Philadelphia is a great city to visit whether you have time for a weekend getaway or you plan a longer trip for Spring Break. With a special promotion going on right now you can visit Philadelphia for less! The Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package allows you stay 2 nights (or more) and your car stays free. It’s a great deal and will allow you to plan a trip to the city of brotherly love and see more of the city for less.
A budget-friendly itinerary for 3 days and 2 nights in Philly
Hotel:
Choose a hotel at the Visit Philly Overnight website. Hotel Monaco and Hotel Palomar are both affordable and hip options that are centrally located. The Loew’s hotel is a great family-friendly option with perks for kids of all ages including a lending library of toys, games, and more.
Day 1: Arrive in Philadelphia
Check into hotel and park car. Remember your car stays free! Unload your stuff in your room and head out to see sights.
What to Do:
Hit the history trail. There’s so much history right within walking distance of Center City. Head to Independence Hall and see where the constitution was signed and take a brief walk over to see the Liberty Bell. For more history you can see my previous post on walking in the footsteps of founding father, Benjamin Franklin.
Or perhaps you’re more interested in art. In which case you can head to the Philadelphia Art Museum where you can get lost in the collections and re-enact Rocky’s iconic pose on the steps of the art museum.
Where to Eat:
Grab a cab or head out for a nice walk (about 25 minutes) to get a classic Philly favorite-the Philly cheesesteak. Geno’s and Pat’s are both home to the classic Philly cheesesteak. Since they are right near each other you may even sample both and decide which one is the ‘winner’ for best cheesesteak.
Dessert at Franklin Fountain is a must!
Day 2: Explore the City
Head to the Philadelphia Flower Show. If you’re in town between March 1-9th you can head to the Philadelphia Convention Center to see the Philadelphia Flower Show-the nation’s largest indoor flower show which features the country’s premier landscape designers and florists, who turn 10 acres of the Convention Center into a floral fantasy of beautiful plants and cutting-edge designs.
Heading to the city after the Flower Show? Choose from the many museums that are downtown including the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Franklin Institute, the Mummer’s Museum, or the Philadelphia Zoo.
In the afternoon head to one of the city’s more unusual destinations like the Eastern State Penitentiary. The nation’s 1st penitentiary held the likes of Al Capone among other notorious criminals. While it was abandoned in 1971 you can tour the decrepit death row cells, dining hall, and more.
If that’s not your speed consider some of the other unusual attractions around the city like the Insectarium, the by-appointment Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Shoe Museum (including shoes that will have any shoe lover in awe), or for more family friendly-fare try the Please Touch Museum.
Where to Eat:
In Fairmount try Bridgid’s which offers bargain lunches and dinners and an extensive international beer selection. There are dozens of cafés and budget-friendly restaurants throughout Philadelphia, depending on where you end up at lunchtime a quick search on Yelp or Google will help you find just what you’re looking for.
Day 3: Wrap it Up
Start the morning at the Reading Terminal Market. Opened in 1893, the Reading Terminal Market is the country’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market. With dozens of vendors you can choose from a plethora of cuisines, produce, and beverages.
Pick up a few souvenirs and do some shopping, and head back to your hotel to pack up, check out, and head home.
On your way out of town you may want to stop at one of the many attractions outside of the city like Valley Forge National Park, the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, or Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.
For more ideas check out the VisitPhilly website.
Philadelphia is the perfect spot for a getaway! Stay for any two consecutive nights at one of twenty participating hotels and your car stays free! For more information and to book your room visitphilly.com/overnight.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Visit Philadelphia. The opinions and text are all mine.
