Day 1 ARRIVE WASHINGTON D.C. (2 NIGHTS)

Ghosts and heroes, ammunition and battle strategies, chocolate-making and barbecue — you’re sure to have a blast as history comes alive on this patriotic adventure! Check into your hotel and then set out on your own to explore the nation’s capital. At 6 p.m. gather at the hotel with your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Kick-off Party. (Kick Off Party) 
 

Day 2 WASHINGTON D.C. SIGHTSEEING AND FREE TIME

Join a Local Guide for a tour of the capital and all its famous landmarks. View the Washington Monument, the National Mall, the Capitol and the White House. You’ll be awed as you walk right up to the Lincoln Memorial and World War II Memorial. Visit Arlington National Cemetery and hear all about the final resting place of the nation’s heroes. You get the rest of the afternoon to explore wherever you want. Maybe visit one of the world’s greatest museums—the Smithsonian Institution; check out the space vehicles at the National Air and Space Museum or look up at the bellies of the gigantic dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History, just for starters. Tonight, enjoy a dinner at a local restaurant. (Full Breakfast / Dinner)

 

Day 3 WASHINGTON D.C. - PHILADELPHIA

Follow in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin, the great inventor and statesman, as you travel to Philadelphia. Stop at the Reading Terminal Market, an old train shed opened in 1892 that now houses a huge marketplace and food stands serving up yummy local delights. With so many choices, you may need a while to decide which treats you want to try—maybe dig into an authentic Philly Cheesesteak or a piping hot Pennsylvania Dutch apple dumpling. Continue on to the Independence National Historic Park and visit the National Constitution Center. Ever wonder why the Liberty Bell cracked? You’ll find out when you visit the giant bell on display in its own pavilion. View Independence Hall where Franklin and the other founding fathers started the country’s favourite national holiday with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore the friendly “City of Brotherly Love.” (Full Breakfast) 
 

Day 4 PHILADELPHIA - AMISH COUNTRY - HERSHEY - GETTYSBURG

Set out this morning for the rolling countryside of Lancaster County. You’ll have a whole new idea of life without technology as you ride back in time aboard a horse-drawn wagon and learn about the traditional lifestyle of the Amish. Then, be treated to an Amish family-style lunch. Travel on to yet another world—Hershey’s Chocolate World that is—where you’ll learn the chocolate making process and everyone will get to try their hand at this Local Speciality and make their own customized chocolate candy bars! Tonight, remember Abraham Lincoln as you settle into historic Gettysburg. Enjoy a historical Highlight Dinner at the “most haunted” 19th century Farnsworth House Inn with a special guest. (Full Breakfast / Lunch / Highlight Dinner)

 

Day 5 GETTYSBURG - SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

“Four score and seven years ago,” Gettysburg was one of the most important battlegrounds in the Civil War where President Lincoln gave his remarkable Gettysburg Address. Tour the battlefield with a Local Guide and be amazed by the greatest collection of Civil War relics at the $135 million Gettysburg National Military Park Museum. Then, leave the war behind and travel into the peaceful mountains to Shenandoah National Park. Walk with a guide who will teach you about the history, wildlife and native plants in the park. After a hearty barbecue dinner, settle in around a crackling bonfire and listen to a local storyteller bring the legends of Shenandoah to life. Then, challenge your fellow travellers in a contest to see who can toast the ultimate golden marshmallow for the best s’more ever. (Full Breakfast / Dinner) 
 

Day 6 SHENANDOAH - CHARLOTTESVILLE - WILLIAMSBURG (2 NIGHTS)

Oh Shenandoah…Too bad we have to say farewell so soon. Roll on down picturesque Skyline Drive as you head on over to Charlottesville for a Southern lunch at historic Michie Tavern and get a peek of 18th century tavern life. Continue on to Williamsburg, the early Colonial capital. This evening, don’t be spooked when you walk by candlelight with a storyteller narrating the ghostly legends of the “Hauntings of Williamsburg.” (Full Breakfast / Lunch) 
 

Day 7 JAMESTOWN AND COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG SIGHTSEEING

Hear ye, Hear ye! Get up and get going to visit Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America. With the insight of your guide, you’ll find out how rough life was for the early colonists when they came to America in 1607. History comes alive as you meet costumed characters and walk through the life-size re-creations of the colonists’ crude fort, explore the mock-up Native American Powhatan village and climb aboard a replica of one of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia. Then, fast forward to the 18th century to spend the rest of the day in Colonial Williamsburg, Britain’s largest colony in the New World from 1699 to 1780. Get in the spirit along Gloucester Street where townspeople in character go about their daily lives in faithfully restored shops, taverns and homes. Tonight, feast on a Farewell Dinner with your newfound friends. (Full Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)

 

Day 8 WILLIAMSBURG - MOUNT VERNON - DEPART WASHINGTON, D.C.

Be assured that George Washington really did sleep here with this morning’s visit to Mount Vernon, the home and final resting place of George Washington. Kids, search for clues to solve the nine different puzzles with the special map you will receive as you tour the mansion and gardens, walk along the forest trail and meet the farm animals. Return to Washington, D.C. where your journey ends with a complimentary transfer to the airport or to the hotel in Washington, D.C. for passengers extending their stay. Please do not schedule flights before 6 p.m. from Ronald Reagan National Airport or 7 p.m. from Dulles International Airport. (Full Breakfast)