One day in Philadelphia

Day by day

1. Day 1: Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center

   Independence Hall, Liberty Bell Center, Museum of the American Revolution and Elfreth's Alley, then Boathouse Row and the Schuylkill River Trail in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Independence Hall

      Pick up or print your tour ticket first, then visit the Liberty Bell Center across Chestnut Street while you wait for your slot. Allow 1 hour.

   2. Late morning

      Liberty Bell Center

      Lines are shortest first thing; after closing you can still see the bell through the glass from the Chestnut Street side. Allow 30–45 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cheesesteak

      Pat's and Geno's face each other at 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue; many locals prefer neighbourhood shops and the stalls in Reading Terminal Market.

   4. Afternoon

      Museum of the American Revolution

      Time your visit to catch the tent presentation early, before it fills with school groups. Allow 2–3 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Elfreth's Alley

      Visit early or late in the day for quiet photos, and keep voices down; people live here. Allow 20–30 minutes.

   6. Evening

      Boathouse Row and the Schuylkill River Trail

      See the lit-up boathouses from the art museum's rear terrace or the far bank on West River Drive after sunset.

Before you go

• Independence Hall: Entry is free but by timed ticket for much of the year; reserve online in advance or collect same-day tickets at the Independence Visitor Center early.

If it rains

• Swap in Philadelphia Art Museum and the Rocky Steps (Fairmount): Run the steps and take the photo with the Rocky statue at the bottom right early in the morning, before the queue forms.
• Swap in Reading Terminal Market (Center City): Arrive before noon on weekdays; at weekend lunchtime the aisles and the DiNic's queue get very crowded.
• Swap in Barnes Foundation (Benjamin Franklin Parkway): Allow time to look at each wall as a composition; the pairings were Barnes's whole point.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 5–7 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The grid makes navigation easy: numbered streets run north–south and tree names such as Walnut, Chestnut and Spruce run east–west.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Philadelphia
• 3 days in Philadelphia

Questions travellers ask