Washington + Philadelphia

Can you see Washington and Philadelphia in one day from New York?

Yes, on a guided coach, as long as you want to see both cities more than you want to explore either. The Washington and Philadelphia full-day tour leaves the Times Square area at 5:00 AM, runs for about 15 hours and splits the sightseeing into roughly 2 hours 45 minutes of guided time in Washington and about 100 minutes in Philadelphia.

That is the whole idea of the day. You get the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Capitol Hill in the morning, and the Liberty Bell and the Rocky Steps in the afternoon. You do not get museum time, a walk through Arlington National Cemetery or a long look at anything.

Philadelphia was the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800, before the government moved to Washington, so the pairing makes sense as a story as well as a route.

How the 15 hours split

The clock tells you what kind of trip this is. Most of the day is on the road, and the two cities share what is left.

The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery are drive-bys on this route, and the Lincoln Memorial stop is short, about ten minutes. Independence Hall is seen from outside; tours inside need a timed ticket booked separately, so they do not fit a coach day. Traffic can shorten the itinerary, which the operator says plainly.

Who the two-city day suits

It suits travellers who are ticking off the East Coast on a single New York holiday and would rather see two famous places briefly than one properly. If you are visiting from overseas, may not be back, and the Liberty Bell matters to you as much as the Lincoln Memorial, this is the trip.

It also suits people who like the guide to carry the story. The guide is bilingual in English and Spanish and licensed in both Washington and Philadelphia, so the history runs from Independence Hall to the Capitol in one telling.

It suits fewer people than a Washington-only day. If Washington is the reason you are going, a Washington-only day trip gives you about three hours of guided sightseeing including a walk at Arlington, then 90 minutes of free time for a Smithsonian museum, with departures at 6:00, 7:00 or 8:00 AM. The main day-trip comparison lays out every Washington-only option side by side.

The trade-offs to accept before you book

The start is early. Being in the Times Square area before 5:00 AM means leaving your hotel in the dark, and the day ends in the evening.

Time at each stop is short. Expect photos and commentary at the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and the Capitol, not time to wander. In Philadelphia the Liberty Bell stop is about 20 minutes.

There is no hotel pickup, and you will want cash for tips. If you are travelling with young children, bring your own child safety seat, and anyone under 18 must be with an adult. Food and drinks are not included.

Other ways to see both cities

A private version exists. The private Washington and Philadelphia tour collects your group from an address in Manhattan between Lower Manhattan and 125th Street and runs for about 17 hours. It is newly listed with no reviews yet, and it is priced like a car hire: $2,038 in total for one or two travellers and $2,040 for four on the mid-October date checked, which is about $510 each for a group of four. Our guide to private Washington tours from New York works through what that buys.

Two newer shared two-city tours also leave from 7th Avenue and West 51st Street, and both add the Betsy Ross House and Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia and Washington one-day sightseeing tour is $138 per person, and the Washington DC and Filadelfia tour is $155 per person. Each has only three or four reviews so far, too few to judge them on.

If you would like both cities without the rush, the two-day tour with Amish Country adds a hotel night near Washington, breakfast, an Amish buggy ride and time inside the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, from $340 per person depending on your room. See the 2-day Washington trip page for that and a do-it-yourself plan.

Philadelphia also works well on its own by train: Amtrak reaches it from Penn Station in about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minutes. The train guide covers the Washington side.

Tips for the two-city day

Sleep early the night before and eat breakfast you can carry. Wear shoes for cobbles in Old City and a layer for the coach. Keep photo ID with you. Book the date early; free cancellation lets you change your mind later.

Check dates for the Washington and Philadelphia day trip.