HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS

• The political heart of America is your gateway to a memorable encounter with the Land of the Free and how it came to be so.
• After checking in to your hotel, enjoy an afternoon at leisure to explore the museums, memorials and monuments of Washington, D.C.
• This evening, you’ll join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner to kick-start your journey.

• Roam the corridors of power, oak-lined avenues and noble tributes to America’s famous sons and daughters, as you explore the nation’s proud heritage today.
• View the White House, striking Washington Monument and National Mall, stretching from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol Building.
• Reflect on the country’s darkest days at the Lincoln Memorial and sombre memorials to World War II and the Vietnam War.
• Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
• This is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture and houses over 36,000 fascinating artifacts.
• The rest of the day is free to chart your own course through America’s capital city.

Included Experience: National Museum of African American History and Culture and Washington D.C City Tour and Memorials

Optional Experience: Washington Illumination Tour

• Today’s travels begin treading in the footsteps of America’s first president by visiting Mount Vernon, the former home of George Washington.
• Step back into the 18th century, strolling the estate’s lush gardens, grounds, and fascinating museum galleries, followed by a private lunch.
• Delve into the history and Dive Into Culture at the American Revolution Museum at the Yorktown Victory Center surrounded by period artifacts and experiencing first-hand the dramatic “Siege of Yorktown” with a 180-degree surround screen and dramatic special effects.
• Your tour continues on to Williamsburg, founded in 1638 as Middle Plantation, and the former capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Included Experience: American Revolution Museum and Mount Vernon Estates and Gardens

• This morning, we venture to Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, where we’ll gain insights into the trials that marked the lives of early 17th century colonists.
• Fast forward a few centuries and spend the rest of the day in Colonial Williamsburg, once Britain’s largest colony in the New World.
• Chat with blacksmiths, admire a fife and drum parade, and perhaps even engage in some politicking with a costumed Federalist in the town square.
• Partake in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and meet Sylvia Tabb-Lee who will bring America’s slavery history into the light with storytelling, visual presentations, and song and dance.

Included Experience: Jamestown Settlement, Visit a Colonial Williamsburg Settlement and Williamsburg Sylvia Tabb-Lee

• Visit St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia—the very spot where George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were inspired by Patrick Henry’s fiery “Give me liberty or give me death” speech.
• Continue to Charlottesville, where you’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
• Then, visit Monticello, the neoclassical Italian estate where Jefferson once sought a quieter existence.
• The rest of your day is free.

Included Experience: The Draftsman, Visit St. John’s Church and Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson

• Journey through the rolling hills of the Shenandoah National Park en route to Gettysburg where we’ll delve into the devastation of a four-year civil war pitting North against South.
• We explore the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience contributes to their efforts to preserve the battlefield.
• This evening, indulge in a festive Regional Dinner at the “most haunted” 19th century Dobbin House, keeping an eye out for a Union Soldier who may visit with tales of the American Civil War.

Included Experience: Gettysburg National Military Park Museum, A Soldier’s Story and Visit Shenandoah National Park

• Cast your mind back to the pivotal, yet tragic day on which Pickett led his charge on Gettysburg.
• Join a Local Specialist who will bring to life the events at Gettysburg which turned the tide in the Civil War.
• Just four months later, the battlefield served as the backdrop for Abraham Lincoln’s call for “a new birth of freedom” in his famed Gettysburg Address.
• Guests will enjoy a Be My Guest experience at the Amish home of Samuel and Ruth Lapp, who own a working 25 acre produce farm just outside of Lancaster.
• The Lapp Family will introduce our guests to a few Amish Traditions and host them to a family style meal with recipes passed through generations and ingredients sourced directly from their farm.
• We’ll journey to the City of Brotherly Love and site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next.
• Stay in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district, within walking distance of dozens of landmark buildings. This evening, we’ll join our Travel Director and fellow American history enthusiasts for a Farewell Dinner.

Included Experience: Family Meal in an Amish Home and Gettysburg Military Park Battlefield

• Gain insights into the history of the U.S. Constitution and the effect it has had around the world during this morning’s tour through Philadelphia.
• We’ll explore the UNESCO-listed Independence National Historic Park and see its famous cracked bell whose inscription has inspired so many to “proclaim liberty”.
• The final stop on our journey is Washington, D.C., where we continue to Dulles International Airport at approximately 4:00pm, Ronald Reagan National Airport at approximately 5:00pm and to the Washington Marriott Georgetown hotel for guests extending their stay.

Included Experience: Independence National Historic Park and Visit the National Constitution Center