Philadelphia Day Trips from New York

Did you know that Philadelphia was the first capital of the United States? It is located in the state of Pennsylvania and because it played such an important role in the history of the country, it has a lot of tourist attractions, which together with its lively atmosphere and its proximity to the Big Apple, make it one of the best getaways from New York.

Although you can do the visit on your own, I recommend joining a tour to Philadelphia because you will be accompanied by a guide and you won't have to worry about planning the trip. It's all advantages! Discover all the possibilities at your fingertips.

During your trip to New York you can set aside some time to broaden your horizons and explore nearby cities such as Philadelphia. Depending on the Philadelphia tour you book and the sites you visit, the tour usually lasts a full day (11am to 5pm).

What will you see on the Philadelphia tour from New York?

This type of organised tour from New York is a very popular option to join if you want to discover Philadelphia. It is one of the most beautiful and lively cities on the East Coast of the United States.

It has many places of interest to see, especially related to the independence of the United States (Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin's tomb, Elfreth's Alley, Betsy Ross's house...) although they are not the only ones. You can also book an excursion to Philadelphia and the Amish region and you'll be amazed.

To make sure you don't miss anything during the tour and get the most out of the experience, a professional guide will accompany the group, who will tell you lots of anecdotes and stories that will make the experience even more fun.

If your tour from New York to Philadelphia includes stops in between, it can take several days, from 2 to 4 days, as you'll be adding other sites on the route such as Amish Country, Washington or Niagara Falls. Here are the options available depending on the number of days of your trip:

• 2-day tour to Philadelphia and Washington from New York, from AED 1,445.
• 2-day Niagara Falls, Philadelphia and Washington from New York, from AED 1,849.
• 4-day tour of America from New York (Niagara Falls, Washington and Philadelphia), from AED 3,011

These types of organised tours are the best if you want to take advantage of your stay in New York to explore Philadelphia and see these other interesting sites to complete your experience. This is a great tour to do if you're interested in American politics and history. Along the way you'll see plenty of monuments, parks and squares that you won't be able to resist taking a few photos of.

Along the way you'll also see other amazing places like Niagara Falls (a spectacular natural monument on the US/Canada border) or Amish Country (where you'll learn how this community lives and even get to ride in an authentic Amish Buggy). You'll also have the services of a professional guide during this type of tour to Philadelphia from New York through Amish Country, Washington or Niagara Falls.

If you're not booking a tour to Philadelphia and prefer to visit the city from New York on your own, you'll have a little more flexibility as you can tailor the itinerary and timing to suit you, staying longer where you want or skipping certain stops along the way.

The option I recommend most is by car, as travelling by other means of transport can be less comfortable and requires more preparation as you have to add the transfer to stations, security checks, waiting times on platforms and in terminals, etc. Let's see how long the road trip can take you if you're heading to Philadelphia only or if you include other places in your journey.

If you're going direct to Philadelphia from New York

In about 1 hour and 45 minutes you'll arrive in Philly by road for a different kind of day out as you make the most of your trip to the Big Apple. The distance from New York to Philadelphia is about 152 kilometres, making it an ideal getaway destination.

If you're heading to Philadelphia via Amish Country, Washington or Niagara Falls, you'll want to add other attractions to your trip

If you want to add other locations such as Amish Country, Washington or Niagara Falls to your trip, the journey will take longer, but you'll see some incredible scenery along the way.

• Niagara Falls: from New York it will take you about 6 hours and 30 minutes by road on Interstate 80 West.
• Amish Country: From Philadelphia it will take you 1 hour and 30 minutes to drive to the heart of Amish Country on Route 30.
• Washington: From Philadelphia it will take you about 2 hours and 30 minutes by road via Interstate 95.

New York City and Philadelphia are very well connected, so if you want to take a trip there you have a number of transport options if you prefer to visit on your own rather than book a tour to Philadelphia.

By bus, the cheapest way

Greyhound, Wanda Coach and MegaBus are some of the companies that provide the service and you can find tickets for as little as $15 (almost €14). You can buy them online and the journey takes about 2 hours. When you get on the bus you'll need to show your tickets to the driver, who may also ask for ID such as your passport. So don't forget to pack it in your backpack.

By train, the fastest way

The company that provides this service is Amtrak and you can find tickets from $40 (€37) on their website depending on class. The journey takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes if you choose to take the Acela express train. However, there are other options such as the Northeast Regional.

By plane, the most expensive option

Airlines such as British Airways, JetBlue Airways and Finnair fly between the two cities but this is the least recommended option as the ticket price can be more expensive from around $110 (€100) and some of the routes have stopovers, so it will take you much longer than it would by road (from 3 hours and 30 minutes each way).

Compare transport options from New York to Philadelphia

The main reason to book a tour to Philadelphia from New York is that you will only have to worry about buying your tour tickets and not about planning the details of the trip (transportation, accommodation, guide services, entrance fees to some of the sights, etc.), thus avoiding any last minute hiccups.

In addition, by going on an organised tour to Philadelphia you will avoid driving on the road if you are not familiar with the route, you will be sure to make the most of the tour time and you will be able to rest on the way back. At the end of the day, after such marathon activities, that's something you'll really appreciate - trust me!

From 80€ you can find options in Hellotickets to book an excursion to Philadelphia. Prices may vary depending on certain factors such as the duration of the tour, the attractions that are part of the route, the size of the group, accommodation or if the tour includes the services of a guide.

If you book a tour to Philadelphia you should know that they are long and will require at least one day of your New York holiday. It's a great option if you're looking for things to do in New York for a fortnight, for example. They are usually done by bus with a transfer to and from the Big Apple at the original starting point.

So you'll have to get up pretty early to get to the meeting point. Depending on the tour, they leave between 5am and 6:30am, so the day before I advise you not to make any plans in the evening so that you can rest and face the day with energy. It's worth the effort because in return you'll get a lot of experiences that will complete your trip and that you wouldn't have if you didn't go on this adventure.

The road from New York to Philadelphia

You can always take a nap on the bus or enjoy the view from the window. Some of the vehicles even have Wi-Fi. On the way to destinations along the route, you'll see some incredible rural scenery. In the cities and towns you visit, you'll see cool tourist attractions and get a feel for other cities across the country with a pace that's very different from New York.

Lunch breaks will allow you to sample culinary specialties different from what you're used to in New York restaurants, which is another great way to discover the local culture.

As with this type of tour, you'll be exhausted by the time you return to New York in the evening, but you'll have the satisfaction of having had a super exciting adventure in another part of the United States.

In a country as big as the United States, Philadelphia is one of the best getaways to make during your trip to New York, despite the 11-hour distance between the two cities. However, it's not the only one. If you're travelling to New York and want to see another city, but Philadelphia isn't calling your name, here are two other options:

• Tour to Boston from New York.
• Washington from New York.