Niagara Falls

Day 1

NEW YORK

Arrive in New York City, America’s premier city and greatest attraction. After settling into your hotel, head out into the streets and join in on the action. An afternoon tour could begin with a visit to Times Square, followed by a stroll past Broadway’s theaters, some people-watching in Central Park, and a return along 5th Avenue’s skyscrapers and storefronts. Still a little tired after your long journey? Check with your hotel concierge for last-minute tickets on a sunset harbor cruise, join a hop-on/hop-off bus tour, or simply settle into a drink and watch the city lights come up at one of New York’s rooftop bars & restaurants

Day 2

NEW YORK

A full day to explore New York and everything it has to offer. New York’s story begins in downtown Manhattan, originally the colonial Dutch city of New Amsterdam. Follow the immigrant story at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, then take a moment at Ground Zero to reflect on our own changing times. Continue north past SoHo’s stylish shops to Greenwich Village’s genteel streets, or wander through Chinatown’s kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and smells on your way to Little Italy and the Lower East Side

Day 3	NEW YORK » NIAGARA FALLS (415 mi / 665 km)
Depart this morning for Niagara Falls on a drive through New York State’s scenic Finger Lakes region, stopping for a waterfront picnic and perhaps a 2 km hike in Watkin’s Glen, a narrow gorge carved out by a series of 19 waterfalls, one of which you can even walk behind. Arrive in Niagara Falls in the late afternoon

Day 4

NIAGARA FALLS

A scenic natural wonder, Niagara Falls’ magnificent cascade attracts visitors the world over to watch the water of four Great Lakes – at a rate of 3 million liters per second – drop 60 meters on its way to Lake Ontario. Niagara Falls can easily be explored on foot – you can walk across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada – and it is especially impressive on a Maid of the Mist boat tour, where at the foot of Horseshoe Falls a spectacular 180° curtain of water surrounds you. In the evening, enjoy dinner from high above the Falls at Skylon Tower, where on a clear day you can see Toronto (40 mi / 65 km away), then enjoy the sunset and the colorful nighttime illumination of the Falls (Dinner / Tower Admission not included). After dinner, try your luck at one of Niagara Falls casinos

Day 5

NIAGARA FALLS » CORNING » GETTYSBURG (360 mi / 575 km)

Depart Niagara Falls for Corning, a picturesque town known for the world’s premier glass museum, and enjoy the shops, restaurants, and numerous pubs along Market Street, a particularly enjoyable Main Street USA. Continue on to Gettysburg, the town made famous by the Battle of Gettysburg, turning point of the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln’s eloquent Gettysburg Address, spoken here to commemorate the fallen soldiers of both North and South, is remembered as one of the most important speeches in American history. A self-guided auto tour recounts the dramatic battlefield events of 1863

Day 6

GETTYSBURG » HARPERS FERRY » SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK (140 mi / 225 km)

Drive on “country roads” to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where the Shenandoah River flows into the Potomac. Shortly before the Civil War, the anti-slavery crusader John Brown and his 21-man army attempted to capture the government weapons stored here in order to arm a slave revolt; they failed after a 3-day standoff. The event, however, shocked and polarized the nation, bringing it closer to war. Today Harpers Ferry is a peaceful town; boutiques in historic stone houses line hillside streets with impressive views of the two rivers and the nearby countryside. Continue south to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, picking up the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. One of America’s most scenic highways, the Skyline Drive offers magnificent panoramic vistas as well as a multitude of hiking and picnicking opportunities

Day 7

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK » CHARLOTTESVILLE (95 mi / 150 km)

Continue on the Skyline Drive to Charlottesville, consistently rated as one of the best places to live in the United States. Begin the day with a visit to Monticello, the estate of America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson. Designed and built by Jefferson, Monticello is a UNESCO World Heritage site, as are the original buildings of Charlottesville’s University of Virginia, another Jefferson project. Life in Charlottesville revolves around the university and the Downtown Mall, an outdoor pedestrian zone, with restaurants to fit every budget and a lively nightlife scene

Day 8

CHARLOTTESVILLE » RICHMOND » JAMES RIVER PLANTATIONS » WILLIAMSBURG (135 mi / 215 km)

Depart for Richmond, capital of Virginia and one-time capital of the Confederate States of America. Continue along the James River past America’s earliest plantations, family estates to two presidents and Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Arrive in Williamsburg, colonial capital of Virginia until the Revolutionary War. America’s best-preserved historic district is one large living history museum recreating life in 1775, where costumed interpreters recreate every aspect of life in the colonial city

Day 9	WILLIAMSBURG » MOUNT VERNON » WASHINGTON DC (160 mi / 255 km)
A number of options are available for today. Spend more time in Colonial Williamsburg before continuing on to Washington DC, or depart directly and pay a visit to the Mount Vernon home of General George Washington. Or, depart early for the hour-long drive to Virginia Beach and enjoy a day of sun and sand before returning via Williamsburg, arriving in Washington DC in the evening

Day 10

WASHINGTON DC

Full day to view the sites of America’s capital city. Grouped on or near the open lawns of the National Mall are the major institutions of the US government - the White House, Capitol, and Supreme Court buildings - as well as the museums of the Smithsonian Institute and memorials to past presidents. This evening, head out for dinner and the nightlife in Georgetown or Adams Morgan, perhaps combined with a driving tour of the government buildings at night, lighted in an impressive display

Day 11

WASHINGTON DC » BALTIMORE » LANCASTER (125 mi / 200 km)

Depart Washington DC for Lancaster, Pennsylvania, making a stop at Baltimore’s harborfront along the way. Lancaster and Lancaster County are the heart of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country. The name “Pennsylvania Dutch” actually refers to the Pennsylvania Germans (“Deutsche”) who settled here, particularly the “Plain People” of the Amish and Mennonite churches. Many Pennsylvania Dutch continue the dress, traditions and the dialect of their 18th-Century ancestors, with varying degrees of accomodation to the modern world. They remain a fascinating and thriving community in Lancaster, and a drive through the Lancaster countryside will most likely be slowed as you pass their horses and buggies. Their traditional arts and crafts, especially woodworkings and quilts, are available in local shops

Day 12

LANCASTER » PHILADELPHIA (70 mi / 115 km)

Depart this morning for Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love, and head to the visitor’s center at Independence National Historical Park, where printed materials are available in various languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish). Pick up your free tickets to Independence Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage site where both the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were signed. On either side of Independence Hall stands the original Congress and Supreme Court buildings, and across the street the Liberty Bell is on display. Stroll down Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest continuously occupied residential street in the United States, and step into Christ Church, where Benjamin Franklin and George Washington once worshipped. For dinner, experience culinary history at City Tavern (1773), and dine on the same 18th-century recipes enjoyed by Washington, Jefferson and other Founding Fathers who frequently met here. In the evening, Philadelphia nightlife is easy to find, with plentiful restaurants and clubs clustered together in the Old City, along South Street, and south of City Hall

Day 13	PHILADELPHIA » NEW YORK (95 mi / 155 km)
Depart directly for New York, or perhaps visit the boardwalk at one of New Jersey’s beaches for some fun in the sun on your way to Manhattan

Day 14	NEW YORK
A final day to enjoy the Big Apple. Take the opportunity to do some last-minute shopping for your friends and family back home, or revisit a favorite neighborhood to enjoy a relaxing morning before your flight departs