Girlfriends Guide to Boston

Known as the "City on a Hill," Boston is a vibrant and historic city that captivates visitors from all walks of life. Nestled in the northeastern United States, this charming city is the capital of Massachusetts and boasts a rich cultural heritage. From the iconic Fenway Park, home of the beloved Red Sox, to the prestigious Harvard University, Boston blends tradition with modernity seamlessly. You'll find picturesque neighborhoods, cobblestone streets, and a bustling waterfront, along with world-class museums, delectable seafood, and a passionate sports scene. Prepare to immerse yourself in Boston's unique charm and embrace its energetic atmosphere!

Table of Contents

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Where to Stay

We’ve curated a short-list of moderately priced boutique hotels perfect for your next girls’ weekend.

Note: some of the boutique hotels we recommend have a nightly amenities fee for some awesome extras included in your stay. Be sure to read about what’s included to take full advantage!

Hotel Commonwealth

Hotel Commonwealth pairs a relaxed, modern style with the energy of its urban surroundings, all brought to life by genuinely standout service. Spacious guest rooms blend refined design with timeless comforts—plush linens, sleek bathrooms, smart technology, and thoughtful details you don’t see everywhere.

From the smallest comforts to the overall experience, Hotel Commonwealth delivers hospitality at its best for a truly enjoyable stay in Boston. (Note: there is not a rooftop bar at this hotel. When not booked for a private event, they do occasionally make the second-floor Fenway Terrace available for guests to lounge in, and take advantage of our room service dining options.)

Hotel Commonwealth
The Revolution Hotel

Situated in Boston's South End, The Revolution Hotel combines modern design with a nod to the city's rich history. The hotel features a walk-up coffee shop and onsite Mexican eatery and bar. The rooms are thoughtfully designed with a contemporary flair, and the hotel offers amenities such as a fitness center, public bikes, and a vibrant lobby lounge.

The Revolution Hotel
The Verb Hotel

Located in the vibrant Fenway neighborhood, The Verb Hotel offers a retro-inspired atmosphere and a unique rock 'n' roll theme. The rooms are stylishly decorated with vintage music memorabilia, and the hotel also offers a lively restaurant, bar, and outdoor pool. For a truly unique urban experience, check out the Backstage luxury trailers! Ten custom crafted stationary trailers available for an unforgettable outdoor experience in the heart of the city.

The Verb Hotel

Where to Eat

Recommending restaurants can be tricky – there are so many choices! Here we have recommended a few of our favorites, but be sure to check out our local search links below if you are looking for something specific. Bon Appétit!

Carmelina’s is an Italian restaurant featuring traditional Sicilian and Italian‑American comfort food with a Mediterranean influence and generous portions. The space is relatively small and intimate, with an open kitchen and large windows that open onto Hanover Street during warmer months. Due to its size, reservations are typically required.

Citrus & Salt is a contemporary Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar located in Boston’s Seaport District. The restaurant offers a menu centered on coastal‑style Mexican tapas, tacos, and shared plates, along with an extensive list of tequila and mezcal based cocktails. The space is fun and bright with coastal‑inspired décor. Also known for its popular weekend brunch!

Frenchie Wine Bistro is a neighborhood wine bar that offers a casual, sit‑down dining experience with a menu focused on French bistro dishes, small plates, and brunch items, alongside a curated wine list and classic cocktails. The space includes multiple seating areas, such as a front dining room, bar seating, and a greenhouse‑style back room, as well as outdoor seating during warmer months. Frenchie serves dinner during the week and brunch on weekends.

Saltie Girl is a seafood restaurant known for its raw bar, lobster rolls, and global tinned fish selection. The menu highlights sustainably sourced seafood and New England classics such as clam chowder, Ipswich clams, and lobster prepared both warm and cold. With multiple dining areas, including bars and a patio, Saltie Girl is perfect for lunch or dinner and also offers weekend brunch.

Yvonne’s is a modern supper club designed around social dining, with a menu focused on globally inspired small plates intended for sharing, drawing from Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, European, and American influences. The space features multiple dining areas, including a central dining room, bars, and lounge‑style seating, all within a dimly lit, upscale interior. Yvonne’s also operates as a cocktail bar, with an extensive drink menu and late‑night hours.

Want to see more options? We’ve included our favorite search links for this destination below. Use them for research or bookmark this site to use them on the fly when you want to search nearby.

What to See

For a girls’ weekend, Beacon Hill offers the perfect mix of style and substance. It’s is a storybook half-square-mile that’s charming,  and full of character. Think cobblestone streets, brick sidewalks, glowing gas lamps, and elegant Federal-style townhouses that look straight out of a period drama. Oh, and that iconic gold dome of the Massachusetts State House? She shines.

Spend the morning browsing local boutiques, pause for a leisurely lunch at a neighborhood favorite, and wander at your own pace through streets that are as photogenic as they are historic. The area is deeply rooted in history, home to the Museum of African American History and important landmarks along the Black Heritage Trail, including the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School.

In short: come for the charm, stay for the culture.

Boston Common and the Public Garden are the heart of the city, two gorgeous green spaces right next to each other, but each with its own personality.

The Common, established in 1634, is America’s very first public park. It started as a practical, pastoral space, think wide walkways designed for getting across town and big open lawns where Bostonians gathered for everyday life.

Right next door, the Public Garden came along later as the country’s first public botanical garden, and it has always been all about beauty. From the beginning, it was designed for strolling, relaxing, and enjoying the scenery. When the Victorian era arrived, gardeners turned the space into a showcase of color and creativity, experimenting with hybrid plants, bold floral designs, and exotic imported trees. And don’t miss the opportunity to take a ride in a swan boat! It’s a unique Boston experience that should not be missed.

If you and your girls want to dive straight into Boston’s history, the Freedom Trail is the perfect way to do it. This iconic 2.5‑mile red‑brick path winds through more than 250 years of stories, leading you past 16 incredible historic sites that bring the American Revolution to life.

Created and preserved by Boston locals back in 1951, the trail is a one‑of‑a‑kind collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, parks, burying grounds, and even a ship. Each stop is an authentic piece of the city’s past. As you walk, the trail guides you through Boston’s 17th‑, 18th‑, and 19th‑century landmarks, all while giving you plenty of chances to take in the scenery, snap cute photos, and explore at your own pace.

Today, the Freedom Trail attracts more than 4 million visitors a year, and it’s easy to see why — it’s the perfect mix of learning, strolling, and discovering the heart of Boston.

If you and the girls are craving a dose of art, beauty, and a little mystery, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is an absolute dream. Modeled after a Venetian palazzo, this museum feels like stepping into another world, lush courtyard, sunlit balconies, and room after room filled with treasures collected by one remarkable woman.

Isabella Stewart Gardner was born into wealth in New York in 1840 and later married Jack Gardner, joining one of Boston’s most prominent families. After the heartbreaking loss of their only child, the couple began traveling the world, returning to Venice again and again, a city Isabella fell in love with. Together, starting in the 1890s, they built one of the most extraordinary private art collections in the world, everything from Italian Renaissance masterpieces to rare books, Chinese sculpture, textiles, and French paintings.

Jack and Isabella dreamed of opening a museum, and after he passed away in 1898, Isabella made that dream real. Construction began in 1899, and by 1903, the museum opened its doors. Isabella herself arranged every object, creating immersive, intimate rooms that still feel like stepping into her imagination. She hosted concerts, dinners, and lively gatherings, turning the museum into one of Boston’s cultural hot spots.

When Isabella died in 1924, she left one clear rule in her will: no permanent changes to the arrangement of the galleries. She wanted her museum to remain exactly as she designed it, for the enjoyment and education of the public forever.
It’s romantic, intriguing, and full of stories, the perfect place for a wander, a few quiet moments, and a lot of awe with your favorite people.

Public Garden
Credit: Kyle Klein | Meet Boston

What to Do

Explore Boston’s must-see attractions in one tour. Walk along the picturesque streets of Beacon Hill, home to Acorn Street, the most photographed street in Boston. Discover the most scenic locations in the Boston Public Garden and Back Bay’s beautiful 19th-century residential neighborhood.
  • Fascinating commentary on historic sites
  • Photo tips on how to capture creative pictures
  • Iconic architectural landmarks

 

Spend two hours sailing on the Boston Harbor as the sun goes down, taking in the sights of the city skyline. Your captain will set sail and take you on a smooth cruise along the waterfront in a comfortable schooner, with a friendly and informative crew who’s happy to help you have the best possible experience while you’re on the water.
  • Set sail for two hours of stunning sunset views
  • Spot local Boston landmarks from the water
  • Buy beverages on board

 

Discover the best of Boston’s hops and history on a small-group pub crawl along the Freedom Trail. Offered at three separate times, you can easily start at a time that fits with your schedule. Purchase drinks as you please as you visit some of the city’s top pubs with your guide while passing iconic historical sites and learning about Boston’s colonial and revolutionary past.

 

Take a deep dive into the history of the American Revolution on this walking tour of Boston. Your historian guide will focus on the years between 1760 and 1775, a tumultuous time with plenty to talk about. Stroll the Freedom Trail and ask your guide questions along the way to learn things most tourists miss.
  • Tour is perfect for history buffs and first-time Boston visitors
  • Walking tour lets you get to know the city intimately
  • See all 16 official historic landmarks on the Freedom Trail

 

Discover Boston’s pivotal role in the fight for women’s suffrage on a guided walking tour through the Back Bay neighborhood. Explore iconic landmarks like Boston Common, the Public Garden, Newbury Street, and Copley Square while delving into the transformative years of 1870 to 1920. Led by local guides, this small-group experience offers insights into the activists and events that shaped women’s rights history.

Where to Shop

Faneuil Hall sits in the heart of downtown Boston, just steps from the waterfront, and still buzzes with life much like it did in 1742 when it earned the name “The Cradle of Liberty.” Today, it’s a lively, open‑air festival marketplace where more than 80 shops and eateries invite you to wander, browse, and indulge. You can pop into unique local boutiques, explore nationally loved brands, and sample flavors from around the world inside the iconic Quincy Market Colonnade. Outside, the cobblestone promenades come alive with music and jaw‑dropping performances from world‑class street artists. It’s a perfect day of shopping, snacking, and soaking up Boston’s charm together.

Shopping on Newbury Street is a quintessential Boston experience with eight blocks of chic boutiques, designer flagships, indie shops, and cozy cafés set in historic brownstones. It’s equal parts stylish and strollable, where high fashion meets laid-back browsing and every block brings a new find.

Union Oyster House
Credit: Kyle Klein | Meet Boston

Nightlife

For those of you looking for a fun night out on your girls’ getaway, we’ve got your back. Whether it’s dancing the night away or girl talk over delicious cocktails, we’ve got options. We’ll help you find the right fit with our favorite local search links below.

Bubble Bath Boston is a playful, rooftop Champagne and cocktail bar perched atop the CitizenM hotel in Back Bay. Known for its bubbly-forward drink menu, luxe snacks like caviar and elevated finger foods, and sweeping skyline views, it’s a stylish spot with a flirty, pink-accented vibe.

Caveau is an immersive underground nightclub. The space is designed to feel like an abandoned subway station turned enchanted garden, complete with dramatic lighting, lush decor, high-end sound, and a packed dance floor driven by DJs spinning hits, house, and dance music.

First Fridays

For the more culturally inclined, two of Boston’s cultural institutions offer after-hours programming. The ICA Boston and the MFA both host their own First Fridays complete with cocktails, DJs, and dancing in the galleries. Check the website event calendars for listings and tickets (they often sell out!).

Grace by Nia is a modern-day supper club in Boston’s Seaport, blending soulful Southern-inspired cuisine, craft cocktails, and live jazz, R&B, and soul music in a glamorous, intimate setting. The space channels old-school supper club elegance with a lively, contemporary edge, featuring nightly live performances and a chic cocktail lounge vibe. Grace by Nia is ideal for dressing up, sipping cocktails, enjoying incredible live music, and easing into dancing as the night goes on.

My Girl is an underground, Havana-inspired cocktail lounge in downtown Boston. Designed with plush seating, warm lighting, and art‑deco glam, it focuses on elevated craft cocktails, a stylish lounge atmosphere, and music from DJs or live performers. This is a dress-up and sip martinis kind of spot!

The Beehive is an underground, bohemian-style restaurant and bar in Boston’s South End, known for its creative cocktails, eclectic comfort food, and nightly live music ranging from jazz and blues to soul and funk. Rated as one of the “Top 100 Jazz Clubs in the World” by Downbeat Magazine and “Best of” by Boston Magazine, this venue is a must see.

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