A 5-Day Itinerary In Philadelphia From a Local’s Perspective / Ro

So, it’s your first time in Philadelphia and you’re looking for new places to try, but you have no idea where to begin or what to do. Maybe you’ve browsed YouTube videos from people who have visited these places, but you’re hoping to hear from a local’s perspective, what they’d recommend visiting and what things they’d recommend skipping. Well, my husband came up with the idea of writing a post just for that purpose – to help people who have never been to the city before find some pretty cool spots and plan their visits here, based on what we think would be an ideal trip. We each came up with our own personal itineraries and will be sharing those with you in two separate posts.

In my post, I’ll be breaking down each day into a theme of sorts. Here’s what my ideal itinerary would look like!

DAY #1 – Old City

I don’t know about you, but on the first day of visiting a new place, we typically like to pack our day with activities so that we can make the most trip. Oftentimes it ends up being our big “touristy” day where we do things that are highly recommended or must-dos by region or neighborhood. For that reason, on day one, I have a few things that I’d suggest you check out, that I’d recommend doing.

1. Grab Breakfast at Luna’s Cafe
2. Stop by for a photo-op at Elfreth’s Alley. Hit up the museum, if you have time too!
3. Visit the Museum of the American Revolution
4. Grab a cheesesteak from Campos (because it’s close by).
5. Visit Independence Hall (pre-register), Carpenter’s Hall, and The Liberty Bell (free)
6. Grab dinner at Cuba Libre, if you’re still hungry after lunch.
7. Head to Franklin Fountain and grab some of the best ice cream in that area.

DAY #2 – Art Day

Philadelphia has an incredible art scene. Depending on when you visit you could run into what they call First Fridays in the city or just browse some of our well-known art museums. If art is your thing, you’ll enjoy this day.

1. Get up early to grab Coffee from Elixr and take a walk or a drive to view the murals in the city nearby via the Mural Arts program. They have self-guided audio tours.
2. Have breakfast at Cafe Lutecia if you’re in the mood for Parisian food.
3. Visit the Philadelphia Art Museum. Pose by the Rocky statue, if you must, but honestly, I’d say this is skippable. Running up the steps, if you’ve never been before, however, is definitely a fun thing to do.
4. Visit The Rodin Museum and The Barnes Foundation Museum.
5. Have dinner at PARC in Rittenhouse.

DAY #3 – A little bit of everything

South Street is one of those places that if you’ve never been to Philly, I think you should at least check out once, but it’s the neighboring areas that are just as cool and are a short walking distance away from it.

1. Visit Three Graces Coffee
2. Take a walk around Society Hill, Old City, and nearby South Street to see some cool, historic homes that are still in use today. You can also shop along South Street, but I’d recommend Walnut St between 15th and 20th for shopping.
3. Grab a hoagie from Ricci’s for lunch
4. Visit Spruce Street Harbor in the spring/summer or the rink along Penns Landing during the cooler months.
5. Have dinner at Moshulu.

DAY #4 – Sports Day

Even if you don’t like Philly sports teams, you have to check out our stadiums. It’s such a cool experience that I’d recommend doing it at least once.

1. Tour the LINC. It’s such a fun experience that I’d recommend to everyone whether you’re a fellow Eagles fan or not.
2. Grab lunch at Xfinity Live
3. Tour Citizens Bank Park.
4. Grab a cheesesteak or a roast pork sandwich from John’s Roast Pork for dinner. Both are really good.

DAY #5 – Eat Your Way Through Philadelphia

You can’t visit Philly for the first time without trying some of the many recommended restaurants. If you’re a foodie like we are, you’ll enjoy getting to eat your way through the city.

1. Grab breakfast and coffee at Elixir near Chinatown
2. Walk the Rail Park.
3. Grab lunch at DiNic’s in Reading Terminal and enjoy a roast pork sandwich.
4. Split an ice cream at Bassett’s (if you have room left). I highly recommend their green tea flavor, if you like green tea-flavored things.
5. Visit LOVE Park to get that photograph that everyone seems to get when visiting Philly for the first time.
6. Go to the Mutter Museum to view some oddities.
7. If you are able to, get a reservation in advance for Zahav. If not, Dandelion is a highly recommended spot.

This is what I’d recommend for any newcomers visiting Philadelphia for the first time. However, there’s SO much to do in the city that this doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what you can do and how you can spend your time as there are more specific recommendations that can be given based on what you hope to get out of it. We’d love to hear from you, though! What’s your favorite thing to do in Philly?