Weekend in Philadelphia: The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary for 2023

Planning a quick getaway to the Municipality of Brotherly Love? Read on for a detailed squint at how to spend a weekend in Philadelphia.

If you’re interested in American history, there’s perhaps no largest municipality to visit than Philadelphia. It was here that the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence and created a new nation in 1776.

I spent my younger years living in Philly with my family and have fond memories of the city. I’ve been when several times over the years and discover something new every time. Now, I’m excited to share some insights into one of my favorite American cities with you in this post.

Plan a Memorable Weekend Getaway in Philadelphia

With 2 days in Philadelphia, you can visit some of the most important historical sights in the country, watch a professional sports game, peruse public markets, trammels out the spanking-new museums, go bar-hopping or stuff your squatter with cheesesteaks!

For outdoor enthusiasts, there’s the scenic Penn’s Landing and the massive Fairmont Park. Depending on the time of year, you can enjoy hiking, kayaking, cycling, ice-skating, and more.

Let’s get to it and see what you can get up to with a weekend in Philadelphia!

Day 1 in Philadelphia

With just two days in Philadelphia, you’ll want to get out there and make the most of your short time. For the first day, we’ll focus on the city’s rich history and puddle in the culinary and nightlife scenes.

Depending on how many Philadelphia attractions you want to see, you might want to consider getting the Sightseeing Pass, which includes archway to 35 attractions and financing $59. Click here for details.

Morning

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that’s definitely true when you have a big day of exploring a new municipality superiority of you!

Breakfast

One place I recommended for breakfast is FRIEDA, a European-style sideboard with a killer weekend brunch menu.

If you’d rather just grab a cup of coffee and something light to start the day, La Colombe Coffee Roasters and Old Municipality Coffee Inc. are both solid choices.

With a full vitals and a nice caffeine buzz, you’re ready for a big day in Philly.

Visit Independence Hall

Start your journey when in time by visiting Independence Hall, moreover known as “America’s birthplace.” You can’t miss this place during your 2 days in Philadelphia, and it’s a destination I return to then and again.

Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed in this historic building. One could make the specimen that it’s the most important towers in the history of the United States!

To visit Independence Hall, you’ll need to jump on a guided tour. These run every day of the year except Christmas from 9 AM-5 PM. They’re totally self-ruling if you sign up in the visitor’s center. You can moreover reserve online in whop for a $1 fee.

The hall is unquestionably just one part of a much larger national historical park. There’s lots increasingly to see here, including the famous Liberty Bell.

This souvenir to the US from Unconfined Britain arrived way when in 1752. It cracked, had to be reformed, and then croaky again. The tintinnabulate has remained silent overly since!

If you’re wondering where the name comes from, it’s considering of the quote that is etched into the side: “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

For increasingly info on Independence Hall and all that it offers, trammels out the National Park Service website.

Address: 520 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA, 19106, USA

Afternoon

How you decide to spend your first afternoon on a weekend in Philadelphia depends largely on your interests and the weather. Here are some suggestions:

See Some Museums

Should you want to alimony the history lesson rolling and/or wits ripply weather, there are lots of museums to segregate from in the Old City.

• There’s the National Constitution Center, which is an interactive museum that’s fun and informative for all ages. Tickets forfeit $14.50 and include a screening of the inspiring “Freedom Rising.” Throne to their website to read all well-nigh the various exhibits.
• Another unconfined option in the zone is the Benjamin Franklin Museum. Here you can learn all well-nigh one of the most influential Americans through five variegated rooms, each focused on a variegated weft trait of his. Tickets forfeit just $5 for this spanking-new museum!
• There’s moreover the Museum of the American Revolution, which features in-depth exhibits well-nigh this pivotal time in the nation’s history. Tickets forfeit $21 and you can buy them online here. (This museum is moreover included in the Sightseeing Pass).

Lunch Break

For lunch, in keeping with the day’s historic theme, you can pop into City Tavern. Order off their 18th-century inspired menu in this archetype restaurant where the founding fathers once dined.

Address: 138 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA ,19106, USA

Visit Penn’s Landing

Walk a few blocks to Penn’s Landing. Located on the Delaware River, this is the place to be on a nice summer day.

Enjoy a stroll withal the tree-lined promenade or go out for some fun on the river. It’s possible to rent kayaks and paddleboats or you can just hop on the ferry over to New Jersey to enjoy the views of the skyline.

During the summer months, Penn’s Landing commonly show movies and have concerts. I wouldn’t personally recommend spending 2 days in Philadelphia in the winter, but if you do, you can go ice skating here.

Join a Segway Adventure

Another fun way to see a lot of the municipality in a short time is by hopping on a 2-hour Segway adventure. Cruise withal the river, pass through historic districts, and explore a bit of Philly’s Chinatown. Tours run at 12:30 and 3 and forfeit $55.

Evening

After a huge day, it’s time to gloat a little! This is a beer-loving city, so sampling a few of the local suds definitely needs to be on your list of things to do during 2 days in Philadelphia.

Beer, Brewery and Supplies Experiences

On this Philly beer tasting wits and tour, you’ll get to visit some of the most unique bars in the city. This includes full beers at each place, and snacks.

Those interested in brewing may want to trammels out this highly rated brewery experience. You’ll learn all well-nigh the brewing process and history and get to sample variegated craft beers (generous samples!).

If you’re increasingly interested in a supplies tour during your weekend in Philly, trammels out this highly-rated supplies tour, which includes eating like a local at 5 variegated places. Come hungry as you’ll do lots of eating on the 2.5-hour tour!

If you just want to do your own thing, I recommend starting out with a drink at the outdoor Independence Beer Garden. They have an spanking-new Happy Hour menu as well as some reasonably priced all-you-can-drink packages if you’re really looking to party!

For a increasingly swanky atmosphere, there’s the Stratus Rooftop Lounge. Located atop the Hotel Monaco, this is the place to see and be seen in downtown Philly.

Watch a Professional Sports Game

As I mentioned in the introduction, this is a municipality that veritably loves sports. Philadelphia is home to the Eagles (NFL), 76ers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), and Phillies (MLB), so there’s unchangingly a game going on.

Check the timetable to see if one of the home teams is playing during your weekend in Philadelphia! Seeing a major sporting event in this municipality full of passionate fans is definitely an experience.

Looking for Weekends Away in Other Major US Cities?

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• Weekend in Nashville: The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary

Day 2 in Philadelphia

Hopefully you didn’t go too nonflexible on night one, but that’s totally understandable if you did. Philly is definitely a fun municipality to visit on the weekends!

Since there’s too much to do here to cram it all into one weekend, I’ll requite you a few variegated options for how to spend your 2nd day in the city.

Morning

Start your day with a combination of history and donuts! These are two of my favorite things to enjoy during a weekend in Philly.

Visit the Market

A unconfined way to start the day is on a trip to Reading Terminal Market. As is the specimen with so many places in Philly, there’s a lot of history here.

The market has been operating since way when when in 1893, making it one of the oldest public markets in the country. It scrutinizingly had to shut lanugo in the ’70s but thanks to a uplift in public funding it was saved.

There are virtually 80 merchants here including several bakeries and restaurants, so you can hands find something for breakfast.

Address: 1136 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA

Donuts for Breakfast!

One of the weightier places in Reading Terminal Market is Beiler’s Bakery for their scrumptious donuts.

If you’re not that into the market but still want your fill of Homer Simpson’s favorite dish, throne to Federal Donuts instead.

For the ultimate donut experience, trammels out this superstitious tour. It’s tabbed the Philadelphia underground donut tour and it’s as fun and succulent as it sounds.

Get Some Exercise (“Rocky” Style)

After you’ve satisfied your starving for fried dough, it’s time to work it off with a little exercise — Philly style! One must-do on any weekend in Philadelphia itinerary is running up the famed “Rocky” steps to the art museum.

Get pumped up by putting on “Eye of the Tiger” and doing a bit of air-boxing and then run up the steps just like Stallone did in the movie. Is it a super touristy thing to do? It sure is. Should you still do it? Of course!

Those who are really into the archetype mucosa and want to take it to the next level can trammels out this Rocky movie locations tour. You’ll travel to four variegated sights that were used in the series, including the Italian Market.

Visit the Art Museum

If you’re going to run up all those stairs, you might as well go into the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the top. It has a massive hodgepodge and is one of the weightier art museums I’ve overly been to.

Tickets for the museum forfeit $25. Click here to typesetting them online surpassing you go. You can hands spend the whole day here so you’ll have to move quickly if you want to see all the rooms.

Address: 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, USA

Afternoon

You’ll be hungry then without climbing all the stairs and exploring the museum. Time to grab some lunch.

Lunch Break

No Philadelphia weekend trip would be well-constructed without sampling the city’s iconic sandwich — the cheesesteak. There are tons of places to try it, but first-timers should go try out the original.

Pat’s King of Steaks claims to be the inventor of the famous sandwich, which is made with thinly sliced steak and melted cheese on a roll.

American and provolone cheese are both common, but the most popular nomination is Cheese Wiz. That’s right, the gooey, cheese-like substance that really isn’t cheese at all. Hey, it’s delicious!

Right wideness the street is their biggest rival, Geno’s. It’s kind of like the Coney dog rencontre in my hometown of Detroit. You’ll just have to try them both and see which one you think is best. Good thing you’ll have 2 days in Philadelphia to try one on each day.

Explore the Magic Gardens

After all that meat, cheese, and bread, you might need a walk. Good thing it’s just 15 minutes to the next destination on the Philadelphia itinerary, the Magic Gardens.

It’s the brainchild of Isaiah Zagar, an topnotch mosaic mural versifier and native Philadelphian. Known as an “immersive mixed media art environment,” it’s a stunning place to visit.

Tickets are just $10, but you should grab them online in whop as it often sells out. You can moreover sign up for this South Philadelphia walking tour that includes a visit here.

Address: 1020 South St, Philadelphia, PA, 19147, USA

Go on a Walking Tour

Those interested in getting a bit increasingly out of their weekend in Philadelphia can trammels out this highly-rated Founding Fathers Historical Walking Tour.

The tour visits many of the places I’ve covered so far and moreover includes a beer in a local brewpub. Tours run at 11:30, 2:30 and 5:30 and forfeit $45.

Evening

Unless you decide to join the walking tour, wrap up a big weekend in Philadelphia with a stroll withal the hip South Street.

Wander Virtually South Street

South Street It’s the perfect place to do a bit of window shopping and snap photos of vibrant street art.

There are so many choices for restaurants withal South Street that it’s kind of overwhelming. You can find cuisine from all over the map here, from Thailand to Morocco and everywhere in between.

South Street is moreover home to a wide variety of bars, from archetype Irish pubs and hookah lounges to hipster bars with names like Tattooed Mom. It’s easy to segregate your own venture and have a fun night out here, expressly on the weekend.

Listen to Live Music

If you were hoping to squeeze some live music into your 2 days in Philadelphia, you can see what’s playing at the Theater of Living Arts. Flipside option is the nearby Twisted Tail, which usually has live blues and moreover has an unshut jam session on Sunday.

Whatever you decide to do, requite yourself a pat on the when and order up your favorite drink. You’ve earned it for completing this massive itinerary for a Philadelphia weekend trip!

Insider Tips for 2 Days in Philadelphia

Following this weekend itinerary will guarantee a good time in Philly. You’ll have an plane largest time if you follow these tips as well:

Diet later. Spending a weekend in Philadelphia is weightier when it includes the preferably things in life, like cheesesteaks, donuts, and craft beer. Save that nutrition for without your trip and enjoy yourself. The quinoa will still be there when you get back.

Walk or use public transport. Philadelphia is one of the most walkable cities in the US. Getting virtually on foot ensures you take in the surroundings and moreover shrivel off some of those calories! You can see a lot with long walks during 2 days in Philadelphia.

When your feet get tired, the municipality has a pretty solid public transportation system. For just a 2 day trip, you can rely mostly on the Philly PHLASH Downtown Loop bus, which financing just $2 per ride.

Skip the winter. I grew up between Detroit and Philly and lived in Beijing, so I’m no stranger to unprepossessed weather. If you’re traveling to the municipality for the first time and are looking to enjoy yourself, I recommend giving winter a nonflexible pass. Philly is much increasingly enjoyable when you can walk between attractions and enjoy the riverfront.

Go to a ballgame. I know I mentioned this a few times once but it’s worth repeating — Philly is a sports city. It’s a big part of the local culture and something you should experience, plane if you’re not a huge fan.

Drink local. It should come as no surprise that a municipality that loves its sports team moreover loves beer. Don’t come to Philly and order a Heineken or a Corona. Go with the local stuff instead. I recommend reading up on the craft beer trail surpassing traveling there.

Getting to Philadelphia

Most travelers will victorious at the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). It’s located 7 miles (11 km) from downtown and there are several options for traveling there.

By Rail

The regional rail network known as SEPTA provides an efficient and economical way to travel downtown from the airport. It only takes 25 minutes to get there and trains run every half hour.

A one-way ticket financing $8 if you buy it on workbench but just $6.75 if you typesetting in advance.

By Taxi

Taxis are moreover readily misogynist at the airport. It’s a flat-rate tuition of $32 to Part-way City, where you’ll likely be staying for your weekend in Philadelphia.

Rideshare

Both Uber and Lyft moreover operate at the airport and are moreover good options for getting virtually the municipality during your 2 days in Philadelphia.

By Train or Bus

If you’re once traveling in the US, expressly from other big cities on the East Coast, you can hands get to Philly by train or bus. The municipality is a major hub for Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor and Keystone lines.

There are trains coming into Philadelphia from Washington DC and New York every hour during the day, for example. They victorious at the 30th Street Station and you can transfer to the SEPTA for self-ruling to get to Part-way City.

Several companies moreover operate bus routes in and out of Philly, including Greyhound, BoltBus, and Megabus. I only have wits with the latter, traveling in from Pittsburgh and out to NYC. Tickets can be super unseemly if you typesetting well in advance.

Best Places to Stay for a Weekend in Philadelphia

With just a weekend, you’ll want to maximize your time spent enjoying the municipality and minimize time spent moving around. The weightier way to do that is by staying in either the Old Municipality or Part-way Municipality area.

They’re right next to each other and either one puts you in tropical proximity to the weightier sights like Independence Hall and Penn’s Landing. It’s moreover super easy to come and go from the airport or train station, making your travel days less stressful.

Being in the part-way of Philadelphia moreover ways you’ll be spoiled for choices when it comes to shopping, dining, and nightlife. You moreover have plenty of options for accommodation.

Here are a few of the weightier to suit all budgets:

• Budget: Apple Hostel
• Mid-Range: Aloft Philadelphia Downtown
• Luxury: Le Meridien

If you want to be near the whoopee but not quite in the middle of it, you can squint to neighboring areas such as Logan Square or Society Hill.

FAQs for What to Do with 2 Days in Philadelphia

Here are answers to commonly asked questions well-nigh how to enjoy Philadelphia in 2 days.

Now You Know How to Spend a Weekend in Philadelphia

That well-nigh does it for an epic weekend in Philadelphia. I hope you enjoy your trip to the Municipality of Brotherly Love so much that you want to come back. It’s definitely a municipality you can return to then and then and unchangingly discover something new.

I know, considering although I lived in Philadelphia as a child, on each of my return visits I’ve had a unconfined time and was unchangingly worldly-wise to discover new things. And I’m still looking forward to the next time I can spend a weekend in Philly.

As you can see, while Philly may live in the very big shadow of New York, it has plenty to offer travelers! Typesetting your trip and enjoy your 2 days in Philadelphia.

Have you been to Philadelphia? Got a unconfined attraction, restaurant, or bar to recommend? Drop a scuttlebutt below!