Philadelphia packs American history, world-class art, and some of the country’s best casual food into a walkable, easygoing city, and it is an easy train ride from New York or D.C. Here is how I would do it.
This is where the country began: Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are the must-sees, set in the charming cobblestones of Old City.
You have to do it: run up the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and take a photo with the Rocky statue. It is pure fun, and the view of the city from the top is a bonus.
Come hungry. The classic cheesesteak (the Pat’s vs. Geno’s debate is half the fun) is a rite of passage, and Reading Terminal Market is a food hall you could graze all day.
The Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are world-class, and neighborhoods like Rittenhouse Square and Old City are lovely to wander.
Philadelphia has a scheduling catch most visitors miss. The Barnes Foundation is timed-entry and reservation-only, and the free Independence Hall tickets run out early most mornings, so the day has to be sequenced or you end up locked out of the very things you came for. That sequencing is exactly what I handle.
It is a compact, rewarding trip on its own or paired with New York and D.C. I plan the history, the food, and the art, and the right stay, in English or Español.
A local’s picks for hotels, Old San Juan food and bars, El Yunque, and the islands.
Read the guide →Parrandas, coquito, Three Kings Day, and the island’s months-long Christmas.
Read the guide →Region by region, from Casa de Campo to Punta Cana, Las Terrenas, and Santo Domingo.
Read the guide →