Updated June 2022.
City of Brotherly Love
Philadelphia stems from Greek, literally meaning "brotherly love". "Philos" means "love or loving" while "adelphos" means brother. Since Philadelphia was chartered by William Penn into a Quaker colony, a group of people who believed in peace and religious tolerance, its name has been rather fitting.
Over the years, it grew into a trading port and a hub for Revolutionary activity. As the location of the First Continental Congress for the Founding Fathers in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress in 1776 where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration Independence, one can still visit the historic Independence Hall where all of this happened.
It has served as the nation's capital for five times, including the first capital for the United States even while Washington D.C. was being built. It has been home to many U.S. firsts, such as the first library (1731), hospital (1751), medical school (1765), stock exchange (1790), zoo (1874), and business school (1881).
Over the years, it grew into a trading port and a hub for Revolutionary activity. As the location of the First Continental Congress for the Founding Fathers in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress in 1776 where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration Independence, one can still visit the historic Independence Hall where all of this happened.
It has served as the nation's capital for five times, including the first capital for the United States even while Washington D.C. was being built. It has been home to many U.S. firsts, such as the first library (1731), hospital (1751), medical school (1765), stock exchange (1790), zoo (1874), and business school (1881).
Overview
Path is ~ 5 miles of walking.
- 8:00 - 8:30 AM: Reading Terminal Market - public market for breakfast
- Independence Mall
- 8:45 - 9:30 AM: Liberty Bell and Independence Mall - historic relic
- 9:40 - 10:00 AM: Independence Hall - site where Founding Fathers signed American documents
- 10:00 - 10:15 AM: Washington Statue and East Wing - housing of copies
- 10:20 - 10:40 AM: Congress Hall - former legislative building
- 10:45 - 11:15 AM: Independence Mall - other historic buildings
- 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Old City - great eats
- 12:30 - 1:00 PM: Waterfront - activities beside the Delaware River
- Take the 48 Bus
- 2:00 - 4:00 PM: Philadelphia Museum of Art - massive art museum
- 4:00 - 5:00 PM: Benjamin Franklin Parkway - spine pathway of Philly's museum district
- 5:00 - 5:15 PM: City Hall - architectural splendor
- 5:30 - 7:00 PM: Chinatown - cultural enclave with dining options
- 7:15 - 9:15 PM: Big Red Pedal Tours - pub bikes
Click the star to add the map to your Google Maps! To view it, simply open Google Maps, navigate to the Menu, choose “Your Places,” click "Maps", and voila, the map should be added.
Transit
For the most part, getting around Philadelphia is really easy on foot, and for a day-trip, one can easily walk around to see the major areas; however, for those who are seeking a more pleasant experience or aiming to get around the city faster, the easiest method would be through Metro.
METRO
One can pay a flat fee of $2.50 to ride any of the buses or purchase a single-use ticket at a metro station to take the Philly metro.
Generally, it can be quite confusing to get around since Philadelphia's public transit is managed as a part of SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority), which means that one would need a SEPTA Key card, a reloadable, contactless chip card. The card is $4.95, but if one is traveling to Trenton or Newark, this might be a more affordable option. One can get the card at specific Metro stations.
BUS
One's SEPTA Key Card can also be used to ride the Bus or one can pay cash. Most fares is around ~$2.50.
METRO
One can pay a flat fee of $2.50 to ride any of the buses or purchase a single-use ticket at a metro station to take the Philly metro.
Generally, it can be quite confusing to get around since Philadelphia's public transit is managed as a part of SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority), which means that one would need a SEPTA Key card, a reloadable, contactless chip card. The card is $4.95, but if one is traveling to Trenton or Newark, this might be a more affordable option. One can get the card at specific Metro stations.
BUS
One's SEPTA Key Card can also be used to ride the Bus or one can pay cash. Most fares is around ~$2.50.
1-Day Plan
Note that this plan prioritizes Independence Mall. If you are hoping to see the Philadelphia Museum of Art, one can start there first.
8:00 - 8:30 AM: Reading Terminal Market
|
Historic indoor market with over 80 locally-run concessions serving food and drinks. It opened in 1893 and is one of the nation’s oldest and largest public markets. |
|
8:45 - 9:30 AM: Liberty Bell and Independence Mall
One of the highlights and most historic areas of Philadelphia is the Independence Mall. With many museums and exhibits, one could spend half a day reliving the past.
|
|
|
Please note that timed-ticket tours of Independence Hall run from March through December and on holiday weekends in January through February.
Other times in January and February, one can browse at their own pace.
Other times in January and February, one can browse at their own pace.
9:40 - 10:00 AM: Independence Hall
|
Originally the Pennsylvania State House, Independence Hall became the site where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution (although the First Constituional Convention in 1774 met at Carpenter's Hall). Book tickets in advance!
Upon arrival, walk through a security checkpoint and wait for the tour to start. On the ticket, it advises arriving half an hour beforehand, but coming 10-15 minutes before will suffice. |
|
During the tour, a Park Ranger provides a 20-minute tour guide showing the two rooms inside, providing history on the Courthouse, where criminals were tried, and the Assemblyroom, which is where the important documentation was signed.
|
|
10:00 - 10:15 AM: Washington Statue and East Wing
Once the tour is done, explore Independence Square, the East Wing (where the first copy of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are held), and the Washington Statue before Independence Hall. Make sure not to exit out of the gate, otherwise, one will need to go through security once more.
10:20 - 10:40 AM: Congress Hall
Free tours of Congress Hall are offered every 20 minutes (no reservation needed, just wait outside Congress Hall). A Park Ranger will allow guests to sit within the former House of Representatives and provide some history of the building before allowing visitors to walk upstairs to see the Committee Rooms and the beautiful Senate, which still possesses the original furniture from back in the day.
NOTE: If one completes the Independence Hall visit early, one can head over to Congress Hall to begin the tour on the hour and come back to see the Washington Statue and the East Wing. |
10:45 - 11:15 AM: Independence Mall
From Independence Plaza, head West towards Old Town and to see some other historical sites:
|
|
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Old City
|
|
Explore Old City, known for great eats:
Feel free to spend lunch exploring the area and taking a quick break! |
|
12:30 - 1:30 PM: Waterfront There are many events that happen on the Waterfront, but this area also boasts a great view of the Delaware River, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and a view of New Jersey.
NOTE: One can also end the day here for fun night activities. |
|
Take the 48 Bus Line to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Conversely, one can walk to Philadelphia's Magic Gardens instead.
Conversely, one can walk to Philadelphia's Magic Gardens instead.
2:00 - 4:00 PM: Philadelphia Museum of Art
|
|
Built in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, it has a collection of over 240,000 art pieces. Sculpture groups were meant to adorn each pediment, but only the one on the north wing of the eastern entrance was completed. Van Gogh's Sunflowers are presented here, along with a vast dadaist collection of Marcel Duchamp.
Be sure to also check out the Rocky statue right next to it. Why Rocky? Becuase the movie was filmed in Philadelphia! |
4:00 - 5:00 PM: Benjamin Franklin Parkway
|
One of my favorite parts about walking down Benjamin Franklin Parkway are all the different flags along the path. There are 109 flags, laid out somewhat alphabetically, which represent the communities that make up Philadelphia. The parkway serves as the spine of Philadelphia's museum district and provides a nice pathway from the Museum of Art to City Hall.
From northwest to southeast:
|
|
5:00 - 5:15 PM: City Hall
|
|
An architectural marvel, Philadelphia City Hall is the world's largest free-standing masonry building standing at 548 feet and was the world's tallest habitable building when it was completed in 1894. It was supposed to be the world's tallest building, but the Washington Monument in 1884 and the Eiffel Tower in 1889 beat it to it. It also contained the world's tallest clock tower when it was completed.
With an observation deck at the top of the clock tower, one might also see a 37-foot bronze statue of William Penn, a Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania (and Philadelphia) topping the structure. Today, it is the nation's largest municipal building (larger than the U.S. Capitol!) and one can explore the courtyard, where one can stand in the exact geographical center of William Penn's original 1682 plans for Philadelphial. Look out for the cool Clothespin sculpture on the west side, past Dilworth Park (known for Christmas markets and community events). It was created by Claes Oldenburg in 1976 and is one of the tallest sculptures around Philly! |
|
5:30 - 7:00 PM: Chinatown Cantonese immigrants settled here in the mid-1800s, with a beautiful Chinatown Friendship Gate marking the start of the cultural enclave. It is known for delicious Chinese regional cuisines along with other Asian stores.
This is a great place to find some dinner and wander around shops. |
Chinatown Gate
|
Big Red Pedal Tours
|
From historic tours during the day to pub and bar crawl tours at night, this is one of my favorite things to do in Philly. It's a fun 2-hour experience to meet people or one can book a private tour. Either way, it's a great way to end the day!
|
Fans of Benjamin Franklin
For those who love Benjamin Franklin, there are plenty of sites that need to be visited, as he left his legacy here:
- Benjamin Franklin Museum: Hands-on, interactive exhibits and artifacts showing Franklin's life.
- Fragments of Franklin Court: Location where Benjamin Franklin's home once stood. He designed the interior.
- Benjamin Franklin's Grave (closed on Tuesdays): Beautiful graveyard that has 4,000+ indivduals, as well as America's most famous Founding Father. One can also take a guided tour of the facilities.
- Bolt of Lightning: Memorial to Benjamin Franklin and his famous kite-flying.
- Franklin Square: Park dedicated to Benjamin Franklin with a playground, a carousel, and light shows in the fountain every half-hour.
Revolutionary War Aficionados
Besides going into the locations of where some of the nation's history was founded, there are a lot of lovely museums that would cater to your every need:
- Museum of the American Revolution: As the name suggests, this expansive museum provides a lot of information about the Revolutionary War.
- National Constitution Center: Interactive museum devoted to the U.S. Constitution. It has a live theatre and lots of artifacts.
- Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial: Memorial dedicated to the Polish freedom fighter who designed military fortifications.
- Betsy Ross House: Birthplace of the American flag, where Betsy Ross famously sewed the Stars & Stripes.
Restaurants
Breakfast
- Cafe la Maude (French Lebanese): Brunch spot that has delicious pancakes.
- Green Eggs Cafe (American): Eco-friendly breakfast place with specialty coffee drinks and a delicious tofu scramble.
- Sabrina's Cafe (American): Restaurant with great portions. Recommend sharing 1 plate between 2 people. Try the stuffed challah French Toast
|
Food from Amma's South Indian
|
Lunch/Dinner
|
|
Drinks
|
Dessert
|
|
Goldie: Amazing vegan milkshakes that are quite filling! Stop by to try one of their Tahini shakes.
Tea-do: One of my favorite pearl milk tea places in Philadelphia, located in Chinatown. |
A La Mousse: Small bakery in Chinatown with delicious baked goods.
Gran Cafe la Aquila: Cafe known for gelato and espresso. The Franklin Fountain: Homemade ice cream and sundaes in an old-school soda fountain parlor. |
Other Attractions
|
Museums
Viewpoints
|
|
