Philadelphia & Amish Country — history, Intercourse & a completely different way of life
Philadelphia gave us two completely different experiences: the history of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, followed by an amazing day in Pennsylvania Amish Country around Intercourse. Seeing how the Amish live became one of the most memorable parts of this stop.
🗽 New York→🔔 Philadelphia→🌾 Intercourse→🏛️ Washington DC
🔔 Philadelphia at a Glance
🌍 CountryUSA — Pennsylvania
✈️ From IrelandDirect flights between Dublin & Philadelphia
🏛️ Historic heartIndependence National Historical Park
Before you go — or if you fancy revisiting the city from the sofa — our friends at Drive From Home let you explore Philadelphia virtually and get a feel for the streets before planning the real thing.
Our route south from New York brought us into historic Philadelphia, where we visited Independence Hall and saw the famous Liberty Bell.
But this part of Pennsylvania became much more than a quick city stop. We also headed out to Intercourse, Pennsylvania and spent a day in Amish Country.
It was amazing seeing how they live — such a contrast to the huge cities and attractions elsewhere on our American road trip.
That contrast is what made this section of the journey so memorable: famous American history in Philadelphia followed by a rural community living in a completely different way.
⭐ Best Things We Did in Philadelphia
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1. Independence Hall
This is where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776 and where the U.S. Constitution was created in 1787 — a brilliant stop if, like us, you enjoy places where the history actually happened.
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2. Liberty Bell
The city's most famous symbol sits just across Independence Mall. The Liberty Bell Center is free to visit and no advance ticket is required.
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3. Historic District
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell sit within Philadelphia's compact historic core, so this is an easy part of the city to explore on foot.
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4. Amish Country
Our favourite addition to the Philadelphia stop was getting out of the city and spending a day around Intercourse in Pennsylvania Amish Country.
🏛️ Independence Hall & Liberty Bell — Practical Info
Two icons, right in the historic heart
Independence Hall is part of Independence National Historical Park and tours are generally ticketed during the main visiting day. Current visitor information lists a small reservation fee for timed tickets, with some limited non-ticketed access at certain times.
The Liberty Bell Center is free and does not require an advance ticket, although visitors go through security and queues can build at busy times.
💡 Planning tip The Independence Visitor Center at 6th & Market is a useful starting point for the historic district, with maps, visitor information, restrooms and current information on what is open.
We headed out to Intercourse in Pennsylvania Amish Country and spent the day seeing how the Amish live. It felt worlds away from Philadelphia and from the big-city America we experienced elsewhere on the trip.
What stayed with us was the experience itself — the rural surroundings, the traditional way of life and the horse-drawn buggies sharing the roads. It was fascinating to see firsthand and remains one of the most distinctive memories from this part of our USA journey.
❤️ Our take If your itinerary allows it, pairing historic Philadelphia with Amish Country gives you two dramatically different experiences of Pennsylvania — and that contrast was exactly what we loved about it.
Our own photos from Amish Country — including the wonderfully named Intercourse, Pennsylvania.
🚶 Getting Around Philadelphia
Historic Philadelphia is easy to tackle on foot
👟 Walk the historic coreIndependence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Visitor Center are clustered around Independence Mall, making this part of Philadelphia particularly easy to explore on foot.
🚇 SEPTAFor longer hops, Philadelphia's public transport network covers Metro, buses and Regional Rail. Contactless bank cards and mobile wallets can now be tapped directly across all SEPTA modes.
🌾 Amish CountryAmish Country is a separate countryside experience rather than something you'll cover while walking central Philadelphia, so allow proper time for it if you want to combine both.
🗺️ Start at the Visitor CenterThe Independence Visitor Center is a handy place to pick up maps, ask what's open and get your bearings before exploring the historic district.
🎟️ Philadelphia Tours & Activities
Find tours and experiences
If you want more than a self-guided wander, booking ahead can be useful for popular tours and fixed-time experiences. Compare what's available for your dates below.
Disclosure: Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
🎒 What We'd Bring
This was a city-and-countryside stop, so we'd keep things practical:
👟Comfortable shoes For the historic district
🔋Power bank Long sightseeing days
🧥Layers Useful for changing weather
📷Camera or phone City + countryside
🗺️ How It Fit Our Road Trip
New York → Philadelphia & Amish Country → Washington DC
This Pennsylvania section sat between New York and Washington DC on our wider Deep South journey. Adding Amish Country made it much more than a quick historical stop and gave us one of the biggest contrasts of the itinerary.
We visited Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and we also spent a day in Pennsylvania Amish Country around Intercourse.
Did we visit Amish Country?
Yes. We travelled out to Intercourse, Pennsylvania and spent a day seeing the Amish way of life. It was one of the most memorable parts of this stop.
What stood out most about Amish Country?
For us, it was the contrast: rural surroundings, horse-drawn buggies and seeing a way of life that felt completely different from the big American cities on the rest of our trip.
Do you need a ticket for the Liberty Bell?
No advance ticket is required for the Liberty Bell Center and admission is free, although visitors pass through security and queues can form.
Do you need tickets for Independence Hall?
During most of the main visiting day, Independence Hall uses timed tickets with a small reservation fee. Arrangements can vary by season, so check current visitor information before you go.
How do you get around Philadelphia?
The historic core around Independence Mall is very walkable. For longer journeys, SEPTA operates Metro, buses and Regional Rail, and contactless cards and mobile wallets are accepted across all modes.
Can you explore Philadelphia virtually?
Yes. We've linked this guide to Drive From Home, where you can explore Philadelphia virtually and start a virtual drive through the city.
