Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia self-guided walking tour: Independence Hall and Old City.
A free, original loop through Independence National Historical Park and Old City: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin’s grave, the Betsy Ross House, Elfreth’s Alley, Christ Church, Franklin Court, Carpenters’ Hall and Washington Square. Read the stops here, then open the mapped route on your iPhone.
Start at Independence Hall
Begin on the Chestnut Street sidewalk in front of Independence Hall, between 5th and 6th Streets. The loop heads north up Independence Mall to Arch Street, east through Old City to 2nd Street, and back west along Market and Chestnut Streets to Washington Square. Every stop can be seen from outside; if you want to tour Independence Hall itself, expect security screening at Independence Square. The route follows mapped pedestrian paths, but it has not been walked on site by Daily Wander.
- On iPhone, get Daily Wander if you do not have it.
- Return to this page and tap Open the tour in Daily Wander. Check the preview, then choose Open in Daily Wander.
- In the app, review the route and choose Start this route or Save route. Keep this guide handy for the stop notes.
Museum visits, tickets and meals are separate and are not included in the walking time. Follow local signs, closures and diversions.
Nine stops, in walking order
The route uses public viewpoints. Check the linked sources for current access before planning a visit inside.
Stop 1
Independence Hall
Begin on the Chestnut Street sidewalk in front of Independence Hall, between 5th and 6th Streets. Construction started in 1732 on what was built as the Pennsylvania State House, home to all three branches of the colonial government. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both debated and signed inside, and the building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Look up at the wooden steeple rising above the brick front. Then cross Chestnut Street toward the glass pavilion on the mall.
Stop 2
Liberty Bell Center
Cross Chestnut Street and walk north along the path beside the Liberty Bell Center. Isaac Norris, Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly, ordered the bell from London’s Whitechapel Foundry in 1751, and it cracked on its first test ring. John Pass and John Stow melted it down and recast it in Philadelphia in 1753. Abolitionists first called it the Liberty Bell in 1835, and the famous crack silenced it for good after a failed 1846 repair. Look for the Bible verse about proclaiming liberty cast around its crown.
Stop 3
Christ Church Burial Ground
Walk north up the mall to Arch Street and cross to the corner of 5th and Arch, beside the brick wall of Christ Church Burial Ground. Benjamin Franklin was buried here in 1790 with his wife Deborah and their children Francis and Sarah, in a family plot in the northwest corner. Five signers of the Declaration of Independence rest in these grounds. Look through the metal fence in the wall for the flat marble slab, often scattered with pennies left by admirers.
Stop 4
Betsy Ross House
Walk east on Arch Street, past 4th Street, to the small brick house at 239 Arch Street. Historic Philadelphia, which runs the site, describes it as about 300 years old and presents Betsy Ross as a widow, working mother and upholsterer who ran her business here. Whether she sewed the first Stars and Stripes is still debated. Her grave and that of her third husband, John Claypoole, lie in the shaded courtyard beside the house. Tours inside are ticketed.
Stop 5
Elfreth’s Alley
Continue east on Arch Street, turn left on 2nd Street and then right into narrow Elfreth’s Alley. The street dates to 1703, when a cart path was opened here, and its brick row houses went up over roughly a century from 1720. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the country, and residents won National Historic Landmark status in the 1960s to keep Interstate 95 away. Most homes are private, so keep voices low; numbers 124 and 126 are the museum.
Stop 6
Christ Church
Walk back to 2nd Street and head south, crossing Arch Street, to Christ Church on your right. The congregation was founded in 1695, and the present church dates to 1744. Its steeple, designed by Robert Smith and paid for with a lottery Benjamin Franklin organized, was finished in 1754 and stood as the tallest structure in North America for 56 years. George Washington, John Adams, Franklin and Betsy Ross all worshipped here. Step back across the street for the full view of the spire.
Stop 7
Franklin Court
Continue south on 2nd Street to Market Street, turn right and walk west to the archway between 3rd and 4th Streets that leads into Franklin Court. Benjamin Franklin’s house stood here until it was demolished in 1812, and only its foundations remain. Two steel ghost frames now trace the outlines of his home and his grandson’s print shop. The National Park Service lists the courtyard as open daily from 9 am to 5 pm with no ticket needed. The Benjamin Franklin Museum opens off the courtyard.
Stop 8
Carpenters’ Hall
Leave the courtyard through the gates on Chestnut Street, turn right and walk a short way west to the brick hall set back from 320 Chestnut Street. The First Continental Congress met in this newly finished building in 1774, responding to Parliament’s Intolerable Acts against Massachusetts; moderate delegates agreed to stop importing British goods. The Carpenters’ Company still owns and runs the hall, and the National Park Service lists it as open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm.
Stop 9
Washington Square
Walk south to Walnut Street, turn right and follow it west past 6th Street, then enter the leafy square on your left. William Penn patented this ground in 1706 as a potter’s field, and during the Revolutionary War it served as a burial ground for British and American soldiers. It took George Washington’s name in 1825. Look for the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. To finish, walk north on 6th Street and turn right on Chestnut to Independence Hall.
Keep the route with you
The tour link opens a route preview with an iPhone handoff. You can also download the GPX and open it from Files → Share → Daily Wander. The app shows the route; this page supplies the stop descriptions.
Philadelphia walking-tour questions
How long is this Philadelphia walking tour?
The mapped loop is about 2.2 miles (3.5 km). That is roughly 45 minutes of moving time at 3 mph; allow 2–3 hours with stops.
Do I need a ticket for Independence Hall?
For the guided tours, yes. The National Park Service says tours from 10:40 am to 4 pm need a timed ticket from Recreation.gov, with a $1.00 handling fee per ticket, while the 9 to 10:30 am open house needs no ticket. Everyone passes security screening before entering Independence Square. This walk only passes the outside, which needs no ticket.
Is the Liberty Bell free to see?
Yes. The National Park Service says the Liberty Bell Center at 526 Market Street is free, needs no ticket and admits visitors first come, first served after security screening. It lists the center as open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, with visitors leaving at the south end near Chestnut Street.
Can I follow the route on my iPhone?
Yes. Tap Open the tour in Daily Wander, check the route preview and choose Open in Daily Wander. If you need the app, install it first and return to this page. The page supplies the stop notes; the app shows the walking route.
Does the walk return to the start?
Yes. The loop starts and finishes at the Chestnut Street sidewalk in front of Independence Hall.
Can I download the GPX instead?
Yes. Download the GPX from this page, save it in Files on iPhone and share it to Daily Wander. The route geometry is available under the Open Database License.
Make another walk from your hotel
For a different distance or a loop from another starting point, use the US walking-route planner. Daily Wander can suggest a separate loop from the location you choose.
More self-guided tours: Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans French Quarter, New Orleans Garden District, Nashville, Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, Boston Freedom Trail, St. Augustine, San Diego and Amsterdam.
Original itinerary by VANTH Studio. Reviewed October 18, 2026. Route geometry from OpenStreetMap via the FOSSGIS pedestrian router; distance measured along the track. Actual time depends on your pace, stops and diversions. Access to venues is controlled by their operators.