Capital Region: Hip and Historic
Capital Region: Hip and Historic14 nightsFrom £1845 per person
Price includes: Flights, accommodation and car hire
The Capital Region features some of America’s landmark parks and its historical significance cannot be under played. However, it is also a very vibrant and exciting area with trendy nightlife, internationally acclaimed restaurants and world-class shopping. You can enjoy both sides of the region against a backdrop of stunning scenery, along many of the Scenic Byways, or from the roof-top of a top-notch hotel.
Day 1 – Arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport
Begin your holiday in the nation’s capital, with a two night stay. Its inspiring museums, powerful monuments and memorials attract guests from around the globe. The city is diverse and cosmopolitan, its neighbourhoods brimming with hip shops and restaurants. Many attractions are free and the city’s outdoor parks and gardens are not to be missed. The ‘must see’ sights such as the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, Smithsonian Museums and the White House should be top of any first-time visitor’s list. Discover the city by bike as an alternative to a more traditional sightseeing tour or try kayaking on the Potomac River.
Explore The Wharf: DC’s Newest Neighbourhood. Opened in October 2017, The Wharf is home to 3 new hotels, over 20 vibrant retail outlets and enviable entertainment facilities located on the city shoreline. Enjoy a meal at several restaurants from some of DC’s most renowned chefs followed by a show at the massive new music venue, The Anthem, or smaller clubs like Pearl Street Warehouse and Union Stage. Explore more than 10 acres of parkland, four public piers, or rent a bike from one of the neighbourhood’s four Capital Bike share stations to further explore the city. Not all is new at The Wharf. The Maine Avenue Fish Market is the oldest, continuously operating open-air fish market in the US and a true DC landmark. Visitors can enjoy fresh or cooked seafood including the region’s famous blue crabs, oysters, clams, shrimp, and fish, from a variety of seafood barges. Stay for 2 nights in Washington, DC.
Day 3 – Washington, DC to Baltimore Approx. 40 miles
Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor is a vibrant downtown waterfront area, home to dining (try a Maryland crab cake) and shopping opportunities, as well as attractions such as the National Aquarium, Port Discovery, the Maryland Science Center and the American Visionary Art museum. Explore some of the city’s neighbourhoods, including Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, or M&T Bank Stadium where the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens play. The city has over 300 years of history, and Historic Charles Street, one of only four urban National Historic Byways, stretches 12 miles through national landmarks and local historic districts. Buy an all-day pass for the water-taxis and experience the city from a different angle, take a cruise on the Chesapeake Bay or an informative walking tour of the city.
Visit National Harbor, The Potomac River’s Resort Destination. Here you’ll find the Capital Wheel, a 180’ high Ferris wheel situated on a pier over the Potomac River. Enjoy happy hour at a height from the newly opened Flight Deck at Capital Wheel, an outdoor lounge offering bites, bubbly and local brews with uninterrupted views of DC and the Potomac shoreline.
The fun continues at MGM National Harbor, featuring a 3,000-seat theatre, luxurious hotel rooms, 14 distinct restaurants, and a gaming floor that is bigger than The White House. Gaylord National Resort's waterfront location is steps away from downtown National Harbor's shops, restaurants, and attractions. Families will enjoy The Carousel at National Harbor, a 36-foot Americana-themed carousel, as well as free seasonal concerts and outdoor movie screenings on the waterfront Plaza Stage. National Harbor is also a shopping mecca with more than 85 brand name stores to peruse at Tanger Outlets, 160 retailers in the downtown district, and luxury retail shops at MGM. Spend two nights in Baltimore.
Day 5 – Baltimore to Annapolis Approx. 30 miles
Annapolis is Maryland’s capital city and the State House, completed in 1779 has become an iconic landmark. Wander the historic downtown with its boutiques and restaurants, feast on steamed crabs, or just relax and watch the boats go by on the Chesapeake Bay. There are gardens and parks where you can stroll through formal gardens, hike trails, fish, swim or venture onto the water on a paddle boat, sailing boat, kayak or paddle board, and you can’t help but take in the views of the majestic Bay Bridge. Stay one night in Annapolis.
Day 6 – Annapolis to St Michaels Approx. 50 miles
Nestled on the Chesapeake Bay Eastern Shore, the charming town of St Michaels is a great spot to enjoy some of the maritime heritage of the Bay. Visit the outstanding Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, try your hand at sailing, take a fishing trip or play a round of golf. You can browse the art galleries and boutique shops of the town and then enjoy some freshly caught crab or other locally caught delights. Nearby Oxford and Tilghman Island are also fun places to visit. Stay one night in St Michaels.
Day 7 – St Michaels to Virginia Beach Approx. 195 miles
Your journey down the Eastern Shore will take you past Chincoteague and Assateague Islands, both with wonderful wildlife refuges and pristine Atlantic beaches, making this a great place to break your day up, if your time permits. Another good stopping point is Crisfield, ‘Crab Capital of the World’ and gateway to Smith and Tangier Islands, where the local inhabitants still have broad Devonian accents. Virginia Beach is your home for the next two nights, with its long stretches of golden sands. There is so much to do here! You can surf, skim or boogie board all summer long, take a kayak through the pristine waters of the back bay, explore some of the many bike trails, visit First Landing State Park where the early settlers first came ashore in 1607, or spread out your beach towel and relax on the beach before taking in the host of boardwalk bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Day 9 – Virginia Beach to Williamsburg Approx. 60 miles
Explore this extensively restored town, a living museum recreated to reflect the colonial 18th Century capital of Britain’s largest, wealthiest and most populous colony. Tour the meticulously restored buildings, various interpretive activities and craft workshops. Take the scenic 23-mile Colonial Parkway to the Jamestown Settlement, a reconstruction of the first permanent English settlement in America, and on to Yorktown, another ‘must see’, where America finally won its independence by defeating the British in 1781. Nearby the thrills and spills of theme park Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA will bring you straight back to the 21st century. Stay two nights in Williamsburg.
Day 11 – Williamsburg to Charlottesville Approx. 125 miles
Charlottesville is a captivating blend of colourful history, distinctive architecture, Southern hospitality and small city sophistication. It is a charming town with many quirky shops, boutiques, antique shops and bookstores all situated amongst a cobbled Main Street with restaurants, wine tasting rooms and cafes. The University of Virginia is situated here and so Charlottesville is a vibrant student city, as well as having been the home to Thomas Jefferson. You can visit the Thomas Jefferson home, Monticello, an architectural masterpiece and his beloved mountaintop home. Both Monticello and the University are listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Take a short drive into the rolling Virginia countryside to tour a local vineyard and sample award-winning Virginia wine. Spend two nights in Charlottesville.
Day 13 – Charlottesville to Shenandoah National Park Approx. 60 miles
As you wind your way north from Charlottesville towards the Blue Ridge Mountains, take in a portion of the Skyline Drive, one of the most beautiful parkways in the nation. Shenandoah National Park boasts over 100 species of trees, a variety of wildflowers, 54 different mammals and 59 species of birds, so you are bound to see some form of wildlife! You can hike along the Appalachian Trail or explore the wonders of the park with a Ranger-guided tour. Fall is a spectacular time to visit, when warm days combine with crisp, cool nights to turn the foliage into delightful displays of yellows, reds and golds. Visit Luray Caverns, a national landmark and home to the world’s only ‘Stalacpipe’ Organ that plays its hauntingly beautiful music on natural formations. One of the other natural wonders of this world is the 100- million-year-old Natural Bridge! Stay one night in or just outside Shenandoah National Park.
Day 14 – Shenandoah National Park to Alexandria Approx. 100 miles
Located on the other side of the Potomac River to Washington, DC, is historic Old Town Alexandria, Virginia: DC’s oldest neighbourhood. A nationally designated historic district and once part of Washington, DC, Alexandria boasts historic charm with its brick lined streets and colonial architecture, combined with views of the DC skyline. Stroll the cobblestone and brick lined streets, exploring more than 200 independent restaurants and shops. Enjoy waterfront dining at Hummingbird, Vola’s Dockside Grill and the Hi-Tide Lounge. Take advantage of the Key to the City museum pass for discounted access to eight historic sites including George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary and the tall ship Providence. Pass also includes discounted transportation to D.C. on the Potomac Riverboat water taxi.
The Mount Vernon Trail beckons runners, walkers and cyclists with 18 miles of waterfront vistas, loads of green space and a route that runs all the way from George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate to Arlington through Old Town Alexandria. Also close by is the Arlington National Cemetery where you can visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the John F Kennedy Gravesite and memorials to the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia. Spend your last night in Alexandria.
Day 15 – Alexandria to Washington Dulles International Airport Approx. 30 miles
