duck tour vs hop on hop off boston

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Hop on hop off vs. duck boat tour - Boston Forum

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Hop on hop off vs. duck boat tour

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If your family includes young kids they would most likely prefer the duck tour.

HOHO is more flexible and has a whole lot more 'facts' and passes by many more historic sites.

The Duck boat is more fun.

I’ve done both many times with school groups. I would suggest the hop on hop off trolley. Take one loop around and then decide where you want to get off. The duck boat is great, but it is only one ride where the hop on hop off is good for an extended period of time.

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Hop on hop off vs. duck boat tour - Boston Forum

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If your family includes young kids they would most likely prefer the duck tour.

HOHO is more flexible and has a whole lot more 'facts' and passes by many more historic sites.

The Duck boat is more fun.

I’ve done both many times with school groups. I would suggest the hop on hop off trolley. Take one loop around and then decide where you want to get off. The duck boat is great, but it is only one ride where the hop on hop off is good for an extended period of time.

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A Comparison of Boston Hop-on Hop-off Tours

By land and by water there are many great ways for visitors to move around Boston and see all of the major sights. Here’s a look at the different hop-on, hop-off tour options.

(Photo: Getyourguide.com)

The City of Boston is an iconic major US destination. Being also one of the closest points to Europe, many international flights arrive here, bringing in millions of tourists who are eager to walk the Freedom Trail, and visit the city’s fine institutions, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, or the Boston Tea Party Ships. Luckily, many of the city’s top sights are strung together by a couple of excellent hop-on, hop-off tours, some of which combine with other fun ways to explore Boston.

Boston Hop-on Hop-off Trolley

This great, accessible day ticket option gives you unlimited use of a route that connects many of Boston’s main sights via nine separate stops. Each stop is placed to provide easy walking access to two or more major landmarks and attractions, such as the USS Constitution and Old Ironsides stop, or the Paul Revere House and Little Italy stop. The trolley runs daily from 9:30am to 4:30pm, with departures from each one every ten to 30 minutes, depending on the season. From $41 per person.

Book at Getyourguide.com

Old Town Hop-on Hop-off Trolley

A different trolley tour company sells one- or two-day tickets and operates via 18 different stops. While you may not have time to visit the 100-plus attractions that are close to these stops, you’ll certainly get a great opportunity to explore much of the city. The characterful orange and green trolleys operate from 9am to 6pm daily and you can get a discounted entry ticket to the Tea Party Ships and Museum with this option. Stops include Liberty Wharf, Harvard, the site where Cheers was filmed, and more. From $48 per person.

Boston Duck Boat Sightseeing City Tour

Boston is arranged around the estuary of the Charles River, as it flows out into the island-dotted Massachusetts Bay. As such, there’s plenty of water to navigate and it’s a great way to get an alternative glimpse of the city. The duck boat has always been one of the most exhilarating ways to explore any city, switching between water and tarmac with ease. These amphibious vehicles are actually renovated from WWII, so you’ll be riding in a piece of history. This tour is a more traditional stay on board tour, taking roughly 80 minutes, with 20 minutes on the Charles River. From $54 per person.

Book at Viator.com

(Photo: Viator.com)

Go Boston Explorer Pass

One final option is to combine a hop-on hop-off tour with a pass that allows you access to a designated number of major attractions in the city. Your pass is valid for 60 days and allows you access to the CityView Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing tour for one day. Basic passes allow free entry to two other attractions. You can choose from more than 20 major museums and activities, including the Museum of Fine Arts, USS Constitution Museum, New England Aquarium, Franklin Park Zoo and many more. Four-attraction and five-attraction passes are also available. From $59 per person.

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Duck Tour or Hop on Hop Off? - Boston Forum

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Duck Tour or Hop on Hop Off?

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You will get to experience more on the hop on/hop off but the Duck Tour is more fun, IMO.

Yes, the hop on/hop off will be more in-depth as you get off at sites and can go at your own pace. The Duck Tour is meant to be more fun, but you will get a good overview of the city. You don't stop and get off anywhere.

Then I read my Frommers guide. It said Boston very walkable, trolleys go near some sites but not close enough. If you are in town for any length of time do not do it. They are really for people short of time. we are there 5 nights, so they went out. However we may change our minds when we get there next week

Sounds some sort of off-on tour ideal for you though cause you are short of time.

We have done the on-off tours in many cities and find them quite good. We did one in London. we were only there one day. Considering going back to London and surprised to find we really got good taste of best sites.

I agree Boston is walkable, but I don't agree with the rest of this. If you are here 5 days, I think doing a tour very first thing is a good way to get the basic framework of the town. Yes, it is true they don't/can't get right next to some of the sites--that is what the remaining 4.5 days could be used for. Also, I'm a big fan of on/off on nice weather days*, since you can go see, for example, the Boston Public Library up close, then get back on a trolley and continue the tour. Finally, I think most trolleys actually allow you to use them for two days, so you can split the more "in depth" stops between two days. And you can still walk the Freedom Trail (most of which is not trolley accessible) during, in between, after, whenever!

That all said, if you've got a good guidebook and map in hand, taking a trolley certainly isn't a requirement! Especially if you prefer doing things on your own. I just don't agree with some of Frommer's logic.

*Beware, however, of getting off the trolley on really bad weather/hard rain days. You may have to wait a long time to get back on.

And we may still take hop-on tour, but my wife spent 3 weeks at Harvard on work session. with two week-ends free she has already gotten familiar with Boston . I am the one who has not seen Boston.

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Boston Duck boat tour and the Hop on Hop off Trolley Tour, okay to do both?

By swdke , July 7, 2022 in Canada/New England

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Was wondering about doing both the Boston Duck boat tour and the Hop on Hop off Trolley Tour.  Any one done the same?  Took much overlap?  Thanks 

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The Duck boat tour is great to get an idea of sites. For the Hop on Hop off, are you planning to do that, or just do the circuit?

princeton123211

7 hours ago, swdke said: Was wondering about doing both the Boston Duck boat tour and the Hop on Hop off Trolley Tour.  Any one done the same?  Took much overlap?

I would say thats accurate about too much overlap, at least in the core of the downtown area. The HoHo tour will take you out to Charlestown Navy Yard/Bunker Hill as well as down into the Seaport area that the Duck Tour doesn't. The Duck Tour spends this time in the water between Boston and Cambridge. 

If you can live without the novelty of doing the Duck Tour, the Hoho tour will help you cover more ground and actually get off and see things. If you do the Duck Tour, use the time before or afterwards to just walk some of the Freedom Trail and touch up a few sites you won't get to see. 

Really no wrong answer but both of them together is a bit overkill. 

We did the Duck in Halifax and was not thrilled and did not attract us to do it somewhere else.

Anyone considering a Duck Boat tour, wherever it may be, should first take a look at the safety issues. 

We've done the HoHo off from near the cruise port in Boston. At the end we hopped off at the Quincy Market area and after visiting there for some yummy food we caught the HoHo off back to the ship. We had such an amazing driver actually no one hopped off either until the end.

Duck boat does the water plus part of the land that the HOHO does.  You get all the land parts on the HOHO.

Duck boat safety has been greatly improved over the past few years with the introduction of a separate guide and driver, instead of one person trying to do everything, distracting from safety

I love the trolley tour. You can make it a whole day as opposed to the Duck Boat.

Great stops in the trolley too.

Boston Tea Party Museum

New England Aquarium

Little Italy 

USS Constitution

Quincy Market

Boston Common

I go every year and it never gets old.

• 1 month later...

Can we get tickets for the HOHO when we get off the ship or is it cheaper to get them on line before hand?

3 hours ago, bren61 said: Can we get tickets for the HOHO when we get off the ship or is it cheaper to get them on line before hand?

Easy to walk to the HOHO ticket booth right by where your ship docks and buy your ticket.

Pricing we found wasn't worth the difference just in case we changed our mind or the weather was bad. Do what works out best for you.

8 hours ago, Ashland said: Easy to walk to the HOHO ticket booth right by where your ship docks and buy your ticket. Pricing we found wasn't worth the difference just in case we changed our mind or the weather was bad. Do what works out best for you.

Thanks, I think that's what we'll do also so we won't be locked in, never know what the day is going to bring.

Quick question, if we do the HOHO, and we hop off at any stop,  how long before the next bus comes along to hop back on?

2 hours ago, cwms said: Quick question, if we do the HOHO, and we hop off at any stop,  how long before the next bus comes along to hop back on?

Not long but that can and does vary by location. We had such an amazing driver/guide no one hopped off ours as we all wanted to do the round trip with him but most everyone got off just before the last stop back at the port which was Faneuil Hall. Just amazing food in the Market area. 

How does everyone get to the waterfront from the ship? I’m hearing it’s about 2 miles away.

2 minutes ago, KATHYMAC68 said: How does everyone get to the waterfront from the ship? I’m hearing it’s about 2 miles away.

If you are at the Black Falcon Terminal, there should be shuttle buses located at the Terminal entrance.

3 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:   If you are at the Black Falcon Terminal, there should be shuttle buses located at the Terminal entrance.

RCI has a shore excursion which is just a transfer from the ship to the waterfront. They are charging over $50 for this!

1 minute ago, KATHYMAC68 said: RCI has a shore excursion which is just a transfer from the ship to the waterfront. They are charging over $50 for this!

We are on Cunard and they never charged 50.......it was not designated as a shore excursion neither but shuttle. I would research this. Sounds funny.

50 for shuttle?

I’m sure the shuttle is different. So that’s good to know. This is the shore excursion they are offering. Who would pay this when they offer a shuttle?? Lol

5 minutes ago, KATHYMAC68 said: I’m sure the shuttle is different. So that’s good to know. This is the shore excursion they are offering. Who would pay this when they offer a shuttle?? Lol

Sorry you got me.....different from what we experienced. 

6 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:   Sorry you got me.....different from what we experienced. 

I’m hoping they have that shuttle you mentioned. Was it through the cruise line or the port? Did you have to book it or was it just there when you got off the ship?

2 hours ago, KATHYMAC68 said: I’m hoping they have that shuttle you mentioned. Was it through the cruise line or the port? Did you have to book it or was it just there when you got off the ship?

Could book it early but had a table in the terminal. It was not part of the line. It was announced in the Daily Programme of the ship.

I mean this sounds like an excursion since it is 4 hours long but you're on your own which confuses me.

But hope there is a SHUTTLE only available for you. Boston is a Fun City with a lot of activity and a lot to see. Pls do your research to enjoy the whole experience. 

On 8/16/2022 at 2:37 AM, Ashland said: Easy to walk to the HOHO ticket booth right by where your ship docks and buy your ticket. Pricing we found wasn't worth the difference just in case we changed our mind or the weather was bad. Do what works out best for you.

Ok, so the ticket booth is close by, but what about the first (closest) hop on spot.

On 7/9/2022 at 12:16 PM, KATHYMAC68 said: I love the trolley tour. You can make it a whole day as opposed to the Duck Boat. Great stops in the trolley too. Boston Tea Party Museum New England Aquarium Little Italy  USS Constitution Quincy Market Boston Common I go every year and it never gets old.

is this the service you are talking about. just started research and didnt know if there's more than one HOHO or this is it . thanks

also curious the approximate wait times for the trolley . we are going on a monday which of course means normal business traffic as well. 

https://www.trolleytours.com/boston/hop-on-hop-off

this is why i'm confused about which hoho to take lol

https://www.cityviewtrolleys.com/

also i see something called gocity that for 69 bucks includes many attractions plus the trolley

38 minutes ago, luckyinpa said: this is why i'm confused about which hoho to take lol   https://www.cityviewtrolleys.com/   also i see something called gocity that for 69 bucks includes many attractions plus the trolley

I use the Go City card every time I’m in Boston. Even for the 1 days it’s worth it. You can go to the aquarium, take the hoho trolley ride, visit the uss constitution, take a boat ride all in one day for that price. And if you have AAA they offer a discount!

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Boston Combo: Duck Boat Sightseeing Tour & Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour

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Old Town Trolley Tours of Boston 4.3

Hop On Hop Off Boston Tours

Welcome to Boston!

We Bostonians take great pride in our city and its rich history, doing our best to preserve the sites and structures that have played an important role in the story of America. For over 40 years, Old Town Trolley has provided Boston sightseeing tours highlighting the best of the city.

Join us in honoring our 40-year legacy as Boston’s Original Storyteller!

As we mark our 40th Anniversary as Boston’s Original Storyteller, we reflect on our legacy. For generations, we’ve transported locals and visitors through the rich tapestry of Boston’s history, highlighting its transformation. From colonial landmarks to modern marvels, Old Town Trolley has been there to showcase the best of Boston first, making every ride a memorable journey through time. Join us as we celebrate this milestone all year long.

“Hop aboard one of our trolleys and you’ll experience Transportainment ® , a delightful combination of transportation and entertainment.”

Our friendly conductors narrate the tour with a fascinating and fun mix of trivia and humorous stories. It will be our pleasure to guide you through the city known as “the Cradle of Liberty” on one of our orange and green trolleys.

Old Town Trolley Tours is the best way to see the city. Because we cover the entire city, you can avoid costly parking and city driving. The tour is also designed so that you can hop on and off and explore the Best Places to See in Boston . With frequent pickups at all our stops, this helps you avoid walking long distances.

“One of the 10 best hop-on hop-off tours in the world”

• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
• Most frequent hop on & off all day tour of Boston
• Ride up high without worrying about the weather
• Start your Boston tour at any of our convenient stops
• More than 100 Points of Interest
• Boston’s most comprehensive tour fully narrated by our expert tour conductors

Your ticket includes:

• 50% off Historic Harbor Cruise*
• $10 off Ghosts & Gravestones Tour*
• $6 off admission to Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum*
• $5 off admission to Boston Summer Nights Tour & Charles River Cruise* (May 24 – September 2, 2024)
• 50% off admission at The Sports Museum*

*Applies to standard trolley pass. Pass is non-transferable. Other restrictions may apply. Pass discounts have no cash value and are not refundable and non-transferable. Historic Harbor Cruise and Boston Summer Nights Tour & Charles River Cruise operate seasonally. Sports Museum: Must be redeemed within 48 hours from the day your Old Town Trolley Tour was taken. Please present your Trolley receipt at Sports Museum Information Desk. No need to book in advance. Check hours of operations and tour times. May not be combined with any other promos, offers or discounts. 5% city fee charged at time of purchase.

“With your trolley ticket, you’ll receive our free full color map and the chance to purchase our Essential Guide book for $5 with all our stops & things to do at each one!”

In order to give you a real taste of the city, our Hop On Hop Off Boston Tour covers all the major areas including Downtown, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the Theater District, and the Waterfront District. Stand on the very ground where Samuel Adams, James Otis, and other revolutionary leaders urged their fellow colonials to fight for liberty in Faneuil Hall . See the spot where the Boston Massacre occurred just outside the Old State House. Walk along the Boston Harbor where the Redcoats marched ashore in 1768.

There’s no better way to see all of Boston than with Old Town Trolley Tours.

To receive a brochure by mail, go to  contact us.

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Boston Combo: Duck Boat Sightseeing Tour & Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour

• 80-minute Duck Boat Tour of Boston
• Narrated tour of Boston with your own personal ConDUCKtor
• 20-minute boat ride along the Charles River
• 1-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour of Boston with Old Town Trolley
• Multi-lingual Audio Guides available for Duck Boat Tour
• Bonus: free weekday tour of Harvard & MIT, and a free Tea Tasting at the Boston Tea Party Ships
• See top Boston areas such as Fenway Park, Faneuil Hall, Copley Plaza, and more!
• 18+ stops on Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour including Cheers Bar, Seaport, and Copley Square
• Entry/Admission - Boston
• Admission to Attractions
• Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
• Option 1 Museum Of Science Driveway, Boston, MA 02114, USA
• Option 2 New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
• Option 3 53 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02199, USA Prudential/Copley
• Wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Near public transportation
• Transportation is wheelchair accessible
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travelers can participate
• Duck Boat Multi-lingual Audio Guides available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese, and Chinese from the Prudential Center and Museum of Science departure locations only.
• IMPORTANT: Please reference your voucher immediately after purchase for information on scheduling your duck boat tour time.
• IMPORTANT: Please note that your Hop-On Hop-Off tickets will be handed to you after you check into your duck boat tour on day of travel. You will not be able to redeem this voucher directly with the trolley.
• Free weekday tours of Harvard/MIT, and free Tea Tastings at the Boston tea Party Museum must be redeemed on the same date of travel as your Duck Boat Tour.
• Admission to the Boston Tea Party Museum is not included with your free tea tasting.
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 35 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• You’ll have 3 starting options See departure details
• 1 Boston Duck Tours Prudential Center Departure Location Stop: 80 minutes - Admission included See details Pass by Boston Public Garden Boston Common Boston Public Library Old State House Museum of Science TD Garden Newbury Street Massachusetts State House Boylston Street Charles River Esplanade Copley Square Old South Church in Boston Prudential Center
• 2 Charles River Stop: 20 minutes See details
• You'll return to the starting point

• meganbY1467AZ 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fun for the whole family! Such a fun tour! Great historic information, funny jokes, and seeing Boston from the streets and Charles River was so fun! They let the kids drive while we were in the water too! This is my second time and won’t be the last! Read more Written April 15, 2024
• Dreamer543279 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great tour, solar eclipse, quack quack:) Great tour with my family and bonus - a solar eclipse:) Wonderful tour guide with good insights on Boston. Quack, quack! Read more Written April 9, 2024
• michellesP7579BU 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Worth every McDuck penny! Worth every dime! From the truck/boat, tour guide and sights, this is a great start to visiting Boston! And if you want $10.00 off per ticket, book the 9:00am or 9:30am tour. GO DO IT! Read more Written April 7, 2024
• nerine2023 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A must do in Boston A must do in Boston. Very informative and you get to see a wide range of Boston. The tour guide was entertaining. The views from the river was awesome Read more Written February 24, 2024
• pablodK2171SJ 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles The Best tour ever The guides made everything really interactive and we really got to learn a lot about Boston’s history. A must do activity Read more Written January 13, 2024
• danzN540GW 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Boston Duck Tours is fun. An excellent tour of Revolutionary Boston. The water part was a lot of fun, but short. The tour guide was funny and deeply knowledgeable. Ms. Wich knew enormous amounts about early Boston history and presented it in a fun and humorous way. Next time I'm in Boston I plan on taking the Boston Duck Tour again for the fun of it. Read more Written November 9, 2023
• daniellewU710AZ 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Hot Wheels is the best tour guide This was one of the best city tours i have ever been on. So much history and such a fun experience. It's really good for all ages. Our guide, Hot Wheels was so fun and so knowledgeable about the city. He had great stories and was very up beat. Read more Written November 8, 2023
• evamochi8 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Had a great time! It was our first day and outing in Boston and we couldn't have started it better. Our guide and driver were welcoming, funny and informative. I took some mental notes of places of interest to visit along the way after hearing the stories behind them. My friend got to "drive" the boat once on the river and had a great time. We also stayed to chat with our guide for a few minutes after the tour and were given some more recommendations. Highly recommend! Read more Written November 7, 2023
• theresahH6042MH 0 contributions 2.0 of 5 bubbles Difficult to follow! We went into it knowing it was a bit silly, but our “Narrator” was SO difficult to follow, in that he was all over the place in his narration!! Don’t go if you want any real history. Not worth the 100+ dollars spent. Read more Written November 6, 2023
• 512dainisk 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles I would not recommend to my friends.  The only tourist trip to Boston which was highly recommended. And, it is probably true if you are traveling with family and kids. However, it was a disappointment for me. I felt like I was in kindergarten with basic jokes from the guide and very superficial information regarding history. I would expect less "show" and more professional guidance. Do not expect any sightseeing in the water, just a round of boat trip for those never been in the boat. Pity, I would not recommend to my friends.  Read more Written October 31, 2023
• argenisc2016 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Nice thing to do, once. It was really fun for the family. They do take you around so there's a good amount of sightseeing. Of course it is really fun when the truck goes into the water and they even let us drive it for a bit and take pictures doing so. In my opinion a bit expensive. Read more Written October 30, 2023
• fedcba 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Entertaining and Informative It's definitely not the cheapest thing to do in Boston but a worthwhile experience with great information about the city and history. Highlight for kids: sitting in the captain's seat and driving the Duck in the water! Read more Written October 30, 2023
• Compass11058286354 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Take this Tour, you'll be glad you did Captain Super Size made the adventure fantastic. Super Size shares a wealth of Boston knowledge - both the common facts and the lesser know facts/myths. He was hilarious too! My only regret is we didn’t take this tour sooner, that way we could have done it again! Fantastic, conductor very informative, entertaining and hilarious! Wonderful experience highly recommend it!! Read more Written October 29, 2023
• Sandra G 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Splish made a splash with us We picked the tour up at the harbour keen to see the city sites. Not taken a duck tour before so we thought we’d give it a go! Apart from the seats being very uncomfortable it was great. A major factor of that was the guide, who called himself Splish. Knowledgable and thoroughly entertaining. My husband even had a go at driving the duck on the water. We had a great time. Read more Written October 28, 2023
• X278FOdaleb 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Should have been a 5 star Riding the DUCK amphibious vehicle was a unique experience that shouldn't be missed. The historical route through the streets, amazing views from the Charles River, and accompanying narration by the narrator were (mostly...see next sentence) interesting, entertaining, and educational. Unfortunately, the narrator (in this case space girl with multi-colored hair) made a number of unnecessarily derogatory, condescending, and inaccurate comments about people in American history, which greatly diminished the enjoyment of the tour. For example, she said 1. John Hancock signed his name to the Declaration of Independence in large letters because he was so arrogant (actually, it was to irk King George III); 2. the founding fathers were drama queens (thus, conducting the Boston tea party and "misnaming" the shooting of five local citizens by British troops a massacre); and 3. the Puritans were total narcs. Whether you agree with her or not, her descriptions were not appropriate for a mixed audience. Hopefully, the other narrators are better. Overall, this tour is worthwhile but you may want to ask about the views of your narrator before spending your money to be offended by their remarks. Read more Written October 23, 2023

More to explore in Boston

Boston Combo: Duck Boat Sightseeing Tour & Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour provided by Boston Duck Tours