When making travel plans for your student’s summer program, you may decide to have them travel to Cambridge, MA on their own, or you may decide to travel with them. If you choose the latter and need some time to recoup before your journey home, here are some recommendations on how you could spend your time in the Boston area.

Feeling hungry?

If you need a snack or quick bite to eat, try one of our student and staff favorites in Harvard Square:

  • Playa Bowl: Smoothie bowls
  • Felipe’s: Fast casual TexMex
  • El Jefe’s Taqueria: Fast casual TexMex
  • Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe: Sandwiches, wraps, and assorted gourmet grocery items
  • Pinocchio’s Pizza: Pizza and comfort food
  • Tasty Burger: Burgers, Shakes, and sides
  • Insomnia Cookies: Late-night cookies, milk, and Ice-cream 
  • Amorino Gelato: Italian-style gelato 
  • Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream: Ice cream and sweet treats
  • Zinneken’s Belgian Waffles: Belgian waffles and beverages

If sitting down for a memorable meal is on your Boston itinerary, you will find amazing food all around. Here are some of our recommendations:

  • Alden & Harlow: Restaurant in Harvard Square with a great upscale burger
  • Dali: Spanish Tapas restaurant a 20 minute walk from Harvard Square
  • Krasi: Greek restaurant in Boston’s Back Bay
  • Little Donkey: international small plates, plus craft brews & cocktails in Central Square
  • Orinoco: Latin American restaurant in Harvard Square
  • Russell House Tavern: New American cuisine and cocktails in the heart of Harvard Square
  • Sugar & Spice Thai: Thai restaurant a 25 minute walk from Harvard Square
  • Wusong Road: Asian fusion restaurant and tiki bar in Harvard Square

Need a Caffeine Fix?

You won’t need to walk far to find great coffee and tea. Here are some of our staff’s favorites:

  • Black Sheep Bagel Cafe: Coffee and bagels
  • Tatte Bakery & Cafe: Coffee, pastries, and small plates
  • Broadsheet Coffee Roasters: Espresso drinks and pastries 
  • Blue Bottle Coffee: Sustainable coffee
  • Pavement Coffeehouse: Coffee and pastries located inside our Smith Campus Center
  • Dunkin Donuts: A Boston Favorite! Donuts, coffee, and breakfast food 

Want to explore Boston?

The Boston Calendar is a useful resource for events happening in the area. There is a lot happening this summer, including farmers markets, art classes, live music, and tours such as The Innovation Trail and a Harvard Square Food Tour.

Excited to Experience Harvard?

Look through the Harvard event calendar for events happening at Harvard such as Harvard Public Art tours or get tickets to a show.

Want to be a Harvard Student Too?

Harvard Professional & Executive Development offers short, intensive programs on business and leadership topics that provide you with the strategies you need to return to the office ready to solve today’s challenges. Consider arriving early or staying a few days later to earn a certificate and add Harvard to your resume before returning home.

Consider These Programs

Ready for your own adventure?

The Amtrak leaves from South Station and Back Bay stations in Boston. If you want to explore the East Coast, these routes can take you somewhere nearby for your own summer trip.

You can also take a ferry from Boston to Provincetown, Cape Cod.