10 Philadelphia Tours, Ranked by What You Get

1.Dark Philly Adult Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,241 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $38Our pick

Walk Old City with guides such as Brittany, Brianna, Heather, Christa, and Ted, hearing adult stories of sex, crime, executions, ghosts, and flawed Founding Fathers. The $38 tour lasts about two hours, stays outdoors, and visits the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Washington Square, Walnut Street Prison, and Alexander Hamilton’s former home site.

“Fun way to learn about parts of American history not often told. Informative and entertaining guide.”

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2.Revolution and the Founders: History Tour of Philadelphia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,944 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $29

Spend two hours walking through Old City Philadelphia with a guide who has a history degree. See the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Franklin Court, Carpenters’ Hall, Congress Hall, and other founding-era sites. Guides such as Josh, Kyle, Ted, Joseph, and Vince bring the past to life with stories, questions, and occasional character work.

“This was an entertaining tour of historic Philadelphia. The guide, Joseph was knowledgeable about the history of the city. I appreciated the information about some neighborhoods, and Ben Franklin and Carpenters Hall. I recommend taking this tour, and if possible, experiencing this with Joseph.”

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3.From New York City: Washington and Philadelphia 1-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,877 reviews · from $104

Leave Times Square at 5:00 AM for a bilingual guided coach trip to Washington, DC and Philadelphia. Visit the Lincoln Memorial, White House, Capitol, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, and Rocky Steps. Guides such as Jay, Carlos, and Diego add history and humor, but expect a fast 15-hour day.

“Fantastic experience with tour guide Diego, who explained everything perfectly down to the smallest detail making it enjoyable to listen to. Another great experience with driver Freddie, the best driver in NY!”

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4.Philadelphia Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 2,347 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $39

Ride an open-top, double-decker bus through Philadelphia with live English commentary, up to 25 stops, and 1, 2, or 3-day ticket options. Start with the full 90-minute loop, then stop at Independence Hall, Reading Terminal Market, the Rocky Steps, South Street, and Penn’s Landing. Guides such as Nick, Naomi, John, Harris, and Keith have drawn special praise for lively storytelling.

“First off Nick was an amazing tour guide! Very thorough very straight to the point with making sure we all enjoyed ourselves and we’re safe while doing it. I loved everything about the historic district and the history that was spoken. I took some pointers back with places that were suggested to eat and places to go see, enjoyed my entire Friday doing just that thanks to you guys & of course nick! Go Birds !!!”

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5.Philadelphia Old City Historic Walking Tour with 10+ Top Sites

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,020 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $43

Walk Philadelphia’s Old City with a former stand-up comedian and history teacher. In 90 minutes, you’ll see 10+ major sites, including Betsy Ross House, Christ Church, Carpenters’ Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall. Joseph, Seamus, Amanda, and Ty have all led this tour, which blends Revolutionary-era stories, local detail, and humor.

“Very knowledgeable guide, Joseph. Also helped guide us to a great lunch spot! And even tho we did the tour during govt shutdown he pointed out great sites that were open to visit that we wouldn't have even been aware of without tour. Highly recommend!”

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6.Eastern State Penitentiary Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 894 reviews · 365 days · from $21Best value

Enter Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary and explore its crumbling cellblocks, yards, hospital wing, and exhibits at your own pace. Steve Buscemi narrates the included English audio tour, with Spanish audio available. Look into Al Capone's cell, join short guide-led tours when offered, and allow two to three hours for the full experience.

“This was one of the most interesting tours I’ve done in a long time. The audio guide was spot on, super detailed and narrated by Steve Buscemi. Really easy to get to either by walking or on public transport and definitely worth a visit if you go to Philadelphia.”

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7.Double-Decker Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 868 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $39

Ride a 16-mile Philadelphia sightseeing loop with 26 stops, live English guides, and audio in eight languages. Begin near Independence Hall, then connect the Liberty Bell, Reading Terminal Market, Eastern State Penitentiary, the Rocky Steps, Parkway museums, Society Hill, and Penn’s Landing. A full loop takes about 90 minutes, with buses departing from stop 1 every 30 minutes.

“2 out of 3 of my guides were fantastic. The final One I could not hear on the upper or lower deck and the little I did hear was not as fun.”

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8.From NYC: Day Trip to Philadelphia and Amish Country

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 805 reviews · 14 hours · from $149

Leave New York at 6:30 AM for a guided day trip to Philadelphia and Lancaster County. See the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, Elfreth’s Alley, and the Rocky Steps, then enjoy an Amish buggy ride and market visit. Guides speak English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, or Japanese. The day is long, packed, and best for first-time visitors.

“We loved our trip to Philadelphia and Amish Country. Visited some of the most important places in the city, like the Coty Hall, first post office of USA, learnt about the Declaration of Independence, the Liberty Bell and other important historical events, as well the visit at the farm of an Amish family was very special. A bit of extra time at the market would have been helpful as you do not have enough time to buy things especially if there are long queues. Overall excellent experience.”

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9.Philadelphia and Amish Country, 1-Day Tour from NYC

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 734 reviews · 11 to 13 hours (approx.) · from $139

Leave New York at 6:30 a.m. for Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, Elfreth’s Alley, and Rocky Steps, then continue to Lancaster for an Amish buggy ride and farm visit. Guides may lead the tour in English or another requested language. Expect a long day, limited free time, and a mix of history, countryside, and shopping.

“Be prepared for a long day,well set out though, plenty of interesting things to see and the info was really interesting. Never felt rushed and well organised, 3 languages spoken and our Brian our guide was fabulous, kept checking everyone was together, we had done a tour previously with another company,different country also, but they drove off and left a woman and her mother in bucketing rain, everyone said they were missing and where they actually were, but no, just drove off and left them. Brian knew where everyone was at all times, great people skills.”

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10.Revolution and The Founders History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 450 reviews · 2 hours · from $29

Spend two hours walking Old Philadelphia with a historian such as Wendy, Joseph, Vince, or Josh. See the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall, Betsy Ross’s house, Franklin’s home site, and other founding-era landmarks. Expect an outdoor tour filled with stories, questions, and useful historical context.

“It was very enjoyable. Christa was a great tour guide, engaging and knowledgeable, not just about the about the history, but also the little anecdotal details that helped to really bring it alive.”

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