The city of brotherly love is one of my all time favorites in the U.S. Ripe with history and a great nightlife Philadelphia has something for everyone. My itinerary takes you through the must see places as well as some additional added bonus things I found out about while visiting.

Must have experiences…

Yes I think if you are in Philadelphia you should see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, even walk on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge but there is more to to the city then museums and history.

Reading Terminal Market. Who doesn’t love a good indoor marketplace?! Similar to those in Boston and Seattle, Reading Market is a must see in Philly. Great for finding any meal, picking up some specialty items or just browsing. I definitely went here for breakfast multiple times and for a few sweet treats as well.

Nightlife in Philly is also good. One of my favorite experience was going out in Philly with my hostel group. One night we went Salsa dancing at a local Mexican restaurant which was super fun and there was a great turnout.

The history buff…

When you look at Philadelphia attractions you can see the top attractions usually have one thing in common, lots of history. For a morning of history you can start at the visitor’s center which is right beside the major historic attractions. These are all in easy walking distance of each other and easy to navigate and find.

• Independence Hall
• The liberty bell, added benefit this is free!
• Benjamin Franklin’s Grave. Located a few blocks from he liberty bell in Christ Church cemetery.
• The Betsy Ross House
• Elfreth’s Alley (a quaint area from the early colonial days)

The instagrammer or photographer…

If you are always looking for the fun spots to get photos for instagram or just for your own photography collection Philly has some great places for photography. Read more on my sunrise and sunset photography tips here.

• The LOVE sign. This is located in center city in John F Kennedy park.
• City hall. This building was one of my favorites to photograph architecturally
• South Street. Full of funky shops and bars south street is a must to wonder around if you have free time.
• The Magic Gardens (located on south street). While I thought the admission price was a little high for the size ($8), it was it’s a great place to snap some fun snapshots and wander around for a short bit.
• Sunset from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. To walk the bridge you will have to get on the pedestrian walkway down by the Franklin Park, a few blocks down from the liberty bell. Now I wouldn’t recommend walking all the way across and around Camden, NJ as I have heard the area is not super safe but the bridge is safe to walk on even at night.

The museum goer…

• The Franklin Institute
• The Mutter museum. So sad I missed this my first trip! A collection of medical specimens and antique equipment that looks downright barbaric.
• Philadelphia Museum of Art. The steps to the museum have became famously known as the “rocky steps” after being famously ran up by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. Can you complete your run down Benjamin Franklin Parkway and up the steps?
• Rodin Museum
• The African American museum
• There are also some children’s museums as well if traveling with kids