Philadelphia City Guide

Philadelphia, or Philly as it is commonly known, is an extremely popular historical destination located on the East Coast of the USA. It was in Philadelphia that the US constitution was written in 1787. The city was also the nation's first capital between 1791 and 1800.

Carrying such rich historical significance to the nation and offering captivating attractions to see, vacations to Philadelphia are as much a must for the history enthusiasts as for the globetrotters. With attractive hotel deals for Philadelphia, your Philadelphia vacations get even more comfortable. After all, there is nothing like a nice smooth wine of your choice being served by welcoming helping staff while you lie in your comfy hotel room, after a long day of exploration.

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Philadelphia is the fifth largest metropolis in the USA and home to nearly 6 million residents. Called by various names like 'city of brotherly love', 'the friendliest city' and most recently as 'the city that loves you back', the city is a treat to visit.

Philadelphia has many diverse districts like the Old City, which includes the Historic district, Independence Mall, the upscale Rittenhouse Square; and Benjamin Franklin Parkway districts that host museums shops and restaurants.

Other prominent districts include the likes of North Liberties famous for its artistry, South Philly being the Italian heart of the city, and the University District that encircles UPenn and Drexel Universities. Drexel University’s neighborhood has in itself evolved into a high-end shopping street offering delightful food, film and music offerings.

All these unique and charming districts are equipped with wide variety of hotels that range from luxury hotels, to spa hotels and boutique hotel properties along with more reasonably priced discount hotels.

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The Independence National Historical Park is a historic neighborhood that extends over eight blocks in the Old City of Philadelphia. The forty-five acre Independence Park is filled with historic buildings and museums, which include the Independence Hall, revered as the birthplace of the American nation as the Constitution of the USA was ratified here. Located with this historic park is the famed Liberty Bell, which on July 8th 1776 rang out from the tower of Independence Hall to summon the citizens to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The Liberty Bell is today displayed in a pavilion in Market Street between 5th and 6th streets.

Philadelphia’s famous art museum was established in the 1870s and is housed in a beautiful building situated on a hilltop of Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This two level building contains a permanent collection of more than 225,000 works, which are arranged in 200 galleries. The exhibits at the museum include paintings, sculptures, period furniture, textiles, costumes and much more. The museum also hosts temporary exhibits periodically.

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway is Philadelphia’s museum district which hosts a wide variety of cultural attractions that include the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Swann Memorial Fountain, the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Moore College of Art and Design, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Rodin Museum, Eakins Oval, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Also located here is Philadelphia’s most visited museum, the Franklin Institute which showcases the influence of science on our everyday lives. The museum’s permanent collection includes a compilation of interactive science and technology exhibits as well as an assortment of memorabilia associated with founding father, Benjamin Franklin. The museum also includes several other must-see sections like the Discovery Theatre, the Fels Planetarium (the second oldest planetarium in the country), the Mandell Futures Center, an Imax theater arena and the Core States Science park which features several scientific play items like a maze and a high-wire bicycle.

The Philadelphia Zoo dates back to 1874 and is the oldest zoo in the USA. Today this much loved zoo exhibits more than 1600 rare and exotic animals and 42 acres of verdant Victorian gardens. The Philadelphia zoo is additionally renowned for its many educational and conservation programs as well.

Philadelphia welcomes visitors all year around. The city looks pretty in the spring season as it is covered with gorgeous cherry blossoms. In the summer, around 4th of July, the city hosts spectacular festivals and parades in its historic districts. In the fall, the city presents a packed cultural calendar with a wide array of concerts and theatrical productions.

During the winter months of November to February, the weather can get very cold, but this is a good time to plan Philadelphia vacations if you want to shop and take advantage of the city's excellent shopping options, which include one of the world’s largest shopping malls, the King of Prussia Mall.

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Once you are there, city’s public transport makes it much easier for you to commute. Philadelphia’s public transport system is operated by SEPTA (the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transport Authority), which consists of regional rail services, subway lines, buses and trolleys. For tourists, it is the public buses that provide the best way to travel around Philadelphia for the subway system doesn’t adequately cover the city center, which is where more tourists like to stay.

The city, in fact, also has a seasonal PHLASH minibus service, which has been specifically created to serve the needs of tourists. The PHLASH buses run in a circuit from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the downtown area of Philadelphia. The route included 33 stops and the mini buses ply with a frequency of 10 minutes from 10 am to 10pm during the summer months and until 6pm in the winters. The city is also served by taxis, which are easily available in the city center but are not as easily available in the outer areas of the city.

If you still want to explore the city by your own and at your own pace, do explore the Philadelphia car rental options available on our platform.

Philadelphia offers an abundance of shopping options that are bound to please any shopping enthusiast. The city’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood located on the fringes of the city, is home to charming cobbled avenues littered with many delightful antique stores as well as outposts of major retail chains, while the Franklin Mills Mall which is located 15 minutes from downtown Philadelphia offers a comprehensive ‘big mall’ shopping experience by way of its more than 200 stores, guaranteed to meet any shopping need.

The Old City/Third Street corridor precinct of the city hosts trendy boutiques, home ware stores and art galleries alongside old-world historic sites while the city’s Main Street Manayunk, which once was a mill area offers a worthy alternative to mall shopping its many local stores and outposts of national retail chains.

Philadelphia’s city-center Rittenhouse Square offers a plethora of luxe shopping options at its many big name stores and boutiques while South Street situated between south Philly and the city-center is choice shopping location for hipsters and the city’s fashion-forward brigade for its hosts an assortment of avant-garde fashion boutiques, edgy hair salons and tattoo parlors, perfect for those shoppers who are in search of a more eclectic Philadelphia shopping scene.

Philadelphia is renowned for its native dish, the Philly Cheese Steak, an artery-clogging sandwich dish which features thin slices of steak interspersed with melted cheese (American, provolone or the ‘authentic’ Cheese Whizz) on a roll. The sandwich can also feature toppings of choice like fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, ketchup and hot or sweet peppers. Philadelphia hosts numerous restaurants that offer the city’s ‘national dish’, however there are a few restaurant’s like John’s Roast Pork, Geno’s Steak, Tony Luke’s, Pat’s King of Steaks and Campo’s which are especially known for their delicious, flavorful Philly cheese steaks.

Cheesesteaks apart, the city also hosts a wide range of restaurants that offer a variety of cuisines. Au courant highly-ranked eateries in Philadelphia currently include dining spots like Vedge (vegan eats), Vetri and Mercato (Italian fare), Little Fish (seafood), Butcher and Singer (American cuisine) Zahav (Middle Eastern eats) and long-standing favorites like Morimoto (Japanese cuisine) and Alma de Cuba (Latin and Caribbean cuisine).

Philadelphia offers a heaving nightlife scene that features countless dance clubs, sports bars, dive bars, jazz clubs, craft breweries and live-music venues. Moreover Philly’s many hotspots rock on late into the night. Popular nightlife haunts in this historic city include spots like Tria (wine-bar), The Dive (a bar exempt from the smoking ban), National Mechanics (an old-world pub), The Level Room and the M Room (music venues) and Sumo Lounge at Raw, Fiso Lounge, G Lounge (all dance clubs). All the above mentioned locales are guaranteed to provide you with much entertainment during your business or leisure trip to Philly.