What are the top things to do in Philadelphia?

Independence Hall, Liberty Bell Center, Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Rocky Steps, and more. Paste your own list into Tripsapien and it checks each place's hours, closures, and booking pressure for your exact dates.

Which neighborhoods should I explore in Philadelphia?

Old City and Society Hill, Center City and Rittenhouse Square, Fishtown and Northern Liberties, South Philadelphia and East Passyunk. Tripsapien groups your places by neighborhood so each day stays in one or two areas instead of zig-zagging.

When is the best time to visit Philadelphia?

May, September, October balance comfortable temperatures with fewer rainy days. Pick your month below to see that month's events, public holidays, and seasonal timing.

Will the places on my list be open when I'm in Philadelphia?

Tripsapien checks each place against the exact dates you're in Philadelphia and flags closures, limited hours, and sell-outs before the trip.

Philadelphia Skyline HDR in Philadelphia, United States

Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Things to do in Philadelphia

By Tripsapien Research / Updated May 20, 2026

Philadelphia sits between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, with the colonial street grid of Old City, Center City's towers, South Philly rowhouses, University City campuses, and Fishtown's nightlife all close enough for a transit-heavy weekend. The city is strongest where U.S. founding history, art museums, markets, murals, and neighborhood food overlap.

Promo code

30% off on flights

Plan your Philadelphia trip here. Your promo code unlocks on the checked trip page after this short planner.

About Philadelphia

City overview

Food & drink

Philadelphia food is sandwich-and-market specific: cheesesteaks griddle shaved beef with cheese on a long roll, roast pork sandwiches add broccoli rabe and sharp provolone, soft pretzels are twisted and salty, tomato pie is served at room temperature, and water ice is the summer dessert stop. Reading Terminal Market is the easiest first stop, while South Philly's Pat's vs. Geno's vs. Angelo's debate, the Italian Market's taquerias, and hoagie shops give the sharper food map.

Top sights

Ranked for suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.

Map of Philadelphia with pinned top attractions (1 through 10)

1
Independence Hall
4.7★ · 7,798
The Pennsylvania State House was built from 1732 to 1753, and the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were debated and signed inside its Assembly Room. The entrance is inside Independence National Historical Park, near 5th Street/Independence Hall station.
Wikipedia
Timed tour tickets are required for most daytime visits from March through December.
2
Liberty Bell Center
4.7★ · 1,182
The Liberty Bell, cast in 1752 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry and recast in Philadelphia, is displayed in a glass pavilion across from Independence Hall. The exhibit line begins near Market Street and 6th Street.
Wikipedia
3
Reading Terminal Market
4.7★ · 45,740
The indoor market opened under the Reading Railroad terminal in 1893 and still holds Amish baked goods, roast pork sandwiches, cheesesteaks, hoagies, produce, and seafood counters. It sits beside Jefferson Station and the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Wikipedia

Show 7 more sights

4Philadelphia Museum of Art and Rocky Steps
5Eastern State Penitentiary
6Philadelphia Magic Gardens
7Barnes Foundation
8The Franklin Institute
9Mutter Museum
10Italian Market on 9th Street

Neighborhoods

1
Old City and Society Hill
Old City and Society Hill feel historic and walkable, with Independence Hall, Elfreth's Alley, Christ Church, Penn's Landing, galleries, cobblestones, and Federal-era houses.
2
Center City and Rittenhouse Square
Center City is the hotel-and-office core, with City Hall, Reading Terminal Market, Walnut Street shopping, Rittenhouse Square, and easy subway access.
3
Fishtown and Northern Liberties
Fishtown and Northern Liberties are nightlife-heavy, with Frankford Avenue restaurants, music venues, breweries, boutiques, and the El along Girard and Front streets.
4
South Philadelphia and East Passyunk
South Philly is rowhouse and food-first, with the Italian Market, Passyunk Avenue restaurants, cheesesteak lines, Mummers history, and sports-complex crowds farther south.
5
University City
University City centers on Penn and Drexel, with 30th Street Station, Penn Museum, Clark Park, food trucks, hospitals, and Schuylkill river paths.
6
Fairmount and Spring Garden
Fairmount is museum-lined and residential, with the Art Museum, Barnes, Rodin Museum, Eastern State Penitentiary, and Benjamin Franklin Parkway lawns.

Day trips

35km / 40min by car from Center City
Valley Forge National Historical Park
The Revolutionary War winter encampment has Washington's Headquarters, reconstructed huts, monuments, and bike-friendly park roads.
50km / 50min by car from Center City
Brandywine Valley and Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens adds conservatories, fountains, meadows, and seasonal light shows near Kennett Square.
110km / 70min by Amtrak from 30th Street Station to Lancaster
Lancaster County
The day trip pairs Central Market, Amish farm country tours, covered bridges, and Pennsylvania Dutch food.

Getting around

SEPTA runs the Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, trolleys, buses, Regional Rail, and PATCO connections, with SEPTA Key cards or contactless payment on many services. Use the El for Old City-Fishtown-University City, the Broad Street Line for South Philly sports trips, and walking for the dense Center City grid.