Philadelphia Travel Guide

All this time I thought I was a Summer Girl all the way! Sun-kissed skin and beachy hair, enjoying life in sunny Florida. But this year, my excitement for Fall and everything autumnal (and don’t you just love that word) has taken me out of my comfort zone and back to my old stamping grounds, back to Philly. In my humble opinion, Philadelphia is one of the must-see cities in the United States. Besides being filled with history and charm, Philadelphia is smaller in size than New York or Chicago, more compact and not as crowded. Thus easier to navigate. I really like that it’s small enough to see a lot of it in a short amount of time. It’s the perfect city escape whether you have a week to spare or just a long weekend.

Here’s my Philadelphia Travel Guide …

Where To Stay

Once upon a time, many moons ago, I lived in Philadelphia for 5 years. I worked in the corporate world and lived in a high-rise right in center city. So Philly holds a special place in my heart. Some great areas to look for hotels are downtown and old city. This time around we stayed at the Sofitel in downtown. It’s very well located, walking distance to all the shopping, restaurants, cafes and the famous Rittenhouse Park, a beautiful oasis in the middle of the city. The Sofitel is the perfect base to explore the city because everything is so close. The rooms are older, but very spacious considering the location.

We stayed in a corner room on the 5^th floor facing the street, but that felt very cozy, quiet and peaceful. The bathroom was especially large with a separate shower and bathtub you could relax in after a long day of exploring. The hotel has a beautiful lobby with an elegant lounge area and the friendliest staff!

Where To Eat

Where do I begin. The food in Philly is PHENOMENAL. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything bad to eat! I’ve rounded up a list of our all-time favorite spots. These are places we loved back when we lived in Philly and that were just as amazing this time around:

El Vez –is a Stephen Starr restaurant featuring trendy Mexican food and colorful cocktails. The guacamole, crispy fish tacos and red sangria are always an easy pick for me. They’re also well-known for their margaritas, so that’s something to consider as well. Although, you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu.

Aka Kitchen – is a charming little place right by Rittenhouse Park, the perfect spot for breakfast or brunch. You can order eggs and yogurt parfait and choose to dine inside or outside.

Kanellas – is a cozy little spot serving authentic Mediterranean cuisine from Greece and Cyprus. Everything on the menu is simply delicious and bursting with flavor. I love all of their dips, soups and salads. This time around I enjoyed a watercress salad tossed with lemon and oven-roasted butternut squash served with a side of tzaziki sauce.  I have made it my mission to recreate it at home! It was simply that yummy and fresh!

Amada – is an upscale tapas place in Old City and great for Happy Hour. Their cheese and charcuterie boards, grilled octopus and empanadas are family favorites.

Mixto – is a 2-story Columbian restaurant offering Pan-Latin food and drinks. Their mojitos are a must-try! It’s also spacious inside and family-friendly.

Buddakan – is another Stephen Starr restaurant with artful Asian-inspired cuisine and big statue of Buddha presiding over the dining room. It’s one of my husband’s favorite spots and now we got to share the dining experience with my son. Everything on their menu is unique and incredibly tasty. Even something as simple as edamame is cooked to perfection and served in a creative way. Some of my personal faves are the spring rolls and pad thai. You simply can’t forget about dessert. The donuts melt in your mouth and come with a variety of dipping sauces. This restaurant just never fails to impress me!

Other restaurants we love:

L’Angalo Ristorante – is a cozy spot for home style Italian cuisine located in South Philly. It was our favorite hangout place back in the day, where we’d meet up with friends, catch up and enjoy some of the most delectable homemade Italian food I’ve ever tried to date.

Effie’s – is a quaint little townhouse serving homemade Greek food and located on Antique Row in Center City. Everything on the menu is fresh and tastes incredible. Their specialties include grilled whole fish, octopus, moussaka and various lamb dishes.

La Locanda Del Ghiottone – is a charming little place serving hearty portions of classic Italian food. It’s in Old City and still family-owned. They really make you feel like you’re part of the family. The atmosphere is warm, cozy and inviting. The food is simply delicious.

Tequilas – is another trendy spot with authentic Mexican cuisine. It’s located close to our former apartment so it’s a place we used frequent a lot.

Tacanneli’s – is a small Italian restaurant that encompasses everything that Philly is. It’s got character and charm and a pizza oven dating to the beginning of the 1900’s when the restaurant first open. They still use the oven to bake the pizzas, so you have to call ahead and ‘reserve your dough’. But it’s well worth it. Their pizzas are delicious.

Amis Trattoria – is another place worth checking out. It features Roman-style small and large plates perfect to share with friends. The menu is small and we’d take advantage and order most things on the menu. We never had any regrets. Their Nutella crepes are some of my all-time faves.

High Note Café – is a unique dinner spot where waiters frequently delight the diners by singing opera. It’s such a lovely experience and makes the food that much more enjoyable.

Other Stephen Starr-owned restaurants – Stephen Starr owns and manages a lot of restaurants in the Philly area. They’re all different and unique in their own way. They all eclectic and THE perfect spots for proper foodies. Some of our favorites include: Alma de Cuba (serves trendy Cuban food), The Dandelion (a very lively place, reminiscent of an authentic british pub and serving that type of food) and Morimoto. I remember going to this restaurant when Iron Chef Morimoto first opened it years ago. It features futuristic color-changing interiors and serves flavorful Japanese food. You can see the sushi and fish being prepared which further enhances the dining experience.

What To See

Philly is the kind of city where it’s so nice to just walk around and admire the architecture, the quaint little cobblestone streets and charming neighborhoods. It is also the kind of city that is small enough to see a lot of it in a short amount of time. Here are some suggestions:

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest in the world. It features collections of paintings, sculpture, photography, armor, artifacts, decorative arts and oriental carpets. The museum’s collections include Egyptian and Roman art, Pre-Colombian and Asian works, French Impressionism, as well as modern artwork from Picasso, Dali, and Constantin Brancusi.  The gift of Philadelphian Grace Kelly’s elegant wedding dress is perhaps one of the best-known displays.

The Franklin Institute is devoted to science. It features a variety of escape rooms where guests are immersed into fantastical worlds using a series of clues, codes and puzzles. They also offer live science shows, workshops, simulators, dissections, 3D paintings. There’s even a planetarium to explore the sky. The Ben Franklin Memorial is located within the museum as well. One of the things I found very interesting is the four-story Foucault’s Pendulum that mimics an experiment proving the nature of the Earth’s daily rotation around its axis. Some fun stuff for kids include crawling thru an artery and crawling thru magma or riding the big wave simulator.

Other must-see museums include:

Natural Science Museum is the oldest natural history museum in the Americas. The excitement and wonder of our natural world comes to life through interactive exhibits. Some of the most popular ones are dinosaurs, bugs and butterflies. It’s a great museum especially for kids.

Rodin Museum contains the largest collection of sculptor Auguste Rodin’s works outside of Paris. It features bronze castings, plaster studies, drawings, prints, letters and books. I didn’t know this until recently, but the museum was the gift of movie-theater magnate Jules Mastbaum to the city of Philadelphia.

Please Touch Children’s Museum focuses on teaching children through interactive exhibits mostly aimed at children 7 years old and younger.

Old City is a historic neighborhood in the area near the Delaware River where William Penn and the Quakers first settled. It is the birth of American independence. Best known for prominent 18^th-century Colonial-era sites such as:  Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were drafted and signed), Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin Library (the first American library), 2^nd bank of the US, Museum of the American Revolution, National Constitution Center, Betsy Ross House (the site where the first American Flag was sewed by seamstress Besty Ross), Ben Franklin’s grave site located on 5^th and Arch Streets.

I’ve been up and down those Old City streets countless times over the past 10 years. Yet I still can’t help, but feel a sense of awe and wander every time. I image the founding fathers of this mighty country marching on these very same streets, engaged in conversation, thinking, pondering and ultimately shaping world history in ways no one had ever dreamed of. I often stop and try to feel the energy of the place. Old City is an area of Philly that you simply have to visit.

Fairmont Park is Philadelphia’s first park and currently one of the largest urban green spaces in the country. It’s up on a hill spreading from the scenic Kelly drive down to the Schuylkill trail and near the famous statue of Rocky Balboa, made famous by the Rocky movies starring Silverster Stalone.

Rittenhouse Park is a charming little square right in the heart of the city, close to shopping and restaurants. It’s one of the oldest parks, planned by William Penn during the late 17^th century. It’s the perfect spot for a quick stop in the middle of a busy day or when you need to feel close to nature.

The Reading Terminal Market is a fantastic place to eat, visit and pick up small gifts. It’s an indoor space in the heart of the city, in middle of skyscrapers. You can get anything from scrapple and samosas to soul food and smoothies, a top spot for foodies.

If you’re looking for a fun night complete with dinner, entertainment and panoramic views of the Philadelphia skyline you have to check out The Spirit of Philadelphia and Ben Franklin Yacht which cruise Philly’s scenic and historic waterfrong on the Delaware River.

~ Outfit details ~

Merlot Moto Suede Jacket here,

Kitty Flats here

Booties here

Slouchy Beret here and a more affordable option here

Hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found it helpful! Have you been to Philadelphia before? If you haven’t, is it on your travel wishlist? Let me know in the comments below.

This is NOT a sponsored post but it does contain referral links. Read my Disclaimer policy for more info.