The Capital And Colonies 7 Days/6 Nights

Welcome to the nation’s capital, Washington, DC. Meet your Tour Director and head to your Washington, DC area hotel to check in for your three-night stay. This evening, enjoy a meet and greet with your fellow travelers and get to know your new friends in travel at an included Welcome Dinner. (D)

Start your adventure with breakfast at your hotel before a day of exploring sights. Begin with a visit of Arlington National Cemetery where you will see the Kennedy Grave Sites and experience the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Next, embark on a Washington, DC City Tour to see many of the city’s historic highlights including the World War II, Iwo Jima, Korean & Vietnam War Memorials, Capitol Hill, and Embassy Row. You will have the opportunity to photograph the iconic White House during a planned photo stop. Later, a Washington, DC “Twilight Illumination Tour” will take you to see the capital’s famed monuments including those dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson on a nighttime excursion. (B)

Rise and shine with breakfast at your hotel and get ready to travel along to Maryland’s Annapolis for an insightful tour of the U.S. Naval Academy. Located on Chesapeake Bay and established in 1845, the Naval Academy is the undergraduate college of the country’s naval service and prepares young men and women to become professional officers in the U.S. Navy & Marine Corps. Next on the day’s exciting agenda, you will have the opportunity to explore the Smithsonian Institution – comprised of several spacious museum buildings, including the world-renowned Air & Space, American History, and Natural History Museums. This evening you will have time at leisure to explore the city on your own and check out DC’s vibrant food scene. (B)

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before traveling on to Virginia’s Mount Vernon, President George Washington’s beautiful plantation estate overlooking the Potomac River. The “Father of Our Country” called Mt. Vernon home for more than 45 years. Revel in the historic house and gardens on a guided tour and visit Washington’s grave site. On from there, head to Richmond and delve into Virginia’s capital city that once served as the capital of the Confederacy. In the afternoon, arrive in Williamsburg, your ideal home base for the next three nights to explore the area’s incredible Colonial highlights. (B,D)

Begin the day with breakfast at your hotel in beautiful Williamsburg, then enjoy a short drive to Jamestown. Founded in 1607, Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Visit the Jamestown Settlement living-history museum that features recreations of a 1610’s fort and a Powhatan Indian village. Next you will head on to Yorktown, site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Here at Yorktown, in the fall of 1781, General Charles Lord Cornwallis’s British army surrendered to General George Washington and the allied American and French forces to end the war and ensure independence for the USA. Step back in time at The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, that tells the story of the nation’s founding, from the colonial period to the Constitution and beyond. (B)

Have breakfast at your hotel and get ready for an exciting day visiting Virginia’s largest historical attraction, Colonial Williamsburg. This 173-acre living-history museum is certain to captivate you. Commence your day of discovery at the Visitor’s Center, then explore the 88 restored 18th century buildings at your own pace. Have personal interactions with costumed townspeople and witness craftsmen demonstrations. Stop for a spell at Raleigh Tavern, the meeting place for Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and other patriots – now turned into a bakery, perfect for a beverage break. Tonight, enjoy a traditional Colonial Farewell Dinner with your fellow travelers and newfound friends. (B,D)

After breakfast today, return to the Washington, DC for your return flight home ready.