Welcome to the US capital! Arrive today in Washington D.C. for the start of your self drive around the exciting and picturesque Capital Region.

Yours Truly DC Hotel or similar

Today is yours to explore the city’s most famous sites which are mostly concentrated along the National Mall. Often called the ‘Nation’s Front Yard’. Along the Mall are the majority of the 18 museums that comprise the Smithsonian Institution, the War Memorials, and the Washington Monument which offers rides to the top of the obelisk and lies south of the illustrious White House.

Yours Truly DC Hotel or similar

Leave Washington this morning and journey toward Philadelphia, the most influential city in the process of the American Revolution. Perhaps the most famous attraction is the Liberty Bell Pavilion, which houses the 2,080 lb. bell and is located within the National Historical Park. Just across the street, is Independence Hall which is known for being the place where Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence was constructed.

Holiday Inn Express Midtown Philadelphia or similar

Just about an hour’s drive to Bucks County will transport you to a picturesque town full of historical meaning. Visit the Washington Crossing Historical Park at the edge of the Delaware River; here you can experience tubing, kayaking, canoeing, or rafting in America’s most historic river. Continue on toward Lancaster County and you will find quaint Amish villages where time stood still.

Amish View Inn & Suites or similar

If you decide to have breakfast at the hotel this morning make sure to sit by a window so you can witness a true Amish spectacle as the children run across the fields toward the one-room school house in the horizon. After breakfast, drive away from Lancaster toward Gettysburg near the Maryland border.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCE – Amish Farmlands Tour
An integral part of ‘The Amish Experience’ is the Amish Farmlands Tour taking you deep into the countryside and the heart of some of the most beautiful farmland and the oldest Amish community in the world. These are the same fertile fields that had attracted and have kept our Amish neighbours here for over 250 years. And only a local guide can answer your questions and point out the fascinating activities we may observe on any given day. When you join one of Lancaster’s only certified guides on an air-conditioned coach tour of the out-of-the-way back roads and country lanes, you’ll experience a new sense of the work and family ethic that continues to mark the Amish way of life. You’ll see one-room schoolhouses like the one where Jacob and his younger siblings learned their ‘English’ subjects. You’ll witness spectacular panoramas of patchwork farmland that are unparalleled in their intrinsic beauty, all farmed with horses and mules rather than tractors.

Gettysburg Hotel or similar

Today you are travelling via Baltimore, home of the world-renowned Inner Harbour, on your way to Annapolis. Once there, explore the inside of the World War II submarine Torsk or take an elevator ride to The Top of the World Observation Level for an unforgettable 360-degree panoramic view of the city’s skyline, harbour, and beyond. You can tour the inside of the USS Constellation, the last all-sail warship built by the US Navy, before continuing your journey toward Annapolis, the state capital of Maryland.

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCE – Shriver House Museum Admission
The mission of the Shriver House Museum is to provide an often overlooked perspective of the Battle of Gettysburg, the civilian experience during and after one of the deadliest and most historic battles ever fought on American soil. Tours are conducted by a docent in period attire who will guide you through the Shrivers’ home as you listen to the harrowing story of the family and hear their experiences during the Battle of Gettysburg. In addition to the guided tour of the Shrivers’ home, there is much more to see: A unique collection of photographs and historical documents pertaining to the Shriver family, Photograph display chronicling the 1996 award-winning restoration of the once abandoned house and more.

Best Western Annapolis or similar

Enjoy a scenic coastal drive through the Chesapeake Bay area as you leave Annapolis and head toward Virginia Beach. En route, you have the option to try a narrated lighthouse cruise or Bay tour before continuing to Virginia Beach. Named ‘the least stressful city in America’, Virginia Beach ranks among the nation’s best markets for healthy air. Warm days, cool evenings, refreshing water, and soft sand are a given in Virginia Beach. Walk or ride a bicycle along the world’s longest pleasure beach with 40 blocks of ocean-front boardwalk while visually searching for dolphins known to swim alongside the coastal waters.

Best Western Centre Inn or similar

Today, consider going kayaking with dolphins, jumping on a jet ski, embarking on a sport fishing adventure, hiking through a wildlife refuge, or simply just laying on a sun-drenched beach all day long. Equally as entertaining is the Ocean Breeze Water Park, the Virginia Aquarium, or biking through the trails of First Landing State Park.  

Best Western Centre Inn or similar

Leave Virginia Beach behind and continue on to Colonial Williamsburg where you will step back more than 220 years to the eve of the American Revolution. Colonial Williamsburg is the nation’s largest living history museum with some 500 buildings, homes, stores and taverns reconstructed and restored to their 18th-century appearance. Must see attractions are the Governor’s Palace, the Capitol, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, and Bassett Hall. Of course, a trip to Williamsburg wouldn’t be complete without visiting Jamestown, America’s birth place, and Yorktown, where America’s Independence was born.

Westgate Historic Williamsburg or similar

Today you will travel to Charlottesville, home to Thomas Jefferson and his legacies, located in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Walk in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson by taking a tour of his retirement home, The Monticello Plantation, and his beloved University of Virginia. Wander through the botanical showpiece that are the gardens of Monticello and see the quarter farms of the plantation that were once home to over 130 workers. Adjacent to the lands of the Monticello is the Jefferson Vineyards, which currently bottles some of the best wine in all of Virginia. Continue to Shenandoah National Park.

Skyland Resort or similar

Enjoy a day exploring Shenandoah National Park. Get ready to be astonished when exploring the Luray Caverns, the largest caverns on the east coast, with its famed ‘Giant Hall’, an enormous subterranean chamber where visitors can view an amazing variety of stone formations. Equally as impressive is ‘Virginia’s crowning glory’, Shenandoah National Park, known for its stunning panoramic views along Skyline Drive. Within the park there is a myriad of typical recreational activities to choose from; some of the favourites include hiking and nature walks along the over 500 miles of trails, horseback riding, bicycling, fishing, and canoeing.

Skyland Resort or similar

Today marks the end of your Capital Region Self Drive. Depart at your leisure and make your way back to Washington to catch a scheduled flight back to the UK.