Philadelphia, Amish Country, and Brandywine Valley

Spend 5 nights at one hotel property in Pennsylvania's capital, Philadelphia, which was the site of the first and second Continental Congresses, the latter of which produced the Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, and which sparked the American Revolution. Philadelphia is home to the most historic square mile in America, where you will visit Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the National Constitution Center, established in 2000 — exactly 213 years after the Constitution was signed in Philadelphia. Valley Forge National Historical Park is nationally significant as the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington. The historic landscapes, structures, objects, and archeological and natural resources at Valley Forge are tangible links to some of the most defining events in our nation's history.

Discover the natural beauty, history, mansions, and gardens of the Brandywine Valley, nestled amidst the rolling hills of southern Chester County, Penn. Here is where the duPonts made their fortunes and built their mansions. We invite you to explore and be charmed. Visit Hershey, Penn., the town that chocolate built, for a sweet visit. Lancaster County is America's oldest Amish settlement, where the horse and buggy remains the primary form of transportation and windmills dot the landscape. Visit an Amish farm and house to learn about their faith, culture, distinctive dress, and way of life that forbids the use of electricity or telephones in the home. To close your historic tour, enjoy a traditional Amish family-style farewell dinner, where the great food keeps coming.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

ITINERARY

DAY 1: FLIGHT TO PHILADELPHIA
Arrive in Philadelphia, Penn., which is Greek for "the city of brotherly love." Meet your tour director, and transfer to your Philadelphia hotel for a five-night stay. Tonight features a welcome dinner at the hotel with your fellow travelers. Meals included: dinner

DAY 2: PHILADELPHIA SIGHTSEEING
Today, enjoy a Philadelphia city tour to see the most historic square mile in America, featuring Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the National Constitution Center. Visit Independence Hall, the site where the United States Constitution was debated and adopted, and the setting for the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence. Later, visit the National Constitution Center, the only museum dedicated to the United States Constitution. Then visit the Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia's market since 1893 and one of America's largest and oldest public markets. The market is housed in a National Historic Landmark building and offers an incredible selection of restaurants in addition to locally sourced food, baked goods, cheeses, confections, and other gifts. This evening includes dinner at a local restaurant in Philadelphia. Meals included: breakfast, dinner

DAY 3: VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
This morning, travel northwest of Philadelphia to Valley Forge and tour Valley Forge National Historical Park, which preserves our nation's history and tells the story of the Continental Army during the winter of 1777-78. On Dec. 19, 1777, George Washington led a weary Continental Army into Valley Forge. For the next six months, the divided groups of militiamen came together to form a true army capable of taking the fight to their British foes. See the soldier huts built by the militiamen and the original house that was once General Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge (referred to as the Pentagon of the Revolution). Enjoy the late afternoon and evening at your own pace in Philadelphia. Meals included: breakfast

DAY 4: BRANDYWINE VALLEY — NEMOURS MANSION — LONGWOOD GARDENS
Today, visit two fantastic DuPont mansions in the Brandywine Valley, both elegant estates in their own way. Drive south into Delaware to tour the opulent Nemours Mansion and Gardens, the former estate of Alfred DuPont. Using his vast fortune from inventing smokeless gunpowder, Alfred built this classical French Chateau in 1910 and filled the 105 rooms with antiques, art, and tapestries from the 1700s. Later tour beautiful Longwood Gardens, the former estate of Pierre DuPont, who purchased the property to save the arboretum from being sold for lumber in 1906 and made it his private estate into the 1930s. He spared no expense in adding extensively to the property. Today the complex is one of the premier botanical gardens in the U.S. and consists of 1,100 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in the Brandywine Valley. Meals included: breakfast

DAY 5: HERSHEY — AMISH COUNTRY — AMISH DINNER
This morning travel west through the beautiful countryside and arrive in Hershey, the town Chocolate built. Enjoy a visit to Hershey's Chocolate World to learn about and smell the delicious transformation from tropical rainforest cocoa beans to Hershey's famous chocolate. Some chocolate samples will help you decide which Hershey's goods to bring home in addition to your classic favorites. This afternoon step back in time as you travel into the tranquil heart of Pennsylvania Amish Country, where the horse and buggy remains the primary form of transportation, and windmills dot the landscape. The Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster County are America's oldest Amish settlement, and where thousands still live a centuries-old "plain" lifestyle. Visit an Amish farm and house to learn about their faith, culture, distinctive dress, and way of life that forbids the use of electricity or telephones in the home. Enjoy a traditional Amish family-style farewell dinner where the great food just keeps coming. Maybe bring home popular Amish goods such as shoofly pie or a handmade quilt. Return to Philadelphia after dinner. Meals included: breakfast, dinner

DAY 6: PHILADELPHIA — FLIGHT HOME
Today, transfer to the airport for your flight home with wonderful memories of your travel experience. Meals included: breakfast

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND WHAT TO PACK

TRIP DETAILS