From History to Happy Hour

From History to Happy Hour Tour

Explore some of Philadelphia’s most iconic historical sights on a two-hour walk through the Old City neighborhood before spending happy hour sipping on local beers at a variety of pubs and bars in Center City. Throughout both parts of this fabulous tour, you hear unique stories and learn about the hidden gems in Philly that only locals know.

General Itinerary

Visit those unmissable Philly sights on this historical Philadelphia tour that ditches the guidebooks and gives you a dose of history from a local perspective. After all, this is the history that shaped the people of this city, so why not learn about it from them?

Start your Philadelphia tour behind the Religious Liberty Statue just outside the National Museum of American Jewish History, where you’ll meet your guide and begin your Best. Day. Ever.

From here, we’ll take you back to the time of our nation’s founding, weaving your way through Independence National Park. Your guide will share their knowledge of the most significant sites of the park, such as Independence Hall, Congress Hall and Old City Hall, among other sites that were instrumental in establishing many of the country’s first institutions and ideologies.

Continue your Philadelphia city tour to a spot where (on weekdays only) we can grab a view of Maxfield Parrish’s ‘Dream Garden’ mosaic mural and a possible excursion into Washington Square for stories of Philadelphia founder William Penn.

We will then pass the Liberty Bell, where you’ll hear about why this iconic symbol has become so famous all around the world. Just next door, you’ll enter the President’s House site, home to George Washington and John Adams during Philly’s tenure as our nation’s capital. You’ll stroll up through the grand stretch of Independence Mall, home to the Independence Visitor Center, the National Constitution Center, the Bourse and the U.S. Mint.

After passing by the gravesite of the city’s most renowned inventor, Ben Franklin, you’ll enter the charming back alleys of the Old City with its unique art galleries, trendy cafés and fascinating industrial architecture, where you’ll have the chance to grab a quick snack or a drink and relax with your guide — the perfect opportunity to ask any pressing questions you may have about things to do in the neighborhood after the tour.

Continue to be immersed in history as you venture past the Betsy Ross House and then down Elfreth’s Alley, the street famous for being the oldest continuously occupied residential street in the country.

Next, you may be treated to a visit inside Christ Church, where you’ll hear stories of our founding fathers, sit where they sat, and learn about the birth of the Episcopal Church in America.

Then, after all that history, it’s time for happy hour! We’ll travel by subway to the very heart of modern Philadelphia, City Hall, and step out onto the streets of Center City Philly, where we’ll discover some of the sights and sounds of Philadelphia as people are finishing up their workday. At this time of day, many a Philly local will be bee-lining for the closest happy hour, and we’ll do the same! We’ll have the option to visit the oldest continuously operating bar in Philadelphia, a classic dive bar, an Irish pub with local flair, a modern beer café, and many other neighborhood bars and pubs. At each location, we’ll talk about the history of these bars and why they are so popular.

One drink at each bar is included with the tour, as well as a pub or street snack. And the bars we visit all have one thing in common: a taste for Philadelphia’s local craft beers and breweries! You’ll quickly find out why Philadelphia is one of America’s best beer cities, and learn the names and tastes of brewers such as Philadelphia Brewing Co., Victory, Yards, Troegs, Flying Fish, Sly Fox, Dogfish Head, Nodding Head, and Dock Street Brewing Co.

From our final pub, you’ll be able to continue on your own Philly beer journey or grab some dinner at one of Philadelphia’s many great restaurants nearby.