Tour Details
Duration
2.5
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Reading Terminal Market
- Independence Hall
- Elfreth's Alley
Photos & Highlights
- Learn the hidden histories behind Philadelphia’s landmarks, from colonial beginnings to modern neighborhoods.
- Discover the flavors and energy of Philadelphia at Reading Terminal Market, a hub of history and modern culture.
Select a date
Tour Description
Philadelphia’s streets tell stories of change, ambition, and daily life. This introductory tour brings the city into focus, taking you to its most meaningful places while revealing how history, commerce, and culture intertwine in these ordinary-seeming streets.
You’ll stop at sites like Elfreth’s Alley, Christ Church, Independence Hall, and the Liberty Bell. Landmarks that anchor the city’s early history while pointing the city forward. As the tour continues along Market Street and onto Arch Street, layers of 19th-century growth become visible. Public art, food culture, and daily life reveal a Philadelphia shaped by many voices, then and now.
Choose this tour if…
- It is your first time in Philadelphia and you want to get acquainted with the city.
- You want to get a better understanding of Philadelphia’s history from the colonial period to today.
- You want to discover local spots you might have never found on your own.
Meet Your Expert
Charlene Mires is a historian who has been researching, teaching, and writing about Philadelphia for more than 25 years. She is one of the founding editors of the digital Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia and the author of the book Independence Hall in American Memory. A longtime resident of the city with a Ph.D. in history from Temple University, she is a Certified Tour Guide affiliated with the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides. She loves exploring the city and looks forward to introducing you to its history and culture.
Walking through Philadelphia reveals a city in motion. Each block shows how ideas, commerce, and culture built on one another, turning a planned town into a modern, lived-in place.
Early stops like Elfreth’s Alley and Christ Church offer a brief glimpse of colonial foundations, not as an endpoint but as a starting point. These streets hint at how daily life, belief, and cooperation set patterns that the city would keep reshaping.
Independence Hall marks a moment of national importance, but it also signals transition. What does a city do after it helps launch a country and then steps out of the spotlight?
Market Street answers part of that question through growth and trade. By the 19th century, it had become a major retail corridor, lined with department stores and businesses that reflected industrial energy and expanding ambition.
The walk ends firmly in the present. Passing public art, Chinatown and cultural landmarks, the city feels layered and shared. Murals, movement, and food cultures converge at Reading Terminal Market, where Philadelphia today gathers in one busy, welcoming space.
- Elfreth’s Alley - The oldest continuously inhabited U.S. street with historic colonial homes.
- Arch Street - A historic street linking the city’s commercial and historic areas.
- Betsy Ross House - The site of the maker of the first American flag.
Tickets
No tickets are necessary for this tour.
Transportation
This is an all-outdoor walking tour. We cannot currently provide a transfer service in Valencia, so we suggest you ask your hotel about the best way to arrive at your tour meeting point.
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your tour. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.
Wheelchair accessibility
The walking route includes some uneven pavement, but the city is generally accessible.
Service dog accommodations
Service dogs are welcome; please notify us at booking.
Is this tour appropriate for children? While not a kid-specific tour, we can accommodate children on this itinerary.
Do tours operate in inclement weather? Our tours run rain or shine. Please check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes suitable for walking on varied surfaces and don’t forget to bring an umbrella or raincoat if showers are expected.
Does this tour go into Independence Hall? No, this tour does not include any visits to interiors of venues. If you are interested in visiting a venue, you are welcome to visit independently after the tour ends.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start