Coming from California, I had thought we were going to go duck watching. Another thought we were paddling around in a kind of swan boat. Turns out the Duck Tours were tours in semi-aquatic buses that mix history, jokes, and sightseeing. We also got to go into the water and folks took turns driving the duck boat. What was delightful about our tour was our captain who entertained us with magic tricks, punny jokes, dad jokes, and history. We quacked at passerbys, other duck tours, recent graduates, kids in hi-vis vests. He pointed out the marines organized in a park with the Osprey and other planes. I left my knowledge of American history in elementary school, so everything was super fascinating to me. I thought my honey would enjoy this being a historian and all but he didn't care for the jokes, which I thought were the best part. Oh well. Worth a tour when you're in the Boston area! read more

We enjoyed our Boston Duck Tour earlier this month and the tour itself was amazing. Our narrator (The detective?) and the driver were fantastic and our whole family was laughing the entire time. When I took my kids on the tour in 2019, I was so impressed with the professionalism of the attendants who help out beforehand. They were all wearing khakis, had their shirts tucked in, and there were no phones in sight. I remember one lovely young man who was wearing a Vineyard Vines belt and my son was obsessed with it, and he graciously told me what the print was called and I was able to purchase it for him for Christmas that year. This time around, it was shocking to me how opposite our experience was pre-tour. I recall in 2019 receiving a warm welcome walking up to the boarding location, but not this time. They were all huddled in a pile by the umbrella, and no one greeted us. I approached an employee who identified himself as a driver and instead pointed me to an attendant who could "better assist". When I asked which boat to board, we were rudely told to "Just wait here until we announce it", which felt like a big departure from the friendliness of a few years ago. The attendants themselves just looked messy, and it seems the standards went down significantly. We had so much fun on the tour itself, but the end to end of an experience is really what makes or breaks it, and the bad customer service before boarding left a sour taste in our mouths. read more

We decided to take a Boston Duck tour while in town for the week after running the Boston Marathon. It was a lot of fun and a nice way to stay off my feet for a while while being entertained. We got to see some cool sites and learn a bit of history. The tour guide was really funny, told some goofy dad jokes, and sprinkled the conversation with tidbits of Boston facts. Yeah, its a total touristy thing to do but sometimes you need to just take it all in as a tourist. Plus, if you like being on the water its a must thing to try. Quack Quack! read more

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Boston, MA - Duck Tours is the signature guided tour of Boston, and what differentiates it from other tours is that the vehicle goes on both land and water, taking you around to key landmarks in the Back Bay, North End, Quincy Market area, and into the Charles River. You can book tickets to depart from one of three locations: Prudential Center, New England Aquarium, or the Museum of Science. Each tour is 80 minutes and they all go to the same sites. You will also be given the opportunity to book discounted tickets at those and other area attractions when you check out, so if you're already planning to visit these places, which are some of the most popular activities in Boston, then you should take advantage of that bundle. (We tacked on tix for The View at Pru Center since it was our pickup point.) I've always eschewed "touristy" activities in any city I live in, so I never did this attraction while I lived in Boston, but it was at the top of our list when I returned as a tourist recently to show our visiting relatives around. And it did not disappoint! Captain Mike and our narrator/guide Ripple were both terrific. Ripple kept us educated and entertained with his stories, jokes and tie-dyed enthusiasm. Duck puns abound! Kids on the boat even got a chance to drive the Duck. Boston is a great walking city, but if you want to cover some ground and hear about the town and its history while taking a fun and enjoyable ride, this tour is ducking good time. Quack quack! read more

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NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM DEPARTURE LOCATION The customer service is absolutely terrible. I would not recommend it whatsoever, especially not for a school trip. I went here for my school trip to Boston and my group got treated horribly. The driver was kind and professional, but the assistant's behavior and the overall organization were very poor. When we boarded the bus, we were told we could sit wherever we wanted, so we took the first four seats on both sides. No one on the bus complained. When the assistant got on, she said we had to sit in assigned seats. One older man politely asked where it said that, since there was nothing mentioned about assigned seating. The assistant responded that it was an assigned system, so there were assigned seats. The man checked his receipt, and the assistant mocked him and gave him a nasty look. Everyone was annoyed that they had to change seats. A couple minutes later, she told my school that we had too many people on the bus. One of our chaperone said, "You said 14 students." She replied, "No, I said 14 of you." My chaperone responded, "Oh, that must have been a misunderstanding." After that, the assistant kept blaming us and did not apologize at all, continuing to give nasty looks and a rude attitude. She also said that if we had a problem, we could report her to her manager (she was counting us as we boarded). Then two people went to a different bus. After that, she said we still had one extra person, so someone had to get off and go on another bus. When she said it again, our only chaperone said, "I don't know what you want us to do. You told us 14 students, and now you're kicking most of us off. Do you want me to get off?" The assistant gave her a nasty look and said a chaperone needed to stay on the bus. So my chaperone had enough and said, "Okay we're all getting off, and I will be reporting you." The assistant mocked her and said, "Go right ahead." As we were getting off the bus, she continued giving us nasty looks. Once we were off, the assistant started arguing with my chaperone, and I said, "No, you're just rude." She was being much ruder than what im saying but--I have never experienced such bad customer service. My group walked away, and the assistant stood with her coworkers, all of them giving us nasty looks. On the other two buses from my school, their assistants were calling us rude and disruptive. Our chaperone ended up paying out of pocket for all 14 of us to go to the New England Aquarium. If you are planning a class trip, I would 100% recommend the aquarium over the duck tour. The staff at the aquarium were very kind, and it was really fun, while 99% of the people (in my school) who went on the duck tour said it was boring and most people slept. read more

What a great way to see the Boston area from both the land and the Charles River, the tours take off every 30 minutes from 3 different locations. Our tour guide was very good, funny and knew so much about Boston and its history. I learned so much about Boston and its land growth. I really enjoyed the ability of seeing the city area from the River as well. The tour is reasonably priced and a must for seeing Boston. Put this on your list and enjoy. Well done e Boston Duck Tours "Quack Quack" read more

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Had a GREAT time on the Duck Boat Tour this past friday. 8/8/25 The tour guide (Healy) was funny and informative and clearly has been doing this for a while. Good for adults and children! The boat Captain, Laura, was great too! Let the children and a couple adults drive the vessel amd get pictures. Book early!!! They sell out! You can purchase Duck and Tour souvenirs out front. The seats are assigned, which is great. read more

Boston Duck Tours - A view from the duck boat on the water - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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ABSOLUTE MUST DO FOR FIRST TIMERS! The Boston Duck Boat Tour is a fun and unique way to explore the city.d It's the perfect mix of history, sightseeing, and entertainment. Our "conDUCKtor" was both knowledgeable and hilarious, keeping everyone engaged from start to finish when other tour operators tend to be more dry and boring. Cruising through the historic streets and then splashing into the Charles River was such a cool experience which makes this experience one of the most unique tours you'll ever do. You get great views of Boston landmarks, all while learning interesting facts you probably wouldn't hear on a regular tour. It's family-friendly and a great way to see the city from both land and water. Highly recommend, especially for first-time visitors! read more

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Wow. They have several tour guides giving the tour but we got The fiddler and he was fantastic. We took a 4:30pm tour and he was really enthusiastic throughout the whole trip with interesting history tid bits as well as his own personal anecdotes. Boat was smooth overall but a bit loud once we hit the water. I also enjoyed all the quackatunities that we had as it made it more fun for the kids and adults. Would definitely recommend this ! read more

First of all, they allowed us to change our reservation from Tuesday (85%) chance of rain to the sunny day before- 24 hour notice. The guide was engaging and interesting and funny and made the whole trip. We had a stellar autumn day. This was a fun way to see Boston by land and river. We contemplated doing a sunset cruise or something of that ilk and am so glad we went with the Duck. ck read more

Anytime I have the opportunity to go into Boston. I always do this tour. It never fails and it is definitely worth the money! I I also love the fact that there are various duct tour locations that are conveniently outside of the museum of science, the aquarium, Prudential center, etc. we had the pleasure of riding the orange duct Door boat with a very funny tour guide with a ukulele. He was a former DJ and musician, and he has been doing this for several years. Very funny guy and very knowledgeable about the city of Boston. We went on a rather windy day in the city so it was a little chilly, but it was a lot of fun. You always learn something new every time you do this tour. Would I also love about this is it runs for about an hour and a half and it's fun for all ages. And definitely going in the water is one of the most fun parts of the entire tour. Definitely check it out if you've never done this before I absolutely love it! read more

My fiancé and I took a duck boat tour leaving from the aquarium location on Saturday afternoon. These tours are so dependent on getting a good tour guide, and I can't help but feel like maybe a little regulation is needed to make the experiences more evenly enjoyable no matter who your guide is. Our host boasted over 4000 duck boat tours, and I certainly didn't question his knowledge of Boston's history. However, I wish we heard more of the history he was clearly an expert on. Most of what I remember from the tour is him going on with personal anecdotes, telling stories that sounded made up, and interacting with a large family on board. I'm sure that family had a memorable and special experience, but for everyone on the other end of the many, many times he stopped to talk and joke with that group, we felt like outsiders. We felt downright ignored a couple times- once he asked if anyone was celebrating anything, I raised my hand to say it was my fiancé's birthday, but he once again fixated on the group he had a report with. The same thing happened when he allowed a group to drive the boat on the river, we volunteered but no use. For the steep price, I just think there are better ways to learn the history and see the city. However, the sunset view of the river is pretty. read more

Boston Duck Tours - View of river from duck boat - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Absolutely fantastic tour! We did a noon tour out of the prudential center pickup location and we had Captain Weird Beard as our conDUCKtor. We had the best time. This guy is a pro. 20+ years of experience and such clever jokes/puns. Great way to see the city and understand some history. My only tip is to sit closer to the front if you are a little hard of hearing because the engines are very loud in the back when the boat enters water! read more

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My friends and I really enjoyed this tour! The tour guide was so enthusiastic and literally was made for this job! We got to tour the city in the infamous Duck Tour bus/boat? And then ended up cruising in the water. I wish I could remember our guide's name, but I'm sure whoever you end up with will be just as fun. Highly recommend doing this tour. Also, at the end of the trip, there will be options to tip which you should 100% do! read more

Boston Duck Tours - View from the boat - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I've seen duck boat tours in so many cities but I've never actually seen it go into water. This was the coolest thing ever and our host was fantastic!!! I'm recommending this to everyone I know! read more

Boston Duck Tours - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Overall great decision to take my kiddo to experience the duck tour on her birthday. Not only did she truly enjoy it, she learned some history, was able to drive the boat and enjoyed everyone singing Happy Birthday to her. 10/10 definitely recommend. I must mention that although we are Bostonians (born and raised), this was our first time on the Boston Duck Tours. This has sparked some interest in us participating in more tours in our city! #617 read more

We had a really good time on the Duck Boats! It was better than I expected. We got to see a lot of the city and our con-DUCK-tor Arthur Fiddler was very informative and entertaining. Our driver Laurie did a great job. I don't know how she go that thing through those city streets! It was really fun- and when we went on the water, we had a great view of the city skyline and learned even more. We started our tour at the Prudential Center and it was walking distance from our hotel. read more

Had a GREAT time/tour with PAPRIKA as our guide. You will recognize Paprika, a beautiful, young, black lady dressed in colorful wear, AND she says she is famous, but I think it's all in her head...lolol. Besides from being very knowledgable about the city, she puts on a great performance that made the tour Super Fun for all. I am sure all other tour guides are very good, but Paprika took it from 4 Stars to 5. We started our tour by the bay at 1 Central Wharf. read more

This was every bit as fun as I'd hoped - my sixth grader and I enjoyed a tour of all kinds of Boston sights led by our hilarious narrator Ernie (king of dad jokes) and our Coastie driver/pilot, KB. As the kid of a Coastie myself, I immediately loved the duo and was touched by all the military service signatures on the roof of the Duck. I appreciated winning a tattoo for my long-remembered knowledge of Harriet Beecher Stowe, and the amount of fascinating Boston trivia we picked up was wicked epic. Hopefully it was all true - Ernie has me kinda concerned that I may state something fake confidently as fact! The highlight was watching each of the kids get a chance to "drive" on the open water - those joyous lil' faces really made me smile. All in all, great experience that I think could be done multiple times as the different narrators add distinct flavor. (We swear we heard a "y'all" out of Ernie....) read more

Boston Duck Tours - All the kids (including some grown kids) got to drive the boat! - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I had a very lovely time. My tour guide Mr. Fiddler was thoughtful and funny. He often thought on the fly and made sure everyone got answers to any questions they may have had. An excellent way to see the city. read more

I ride the ducks with my grandma as a kid in Wisconsin Dells. I guess I had different expectations for these Ducks. I was looking for a more historical tour of one of the best cities in the world. The tour is nice and provides a lot of information but the amphibious portion is really gimmicky. I did not feel anything was gained by going on the water other than saying we did bc well it's a duck lol. I guess depending on what you're looking for the ducks may be your ideal tour. The tour guide was fun but our boat wasn't fun back poor guy :-/. read more

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As we wrapped up our weeklong honeymoon in Boston, we realized we had missed so many different things. So we decided to get tickets to the duck boat tour! It's worth the price 100%. I think we were lucky with Max Marshall Arch (Mr. MMA himself) as our guide/historian! We learned so much in our brief tour and we recommend it to anyone who wants to see much of Boston on limited time. Max has an incredible sense of humor and he is what made the tour for us. read more

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We got to Boston for the Duck Tour and it was pouring rain. The Captain invited us upon his boat for a tour of Boston. The narrator was fantastic giving us a PHENOMENAL experience and informative experience starting in 1620 to present time. Even with the rain we all had a blast. I recommend this to anybody who visits Boston!!! read more

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I was told this is a Boston must-do and I somewhat agree. While I'm a fan of another national tour companies, including one that operates in Boston, I opted for this unique experience and I'm glad I did. It was a humorous, one-of-a-kind experience. I thought my teenager might feel too cool for it but even he warmed up to all the quacking around town! He laughed and really enjoyed our ConDUCKtour, Dr. Ben Avery Weir. I was a fan and enjoyed the history chat, but it's quite a pricey experience. The actual portion in the Charles River was a little lackluster and loud. Overall, it might be a must-do once for most, but not all, travelers to Boston. read more

Check in was easy. The driver was fun. But the guide was absolutely hilarious and amazing. From the moment he teased us about the seat belt to the anecdotes about the founders. Fantastic experience read more

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My husband and I really enjoyed our duck tour while visiting Boston and our tour guide (Dr Arthur Scopic) was phenomenal! He's very funny but super informative as well. I learned more from him than what was taught in school. He gave us a great history lesson while sightseeing and you could really see his passion for the job. Definitely recommend! read more

Boston Duck Tours - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This tour was amazing. You definitely should request Beth. She sang and play the guitar beautifully and she really made the experience one of a kind. She made jokes for people of all ages and was so inclusive. she knows the city super well and gives excellent commentary on all of the historical places. I really recommend the duck tours and if you're in Boston, it is a must see. read more

Everyone has to do a duck boat tour at least once and there is no better activity for a family with kids. You get a great run down of Boston's history while getting beautiful views from land and water. Our guide kept the energy high throughout the entire tour and every kid gets to drive the duck boat on the water to add to the fun. Recommend buying tickets ahead of time. Parking is limited to the Prudential Parking garage or meters on the street though the 2 hour parking limit won't leave you much time with the 80 min tour. If you spend $25 at the Pru either on food or the shops you can get a validated ticket for $20 parking for 4 hours though. Whether you are a tourist or a local, add a duck tour to your bucket list! read more

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I went with a friend who visited from out of town. The driver let us drive the boat, which was so cool. They are super knowledgeable about everything in Boston! read more

I had wanted to go on a Duck Tour years ago, but was so busy with school that I just never found the time...until now. We were visiting Boston and thought of some fun things to do, and taking a Tour Tour was on the list, and as luck would have it, one of the starting points was just across the road from our hotel. There was no real difference between buying our tickets from the kiosk right where the the 1hr 20 minute tours departed, and getting them online, so, since we were so close by, we simply crossed the road and purchased them for the following day. So easy. In short, this was a really fun and quick tour around Boston that gave us a good history lesson about the city, and showing us some of the main sites on land on water.....as the tours are all taking place while riding on one of their several amphibious tour buses. Our bus driver kept quiet most of the journey as, I guess, he was supposed to stay focused on the busy (crazy) downtown roads and while on the Charles River....safety first! Our tour guide was a very knowledgable, fun, and colorful character by the name of Frim Jolly who made our tour ever so entertaining and edicational at the same time. Our whole family was so glad we decided to take the Duck Tour...even on this cloudy and slightly wet day. We had lots of fun, thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience, and this was perhaps one of the best highlights of our short visit to Boston. A must go if ever visiting Boston, especially for first-timers. read more

Boston Duck Tours - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Super easy to purchase tickets online and pair the trip with other things to do (we bought museum tickets too). When we arrived, the boarding was fast. The trip around the city was interesting and fun. Highly recommend for tourists! read more

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I wish I would have done this at the beginning of my trip and not the end of it. The amount of knowledge conveyed to us was really impressive. They took us around the city and showed us many key points along with some fun tidbits. I really enjoyed this tour. read more

Credence Commonwealth and his tri-corner hat had us engaged the entire time. He rattled off so many facts and jokes! Very informative and fun tour of Boston Sights and the Charles River! Highly recommend! read more

Boston Duck Tours - All smiles after the tour with our guide! - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The tour is fairly good; however, this is really geared towards children. If you don't have kids I would highly recommend not booking this tour. They sell these annoying duck calling whistle devices that ALL the children have and will blast them throughout the entire tour.. very annoying. We also got a pretty obnoxious tour guide named "paprika" who was nice but so loud and boisterous it made the experience not pleasant. I actually left the tour with a headache, Im not even exaggerating. I would recommend the hop on/off tour bus that is right across the street from this vendor in the Marriott near the Prudential Center. They cover more ground and the tour guide we had was very knowledgeable and pleasant. read more

Boston Duck Tours - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My review is based solely on my tour guide- not on the duck tours in general. We have taken the tour in the past and had a great experience, but our guide tonight was all around cringy. Not only did the jokes not land, the historical pieces were barely included, and there were several inappropriate (racist) comments to customers who were traveling from other countries. The tour said it lasted 80 minutes, but it was 100 minutes. We could not wait to get off! read more

It was fun! I would recommend trying it at least once if you're in Boston. The lady giving the history was funny and very engaging.

What a great way to get to know the city of Boston. Which is a city with so much history, so I honestly would recommend this if you are in Boston! They have multiple starting locations, but they all include both a land and water portion, and if you can get the latest ride (which is what we did) during winter, you might be able to get a sunset on water. Not to mention they let people get the chance to drive the boat, starting with kids first! Our tour guide was a marathon runner, native to Boston so we got plenty of stories along with the normal tour guide info. So much fun! read more

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First did this 10 years ago, and was happy to finally return earlier! I love how the tours do change slightly each time you do them.

When in Boston, why not check this out... I really enjoyed visiting Boston and taking a part of this tour. It's both land and water and you got to enjoy both. I really recommend this if you have the time to try it out while you're visiting the city. read more

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The Boston Duck Tours are the perfect city tour. Both educational and amusing, this boat on wheels takes you around the city of Boston sharing some history and an overview of the city. The tour takes a dive, literally into the Charles River making it both a land and "sea" tour. The tour guides are amusing and bring their personal charm to the experience. There are different locations to hop aboard the tour. You can buy your tickets on site but if you're a planner, buy them online before. You must check in about 30 minutes before your tour begins. A classic tour that's fun for everyone! read more

Boston Duck Tours - Tours Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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