Patriots –  have put the city and its people on a high.

Boston is a relatively small and very walkable city, making it the perfect place for a long weekend.

Day One

To begin your day, the South End Buttery offers some of Boston’s best pastries, which you can eat in the café or take to go. Head to Boston Common, the world’s first city park. From the Visitors Center you can take the Freedom Trails Walk into History Tour which is a two-and-a-half-mile wander through Boston’s most historic sites, including the Old State House, the Old North Church and the USS Constitution. Complete your historic walk with a stroll along the Boston Harborwalk and finish up at Faneuil Hall Marketplace – an old market building from 1742 that has been converted into dozens of shops and restaurants with performers everywhere. It’s a lively spot and very fun to walk around.

Visit Brattle Book Store and you’ll you be stepping inside America’s oldest used bookshop. It stocks everything from first editions to new novels.

You’ll be ready for lunch after your morning of sightseeing. You can’t go to Boston without having a lobster roll, so head to Luke’s Lobster (there are three in the city). It has an authentic weathered-wood interior and more importantly, delicious lobster rolls.

Next up, head to Beacon Street, where everybody knows your name, yes it’s Cheers, the bar that inspired the 1980s hit TV show. Nearby you should take some time to explore Charles Street’s independent shops – it’s a treasure trove of vintage bags, hats and jewellery.

Soak up the charm at Beacon Hill. Cobbled streets are lined with 18th and 19th-century red brick houses. Acorn Street is one of the most photographed streets in America. When you visit, you’ll see why.

For dinner, Pomodoro offers an intimate, romantic setting (booking a table is essential). The food is simple but perfectly prepared: fresh pasta, spicy tomato sauce, grilled fish and meats and you can’t leave without having tiramisu for dessert.

Day Two

Grab breakfast in the Thinking Cup in the Italian neighbourhood in the North End. After breakfast head to The Skywalk Observatory at the top of the Pru which boasts 360-degree views accompanied by a personal audio tour that tells you what you’re looking at along with the history of the sights.

Afterwards, take the T across the river to Cambridge to visit Harvard. Regal red-brick buildings with cute green quads make this place unmistakably New England. If you’re feeling peckish, head to Darwin’s on Mount Auburn Street. If it’s a sunny day, buy some supplies and take a picnic lunch on the shores of the nearby Charles River.

Starting in the afternoon or early evening, there’s no more classic experience in Boston than going to a Red Sox baseball game at Fenway Park. The atmosphere is electric. Look online for tickets, or go on a tour of the ballpark if there aren’t any games that day. If you’re coming to Boston in baseball’s off-season, chances are the city’s basketball team, the Celtics, or the ice hockey side, the Bruins, are playing at TD Garden near the North End. While not quite as historic, they’re still a great experience to witness the intensity of Boston sports fandom.

For dinner, Island Creek Oyster Bar serves up the region’s finest oysters, along with other local seafood in a cool and edgy setting. Try the speciality of lobster-roe noodles topped with short ribs and grilled lobster, you can thank me later!

If you have time…
The New England Aquarium offers a whale-watching cruise which will take you out into the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll visit the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary which is home to various species of whales, dolphins, sea birds and other marine life.