Best time to travel in Philadelphia?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with 2015-2024 averages
Best time: April to June, September to October
Best avoided if possible: December to February (less pleasant weather or big crowds).
Temperatures and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Philadelphia Airport station, NOAA data (public domain).
Humid continental: hot, muggy summers around 31°C in July with thunderstorms, cold winters around 5°C by day and -3°C at night, around fifty centimetres of snow a year, and mild springs and autumns. The best time to visit Philadelphia is April, May, June, September and October, with temperatures reaching 30-31°C (July). By contrast, January, February, March, July, August, November and December are generally less favourable (less pleasant weather or big crowds, depending on the destination), though a trip is still possible with a bit of planning. In high season, book early: prices and visitor numbers climb fast.
Go against the flow. To avoid the crowds without sacrificing too much on the weather, aim for March and November: the crowds thin out, prices drop too, and the climate stays pleasant.
Do these months appeal to you? See what's best elsewhere too: where to go in April · where to go in May · where to go in June · where to go in September · where to go in October.
At a glance
Why go to Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is the city where the United States was born. In 1776, in the assembly room of the Pennsylvania State House, delegates from the thirteen colonies voted for the Declaration of Independence, then, eleven years later, drafted the Constitution that still governs the country, and the city was the federal capital from 1790 to 1800. All of this fits within a few blocks of Old City, between the cracked bell, Benjamin Franklin's grave and 18th-century alleys. In 2026 the city celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, and the sites were restored for the occasion.
But Philadelphia is not an open-air museum. It is the sixth-largest city in the country, 1.5 million people, working-class and defiant, with its rowhouse neighbourhoods, more than 4,000 murals commissioned since 1984 by the Mural Arts programme, and first-rank art collections: the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation and the Rodin Museum, along an avenue modelled on the Champs-Élysées. Fans of the Eagles, the Phillies and the Sixers have a reputation that reaches well beyond the city.
Finally, Philadelphia is a place to eat without fuss, at the counter: South Philly cheesesteaks, roast pork sandwiches from Reading Terminal Market, soft pretzels, water ice, and a restaurant scene where many places let you bring your own wine, for lack of a licence. At 1 hr 10 from New York and under two hours from Washington by train, it costs noticeably less than its two neighbours, and opens onto Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens and the Amish country of Lancaster, an hour and a half's drive away.
Tourist map of Philadelphia: what's where?
The map below pinpoints the 6 places covered in this guide: a handy way to picture the distances between each stop and plan your route in Philadelphia.
- Independence Hall
- Reading Terminal Market
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Eastern State Penitentiary
- Italian Market
- Valley Forge
How much does a trip to Philadelphia cost in 2026? Budget calculator
Estimate your budget for Philadelphia based on your travel style: accommodation, meals, activities and local transport included (flights excluded). Adjust the length and the number of travellers, and the totals update.
Totals for all travellers over the chosen length; the daily amount is per person. Flights extra, indicative amounts to adjust depending on the season.
Bank cards are accepted everywhere, contactless included on the metro and buses, but a few stalls in the Italian Market and some cheesesteak counters prefer cash. Prices are shown before tax: 8% on purchases and meals in Philadelphia, more on hotel rooms. A tip of 18 to 22% is expected in restaurants, and $1-2 per drink at the bar.
Safety in Philadelphia: should you be worried?
The centre, Old City, Society Hill, Rittenhouse, the Parkway and University City can be explored without worry by day and in the evening. Philadelphia does, however, have a high crime rate in some neighbourhoods to the north and west, far from the sites visitors see. Avoid Kensington, north-east of the centre, the epicentre of the opioid crisis, and do not venture on foot outside the central neighbourhoods at night. Pickpocketing happens on the metro and in crowds. Keep an eye on your belongings at stations on the Market-Frankford Line. Summer is hot and humid, with violent storms; winter can bring snow and ice. Medical care is excellent but very expensive: health insurance covering the United States is essential.
Things to see and do in Philadelphia
Our first-hand favourites, and the great classics:
- Independence Hall and Liberty Bell
- Museum of the American Revolution
- Elfreth's Alley and Old City
- Reading Terminal Market
- Philadelphia Museum of Art and Rocky Steps
- Barnes Foundation
- Eastern State Penitentiary
- Italian Market and South Philly
What to book before you go to Philadelphia →
🧭 Discover the Philadelphia itinerary, day by dayMap, timings, budget and where to stay: free to access, to fit your dates. Create my tailor-made itinerary →Old City and Independence Park
18th-century Philadelphia, between the Delaware and 6th Street: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, the Benjamin Franklin Museum set beneath the site of his vanished house, Carpenters' Hall where the First Continental Congress met in 1774, and the National Constitution Center at the north end of the park. The streets of Old City, Arch, Market and Church, add Elfreth's Alley, Christ Church and art galleries set up in former warehouses, with open-house evenings on the first Friday of the month.
Society Hill and Washington Square
South of the park, the city's most elegant neighbourhood, where hundreds of 18th- and 19th-century brick houses were saved and restored from the 1950s onwards. The narrow streets, Delancey, Spruce and Pine, are explored on foot between the Physick House, St. Peter's Church of 1761 and the covered market of Head House Square, which hosts a farmers' market on Sundays. Washington Square, to the west, holds the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier.
Center City and Rittenhouse Square
The business district, around the City Hall of 1901, 167 metres high with the statue of William Penn on top, whose observation deck is open to visitors. To the west, Rittenhouse Square, the liveliest square in the city, is ringed by cafés, shops and the finest hotels. To the east, Reading Terminal Market and Chinatown, with its Friendship Gate, feed you well and cheaply. In the evening, Broad Street, the Avenue of the Arts, lines up concert halls and theatres, including the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music of 1857.
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the museums
A 1.6 km diagonal avenue, designed in 1917 by the Frenchman Jacques Gréber on the model of the Champs-Élysées, linking City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Walking up it, you pass Love Park and its LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana, the Logan Circle fountain, the Barnes Foundation, the Rodin Museum and its Gates of Hell, and the Franklin Institute, a science museum with a giant heart. Behind the art museum, the Schuylkill River Trail follows the river and the rowing clubs of Boathouse Row, lit up at night.
South Philly and South Street
The south of the city, a rowhouse neighbourhood of Italian and Irish immigrants, then Mexican and Vietnamese ones. The Italian Market on 9th Street, East Passyunk Avenue and its restaurants, and the cheesesteaks of Pat's and Geno's follow one another here. South Street, further north, is the street of bars, record shops and boutiques, and Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, a house covered in mosaics of mirrors, bottles and tiles by the artist Isaiah Zagar, can be visited by reservation. The Eagles, Phillies and Sixers stadiums are at the end of Broad Street.
Day trips: Valley Forge, Longwood and Amish country
Valley Forge, 35 km north-west, is the camp where Washington's army spent the winter of 1777-1778 in cold and hunger before emerging battle-hardened: the national historical park, free of charge, is explored by car or bike between reconstructed huts and Washington's headquarters. Longwood Gardens, 50 km south-west, is a 440-hectare garden created by Pierre S. du Pont, with conservatories and fountains. Lancaster County and its Amish farms are 1 hr 30 away by road or 1 hr 10 by train.
How many days, and which itinerary in Philadelphia?
Three days cover Old City, Reading Terminal Market, the art museum, the Barnes Foundation and Eastern State. Four or five days add South Philly, a game or a concert and a day trip to Valley Forge or Longwood. The city combines easily with New York and Washington, one or two hours away by train.
🗺️ Day-by-day Philadelphia itinerary · 📓 Printable Philadelphia travel guide (PDF) · 🌍 Discover all of the American West
The long weekend (3 days)
Day 1: Independence Hall at opening time without a ticket, Liberty Bell, Museum of the American Revolution, lunch at Reading Terminal Market, Elfreth's Alley and Christ Church in the late afternoon, dinner in Old City. Day 2: Rocky Steps at sunrise, Philadelphia Museum of Art in the morning, Barnes Foundation in the afternoon, a walk along the Parkway and Boathouse Row at sunset. Day 3: Eastern State Penitentiary in the morning, Italian Market and a cheesesteak at lunchtime, Magic Gardens and South Street in the afternoon.
City and surroundings (5 days)
The three days of the weekend, then a day at Valley Forge by car or on a hired bike along the Schuylkill River Trail, returning via Manayunk and its bars, and a day at Longwood Gardens, ideal in spring or in December for the illuminations. In the evenings, a Phillies game from April to September, a Philadelphia Orchestra concert at the Kimmel Center, or dinner at a restaurant where you bring your own wine.
East Coast by train (10 days)
Three days in New York, then the Amtrak train to Philadelphia, 1 hr 10 to 1 hr 30, for three days, with a day in the Amish country of Lancaster by train or hire car. Carry on to Baltimore, 1 hr 15 away, for a day on the harbour, then Washington, 40 minutes further, for the last three days and the flight home. Everything can be done without a car, as the stations are in the city centres.
How to get to Philadelphia and get around?
From Europe, American Airlines flies nonstop to Philadelphia from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, in just under 9 hours outbound. Other airlines connect via New York, Boston, Charlotte or a European city. The airport is 11 km south-west of the centre, linked to Center City by the Airport Line regional train in about 25 minutes, or by taxi for $30-40, about €26-34.
The centre is walkable: 3 km separate Independence Hall from the art museum, in a straight line along Market Street and then the Parkway. The SEPTA network adds two metro lines, trams and buses, at $2.90 a ride, about €2.50, payable contactless by bank card. The one-day pass costs $7.50, about €6.50, and the three-day pass $19, about €16.
Indego bike share has more than 200 stations, handy for the Parkway and the Schuylkill River Trail. Ride-hailing cars and taxis are plentiful and affordable for getting to South Philly or the stadiums in the evening.
30th Street Station, on the other side of the Schuylkill, puts New York 1 hr 10 to 1 hr 30 away and Washington 1 hr 45 to 2 hrs away by Amtrak, and Lancaster 1 hr 10 away. A car is only useful for Valley Forge, Longwood or Amish country; downtown hotels charge $40-60 a night for parking, about €34-52.
Where to stay in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia costs noticeably less than New York or Boston: expect €150-250 a night for a good downtown hotel in spring and autumn, less at weekends when the conventions empty out. Prices rise on Eagles game weekends and during the big conventions.
Old City and Society Hill are the most pleasant neighbourhoods for a first stay, within walking distance of the historic sites, with characterful hotels set in old buildings. In the evening, their bars and restaurants stay lively.
Rittenhouse Square and the centre around City Hall offer the finest hotels, 15 minutes' walk from Old City and the Parkway museums. The chain hotels around the convention centre and Reading Terminal Market are the most practical for a mid-range budget.
University City, west of the river around the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel, has slightly cheaper hotels next to 30th Street Station. Bed and breakfasts are rare in the city; you will find more of them in Chestnut Hill or the Brandywine Valley.
Our picks stop by stop, in three price ranges →
What to eat in Philadelphia?
The cheesesteak, a long roll filled with thinly sliced grilled beef, onions and melted cheese, Cheez Whiz, provolone or American, is ordered at Pat's or Geno's in South Philly, at Dalessandro's in Roxborough or at John's Roast Pork, for $15-20. The roast pork sandwich, with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone, is the other speciality, and many locals prefer it.
Soft pretzels, in a figure-of-eight shape, are sold from early morning in bakeries and by street vendors for one or two dollars, and Italian water ice cools you down in summer. The hoagie, a long Italian sandwich, is the emblem of lunchtime. Reading Terminal Market brings all of this together under one roof.
The city has a recognised dining scene, around East Passyunk, Fishtown and Rittenhouse, with top-flight Israeli, Mexican and Vietnamese cooking. In Pennsylvania, liquor licences are expensive: many restaurants are BYOB, so you bring your own bottle, bought from a state-run Fine Wine & Good Spirits shop.
The local breakfast is eaten in diners or at the counter of Reading Terminal Market, with scrapple, a fried slice of pork and cornmeal handed down from German farmers, and doughnuts fried to order. Craft breweries are plentiful, and Yards, founded in 1994, has its taprooms near Spring Garden.
Which kind of traveller is it for?
Philadelphia lends itself to a cultural and foodie trip. Whether you travel as a couple, with family or even with friends, everyone finds their own pace. For accommodation, you will mostly find classic hotels and boutique hotels.
Entry requirements & practical info
UK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
Rules change: before you leave, check your country's official travel advice.
Once there, to stay online without paying roaming charges, an Philadelphia eSIM activates in a few minutes and works as soon as you land (plans from €3.99). Remember suitable travel insurance too.
Frequently asked questions about Philadelphia
When is the best time to visit Philadelphia?
From April to June and from September to October, with 18 to 27°C during the day. Summer is hot and humid, around 31°C, but livened up by free concerts and the 4th of July celebrations. Winter is cold, sometimes snowy, with hotel prices at their lowest and quiet museums.
Do you need to book to visit Independence Hall?
Not before 10.30am: from 9am to 10.30am, entry is free without a ticket. After that, guided tours leave every 20 minutes and require a free timed ticket booked on Recreation.gov, with a $1 fee per ticket. The Liberty Bell, opposite, can be visited without a reservation from 9am to 5pm.
Are there direct flights from Europe to Philadelphia?
Yes, American Airlines operates a nonstop flight from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, in just under 9 hours outbound. You can also fly into New York, then take the Amtrak train to Philadelphia in 1 hr 10 to 1 hr 30.
How many days do you need in Philadelphia?
Three days for Old City, the major museums and Eastern State, four or five to add South Philly, Valley Forge or Longwood Gardens. The city fits well into an East Coast tour between New York and Washington.
Do you need a car in Philadelphia?
No. The centre is walkable, the SEPTA metro and buses fill the gaps, and the train links the airport, New York, Washington and Lancaster. Only hire a car for Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens or the Amish farms, as parking in the city is expensive.
Where can you eat the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia?
Everyone has their favourite. Pat's and Geno's, facing each other in South Philly, are the most famous and open day and night; locals often name Dalessandro's, John's Roast Pork or the counters at Reading Terminal Market. Expect $15-20, and order fast.
Can you visit Amish country from Philadelphia?
Yes. Lancaster is 1 hr 10 away by Amtrak train from 30th Street Station, or 1 hr 30 by car. The farms, the villages of Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse and the covered bridges require a car once there; a night in the county lets you see them without rushing.
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