Weekend trip in Philly... what are the MUST DOS?!!!!

I%26#39;m flying into Philadelphia with my sister for a wedding the weekend of Sept 21-23. Since I%26#39;ve never been and don%26#39;t know when I%26#39;d get the opportunity to go again, I%26#39;m looking for information on tours that will include all the major sites/attractions in one. I%26#39;m more interested in the historical stuff... not so much art museums. We are staying at the Ritz Carlton and I%26#39;m also looking for transportation options from the airport that will take us right to the hotel. Being we are two young girls who will have a lot of luggage I%26#39;m sure, I%26#39;m not trying to be dropped off 6 blocks away and lug my suitcases around.

Our flight gets in on Friday, Sept 21 at 11:15 am. We basically have the rest of the day Friday and Saturday morning. The wedding starts at 3 pm that day. Our flight leaves on Sunday at 12:55 pm.

I basically am interested in the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, etc... and well known places to eat.

Thanks!

Weekend trip in Philly... what are the MUST DOS?!!!!

You can take a cab from the airport to the hotel for $26.25 (fixed fare). It should be about a 20-25 minute ride. BUT... you are no doubt flying U.S. Air, so you will probably have to wait for your baggage. U.S. Air is almost always late as well. Bottom line is, you are cutting it close for a 3PM wedding. If everything goes smoothly, no problem.

You don%26#39;t need a guided tour to hit everything. The weather is usually nice that time of year. You can walk everywhere, or take a bus or cab down to the 5th %26amp; Market Streets area (Independence Hall area). It%26#39;s about a mile from your hotel.

Weekend trip in Philly... what are the MUST DOS?!!!!

We visited Philadelphia last year and had no problem hitting all the must-do%26#39;s in one day. And we didn%26#39;t feel rushed. There%26#39;s a concise list of to-do%26#39;s here:

piytravel.com/pages/鈥hiladelphia_brief.piy

As for transportation to your hotel from the airport, in addition to the cab option, a shuttle service such as SuperShuttle is worth consideration.

The Reading Street Market is a great place to go and eat. I have super-fond memories of the Thanksgiving Day sandwich there.

That%26#39;s Reading Terminal Market, not Reading Street Market.

Absolutely right. My mistake. Thanks for the correction, owlyn.

If you don%26#39;t have to attend a Rehersal Dinner on Friday, I would try one of Stephen Starr%26#39;s resturants - Buddakan, El Vez, Contential, Morimoto, etc. They are all great places! Since it is early, I might try to get a ressie for Buddakan.

If possible, reserve your tickets for the Independence Hall before your trip. We were there last week and tickets were all distributed by 10:30 am. Of course, September might be better but it doesn%26#39;t hurt to get tickets in advance.

I had no problem with my must-do%26#39;s. Must visit Independence Hall, the Mint, the Ben Franklin Museum, and I enjoyed the Horse Carraige Ride through Historic Philadelphia. We passed Betsy Ross house and Ben Franklin%26#39;s, and we went into the Court Room.

Some recent visitors have recommended New Liberty Tours for guided walking tours of the historic district.

Regarding must do%26#39;s - put Franklin Court on your list.

Lynn