14-Day East Coast Holiday Itinerary - USA

Upon arrival at the airport, you will get in a shared transfer to help cut your carbon footprint. Depending on your arrival time, you’ll have the chance to orientate yourself in the big city venturing out to the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty or Ground Zero. You’ll be staying in a hotel in Manhattan so that you can visit the highlights on foot, but a metro station is also never far away so it is worth buying a multi-day pass.

Over the next couple of days you’ll have time to see the city your way. Wander the streets or jump on a metro and see everything you want at your own pace. Walk with the suits along Wall Street, explore cultures of the world in Little Italy or Chinatown, or a block or two away is also the more bohemian neighbourhood of Greenwich. If the weather is nice, go cycling in Central Park or just relax and watch the New Yorkers enjoying themselves. If you prefer to have your time more scheduled, there are all kinds of tours that can be arranged in advanced. Just ask your travel specialist and they’ll be happy to build these into your itinerary for you.

Today you’ll arrive in the city affectionately known as “Philly”. You’ll be staying in a modern hotel right in the middle of the shopping area, so you can easily walk to the Independence Historic Area. The city has changed drastically in recent years, making it ideal for exploring on foot, so take a walk through the neighbourhood and find a cafe, restaurant, or club to enjoy yourself in.

Start the following day with breakfast at the hotel or in one of the surrounding cafes, before venturing out with a guide to lesser-explored parts of the city. You’ll start in a neighbourhood known for mosaics and murals and finish at the Italian Market to sample local delicacies, ensuring you don’t miss out on trying the world-famous Philly Cheesesteak. In the afternoon, you can continue adventure in the historic district, visiting the site where the Constitution was drafted and the Declaration of Independence was signed. Finally, end your day running up the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and if you have the energy you can pop in as well.

Compared to the towers of Manhattan, it is a surprise to find that Washington has surprisingly low buildings, spaciously laid out with lots of greenery and elegant white buildings. The centre mainly consists of office buildings and is very deserted in the evenings and at weekends, so you’ll stay in a hotel that is in the atmospheric jazz district of Dupont, full of bars, restaurants and bookshops. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Washington as you please.

After breakfast this morning, you can walk the 3km long Mall, where on one side you can see where Martin Luther King delivered his ‘I have a dream’ speech, while on the other are the steps of the Capitol where Presidents have addressed people for hundreds of years. In the middle is a huge, mirrored basin of water and along the sides you’ll find various war memorials and museums. Across the river is Arlington Cemetery, an infinite amount of white headstones on a green field where over 300,000 people are buried. On the edge of the Mall is The Old Post Office, a converted post office full of restaurants, on the top floor enjoy views of the White House and other sights while you eat.

This morning you will leave the conveniences of modern life behind you and step back in time as you drive to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to a secluded, but open and welcoming, Amish community. On the drive there, take a detour through the Brandywine Valley. The green hills of the vineyards are a good contrast to the turbulent metropolis of Philadelphia. There are eight vineyards, where you can learn more about the wines of the region and go for a tasting, after which you’ll spend the night in a comfortable hotel in Lancaster, the heart of the Amish area.

The following morning you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at Amish life. With your guide, you will visit an Amish Farm to get a good idea of ​​how the community lives and what it is like for them to abstain from technological progress. The second part of the tour is by bus, but it can be slow going, as along the way you will encounter several carriages and locals on scooters. Spend the rest of the day taking a stroll through Lancaster’s lively old town and round off the day with a hearty Amish-style dinner in one of the local restaurants.

Arrive at Buffalo airport and grab a taxi to your hotel on the American side of the falls. The town itself is very American with its watchtowers, haunted house and lots of other entertaining activities. Once you’ve strolled through the village and grabbed some American grub, be sure to take a look at the waterfalls at night when they are illuminated by lamps in all kinds of colours and fireworks soar overhead.

Get up early the next morning for a filling American-style breakfast, before heading to the visitor centre to board the Maid of the Mist. It’s an unmissable boat trip, which has been sailing since 1846. You’ll sail calmly towards the wall of water and the closer you get, the happier you are to be wearing your poncho and the roaring, thundering sound grows louder and louder. After the boat trip, walk across the Rainbow Bridge to the Canadian side of the falls, being careful not to forget your passport, for a visit to the Horseshoe Falls. If you have time to spare, visit Goat Island and the Three Sisters Islands, from which you can take the elevator down to Cave of the Winds with Hurricane Deck.

After checking into your centrally located hotel, you can explore this vibrant university city of Boston at your own pace. Stroll through the city centre and grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants in the Beacon Hill neighbourhood. You can easily discover the city on foot because the main sights are in the centre and all conveniently within walking distance.

Start today with a leisurely breakfast and then go head off to meet your guide at the starting point of the Freedom Trail walk. Your guide will be in costume and appear to have come from the 18th century, they’ll tell very vividly about his courageous ancestors. You’ll be transported back to the time of heroism as you pass the sights of the Freedom Trail, learning how the “Fathers of Liberty” fought to eventually sign the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Have a drink in one of the taverns where the walk ends to let all the stories sink in. The rest of the day is then up to you.