Plan Your Visit

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Essential details for your trip to Harvard, including travel guidance, day-of information and navigating Harvard Yard with ease.

Hotels

We have compiled a list of local hotels below that may be helpful to you as you make plans for your visit. Hotels have been listed in order of distance to Harvard University. Please note that the University does not endorse any of these properties, rather this list has been prepared as a courtesy to our many guests attending Commencement and other related activities. 

Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts

Additional options in Boston within a short drive or taxi ride from Harvard University are listed below. Free shuttle service is available from Harvard Business School Alston Campus:

Parking

All visitors looking for Commencement Day parking, including guests needing accessible parking, should proceed to the Soldiers Field Park Garage on the Harvard Business School Campus, located at 111 Western Avenue in Allston. 

Please plan your visit accordingly as traffic in Cambridge will be extremely busy, with significant delays going to and from Harvard Square.

Additionally, Commencement Week visitors and guests should be aware that there are numerous commercial parking facilities in and around Harvard Square. Locations and additional information can be found on the Harvard Square website. Please be respectful of the Allston and Cambridge communities by not parking on residential streets.

For additional details please visit Harvard University Transportation & Parking. For a map of parking options at Harvard, please visit: Harvard Parking Map. 

Transportation

Public Transportation

The Harvard Square stop on the MBTA's Red Line subway is directly across the street from Harvard Yard. 

 

From South of Boston: Drive to Braintree MBTA station parking garage (Braintree exit 17 off of Route 3 coming from Cape Cod or the South Shore). Take the Red Line in the direction of Alewife to "Harvard." Allow approximately 45 minutes for the subway portion of the trip.

 

From the North of Boston: Drive to the Alewife MBTA station parking garage. Take the Red Line. Get off at the third stop, "Harvard." Allow fifteen minutes for the subway portion of the trip.

 

From the West of Boston: Drive to Riverside MBTA station in Newton, the western terminus of one branch of the Green Line (Exit 22A from Route 128), where there is an open-air parking lot. Take the Green Line to the "Park Street" stop. Go downstairs, following signs marked "Red Line to Alewife." Take train in the direction of Alewife four stops to "Harvard." Allow one hour for the subway portion of the trip.

Ride Share

Harvard Square is extremely populated on Commencement Morning and traffic can be very dense. When using a Ride Share application, you can enter the address: 1350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138. 

Shuttle & Van Services

Fixed Route Service: We will provide continuous bus service between the main parking areas at the Business School to Harvard Square. We will also provide service going from the Radcliffe Quad to Harvard Square near the yard. Shuttle buses will run between 6:30AM-9:00PM on May 29th and 8:00AM-9:00PM on May 28th. All vehicles are fully accessible for guests using wheelchairs and other mobility devices.

 

Day Time Van Service: We will operate fully accessible vans for people who, because of physical impairment or medical condition, find it difficult to use the fixed route shuttle buses. Use of this service is limited to those preapproved by Harvard Disability services. People who plan on using this service or who have guests coming to the university that wish to use the service should get approved by contacting disabilityresources@harvard.edu. After being approved we will book reservations for rides.

 

Evening Van Service: This service will run between 7:00PM - 3:00AM with the last call is taken at 2:30AM. It is open to the entire Harvard Community including visiting guests. It provides point to point ride service within our service boundaries around the Cambridge and Allston Campus. No advanced reservations are accepted. Rides can be requested at 617-495-0400.