<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-05-14</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001043121</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BOSTON PROPERTIES LTD PARTNERSHIP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>N/A</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001229891</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>TWARDOCK DAVID A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE CAPITAL COMPANY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>100 MULBERRY STREET</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEWARK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NJ</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>01702</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><derivativeTable><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>LTIP Units</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><footnoteId id="F1"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-05-14</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>852</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>.25</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F1"/><footnoteId id="F2"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><footnoteId id="F1"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common OP Units</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>852</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>852</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Issued as long term incentive compensation pursuant to Boston Properties Inc.'s, the Issuer's general partner, equity based compensatory programs.  Conditioned upon minimum allocations to the capital accounts of the LTIP Units for federal income tax purposes, each LTIP Unit may be converted, at the election of the holder, into a Common OP Unit.</footnote><footnote id="F2">LTIP Units vest in two equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Kelli A. DiLuglio, as Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-09-03</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

