We took the 80 minute tour all around. Which is the same as the hop-on/off tour - just don't get off! Great way to see the city quickly with young kiddos. Hugo was informative and witty! read more

City View Trolley Tours - Tours Near Me

Overall this was a terrible experience. This place advertises buying tickets online for their trolleys everywhere- on the side of their buses, on their brochures and stands. If you navigate through their website it will tell you that not only do you save a little money purchasing tickets online, but you have the ease of using e-tickets from your phone. The website is very unclear about the fact that you MUST "check-in" in person at stop #1. The confusion is compounded when reading through their FAQ's and come across this: "Can I start my tour at any Stop?" "Yes if you purchase your tickets from this website, you will have the convenience of starting your tour anytime at any stop". How does that work if the very annoyed driver is telling me I have to have my e-tickets scanned at the first stop to receive physical tickets? We started at stop #3, stayed on until stop #7 where we de-boarded. We did not ride to the first stop to get the tickets scanned immediately because I had planned our time-sensitive day around the idea that we would be able to begin at any stop. While at Boston Commons I was attempting to use the GPS tour they so proudly advertise as part of their tour. I ended up having to download 2 separate apps to find it, and then to realize it was completely unusable because it needed a password to log in. The password it was prompting me for needed to be 8 numbers long. I discovered later that we were supposed to be given a code when we got our tickets but as we didn't have the physical tickets at the time that did not help us. I am including a picture of the ticket we received (without the harbor cruise ticket portion) to show that there was absolutely no code or password for the GPS tour printed on it. There is a separate audio tour that I was able to download but was unnecessary since the trolleys have audio anyway. We re-boarded the bus at stop #8, were again told to get our tickets scanned at the first stop which we did. We purchased the "Ultimate Boston" tour meaning we also added the Harbor Cruise in addition to our trolley tickets. The people scanning our tickets seemed confused or put off that we had those tickets and it took them a hot minute to get our tickets to us. They explained that the left side of the ticket- which was perforated- served as our cruise tickets. The ticket itself was marked with the month and day that it is usable, and no further information about the cruise. When we received our tickets I asked, very clearly, if we needed to make a reservation for the harbor tour. They stated that they were running at 12 pm, 1 pm, etc. to 4 pm. Another employee who was standing a bit away pointed out to them, and us, that the boats were doing a 5:30 run as well. We thanked him and them, asked again if we needed a reservation and were told by him that "you just need to be there 10-15 minutes before to board". We thanked him and went on our way. Later in the afternoon we returned to find where we needed to catch the cruise boat. At this point it was 3:45 PM, and I wasn't expecting to catch the 4 PM boat but thought it was worth a try. We approached staff who were boarding the boat at 3:50 PM and they were very confused about the tickets. It seemed like they had never had to deal with those tickets before and directed us to talk to the City View staff at the stand. We rushed over there to find a group of other tourists speaking with the employee there. As we approached the guy asked if we needed something and we replied that we needed our boat tickets. He waved us off and said okay follow me, then proceeded to attempt to sell us and the other tourists "ice cold water" for only $2- cash only. He was extremely persistent until one of the other tourists caved and bought a few bottles. We said multiple times "no we just want our boat tickets". He then locked up the stall and instructed us to follow him. We, and the other tourists, followed him across the street away from the harbor, which seemed odd but we figured maybe they have a separate boat and he is leading us there. We get to another stand of theirs, the guys hands the other employee there some cash- that is the same employee who told us earlier in the day that there was a 5:30 boat cruise. He said " Oh you must have done well today!" to the first employee, who laughed. We found that......shady. After all that the first guy turns to us all and points to the trolley and says oh so joyfully that it's right there. We replied back that we needed our boat tickets. He looked confused. The other guy picked up that I was upset and frustrated and he finally understood OH THEY WANT THEIR CRUISE TICKETS REDEEMED and told us to go to the blue building back across the street WHERE WE JUST CAME FROM. We totally missed the 4 PM boat. The first guy finally got it and spewed out a very insincere apology. Absolutely ridiculous! We repeated multiple times we were looking to get our boat tickets. Waste of money. read more

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Complete incompetence. Website is useless. Employees even worse. Do not use this tour company. Waste of time and money. Will ruin your vacation. read more

Overall it was a very poor experience-not worth the money we paid! Incompetent and inappropriate guides and speakers!!! Very little and not relevant information- We changed trolley to expect better behaviour and help from the next one, but it was as poor as the first one. In the end, we finished the tour just to get round the city, as we were staying only one day. The difference was great with the guide in charge of the Freedom Trail tour. Well worth doing it!!!! Recommend it!!! read more

I was a bit disappointed with my overall experience. I took the subway from my hotel in the Longwood Medical area all the way to the Government Center as directed by their web site. It was $44.00 bucks and lasted about an hour. It wasn't until I was on the trolley looking at their brochure that I discovered I could go on-line and get about a $10 discount buying the ticket on there website. The man driving the trolley was nice but his audio speaker system was having problems so it was difficult to hear at times. It's about a one hour tour and the guide points out many landmarks but many times you're moving so fast you may not see or have time to get a photo. I asked the man at the kiosk where I bought my ticket if it stopped at the Old North Church, he said yes, but it did not. You have the option of getting on/off and walking to these locations but I didn't want a walking tour from a trolley. If I were to do it again, I would get off in the Beacon Hill area as it looked like there were a lot of interesting sights to see there. read more

Joey went above and beyond for my 2 kids. I can't thank him enough for making this such a memorable experience!!!!! A sweet, knowledgeable and amazing man!!!! Thank you!!!! read more

City View Trolley Tours - Tours Near Me

Great for getting a good overview of the city. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to get the highlights and an overview. We used it for 2 days as a city hopper. Tour guides were good but Hugo specifically was fantastic!! Huzzah!!! The trolley is not great to use as a timely way to get around the city. It works, but just expect the wait to get a trolley to be 10-20 minutes (at least in the summertime when we were there). And at times if there's a line (and the arriving trolley is already full) you may have to wait for the next one. Really impressive how smoothly these drivers navigate big trolleys thru downtown traffic, even around rush hour. read more

So sorry your trolley driver lied to you Sir, but I guess I understand why she did. She didn't want to tell you she was a complete unprofessional. It's alright, we met another couple that was on that trolley on the harbor cruise the next day complaining about her as well. Good luck with her. I make sure to tell everyone I know going to Boston, to use the orange and green trolley instead of the city view. Might be a little more money but the experience is a far better one. My email to them: 07/02/2022 I just read your response to my Yelp review and I'm sorry she lied to you. We met another couple an the harbor cruise the next day and they complained about her as well.   First off, her speaker was so loud nobody could hear anything but her voice, so to talk with one another, to point out cool things, we had to talk a little louder. Is that a crime? In regards to the "safety" issue... Nobody stuck an arm, leg, or even a finger out of that trolley window. We gave a thumbs up from our seats to a car holding up a sign about women's rights that was driving by. She then, on her loud speaker said, and l quote, "We don't do politics on the trolley" to which we responded with, "If we want to give a thumbs up to show our support to like minded protesters, we have every right to do so." She then said something to the effect of, "Oh okay so only one side gets to have an opinion." Sir, we just gave them a thumbs up for women's rights and if that's any more dangerous that holding my phone up  take a photo, than have a sign that says no photo taking near the windows as it's dangerous. It's ridiculous and so was your driver.  We were so disappointed in your trolley, we decided not to use it for the second day that we paid for, and used Lyft instead. THAT'S how unhappy we were with your service. We spent even more money JUST to avoid your trolley and your driver's. That should tell you everything you need to know about our experience and I have the receipts to prove it.  And this isn't even going into about your first driver and his sexists comments about the first female admiral of the Navy. I mean Jesus... To tell a bus full of people that now when you go on the navy ships, there are more throw pillows and potpourri?  You could hear people gasping and the guy sitting in front of me was a tour guide from Texas who said, "wow, that guy should really learn to keep his mouth shut with a bus full with women on board." He was really shocked.  So, in conclusion, you can come up with whatever excuses you want to for your driver's to cover for their behavior and lies , but we were there, and other people were there too. Your driver on trolley 114 was rude to us specifically and made our experience so awful, I will say it again, we paid money for Lyft instead of using your trolley for the second day.  We feel we were attacked and feel that we should be reimbursed for how we treated, but I know your company won't do that. I'll make sure to respond back here to let the people of Yelp know how you resolved this or didn't.  Take care and good luck. read more

City View Trolley Tours - Tours Near Me

Horrible experience! We took the tour yesterday and the driver, who called himself coach, was a bit inappropriate during the tour, but we thought it was part of guide character. However, when the tour ended, he started demanding tips and closed the bus door on us until we gave him a tip, claiming that we interrupted the experience for everybody as we kept speaking during the tour. We were translating for non English speaking relatives. When he tried explaining this to him, he simply said he didn't care. What did he expect? For people to hear his "sweet tones" without understanding what he was saying? To make things even worse, once we understood we definitely weren't tiping him, he opened the door and responded to our polite "have a nice day" with "have a rotten day". We will definitely not be using this company again nor recommending to anybody. Furthermore, we will advice people AGAINST it. read more

We had the best tour today with Joey! He was so friendly, a great driver, hilarious, and gave great facts about the city. So kind to everyone on board, especially wonderful with the kids aboard. He gave great recommendations for food, harbor cruise tour, etc. Really enjoyable trip. Thank you Joey! read more

City View Trolley Tours - Tours Near Me

Not enjoyable. Driver was a jerk. Every stop he spent quite a long time telling us to talk quietly. At no point was anyone talking over him...we could hear everything he said at all times but If he heard anyone talking he would just stop whatever he was saying and never finish the sentence. He actually provided very little information other than what things we were driving by...nothing much about the historical significance at all. Add to that the small, uncomfortable seats and this one is a rip-off. Take the orange bus instead..which is what we thought we were buying based on the guy in the orange kiosk selling the tix at Faneuil Hall. read more

We had Tracy as our tour guide/operator.... She was hilarious! Funny and informative! Thanks Tracy!!! Get a Venmo QR code- we luckily had cash- but that way people can scan your code and leave you a tip! You made our day! read more

Had an amazing day on and off the tour. Guides Johnny Boston and Ernie were fabulous. Highly recommend the tour. We found a Groupon to save some extra $$. read more

This was a decent way to see the town. The tour guides we had were pretty funny and as many times as we caught a different bus they never seemed to tell us the same thing. You can really take your time and make a full day of this. The downside is it is fast paced around the town and there are only 9 stops which means you still have to walk pretty far to get off and go see most things. We noticed the Old Town Trolley tour bus stops at 20 locations and we saw it stopping at many places we were having to walk to. We chose this particular one based on the free harbor boat tour. That was a complete disappointment. The dingy boat was overcrowded which meant we had to sit inside and try to see through a grimy window which was a bore. My advice is to consider some of the other trolley tours. read more

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Worst tour service in New York . Slow, voice recording of land sights are off. Just awful read more

We loved these guys! I actually left my phone on the trolley and the driver was able to get it back to me safely! Plus they were Truly knowledgeable and shared very hilarious stories about the city of Boston and themselves. Thomas Collins is a Rock read more

The Duck tour was sold out so we settled on the trolley tour. Overpriced for what you get and the stops aren't in great locations. Last trolley runs around 5pm so we didn't get much use out of the on and off. Would not recommend to others. read more

We purchased the Boston Go unlimited card experience which included City View Trolley Tours. The tour was good, but in retrospect I would have chosen the other "trolley company" because they have many more stops and a larger tour area. I was disappointed that this tour did not go to the a Prudential Center or MIT/Harvard campuses (the other one does). Also we were told that the trolleys pick up at each stop every 20-25 min. Many times, our wait was longer. The limited stops equal a lot of walking to see the sights. read more

We bought tickets for this tour on a Thursday, choosing it because it was cheaper than the competitor. This proved a mistake. The first driver/guide was a boorish lout who failed to even point out the holocaust memorial near Faneuil Square, and made an excessive amount of unfunny, lewd and sexist jokes. We got off the trolley and when we tried to board again, three consecutive trolleys were too full to accommodate us. We gave up after a short and crowded 2nd ride through a short portion of the circuit. I recommend avoiding this company. read more

The city view trolley tours is great! Tracy was an excellent guide and made Piper's day!

I think this is a great way to see the city. I do like that it's on and off all day and they do give you really good information. The tour guides are very nice. My only complaint is they don't seem to have enough busses toward the end of the day. At every stop you don't know what you're going to get if people are getting on and off etc. and when buses are full, they can't take anybody,so you're stuck waiting for the next one. I also happened to be there on the Fourth of July, so that might've had something to do with it. I'd like to get back to Boston and take a couple of days to see it. I do not recommend going on the Fourth of July other than to see the reading of the constitution etc. It's just too difficult to get around town. But all in all I do recommend this company. read more

We had a great time! This is the way to see Boston. Gives a great overview. The ride was comfortable and the drivers both entertaining and informative. The stops are sometimes hard to find, but you can flag down a bus when you see them. They also get full at the end of the day, so plan accordingly read more

The buses are pretty okay, and the drivers are amicable. However, the tour is not very long, and the information provided is very limited.

This is billed as a "convenient hop on- hop off", is nothing close to that!! We paid the money because my wife is disabled, but want to see the historical site. Each stop is at a minimum three block walk!! The riding tour is fine, but don't be fool by the "drop you at the door" notion. Be prepared to WALK!!! read more

Doug! You're the best tour guide ever!! My mom and I were browsing the brochures at the Long Wharf Hilton and a guy let us in on a secret: this was his favorite all-inclusive tour of Boston. So we figured, what the hell, we'll give it a try; we weren't committed to anything else. That guy was totally right! I'm so glad he made the random recommendation because this is one of the best bus tours I've ever taken of a city. Period. Tickets: $32/person Includes: Bus tour (approx. 50 minutes if you sit through all the stops at once), hop on/hop off at any stop, two days of rides and a 45 minute boat tour of Boston Harbor. So we board the bus to do the circuit because the tour is live. Our driver, Doug, was awesome. He told stories about the history of Boston, Massachusetts, the Revolutionary War, sports - you name it, he discussed it! He was funny and informative - I really liked the guy, honestly. He did a great job and had his speech down to a science. I highly, highly recommend. They let you know about all the stops, the history and the important stuff to see/do. I'll definitely be using my second day of the bus tour before January 1, 2010 (that's when it expires) so hopefully I'll see Doug when I go back! read more

We bought a pass from the visitors information station located on the south side of Boston Common park. Again, this park is a few blocks south of the Beacon Hill residential area. There are several options but the trolleys have a last pickup at 5 pm in August. The drive/tour guide range in personality and information and will answer any questions. We had Matt on Saturday afternoon and he was a blast. He provided Information on the history along the route and added lots of humor along the way. This is a great way to see the Boston area with some historical information. We got a good look at the city view route and found places that we wanted to visit again from this tour. On this tour, there are 9 stops where you can get on or off until the next trolley arrives. They arrive at each stop at about 10-15 minutes. The seats are comfortable with open windows and great views while travelling through the city. You have to check the last pick time because on Friday it was 5pm then on Saturday it was 5:30 pm. Do this upon arriving in Boston then you can figure out where to go. read more

My tour guide on the bus was hilarious. I loved him. The tour was nice and informative but I'm glad we had him, because without his personality, I would have been less than impressed. The free boat cruise was not my cup of tea. I found it super boring. Genevieve was very sweet, but I found that her personality was lacking. The whole layout of kiosks is super confusing. I had to ask six different stations where I could redeem my online tickets for actual paper tickets. They told me it's because Boston didn't let them put up any signs. Okay, but then why have all these other kiosks within 500 feet of one another if they can't redeem tickets!? At least post a sign on the kiosk saying, "ticket kiosk up ahead or around corner on Jefferson Ave..etc" read more

My fiance and I were in the city for two days in mid-December, and since he had never been to Boston I bought a City View Trolley Tour Groupon for the tour and USS Constitution visit. The mobile website said they were open year round 7 days/week, and so I purchased the Groupon on the assumption that the mobile site was correct. I was less than thrilled when, two days before our Boston trip, I decided to check the computer website and that said that they only ran on weekends in the winter months. I wrote to them and asked which hours were correct, and it turned out they were only open Saturday and Sunday. I was unable to get a refund, as it had been more than a week since I purchased the Groupon and City View refused to help. There was no way for me to recoup the money, and City View was less than courteous over email. I'm sure it's a good tour, but don't trust the mobile website. Apparently "7 days/week year round" means "except when it's cold". read more

Found this groupon deal for Trolley hop on off and cruise for $20. The driver was very helpful, friendly, informative and funny! The stops are easy to find and very timely. Harbour cruise was awesome. Older boat but 3 levels and very good info the tour guide gave. Only real negative was the ticket guy at the #1 he's a total jerk!! read more

Only had a few hours to spend in Boston, so the most effective way to see the sights was a trolley tour. We walked up and booked the hour-long tour so our ticket price was $26 ($27 if using a credit card). It's probably cheaper when booking online. We boarded the trolley and were off in minutes. I loved our driver - he was hilarious and offered a lot of information about the history of the area. I was amazed that he could drive and be funny and do question and answer. Wish I had gotten his name so I could recommend him. The trolley seats are comfortable and the trolley itself is open-air, which was nice on what was a sunny but breezy day. I recommend the trolley tour if you have limited time to see the sights. The tourist area is fairly compacted. There's a lot to see, so it's nice to be able to see it all in an hour while getting history lessons in as well. If we had more time, I imagine we could have used the hour-long tour to help us pick out specific places we wanted to see on foot as part of the hop-on/hop-off package the company also sells. Maybe next time. For $27, I feel like I definitely got my money's worth, especially since our driver was awesome (ask for the guy that can play a drum solo with his horn!). read more

What a great way to get around Boston! We had a fantastic time touring the city and our guide/driver Tom Collins was both informative and entertaining! read more

I had just a half day in Boston to explore before I flew out in the afternoon, and wanted to get a feel for the city so I did a City View Trolley Tour and it was totally the right move. The first tour guide/driver was hilarious and informative all at the same time. The second one was informative and nice, just not as funny. The trolley took us everywhere we wanted to go and was a perfect way to get around. The only challenge we had was finding the stops to get back on. Make sure you get a route map...we didn't! read more

I came with three friends and we wanted to do a tour of Boston that involved a boat ride. We stopped by the Harbor and considered doing a duck tour. The duck tours were sold out so we opted for a trolley tour with a free boat cruise. $36 + $1 in tax per person. The boat cruise was a 45 minute inner harbor cruise. It was good and showed you a lot around the different coastal areas of Boston. You'll be sure to hear plenty of historical facts that you may not have known. The trolley was excellent. We boarded Vacation Vinny's trolley and he introduced us to "his" city. It was so cool to be hearing about the town from an old Italian local who has no problem telling it like it is (political correctness be damned!) If you wind up lucky enough to get Vinny you'll not only get an amazing tour but you'll be spending most of the tour laughing at his humor and sarcasm. Vinny really went the extra mile and was livid when a bus in front of us was miserably failing at navigating the streets. He went so far as to jump off the trolley to get involved (I'm not clear on if he was going to help direct traffic or fight the other driver but it was amazing to watch play out regardless!) Absolute 5 star experience. Ask if you can get Vinny and hold on to your sides - he's a riot! read more

The trolleys are low to the ground, the seats are uncomfortable, the drivers almost completely unprofessional. They pulled right up on the left taller trolleys owned by the competition trying to cut them off in traffic, increasing the volume of their speaker while their competitors drove politely in traffic. Plus his comments under his breath were completely unprofessional. We finally got off the trolley just to end our ordeal. This was supposed to be a relaxing day. Yes this tour is less expensive ACS far poorer quality as well. After lunch we bought new two day tickets from the competition. The green and orange trolleys. They were far more professional, the Cito more comfortable, and they truly gave a city view from higher up. They were well worth the price. read more

I live in the area and was looking for a gift for someone and saw an ad for City View Tours on Groupon. It's fun to take a day to be a tourist in your own city every once in a while! And there's no better time to be in Boston than the fall. I liked the trolleys. They were clean, it was easy to hop on and off. The trolley stops were relatively easy to find. The tour hits the major areas in the city and had some interesting facts about the city. And the open window option gave the tour a great outdoorsy feel and I felt connected with the places we were driving by. The tourguides were pretty funny and give you a glimpse into the life of a curmudgeonly middle age Boston man. Downsides: It was really hard to hear the drivers, especially when they talked while they were driving. They talked really fast and used unclear reference points ("the building on your left"). I've seen these places before but the poor tourist couple behind me was completely lost. The history information was decent but I agree with another reviewer that a lot of the stories were reminiscing about the good old days. Both drivers brought up drugs and alcohol which I thought was inappropriate since there were children on the tour. It is a helpful way to see the hot spots of the city and cover a lot of ground without worrying about trying to navigate public transportation. But if you're looking for a truly historical tour I recommend Duck Tours or a bike (Urban Adventours is fun!) or segway tour. read more

Great tour! Way more affordable than the other guys and you get the same service (I've been on the other guys' tour). Our first driver...was HILARIOUS!! Younger guy who kept joking every step of the way.... He alone was worth the $$... Through the day every driver was great and informative! You won't be disappointed! read more

The ride is very short and the information provided is very limited. We paid around $80 for 2 people and we would have been better off walking or taking an Uber to the historical sites we wanted to see. read more

Want to say how impressed we were with the outstanding customer service City View Trolly Tours provided us. While in Boston, we stopped at their booths to ask for details on various landmarks and excursions, they never missed a beat and gladly helped. Willy at Long Wharf was incredibly kind with a fantastic attitude. Hands down - 5 stars!! Thank you for helping us navigate your city. read more

A great way to see the city and get some history. Each driver has a different set of stories, so hopping on and off is a great way to learn a few new tidbits while visiting other areas on the route. read more

I purchased a Groupon for this. I knew I'd be taking a walking tour in the morning, so I figured a sit-down tour by trolley would be great in the afternoon. I was near the Old South Meeting House and went back to Faneuil Hall to one of their booths there. When I told them I had a voucher, I was told to to go 'stop one', around the corner and down a couple blocks. Since I didn't have a map, I didn't actually know where their stop one was, so two more booths later, I finally got there. Maybe I'm directionally challenged, but it should be made clearer there is only one place to redeem the voucher. To improve the customer experience, they should accept the voucher at other booths so a customer at least has the tickets in hand. The tour itself seemed really quick. We stayed on for a full circuit. Our guide was funny, but it struck me oddly that in just the the single loop, he brought up tipping three times. I get it dude...I saw the basket up front when I walked onto the trolley. I also noticed the 'tipping appreciated for good service' sign above the front window :) The tour guide was quite knowledgeable, but because he was driving and narrating at the same time, I felt like I was rubbernecking at times trying to catch a sight before it disappeared while we turned a corner. It was a tour that invited you to step off and explore more. If you'd like a fuller tour, I recommend one of the walking tours where the pace is a bit slower. read more