Hahvahd Tour

The Hahvahd Tour is a tour of Harvard University that was started in June 2006 by Daniel Andrew and Jordan Jones, who felt there was a lack of entertainment in the official tours of Harvard University. Its goal is to “serve up an off-beat tour of Harvard Yard and the surrounding areas to the visitors that abound in Harvard Square.” The tour stood out from previously existing campus tours by its energy and its use of a dual-guide system, which allowed for a near-constant flow of information and entertainment. Although coming from humble beginnings, the tour has grown substantially in popularity, receiving news coverage from the Boston Globe (7/13/2006), Boston Herald (8/20/06), Harvard Crimson (9/27/06), Weekend America (9/6/06), and numerous other news organizations. Due to conflicts with Harvard University the tour group and its parent company has faced a number of name changes ranging from Unofficial Tours of Harvard to its current inception as Trademark Tours presents The Hahvahd Tour. Today, the tour is a popular tourist attraction for the greater Boston area and is still an entirely student-run and student-owned business that employs over 20 Harvard students.

Currently Trademark Tours starts every Hahvahd Tour outside of the Out of News Kiosk in Harvard Square and ends the tour in Winthrop Park. Relations with Harvard University have improved greatly as Trademark Tours is now officially affiliated with Harvard and the tours even end with a trip to the Harvard Shop which is run by the Harvard Student Agencies. In addition to the stop at the Harvard Shop the tour also partners with the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Daniel Andrew, the CEO of the parent company Trademark Tours, sits on the board of the Harvard Square Business Association. The Hahvahd Tour runs from March through November which is notable because the university-led tours halt operations during the tourist heavy summer months.

The original payment mechanism of the Hahvahd Tour was for customers to pay at the end of tour but today the company has the option to buy tickets on their website. The company also gives out free maps of Harvard that feature ads for local restaurants, shops and attractions.