Must-seeWashington, DC
Monuments, the Capitol and the world's largest free museum complex, all on one great lawn.
Full guide
Mid-Atlantic
The capital, colonial history and the Blue Ridge.
This is where the United States began. Within a few hours' drive you can stand in the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed, walk the fields of Gettysburg and see the Capitol where Congress still meets. Washington DC anchors the region with free world-class museums, and the Blue Ridge Mountains rise less than two hours west.
It's an easy region to combine. Philadelphia and Washington are two hours apart by train, and the Virginia history sites sit along one interstate.
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- Best time
- April–May and September–October
- Ideal trip
- 5–7 days
- Fly into
- Washington (DCA, IAD), Baltimore (BWI) or Philadelphia (PHL)
- Getting around
- Train between cities; a car for Shenandoah, Gettysburg and Virginia
The short list
Must-see
Must-see
Must-seePhiladelphia
Where the Declaration and the Constitution were signed, with a great food scene around it.
Guide coming soon
Worth a detour
Worth a detourNational Cherry Blossom Festival
Late March to mid-April
Thousands of cherry trees bloom around DC's Tidal Basin. The peak lasts only a few days; the Park Service forecasts it.
Guide coming soon
Worth a detourShenandoah National Park
Skyline Drive runs 105 miles along the Blue Ridge, with waterfalls and summit views just off the road.
Guide coming soon
Worth a detourHistoric Triangle
Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown: where colonial America began and where the Revolution ended.
Guide coming soon
Worth a detourGettysburg
The Civil War's turning point, and the field where Lincoln gave his most famous speech.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearby
If you're nearbyMount Vernon
George Washington's home on the Potomac, 15 miles south of the city named after him.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearbyCharlottesville and Monticello
Jefferson's hilltop home and university, surrounded by Virginia wine country.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearbyLancaster County
Rolling farmland where Amish families still farm with horses and travel by buggy.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearbyFallingwater
Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, built right over a waterfall in the Pennsylvania woods.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearbyAnnapolis
A sailing town of brick streets on the Chesapeake Bay, home of the US Naval Academy.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearby
If you're nearbyChincoteague and Assateague
An undeveloped barrier-island beach where wild ponies graze in the marsh.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearbyNew River Gorge
America's newest national park: a deep gorge with whitewater rafting and a famous arch bridge.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearbyBaltimore
The Inner Harbor, the National Aquarium, Fort McHenry and Maryland crab cakes.
Guide coming soon
If you're nearbyPittsburgh
Three rivers, old inclines up Mount Washington for the view, and the Andy Warhol Museum.
Guide coming soon
On the map
Grey pins: guides still being written.
Classic routes
6–7 days
Founding fathers loop
From independence to the last battle of the Revolution, in order.
4–5 days
Capital and the Blue Ridge
Museums and monuments, then mountains, wine and Monticello.
Good to know
Getting around
Amtrak's Northeast Regional links Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington in about two hours end to end, and both cities are easy without a car. For Shenandoah, Gettysburg, Lancaster and the Virginia history sites you'll need to drive; traffic around DC is among the worst in the country, so avoid weekday rush hours.
Weather
Summers are hot and very humid, with afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are cold but usually mild enough for sightseeing. Spring brings DC's cherry blossoms (late March to early April), and October brings fall color to the Blue Ridge.