Philadelphia: America’s Former Capital

Book Amtrak tickets 1-2 weeks in advance—prices go up the closer to your travel date! Since we didn’t have a car, we mostly did City Walks except for a few Uber rides. We walked over 40,000 steps in two days—total workout mode! 🚶♂️ We split the itinerary into a "Blue Route" for Day 1 and a "Red Route" for Day 2, covering almost all of Philadelphia’s key spots. Day 1 We traveled light and arrived around 11:00 AM—first stop: lunch! Our train station was the 30th Street Station, so we started our tour directly from UPenn. Lunch near UPenn: We tried a Sichuan restaurant nearby, but it was just so-so—wouldn’t recommend it 😐. UPenn Campus Tour: Wandered around, snapped photos with the sculptures, and checked out the campus. UPenn’s teaching buildings, libraries, and other structures are all super distinctive—no two look the same! We also (checked in at) the famous Wharton School 🎓. Lin Huiyin’s Former Residence: Now a used bookstore with a lovely owner! I bought a book—most used books are half-price. She even gave my friend and me a bookmark each, and said "bookmark" in Chinese 🇨🇳—such a sweet touch! 🥹 Penn Museum: Great for history lovers! It has two floors, and student tickets are around $14 🔪. Philadelphia Museum of Art (after 5:00 PM): Update on tickets! When I researched earlier, I read that admission was "Pay As You Wish" on Friday evenings after 5 PM—but that’s no longer available. However, student tickets were only $14 for two people, which is still a good deal 🎨. Evening: We finished the museum tour at 7:00 PM, took an Uber back to our accommodation, rested for 30 minutes, then walked to Chinatown for dinner around 8:00 PM. Dinner at Zhu Niang Niang Chongqing Hot Pot: So delicious, but so spicy! I can handle spicy food well, but even the mild spice level was too much for me. If you’re not great with heat, go for the "extra mild" option—or try the hot pot with a split pot (one spicy, one non-spicy) to balance it out! The chili aroma was amazing, though 🌶️. Day 2 Brunch in Chinatown: We ate at Jia Wang Restaurant (I think that’s the name!). Tried century egg and lean pork congee, plus rice rolls—classic, comforting Cantonese-style brunch 🥣. Liberty Bell & Independence Hall: Walked over, took the iconic photo with a $100 bill (since Independence Hall is on the back of the bill!) 💵. Philadelphia City Hall: Strolled over, then visited the adjacent LOVE Park for photos with the "LOVE" sculpture 💖. Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul: Only took photos at the entrance—didn’t go inside ⛪. The Barnes Foundation: Home to works by Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, and other masters—art lovers, don’t miss this! Student tickets are available 🎨. Eastern State Penitentiary: Grab a student ticket here too! Everyone gets a headset and a lanyard device—you enter numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) at each spot to listen to commentary, which makes the experience really rich. If you just walk through without listening, you’ll finish quickly—but if you take time to listen, plan for about 2 hours. We only listened to a dozen segments and ran out of time, so we just looked around the rest before taking an Uber to the train station. Halloween Note: They currently have haunted house tours in the evenings if you’re into that! We were too scared to try, so we just visited during the day 🎃🥹. #CitiesAreLikeBooks #UrbanPhotography #LifeIsInteresting #NewYorkTravel #InternationalStudents #USATravel #Philadelphia