PHILADELPHIA · PENNSYLVANIA
Cradle of a nation, capital of cheesesteaks.
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, Reading Terminal and the Italian Market, ghost walks through Old City and the run up the Rocky steps. The tours worth booking, all in one place.
Only in Philadelphia
Three Philadelphia originals.
Plenty of cities have walking tours, food halls and movie locations. Only one has the room where two founding documents were signed, the corner where the cheesesteak was invented, and a museum staircase the whole world wants to run up.
Where it began
Independence Hall
It is the only room on earth where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were argued over and signed, eleven years apart. Guides walk you through the summer of 1776 and the one of 1787, then back out into the square where the arguing spilled onto the cobblestones.
- 1 Revolution and the Founders: History Tour of Philadelphia
- 2 2.5 Hour Philadelphia History Tour with Washington War Tent Show
- 3 Philadelphia: Revolution and The Founders History Tour
At the source
The Cheesesteak, At The Source
The cheesesteak was invented a few blocks from the Italian Market, the oldest working outdoor market in the country. Food tours run you from the original corner counters through the produce stalls and Italian delis that have traded the same blocks for over a century. You will have a Whiz-or-provolone opinion by the end.
- 1 Inside Philadelphia’s Italian Market: Chef-Led Tasting Journey
- 2 Philadelphia’s Italian Market Food Tour
- 3 Behind The Scenes Food Tour: South Philly & Italian Market
Top of the steps
The Rocky Steps
Seventy-two stone steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and almost everyone who reaches the top throws their arms up anyway. The films were shot all over town, so the tours link the museum, the bronze statue and the South Philly corners Rocky actually ran. Bring your own soundtrack.
- 1 Philadelphia Murals and Street Art Tour with Magic Gardens
- 2 Philadelphia: Half-Day Private Rocky Movie Locations Tour
- 3 Yo! A Private Rocky Balboa Driving Tour of Philadelphia
Your first day
The one most visitors book first.
If you have a single afternoon in Philadelphia, start here. The tour that ties the historic district, the streets and the stories together.
The classics
Philadelphia's Most Popular Tours
Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Reading Terminal and the ghosts of Old City. The tours most visitors come to Philadelphia for.
Plan the core
How to do the historic district.
Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Old City sit within a few walkable blocks. Independence Hall needs a free timed ticket, the Liberty Bell is walk-up, and the rest is yours. Three ways to take it on.
By place
Pick where the day starts.
Old City for the founding history. Reading Terminal for lunch. The Italian Market for cheesesteaks. The Art Museum steps for the skyline. Each corner is its own afternoon.
By tour type
Or pick how you want to see it.
On foot for the history. By bus when your feet are done. An electric cart or trolley to cover more ground. Ghost lanterns after dark, a food crawl when you are hungry, and the rest.
Where the country began
Walk the Revolution.
Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall, the taverns where the delegates argued past midnight. Three tours that drop you straight into the streets of 1776.
Eat the city
A table at Reading Terminal.
Soft pretzels, scrapple, Amish baked goods and the best lunch counters in town, all under one roof since 1893. Three food walks that know exactly where to stop.
The mural capital
A city that paints its walls.
Philadelphia runs the largest public mural program in the country. Thousands of painted walls, from rowhouse gables to whole city blocks, plus Isaiah Zagar’s mirror-and-tile Magic Gardens down in South Philly. A guided walk is the easiest way to read them.
After the streetlights
Philadelphia after dark.
Colonial ghosts, old prison cells and the stories the daytime guides leave out. Three lantern-lit walks for when the historic district empties and the cobblestones go quiet.
Beyond the city
Day trips out of Philadelphia.
Washington’s winter camp at Valley Forge, the covered bridges and farm stands of Lancaster County, the back roads of Amish Country. Easy days out once you have walked the city.
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