Day 1: New York / Arrival
Arrival in New York. You will be met at the airport by a local guide. Transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome drink and receive a reusable water bottle for use during your trip. Overnight.
Day 2: New York
Begin the day with a tour of Manhattan to first discover Times Square and its immense, illuminated billboards. Then go down 5th Avenue to view Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, imposing Rockefeller Center, the Flatiron Building, and Grand Central Station before continuing to Greenwich Village with its tree-lined streets, Soho and Chinatown. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight
Optional: In the afternoon enjoy a guided tour of Central Park. Learn about the history and architecture of the park and discover the landscapes, monuments and more as you visit attractions such as Belvedere Castle, Wollman Rink, Gapstow Bridge, Conservatory Garden, Shakespeare Garden, and the Loeb Boathouse. Travel through the famous Strawberry fields, past the lake and through to Belvedere Castle. Passing also the Dakota Apartments where John Lennon was assassinated. Finally, visit the three observation decks at the Top of the Rock. The first deck includes the Radiance Wall and gift shop. The second, featuring the Breezeway, is entirely outdoors. The third observation deck, located on the 70th floor open-air roof deck, is completely outdoors and free of a glass enclosure, making it perfect for photos. Enjoy some free time to explore Rockefeller Center’s many shops.
Day 3: New York
Day at leisure.
Optional: Today we will take you to Battery Park to explore the 23-acre waterfront Park, which is the largest public open space in the downtown section of Manhattan. Next take the ferry to Liberty and Ellis Island where you will get to see the legendary Statue of Liberty as well as other historical sites where more than 12 million immigrants once passed through on their way into the U.S. Then you will explore Lower Manhattan with an expert guide who will show you all the architectural gems of this part of the city :the cascading pools at 9/11 Memorial, the new World Trade Tower, Wall Street,and the Charging Bull statue. Next we will visit Vessel, the extraordinary centerpiece of Hudson Yards. This interactive artwork was imagined as a focal point where people can enjoy new perspectives of the city and one another from different heights, angles and vantage points. Finish the tour with a walk on the High Line. Located in the heart of the Meatpacking district, the High Line was an abandoned railroad track poised for demolition. Now converted into a green public park, thanks to the action of a neighborhood association, it offers magnificent views and the tranquility of an oasis overlooking the traffic, which is particularly rare in New York.
Day 4: New York- Philadelphia ( by train)
This morning, head to Penn station where you will embark on a short train ride to Philadelphia. Arrival in Philadelphia, where you will be met by a local tour guide. Depart on a guided tour of the “City of Brotherly Love.” The tour will highlight the city’s historic center with home to Independence Hall (exterior view). The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were both signed in this red brick building dating from 1732. See the Liberty Bell, one of the most evocative symbols of the country, Benjamin Franklin’s Grave, Betsy Ross’ house, and Elfreth’s Alley – the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight.
Day 5: Philadelphia
Day at leisure.
Optional : Morning drive to visit the Amish Country, where several German religious groups settled at the time of the first colonists. Guided visit of an Amish farm and farmhouses that will enable you to understand the habits, life style and history of the Amish community. Enjoy a ride in an authentic Amish buggy followed by an included lunch of Amish specialties. Return to Philadelphia in the afternoon.
Day 6: Philadelphia –Washington D.C. (by train)
Morning transfer to the train station and departure to Washington D.C. Arrival and guided tour of the national Capital. You will see some of the best known buildings in the United States such as the White House, the Supreme Court, the US Capitol. Next you will be taken to the National Mall, site of some of the most recognized monuments. You will see among others : the Washington Monument, the most prominent structure in Washington, D.C. and one of the city’s early attractions; the Lincoln Memorial, dedicated in 1922 to honor President Abraham Lincoln; and the Jefferson Memorial, a dome-shaped rotunda honoring the nation’s third president. You will also visit the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, its V-shaped granite wall is inscribed with the names of the 58,209 Americans missing or killed in the Vietnam War.
Optional: In the evening we will take you on a tour to see the landmarks of Washington DC illuminated at night, from the White House to the National Mall. Relax without the daytime crowds and enjoy the views. Overnight.
Day 7: Washington D.C.
Day at leisure.
Optional: Today we offer you a full day tour to Arlington Cemetery, Alexandria and Mount Vernon. In the morning departure to Arlington National Cemetery, where you will see the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, Memorial Amphitheater, and the John F. Kennedy Gravesite. After the tour continue to Alexandria. The small city just miles away from Washington was founded in 1749 as a colonial tobacco port, and still boasts cobblestone streets, 18th-century buildings and even a town crier, all of which will make you feel like you’re in George Washington’s era. Then depart south and visit Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, the last home and tomb of George Washington, 1st President of the United States. Mount Vernon is the most famous historic house in the United States. A tour of the property will show you the gardens, the farm and the house as was in 1799. George and Martha are buried in peace on their property.Return to Washington.
Day 8: Washington D.C. / Departure
Free time in the morning. You will be able to choose to visit some of the city’s Smithsonian museums. Either visit the magnificent jewels, dinosaurs and mammals on display at the National Museum of Natural History, the airplanes and interactive flight simulators at the National Air and Space Museum, or the stories, arts and crafts at the National Museum of the American Indian. You can also choose from the National Gallery of Art with European and American paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, and decorative arts are displayed in the collection galleries and Sculpture Garden. The permanent collection of paintings spans from the Middle Ages to the present day or the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Meet at the hotel* for your transfer to the airport and return flight.
*Departing transfer will be scheduled in order to accommodate the flight departures of the majority of the group
