Philadelphia & Washington DC

Image from Philadelphia
Go back to where it all began with this incredible trip to two of the United States’ historic capitals. Start out in Philadelphia, where you’ll see where the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, and continue on to Washington, DC to tour the U.S. Capitol building.
RECENT TOUR DIARIES:
June 17, 2024 - June 21, 2024
Learn more
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Day 1 Hello Philadelphia
Meet your tour director
National Constitution Center visit
Philadelphia city walk
Washington Square District, historic waterfront, Old City Cultural District
Dinner
Day 2 Philadelphia--Washington DC
Breakfast
Philadelphia guided sightseeing tour
Independence Hall visit, Liberty Bell Center visit, Ben Franklin's grave, Elfreth's Alley, Friendship Meeting House
Betsy Ross House visit
Travel to Washington, D.C.
Dinner
Washington, D.C. evening guided sightseeing tour
World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial, National Mall, Tidal Basin, Washington Monument, White House picture stop
Details: Philadelphia guided sightseeing tour
The names of its residents alone would be enough to draw anyone to Philadelphia: Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman. Explore "America's most historic square mile" with a local licensed guide and see where the founding myths of America were created. Independence Hall saw the signing of both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, which was read in public for the first time after the ringing of the Liberty Bell on July 8, 1776. The Bell itself now rests in its own pavilion, where it is rung every Independence Day.
Details: Liberty Bell Center visit
See the bell that symbolizes one of the founding principles of the United States. The Liberty Bell was last rung on George Washington’s birthday in 1846 before its now-famous crack turned it into a silent reminder of what the United States stands for. Visit the centre where the bell is housed; see video presentations and exhibits focusing on its origins, history and modern day role in the US.
Details: Betsy Ross House visit
Step back in time and see the house where Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first Stars and Stripes flag. Learn about how this woman was entered into history when three men, including George Washington, asked her to create the official national flag of the United States in 1777.
Details: Washington, D.C. evening guided sightseeing tour
Night is the perfect time to see the capital, when white marble monuments and silvery pools glow in the floodlights. See the geometric memorials of the Mall—the imposing rectangular Lincoln Memorial, and the line of the Washington Monument bisecting the sky—as well as the innovative and moving monuments to the veterans of the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
Day 3 Washington, D.C. landmarks
Smithsonian Museums visit
National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Mount Vernon excursion
Dinner
Optional  Evening ghost tour  $25
Details: Smithsonian Museums visit
Choose between visiting the Natural History Museum, the American History Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the American Indian Museum, and the American Art Museum. In a tomb in the Smithsonian Castle lie the remains of John Smithson, an Englishman who left his fortune to the U.S. government in 1829 for the establishment of a museum in his name. (The government was a bit at a loss, given that Smithson had never visited the U.S., had no connections to the U.S., and never told anyone why he was leaving his money to the U.S.) Since then, the Smithsonian Institution has grown into 16 museums, covering everything from art to zoology. See the giant squid and the insect zoo in the National Museum of Natural History, or venture with your Tour Director into the further reaches of this world-class institution.
Details: Mount Vernon excursion
George Washington so liked his estate at Mount Vernon that he placed the capital nearby so he didn’t have to move when elected president. Tour his gardens and mansion, where George and Martha lived from 1761 until his death in 1799. Don’t look for any cherry tree stumps in the garden, though -- Washington never actually chopped down the tree as a lad. (We hate to ruin the story, but we cannot tell a lie!)
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Day 4 Capitol Hill
U.S. Capitol guided tour
National Archives visit
Travel home
Details: U.S. Capitol guided tour
Go on a guided tour of the building where the men and women who have been chosen to represent the citizens of the United States convene to discuss and decide on important legislature.
Details: National Archives visit
Visit the building that houses the most important documents in the history of the United States, including the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.
  		• Or
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    Day 4  Start extension in Washington, D.C.
    U.S. Capitol guided tour
    National Archives visit
    Ford's Theatre visit
    Dinner
    Details: U.S. Capitol guided tour
    Go on a guided tour of the building where the men and women who have been chosen to represent the citizens of the United States convene to discuss and decide on important legislature.
    Details: National Archives visit
    Visit the building that houses the most important documents in the history of the United States, including the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.
    Details: Ford's Theatre visit
    Ford’s Theatre may not be the best place to visit if you’re in government—not only was Lincoln assassinated here in 1865, but 22 War Department clerks were also killed when the floor collapsed in 1893. Tour the infamous theater and see how John Wilkes Booth crept up behind the president’s private box, shot him point blank, and leapt down to the stage below (breaking his leg in the process).
    Day 5 Washington DC
    Arlington National Cemetery & Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) visit
    Travel home
    Details: Arlington National Cemetery & Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) visit
    Created on the former estate of the family of Robert E. Lee’s wife Mary Anna Custis Lee (herself a descendant of Martha Washington), the Arlington National Cemetery contains the remains of more than 245,000 persons, mainly comprised of veterans and military casualties from every military incursion—from the American Revolution to the Iraq War. At the cemetery, make sure to visit the Tomb of Unknowns. Comprised of Yule marble quarried in Colorado, the tomb weighs more than 75 tons. And see the eternal flame that marks the grave of President John F. Kennedy.
    Tour Includes:
    • Round-trip transportation
    • 3 overnight stays (4 with extension) in hotels with private bathrooms
    • Breakfast daily (except arrival day)
    • Dinner daily (except departure day)
    • Full-time services of a professional Tour Director
    • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
    • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
    • Overnight security chaperone
    • Tour Diary™
    • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.

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