Boston a cultured, historic port of call

BUDGET

Getting there: Frequent sales from $84 one-way are typically valid Saturdays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays. MBTA Silver Line bus links the airport and downtown areas, fare $1.25.

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Union Oyster House

King Louis-Philippe of France once dined at the Union Oyster House, so you know it has to be good.

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Boston’s Little Italy is full of great pasta and coffee, especially Caffe Vittoria, the city’s oldest Italian cafe.

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FAYFOTO, Boston/Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau

Take a walk along the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail or stop by the USS Constitution Museum for a dose of history.

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Stay: The upscale Omni Parker House offers rates from $111.20 on weekends through Dec. 31 when booked on an American Express card. Minimum two-night stay and blackout dates may apply. 60 School St., 617-227-8600. Another choice at Faneuil Hall Marketplace: the Harborside Inn, from $179. 185 State St., 617-723-7500, www.harborsideinnboston.com.

Eat: Authentic Cuban dishes at El Oriental de Cuba — pollo a la parilla (grilled chicken smothered in onions) and pargo en salsa (red snapper in a spicy sauce), are under $14. End with sweet Cuban coffee and custard flan ($2). 416 Centre St., 617-524-6464, www.elorientaldecuba.com.

Experience: Walk the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail that passes historic sites of the American Revolution. Download a free MP3 podcast tour at www.boston.com/travel/boston/freedomtrail/podcast.

MODERATE

Getting there: One-week advance rates, valid daily, are $184 each way on AirTran or Delta. Take a water taxi from the Logan Boat Dock to Rowes Wharf, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., $10 one-way, $17 round-trip.

Stay: The small, classic European-style hotel, the Lenox, offers guests free Wi-Fi and plush terry robes. Rates from $249 include tickets to the Museum of Science. Pricier corner rooms are spacious with wood-burning fireplaces and fab views of the Charles River. 61 Exeter St., 617-536-5300, www.lenoxhotel.com.

Eat: Head to Little Italy for the finest in fresh pastries, coffee and espresso. Caffe Vittoria is Boston’s oldest Italian cafe. 290 Hanover St., 617-227-7606, www.vittoriacaffe.com. Head to Ten Tables for handmade pasta, house-made sausages, $18-$25. 597 Centre St., 617-524-8810.

Experience: More than 2,500 paintings by the likes of Matisse, Degas and Raphael are housed in an eccentric Venetian-style villa at the intimate Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. 280 The Fenway, 617-566-1401, www.gardnermuseum.org.

SPLURGE

Getting there: One-way, walk-up Business Class, $343 on AirTran or Delta.

Stay: One of the world’s best, Boston Harbor Hotel is a landmark at Rowes Wharf. The Mobil Five-Star property (one of only 41 nationwide) has a Five Stars on the Harbor package for weekend celebrations with panoramic harbor view accommodations, a five-course wine pairing dinner for two in Meritage (a Mobil Four-Star recipient) and breakfast for two, from $555. 70 Rowes Wharf, 617-439-7000, www.bhh.com.

Eat: Dubbed America’s oldest restaurant, the Union Oyster House (King Louis-Philippe of France was a guest) has the finest 2-pound lobsters, oyster stew, Boston clam chowder, raw bar, $50. 41 Union St., 617-227-2750, www.unionoysterhouse.com.

Experience: Symphony Hall hosts the Boston Symphony (www.bso.org) September-November and January-May; the Boston Pops (www.bostonpops.org) in December, June and July. 301 Massachusetts Ave.