whitehouse

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 » FINGER LAKES » NIAGARA FALLS (410 mi / 655 km)
Depart New York City early this morning for a full day’s journey to Niagara Falls and the Canadian border. Along the way, enjoy a lakeside lunch stop in New York’s Finger Lakes region, then take a hike past a series of 19 waterfalls in Watkins Glen State Park. Arrive in Niagara Falls in the early evening

Day 4

NIAGARA FALLS

A full day to explore 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 is especially impressive on a Maid of the Mist boat tour. Here, at the foot of Horseshoe Falls, a spectacular 180° curtain of water surrounds you. In the evening, enjoy dinner from high above the Falls on Skylon Tower, where on a clear day you can see Toronto (40 mi / 65 km away), enjoy the sunset and watch the colorful nighttime illumination of the Falls (Dinner / Tower Admission not included). After dinner, try your luck in one of Niagara Falls casinos.

Day 5

NIAGARA FALLS » TORONTO (85 mi / 135 km)

Travel along the coast of Lake Ontario to Toronto, Canada's sophisticated commercial center. Its striking architecture is impressive and best observed from atop the CN Tower, where you can both take in the view and enjoy a meal. Shopping is a highlight at Eaton Centre or along Yonge Street, and Ontario Place is an educational and entertainment complex on Lake Ontario. This evening, enjoy the nightlife along Queen Street West and College St.

Day 6

TORONTO » GENESEE COUNTRY VILLAGE » LETCHWORTH STATE PARK » CORNING (250 mi / 400 km)

This morning, make a stop at Genesee Country Village, a collection of 57 original historic homes and buildings brought together to recreate a typical 19th-century New York State village. Guides in period costume are happy to demonstrate how people once lived, worked and played in the young American republic. Continue south to Letchworth State Park, also known as a “Grand Canyon of the East”, where three major waterfalls cut a 200 m path deep into the Genesee River Gorge. End the day in Corning, a picturesque town famous for the world’s premier glass museum, and enjoy the shops, restaurants, and numerous pubs along Market Street, a particularly enjoyable Main Street USA.

Day 7

CORNING » PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COUNTRY (LANCASTER) (225 mi / 360 km)

Continue to Lancaster and Lancaster County, heart of the 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 accommodation 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 woodworking and quilts, are available in local shops.

Day 8	PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COUNTRY (LANCASTER) » WASHINGTON DC (125 mi / 200 km)
More time to explore the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, or depart directly for Washington DC.

Day 9

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 10

WASHINGTON DC » PHILADELPHIA (145 mi / 235 km)

Continue on to Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love”. In Philadelphia, head to the visitor’s center at Independence National Historical Park, where printed materials are available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Pick up your free tickets to Independence Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which saw the signing of both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. 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 the 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 11	PHILADELPHIA » NEW YORK (95 mi / 155 km)
Return to New York this morning with enough time to enjoy a full day in the city. Along the way, stop for pictures of the Manhattan skyline before going back to your hotel

Day 12	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