01

Day 01

Old City, Center City & Skyline

Founding-era landmarks, Reading Terminal Market, colonial streets, and a rooftop skyline view.

1. Morning

   Independence Hall & the Liberty Bell

   Open your visit where the Declaration and Constitution were debated. Arrive early for a timed Independence Hall ticket, then cross to the Liberty Bell Center before the midday crowds fill the mall.

2. Late Morning

   National Constitution Center

   Spend an hour at this interactive museum on the founding document, where Signers' Hall lets you stand among life-size bronze statues of the delegates who signed in 1787.

3. Lunch

   Reading Terminal Market

   Lunch at Reading Terminal Market, where dozens of stalls serve everything from Pennsylvania Dutch fare and roast pork sandwiches to Bassetts ice cream in a bustling 1893 hall.

4. Afternoon

   Elfreth's Alley & Old City

   Wander cobblestoned Elfreth's Alley, the nation's oldest continuously residential street, then browse the galleries, boutiques, and the Betsy Ross House scattered through surrounding Old City.

5. Late Afternoon

   One Liberty Observation Deck

   Ride to the 57th floor of One Liberty Place for the Philly From the Top deck. Late-afternoon light gilds the grid below, from City Hall's William Penn statue to the two rivers framing the city.

6. Evening

   Classic Philly cheesesteak

   Cap day one with a proper Philadelphia cheesesteak. Decide your order in advance, whiz or provolone, onions or not, then toast the skyline you spent all day exploring.

02

Day 02

The Parkway & Museum District

The Art Museum, the Barnes, and the Franklin Institute along one grand boulevard with fountain views.

1. Morning

   Philadelphia Museof Art

   Run the Rocky Steps, then head inside one of the country's largest art museums for its armor halls, Duchamp collection, and reconstructed period rooms. Arrive at opening to beat the tour groups.

2. Late Morning

   Barnes Foundation

   A short walk down the Parkway, the Barnes holds one of the world's greatest collections of Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse, hung exactly as Albert Barnes arranged them. A timed ticket keeps lines short.

3. Lunch

   Along the Parkway

   Grab a casual lunch from a Parkway food truck or pack a picnic for Eakins Oval, with the Art Museum on one side and the fountains and City Hall tower stretching down the boulevard on the other.

4. Afternoon

   Franklin Institute

   Walk to the Franklin Institute for its walk-through Giant Heart, hands-on physics exhibits, and planetarium. The domed memorial to Benjamin Franklin anchors one of the best science museums in the country.

5. Late Afternoon

   Swann Memorial Fountain, Logan Square

   Stroll to Swann Memorial Fountain at Logan Circle, whose reclining Calder figures represent the region's three rivers. Its jets run through the warmer months at the Parkway's midpoint.

6. Evening

   Rittenhouse Square dinner

   Finish around Rittenhouse Square, where restaurants along Walnut and 18th Streets serve everything from oysters to modern American a short walk from your museum day.

03

Day 03

South Philly: Italian Market & Passyunk

A historic street market, Zagar mosaics, standout dining, and cafes in the creative south.

1. Morning

   9th Street Italian Market

   Start along the 9th Street Italian Market, one of the country's oldest working outdoor markets, where cheese shops, produce stands, and DiBruno Bros sit beside a growing row of Mexican and Vietnamese vendors.

2. Late Morning

   Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

   Head to South Street for Isaiah Zagar's Magic Gardens, a labyrinth of mosaic-covered walls made from tile, mirror, and bottles, then hunt his other mosaics down surrounding blocks and alleys.

3. Lunch

   South Philly Barbacoa or a taqueria

   Grab tacos at South Philly Barbacoa, a James Beard-honored favorite, or pick from the many acclaimed casual spots clustered around the market's southern end.

4. Afternoon

   East Passyunk Avenue browsing

   Continue down East Passyunk Avenue through its design shops, record stores, and cafes, a relaxed afternoon of window-shopping along one of Philadelphia's most stylish diagonal corridors.

5. Evening

   East Passyunk dining

   Stay on Passyunk for dinner around the Singing Fountain plaza, home to some of the city's most celebrated independent restaurants, from Italian BYOBs to inventive tasting menus.

6. Evening

   Cocktails around the plaza

   End with a nightcap at a Passyunk cocktail bar. The neighborhood's low-key, creative energy is a fitting finale to your local-Philadelphia day.