Washington, DC

Capital Region

From £3,479
14 night fly drive includes flights, car & handpicked hotels.
Travelling next year? Book now for an early discount.

The Capital Region offers beautiful landscapes, in depth history and many must-see monuments, historic buildings and museums.

Day 1
Baltimore Arrival

Depart London Heathrow – 16:30
Arrive Baltimore – 19:50
Journey Time – 8 hours 25 minutes

Often overshadowed by her more famous political sister, Baltimore is a bustling city built on tradition and community life that continues to evolve while holding on to its age-old maritime heritage.  The scenic and popular waterfront, once teeming with longshoremen, is filled with shops, restaurants, and the National Aquarium which welcomes more than 11 million visitors each year.  Over the past two decades, the Inner Harbor has transformed itself into one of the most vibrant, thriving waterfront developments in the world.  It works!  It is also home to the Baltimore Maritime Museum, USS Constellation, Pride of Baltimore, a World War II submarine, and the Top of the World Observation Deck.  For nightlife, the Power Plant Live has dance clubs, a piano bar and comedy club.  It will be hard not to catch the spirit and energy of this place.

Overnight – Baltimore

Hotel:
Sheraton Inner Harbor


Day 2
Explore Baltimore

Since you are stay right at the Inner Harbor and have all of those attractions at your fingertips, if you want to venture beyond, Baltimore is home to attractions that range from the American Visionary Museum to Fort McHenry where the Battle of 1812 inspired the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.  The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum tells the story of the first railroad in America.  You’ll learn more of the story at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.  There’s also the Baltimore Museum of Art and Evergreen, a Gilded Age mansion surrounded by 26 acres of gardens.  Port Discovery is a new museum for children.

Overnight – Baltimore

Hotel:
Sheraton Inner Harbor


Day 3
Baltimore to Washington DC
(By train – 50 minutes)

This morning take a short taxi ride (taxi not included in prepaid cost) from your hotel to Baltimore Penn Station where we have seats booked for you with Amtrak Rail to take you to the Capital City, Washington DC. This journey will only take approx 40-45 mins.

As soon as you arrive in Washington, you can begin to explore the highlights of America’s capital!  There are many great neighbourhoods in this very cosmopolitan city, yet the key museums and historic buildings are concentrated around the US Capitol Building and the National Mall, which is lined with Smithsonian museums.

You can’t help but be inspired and even awed on your first visit to Washington, DC. It’s like no other place in the world.  Created in a swamp where frogs originally outnumbered residents, the city has gradually emerged as an impressive monument to America’s continuity.  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and architect Pierre L’Enfant, Jefferson’s French friend, laid out the original city, which has kept pace with the fortunes of the country it governs.  Buildings consciously designed to appear monumental have been preserved and renovated, and where applicable, integrated with new architecture.  The massive fabric of monuments and museums peacefully coexists with a bustling, dynamic metropolitan area with world-class entertainment, unique restaurants, and a dynamic arts and cultural community.  There’s always something blooming, adding a dash of colour.  Even if you’ve visited before, new monuments are always being added and many museums have recently expanded.

Overnight – Washington DC

Hotel:
Omni Shoreham


Day 4
Explore Washington DC

If this is your first visit to Washington, we recommend you begin at the US Capitol Complex, which includes the Capitol Building, House and Senate Buildings and the US Botanical Gardens. Standing on the Capitol steps looking west, the expansive two-mile National Mall between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, stretches out before you, lined with monuments and museums.  The Washington Monument stands in the centre, while the cross axis of the Mall is anchored by the White House on one end and the Jefferson Memorial on the other. You’ll find a number of the wonderful Smithsonian Museums along the Mall, as well as throughout the city.

Overnight – Washington DC

Hotel:
Omni Shoreham


Day 5
Explore Washington DC

The list of museums to choose from in Washington, DC, is extensive: The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of African Art, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of the American Indian and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are all on or near the Mall.

Memorials on or near the Mall include the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, National World War II Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, United States Navy Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Overnight – Washington DC

Hotel:
Omni Shoreham


Day 6
Washington DC to Staunton
165 miles

Imagine coming around a corner and suddenly catching your breath as the view opens up to a vast mountain landscape, a larger than life panorama of waves of blue hills.  Stopping at a view point you see a deer and her fawns gently grazing, unaware that there are people around.  Another vista reveals a burst of spring colour and still another, a gushing waterfall. That’s what you’re going to experience as you drive through Shenandoah National Park on your way to Staunton.

After a short drive from Washington, DC through Loudon County and Virginia horse country, you’ll discover historic Winchester, Virginia.  There should be plenty of time to visit to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley to learn about the lives of the hardy pioneers who settled here and just south of town, Belle Grove Mansion, a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that is considered one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in the United States. You can also see George Washington’s first office as a surveyor, incredibly small for a man of his stature and Abram’s Delight, a home that is typical of affluent residents of the region.  At nearby Front Royal, you’ll be at the start of the Skyline Drive, the portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway that traverses Shenandoah National Park.  Also, this will be the day to explore Luray Caverns, the largest constantly changing underground environment on the East Coast.  It is kept at a comfortable and constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once underground, you’ll feel like you’ve travelled to a netherworld of growing and shrinking stones.  Walking through chambers of clusters of stalactites and stalagmites, you’ll see some that resemble Totem Poles, others that take on the appearance of a Frozen Fountain, and others that are curiously-shaped and look like Fried Eggs.  Perhaps most intriguing is the Stalacpipe Organ, which took 36 years to perfect and plays the musical scale in tune.

En-route between Washington D.C. and Staunton you will find the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlet Mall in Leesburg, VA – why not call in to grab yourself a designer item or three?

Once you reach Staunton, you can explore the downtown with five historic districts and the birthplace of President Woodrow Wilson, sitting atop the crest of a hill in Staunton’s Gospel Hill historic district.

Staunton itself is a distinctive and historic town with a lively community feel to it, walking down the main street you in some ways feel transported by in time; all the shops and restaurants are charming independent ventures with none of the big ‘high street’ names you would expect elsewhere.

Charlotte Gill (Account Manager at Complete North America) – “We were treated to some great food, wine (for the girls) and beer (for Roger) at the Mockingbird (Staunton, VA). The ethos behind the restaurant is to provide wholesome locally sourced food and the menu reflects this perfectly. The restaurant also has an adjoining venue where it hosts bands to provide live music which we are assured is well worth a visit – we will have to take their word for it though as we had tickets to see one of Shakespeare’s finest, ‘Taming of the Shrew’ at the American Shakespeare Centre at Blackfriars Playhouse. The Playhouse itself is a charming and intimate venue re-creating Shakespeare’s original indoor theatre. It truly reflects the time of Shakespeare with the result that, no matter where your seats are, you are drawn into the performance. The actors were excellent and had us all enthralled and laughing in no time at all. This was a wonderful way to spend an evening and there are currently performances most evenings here. If you are interested in seeing one of the productions during your stay – which we would highly recommend – please speak to one of the team.”

Overnight – Staunton

Hotel:
Stonewall Jackson Hotel


Day 7
Explore Staunton / Blue Ridge Parkway

Today, you can take a bit of time to drive south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of America’s most scenic roads. The Parkway is one of the few roads where every season is spectacular in its own right.  In spring, the flowers are out, and leaves are budding on the trees.  Summer boasts a lush strong green. In fall, Mother Nature puts on her best dress and delivers a roadway shrouded in blazing colour. In winter, the reds and golds give rise to snow covered mountains, after which the myriad of greens return again. Sometimes, in silence, a newly fallen snow appears like magic.

Overnight – Staunton

Hotel:
Stonewall Jackson Hotel


Day 8
Staunton to Charlottesville
38 miles

The first stop for everyone in Charlottesville has to be Monticello, one of the most intensely interesting homes on the North American continent.  Thomas Jefferson’s magnificent mountaintop mansion was designated a World Heritage Treasure by the United Nations.  On the tour, you’ll learn more about the genius of Jefferson’s inventions as well as the role he played in the founding of America as author of the Declaration of Independence and later on, in the opening of the North American continent when he sponsored the Lewis and Clark expedition through the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase.

A short drive from Monticello takes you to the University of Virginia campus, designed by Jefferson, which he could see from his mountain top home.  Downtown, you’ll discover that this quaint little city no longer has a Main Street.  The street was closed to automobiles and bricked as an open walking plaza lined with shops.  The street corner where Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe (who served America for 25 years as the third, fourth and fifth US Presidents) met as friends is not far away.

Overnight – Charlottesville

Hotel:
Omni Charlottesville


Day 9
Charlottesville to Richmond
72 miles

One of the most interesting locations in Richmond is the Story of Virginia at the Virginia Historical Society.  With 10,000 square feet and 10,000 artefacts in likely the best museum in Virginia, the Story of Virginia tells the story of the Commonwealth from start to finish.  This is no ordinary museum.  When you walk out of the Virginia Historical Society you’ll be able to put all of your visit in Virginia into context.  The way they tell the story is not stuffy museum material.  The presentations are colourful, the text interesting and the artefacts fascinating.  Enjoy the view of Richmond from your hotel.

Richmond also has the distinction of serving as the Capital of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865.  The White House of the Confederacy attests to that today.

St. John’s Church is the site of Patrick Henry’s “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech delivered inside the church on March 23rd 1775.  As a result of that speech and the gathering of 100 Virginia colonial leaders, the Revolution began the following month when shots were fired at Lexington and Concord.  The Virginia State Capital was designed by Thomas Jefferson and the new Virginia Visitor’s Center was specifically designed to tell the interesting story of the state.

Overnight – Richmond

Hotel:
Omni Richmond


Day 10
Richmond to Williamsburg
53 miles

There will be plenty of time to explore Colonial Williamsburg in detail today.  Serving as the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the centre of power in the largest and most influential American colony.  During the 150 years following the move of the capital to Richmond, Williamsburg became a quiet college town. In 1926, with the help of John D. Rockefeller, the Foundation acquired 85% of the area of the original colonial capital and began restoration.

Now you can marvel as you walk the streets where Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, George Mason and Patrick Henry sealed the fate of the new nation.  An amazing 88 of the 500 buildings in Colonial Williamsburg are original.  The others have been painstakingly researched, rebuilt and refitted with the authentic accoutrements of the day.  Each of the shops demonstrate their trade and you can ask questions wherever you go.  Re-enactments of the political undertakings are ongoing.  Don’t be surprised if you find yourself in conversation with Henry, Jefferson or Washington.  The living history interpreters at Williamsburg are really good!

Overnight – Williamsburg

Hotel:
Williamsburg Lodge


Day 11
Explore Williamsburg

You can spend more time exploring Colonial Williamsburg today and later in the day still visit the Jamestown Colony, recreated to illustrate the original Virginia settlement of 1607 and the Yorktown Battlefield.  Both are located on the Colonial Parkway National Scenic Byway.

Overnight – Williamsburg

Hotel:
Williamsburg Lodge


Day 12
Williamsburg to Easton
222 miles

You’ll have the next three days to explore the quaint towns of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Plan to feast on the seafood, enjoy the scenic beauty and respond to the laid back lifestyle of this unique area of the country.  The enchanting coastline varies from historic waterfront towns dotted with marinas of all sizes to stretches of low, rolling farmlands broken only by the tidewater tributaries of the Chesapeake.  Fresh and salt water meet in a veritable haven for fishing and boating enthusiasts, cyclists, birders and nature lovers.

Easton is a delightful Chesapeake town, where the historical roots date back to 1711. Even though there are shops for all budgets, eclectic art galleries and antiques, fine and casual restaurants and a picture-perfect historic town centre with colonial and Victorian architecture, Easton, is one of those places that feels like home. Big trees and shady streets surround big porches on block after block of old houses.

Overnight – Easton

Hotel:
Tidewater Inn


Day 13
Explore Easton / Maryland Eastern Shore

The southern portion of Maryland’s Eastern Shore is a bit different from the more northern areas.  You can browse a bit on the historic walking tour in St. Michael’s before visiting the three historic houses of the Talbot Historical Society, each interpreted differently. The first was built by a Quaker who chose simplicity, the second by a Quaker, who took the contrasting position of opulence and the third, long thought to be a historic residence that under the research microscope turned out to be a craftsman’s studio.  The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, perhaps the best museum facility on the Eastern Shore illustrates the maritime side of life, with lots of interesting exhibits. After exploring Tilghman Island take the Oxford Bellevue Ferry to Cambridge, perched right on the sparkling Chesapeake Bay.  Here, the waterman’s culture blends with farm life to create an interesting, timeless, lifestyle which moves at a slightly slower pace, soothed by the gently lapping, ever present water.

Cruises on the Skipjack Nathan, the traditional watercraft for fishermen in the region, leave from the Long Wharf in Cambridge. The Meredith House at LaGrange Plantation and the other museums on the site give you a better glimpse of the history of the region.  Plan to meander the wonderful bird-filled landscapes of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where the driving tour is open until the sun sets.  This is absolutely the best time of day, other than dawn, to tour the refuge and view the wildlife.

Overnight – Easton

Hotel:
Tidewater Inn


Day 14
Explore Easton / Maryland Eastern Shore

Located on the banks of the Chester River, Chestertown dates back to 1706 when it served as a thriving mid-Atlantic port of entry for the colonial movement into Maryland.  The County’s court records are the oldest in the State, dating back to the 1640s.  The Chester River curls past grand homes of wealthy merchants from the 18th and 19th centuries which still stand proudly along its banks.  Among the town’s finest historic buildings are the Hynson-Ringgold House, renowned for its unusual antler staircase and hip roof, and Wide Hall, a masterpiece of Georgian architecture built in 1769 by Thomas Smyth, Kent County’s most prosperous merchant and an illustrious Revolutionary War figure. An old Customs House dating from the 1740s stands beside the public dock at the foot of High Street. Its detailed Flemish Bond brickwork is commonplace in many old town residences.  Be sure to take the walking tour of Chestertown.

Overnight – Easton

Hotel:
Tidewater Inn


Day 15
Easton to Washington Dulles Airport
100 miles

We are confident as you get ready to depart for home, you will be thoroughly relaxed from visiting the region’s timeless places.

When the time comes make your way to Washington Dulles Airport to return your rental car and check-in for your flight home to the U.K. with the opportunity to look back on an itinerary offering a really diverse range of memories from rich history to striking landscapes and coastlines.

Depart Washington Dulles – 23:00
Arrive Baltimore – 11:25
Journey Time – 6 hours 25 minutes


Your holiday includes

  • Scheduled Flights
  • UK & US Airport taxes
  • Accommodation – 14 nights
  • Compact car rental based on Hertz – 14 day rental
  • Exclusive travel documentation portfolio including personalised maps, itinerary and driver directions along with all applicable tickets and vouchers.

Additional Experiences

Our holidays are completely tailored to suit you. We would be happy to help you choose from a vast array of additional experiences that will enhance your North America holiday adventure.

These might include:

  • City tours
  • Helicopter flights
  • Sporting event tickets
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • Rafting
  • Horseback riding
  • Restaurant reservations

There are many more, often quite unique to your chosen destination so please do ask.

Map

Itinerary Summary

Location Nights
Baltimore 2
Washington 3
Staunton 2
Charlottesville 1
Richmond 1
Williamsburg 2
Easton 3

Based on low season travel for 2 people

Factors affecting price:
Availability – early booking, best prices
Seasonal variations
Weekend travel/hotel stays
Special events/conferences
Varying available room types

For all of the above reasons, please speak to our experienced team who can offer relevant advice on seasonal variations and create a personalised itinerary and costing for your specific dates.

Offers

British Airways Seat Sale

Call now for further discounts of up to £100 when seat sale fares are available.

Flight Upgrades

Reduced premium cabin travel available.

Prices from
Premium/World Traveller Plus: £249 each way
Business/Club Class: £1,249 each way

Call us on 01159 610590 for availability and details.

Why Book With C.N.A?

  • All holidays ATOL protected.
  • Tailored itinerary to suit you.
  • Choice of airlines & departure points.
  • Deals on flight upgrades.
  • Low booking deposit.
  • Detailed & personalised travel pack – your personally prepared ring-bound travel itinerary booklet is prepared individually.

Complete North America documents

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Call today to tailor your Capital Region holiday plans: 0115 9610590


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Robinson Party (Deep South)

We did the “Deep South” trip that included Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana and had a wonderful time. All the hotels were fine, but the Monmouth Plantation in Natchez was exceptional both for comfort and service. Make sure you stay there if in Natchez. Good night life particularly in Nashville and New Orleans.

Groves Party (Deep South)

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