Fodor's Philadelphia: with Valley Forge, Bucks County, the Brandywine Valley, and Lancaster County

by Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.

Whether you want to eat and drink, see the Liberty Bell, or visit the Philadelphia’s best museums, the local Fodor’s travel experts in Philadelphia are here to help! Fodor’s Philadelphia guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time.
This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor’s Philadelphia Planning on visiting our nation's capital? Check out Fodor’s Washington D.C . ABOUT FODOR'S Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup , or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us! *Important note for digital The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

319 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Fodor's Travel Publications is a United States-based producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor in 1936.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our daughter has encouraged us to visit Philadelphia on our upcoming trip to New England once it's safe to travel again. I was surprised at just how many things there are to see in Philly. This book is very comprehensive and was extremely helpful for planning our itinerary. I thought I already knew a lot about the American Revolution, but I learned more. I'm also especially eager to visit their fine museums of art.

[Maddie Ostergaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving to Philly! I always buy a travel guide when I move to a new place. It’s very grounding and helps me get to know a little bit about what to expect. This book is great I highly recommend it. So excited!

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been to Philadelphia quite a few times; this volume is always a great help.

Any book that purports to be a guide to a large city is going to run into difficulties: restaurants come and go--even good ones, so that there will be some obsolescence in the work; some good places will not be listed, simply because of the large number of possible places to visit, dine at, stay at, etc.

All that said, this is still a good help for those wanting to spend some time in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. The maps are very helpful in getting a sense of what attractions and facilities are where. The section on dining is quite nice, although it does leave out some estimable restaurants; the discussion of hotels is very helpful and has informed me when I have planned trips to the city. Interested in cultural opportunities? The book does a good job of outlining attractions to visit.

And another positive aspect of this particular volume is the description of nearby attractions--from Bucks County to Lancaster County to Hershey to Gettysburg.

In short, if you are thinking of a trip to Philadelphia and/or the surrounding area, this is a good companion to have with you to help plan itineraries.

[Susan Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for a trip to Philly my husband and I will be taking with our granddaughter for her 11th birthday. I love Philadelphia, and used to visit a lot when our daughter (our granddaughter's mother) was in school there and newly married, but I haven't made the trip in about a decade. I read this book to "revisit" my old favorites, get caught up on what is new, and scout things to do with my granddaughter. She is not interested in history OR museums; she really just wants to eat sushi. And since this is her birthday trip, she is driving the agenda!

After reading virtually the whole book (very easily digested), I have some possibilities lined up for our trip. We will definitely hit the Reading Terminal Market, something I never got to back in the day. Our granddaughter can get sushi there, and I can get something else ( not a sushi fan). We also will go to Pod, a very futuristic restaurant in University City I remember walking past during my daughter's college days. The sushi there is highly recommended!

[Jim Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually I buy Rough Guides when I visit a city. They are usually quite detailed, but intimate when describing what to do there.

For one reason or another I couldn't find a Rough Guide, so tried a Fodor's travel guide instead. It's perfectly fine when describing what to do in Philadelphia. It has all the regular things new tourists want, and a few off the beaten path ideas for the repeat visitor.

So why the low score? It's just a little too formal for me I think. If you wants facts about where to go, and what to do, this will be perfect for you. If you want more gossip and chit chat, you might like a Rough Guide instead, if one exists.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and it was incredibly helpful. Obviously, I use the internet and Google maps when I am planning travel, but it often doesn’t help me figure out everything I need. Google maps didn’t have the things I needed marked when and where I needed them. I was so grateful to have the resource to show me interests and attractions as well as giving a better idea of where things were in relation to other parts of the city. The color photographs make for great souvenirs from my visit, as well.

I couldn’t find it here in Goodreads, but I read a more recent version of the book that was updated since 2020.

[Dr. Kat]

lots of information about the city, broken up into categories like food, culture, arts, etc. wish it had more pictures.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Section on Amish/Lancaster County was especially helpful. Not too keen on the hotel recommendations, prefer Frommer's.

[Rita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made Philly seem pretty lackluster - sections on surrounding areas a bit more interesting. Overall, not enough photos or off-the-beaten path recommendations.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used this travel guide book for a recent college visit to Philadelphia and it provided very useful information on the city and surrounding area

[Emilyfn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guide for a side trip to Philadelphia on a work project. This book enabled us to see the historical sites with good background information and excellent location points.