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Private Day Trip: Lexington and Concord History
5.0
15 Ratings
Boston
Experience the birthplace of the American Revolution on a private day trip to Lexington and Concord. Explore historic sites, hear fascinating stories, and immerse yourself in the rich history of the Minutemen. Visit the Old North Bridge and discover the homes of famous authors in Concord. Don’t miss this opportunity to step back in time and indulge in local cuisine!
Experience the birthplace of the American Revolution on a private day trip to Lexington and Concord. Explore historic sites, hear fascinating stories, and immerse yourself in the rich history of the Minutemen. Visit the Old North Bridge and discover the homes of famous authors in Concord. Don’t miss this opportunity to step back in time and indulge in local cuisine!
Duration:
6 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Lexington Green - 50 min - drive to Lexington
20 min - Explore Lexington Battle Green, the place where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired on April 19th, 1775. This is the exact location where the famous “shot heard around the world” was fired, starting the Revolution. - Buckman Tavern - Visit Buckman Tavern, which served as a…
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Lexington Green - 50 min - drive to Lexington
20 min - Explore Lexington Battle Green, the place where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired on April 19th, 1775. This is the exact location where the famous “shot heard around the world” was fired, starting the Revolution. - Buckman Tavern - Visit Buckman Tavern, which served as a gathering spot for colonists while awaiting the arrival of the “Redcoats” on April 19, 1775
- Paul Revere Capture Site - Visit the spot between Lexington and Concord where Paul Revere was captured by the British during his midnight ride
- Battle Road Trail - See the original Battle Road Trail, where the British made their infamous retreat from Lexington & Concord on the night of April 19th, 1775
- The Old North Bridge - Walk across the exact replica of the Old North Bridge in Concord, where the colonists overwhelmed the Red Coats. The gathered colonists crossed this bridge and proceeded to attack a small regiment of British soldiers stationed to guard it
- Concord’s Colonial Inn - Free time for lunch and shopping in Concord’s historic downtown
- Sleepy Hollow Cemetery - Visit the historic Sleep Hollow Cemetery and the famous author’s ridge, where many of Concord’s Literary Circle are buried, including Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, and Hawthorne.
- Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House - Explore the grounds of the Orchard House, home to Louisa May Alcott and her family. See the Little Women garden and tour the Concord School of Philosophy, built by famous transcendentalist Bronson Alcott.
- Walden Pond State Reservation - Visit Walden Pond and explore the replica of Henry David Thoreau’s famous cabin
- Boston - Return to Boston, with a drop-off at your hotel or other location of choice, and dinner recommendations if you need them!
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Walden Pond fees
- Bottled water
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Buckman Tavern entrance fee
- Surcharges on fuel
- Orchard House tour price
- Private transportation
- Walden Pond fees
- Bottled water
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Buckman Tavern entrance fee
- Surcharges on fuel
- Orchard House tour price
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Lunch
Additional Information
Visit the real locations where the American Revolution began, while listening to hilarious yet little-known stories about our ancestors. Stand on Lexington Battle Green and listen to stories about the very first days of the war and the subsequent historical events which are still relevant to us today. Fall back in time with visits to restored houses and…
Visit the real locations where the American Revolution began, while listening to hilarious yet little-known stories about our ancestors. Stand on Lexington Battle Green and listen to stories about the very first days of the war and the subsequent historical events which are still relevant to us today. Fall back in time with visits to restored houses and taverns to see how the Minutemen lived. Walk the Battle Road Trail, stage to multiple skirmishes and other “treasonous” events. Visit the Old North Bridge in Concord, where the Minutemen turned back the British Redcoats! Free time for lunch in historical Concord downtown with excellent local food options!
The second half the day includes a tour of the author in Concord. Tour the Louisa May Alcott Orchard House where Little Women was written. Visit the Sleepy Hollow cemetery’s famous Author’s Ridge. See Walden Pond and Thoreau’s Cabin!
- Note that per Massachusetts state law: “All children riding in passenger motor vehicles must be in a federally approved child passenger restraint that is properly fastened and secured according to the manufacturer’s instructions until they are 8 years old OR over 57 inches tall.” We do not provide child seats, please bring age appropriate car seats for kids who do not meet these criteria. We will not be able to do the tour if you do not have child seats for everyone that needs one. A refund will not be issued the day of the tour due to lack of proper car seats. All children must be registered as separate tour guests.
- Luggage - please note that the tour vehicle is a Toyota Sienna minivan. If you are planning to bring luggage on the tour, the vehicle will only be able to seat up to four guests. The back row of seating can be collapsed to fit 4-5 suitcases or smaller bags, but the minivan will not fit 6 passengers with more than one personal item each. If you have more than 4 guests with luggage on the day of the tour, and your guide determines upon arrival that the luggage and passengers can not all safely fit in the vehicle, the tour will be canceled without refund. For alternative options, please contact us directly before booking.
Location
Snow Hill Street & Hull Street
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(15 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Chadm701
Jul 19, 2025
Revolution to Transcendentalism - This is the best way to get the history of Lexington and Concord, from the revolutionary war to the Transcendentalist movement. Mark O was an exceptional interpreter and guide, besides driving us without a hitch from point to point. We especially liked the Orchard House tour (that was the group's voted favorite).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K2167gsjosephf
Jul 18, 2025
- The tour by Mark was very interesting and compared to my tour guide by Trafalgar in Italy. My day was just fantastic. Keep this boy on your books.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
818sagek
Jul 18, 2025
Best tour of Lexington and Concord - Mark did a wonderful job! He gave interesting insights on each stop we went to, allowing for my family and I to have the amount of history these towns hold. His way of thinking and his deliver was one of the easiest things to comprehend. We had an amazing time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
613parkerk
Jul 18, 2025
- The trip was really fun and interesting our guide was very understanding of the information and had a full understanding of everything we did. He was able to answer every question we had and kept a good vibe for the whole trip. Mark also made sure my grandma was taken care of as she can’t walk as fast but he made sure she was very comfortable. Thank you Mark!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancyt345
Jul 18, 2025
Great way to see Lexington and Concord - Maria with Boston Hidden Gems was fantastic. She knew her subject and the trip around Lexington and Concord was fun. Learned about revolutionary battles and people as well as literary greats that lived in the area. A fun way to learn about our past. The next few days were spent absorbing all the information provided. Highly recommend. Someone else does the planning the driving and the research. All you need to do is relax enjoy the ride and take it in
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Backpacker751915
Jul 11, 2025
Fun day in concord and Lexington - It was such a fun day. Learned so much about concord and Lexington and American revolutionary history. Jenny was such a wonderful guide and so fun to be with you. Her enthusiasm for the subject matter made it so interesting and engaging.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Expatgeorge
Jul 4, 2025
An Excellent Tour with an Excellent Guide - I was visiting Boston for the first time in many years, and for the first time with my family.
I'm an American expat living in Europe and so I was keen to introduce my children to the American side of their heritage.
Last summer we visited Yorktown (the final battle of the Revolutionary War), so this summer I wanted to show them where the war started -- at Lexington and Concord.
We were staying downtown and I did not want the hassle of renting a car, and while I remember my American history well enough, I knew my daughters would benefit from a trained professional guide rather than Dad picking his memory or reading from a book.
So this tour was perfect for us -- and it did not disappoint.
Jenny picked us up at our hotel downtown and we drove in a comfortable van out to Lexington. She was friendly and positive and extremely attentive to my children, full of funny stories and keeping them engaged. She also knew her history inside and out but was never pedantic.
The morning focused on Revolutionary history -- Lexington Common and nearby sites of interest, Revere's Capture, and then the Old North Bridge and "the shot heard 'round the world."
After a nice lunch in historic downtown Concord, the afternoon focused on literary history -- visiting The Old Manse (home of Hawthorne and Emerson), the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (where Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, and Louisa May Alcott and her family are all buried within steps of each other), the Orchard House (home of the fascinating Alcott family), and Walden Pond.
As a student of American literature, this was something of a pilgrimage for me, and my daughters, who have read "Little Women" and seen the movie, thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Orchard House.
Jenny was kind enough to accommodate my daughters' request for ice cream before heading back downtown to our hotel.
So all in all it was a perfect day -- lots to see but not overwhelming, a guide who was friendly and fun and experienced, and a hassle-free way to take it all in and get back to the hotel in time for Happy Hour and dinner.
Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marina_b
May 12, 2025
Highly recommended tour with Mark! - Very informative and insightful story telling accompanying the well organized itinerary. Our tour guide Mark was very knowledgeable and involved. We truly enjoyed this tour despite an unwelcoming Boston weather.
Review provided by Viator
Loradawn
Mar 22, 2025
The Perfect Patriotic-Transcendentalist Sampler Platter - This day trip was a delightful, worry-free experience. It was a packed itinerary, but if you only have one day to visit Lexington and Concord, this is the way to do it. We thought of trying to put together a similar itinerary on our own, and are so glad we didn’t try that!
Our wonderful guide Ryan picked us up at our hotel and drove us with great skill and care to all the sights we hoped to see, from Lexington Green to various stops along the battle road, to the Concord bridge, then into Concord for lunch at the Colonial Inn, on from there to the lovely Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, then Orchard House for a tour, then Walden Pond. The Boston Hidden Gems minivan was equipped with complementary water as well as umbrellas and ponchos if needed. Fortunately, the weather cleared up and we had a rain-free but very brisk day to enjoy Lexington and Concord.
Throughout the day Ryan provided excellent commentary and narration about the different locations and the historic events / people associated with them. Highlights: everything. Seriously, every stop was important and worth taking time to visit. Standing on the green at Lexington and getting a feel for the distances involved, the direction of the movement of the King’s troops, the Patriot militia, the Midnight Riders, and so forth was really helpful and deeply moving. It was the same at Concord Bridge — stirring and stunning to be there and see the landscape and have the details of the various military actions explained and sort of sketched out in front of us.
Lunch at the Colonial Inn was great — if you want an appetizer, do not miss the flatbread with figs, cheese and honey! The grilled salmon was perfect, and apparently the clam chowder is good as well.
Sleepy Hollow cemetery is lovely — and hilly! A very serene place to visit and not to be missed.
The tour at Orchard House was incredible—about 80% of the contents of the home are the actual belongings of the Alcott family (rather than period-accurate pieces reconstructing their daily life). You can stand right next to the desk where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women; you can look out the windows as she must have. On various walls of the house are some of the original drawings of May Alcott, Louisa’s artistic younger sister, including charming doodles and early sketches. As our the Orchard House guide, Hannah, pointed out, you can trace May’s progression as an artist by looking at how the owls she drew / painted on the walls changed in style and sophistication over time.
I think Walden would have been a more pleasant stop on a warmer day, when I would have been glad to venture all the way down to the beach, but I was simply happy to see it.
I’m not sure if the visitors centers at Minuteman National Park and at Walden were open for the season, since they weren’t on the itinerary, but one hopes this itinerary would be expanded in season to include some time in those locations. I think if you added about an hour or 90 minutes to the day you could do everything we did here, and go to those visitors’ centers, and maybe snag a few souvenirs. This tour as it stands is much more geared toward learning than shopping, which is fine with me, but people who are used to more “shopping time” at various locations while they are waiting for the tour bus to take them to the next stop might feel a little rushed.
We were really pleased with this experience and can’t say enough good things about our thoughtful and considerate guide Ryan. He noticed when I got in the van that I was using a cane and so made sure to discuss with me before every stop what kind of walking / path might be involved so that we could adjust the route if/as needed. He not only knew the history of the area, but he conveyed his enthusiasm for this precious past.
My biggest takeaway from this tour — other than the absolute thrill of visiting in person these places I have learned about and loved from afar all my life — is that we need to come back and spend more time in these places.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charles_r
Nov 9, 2024
Historical and literary tour - Our tour Guide Maria was very personable, knowledgeable, and answered our questions with historical facts. Her driving skills are commendable. Her luncheon reservation At the Colonial Inn was most enjoyable. We covered alot of Ground during the course of the day. She dropped us off at the destination of our chose. Maria gets Five-star from us!
Review provided by Viator
