A Romantic Philly Weekend Trip

We recently went to Philly for a long weekend, and we had such a great time! In our years of living on the East Coast, we have visited Philly several times, but it was always for specific events or to see friends. For this Philly weekend trip, we had a thoughtful itinerary designed for a couple’s romantic getaway and saw the city in a whole new light!

From cooking classes to spa dates to delicious food, there was so much to do in the city! If you are looking for a weekend getaway idea, we can’t recommend Philly enough!

Without further ado, let’s get into the logistics and itinerary so you can start planning your Philly Weekend trip!

Where to Stay

First things first, you need somewhere to lay your head at night! We stayed at The Notary Hotel, Philadelphia, Autograph Collection. We loved the location- it was in the heart of the City Center and just one block from the Pennsylvania Convention and City Hall. The rooms were spacious, and the service was great.

For more information on hotels and deals, check out the Visit Philly website.

Day 1 of Your Philly Weekend Trip

Dinner at Darling Jack’s Tavern

104 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
IG Handle: @darlingjackstavern

If you arrive in the evening for your weekend trip, Darling Jack’s is a great place to grab dinner. It’s a newish neighborhood tavern from the team behind several of Philly’s other hotspots like Barbuzzo. We shared a pizza that was good and the short rib plate, but we really loved the olive oil cake and heard good things about the Branzino!

Depending on the season…cozy up in a cabin or partake in outdoor ice skating in the winter and outdoor rollerskating in the summer

101 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19106
IG Handle: @ibxriverrink 

During the winter months, Philly’s waterfront area, Penn’s Landing, is transformed into a cozy winter park, complete with cozy cabins, ice skating, firepits, and arcade games. In the summer, it is a roller skating oasis. We went during the winter months and loved hanging out in the cabin, dancing to Christmas carols and R&B classics.

OR Enjoy a Nightcap and Music at Vinyl

215 South 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
IG Handle: @VinylPhilly 

If live music and entertainment are more up your alley, you may enjoy Vinyl, Philadelphia’s newest destination for live music, entertainment, and nightlife. The venue has several seating options like front-row lounges, cocktail tables, and VIP. Along with the classic cocktail menu, you can also get light sharable bites.

Day 2 of Your Philly Weekend Trip

Check out a Museum

Philly has a plethora of museums to choose from that range from science, African-American culture, Jewish-American history, animals, literature, of course American history, and much more. In fact, the region is home to one of the country’s top five art museums (Philadelphia Museum of Art). Here is an article that shares more details about some of the museums in Philly that you can choose from.

Grab some Lunch

One thing Philly doesn’t have a shortage of is restaurants. You can only go to so many in a weekend, so we’ve given you several to choose from in addition to where we went so you can pick what makes the most sense for your budget, location, and taste buds!

If you want to eat at some of the favorite spots of celebrities, try one of Jay Z and Beyonce’s favorite Philly restaurants, Talulas Garden, a farm-to-table eatery serving Mid-Atlantic cuisine, Victor Cafe, an Italian restaurant that Sylvester Stallone frequents when in town, Parc, a Parisian Bistro frequented by stars such as Jessica Alba, Denzel Washington, and Nick Jonas.

For Black-owned, there are places like Honeysuckle Provisions & Cafe, Booker’s Restaurant, and much more listed here.

Here are cheap and healthy options, and here is a link for vegan options. Last but not least, of course, getting a Philly Cheesesteak while in the City of Brotherly Love is always a good idea!

Do Some Shopping

If you’re one who likes to shop on your trips, Philly has you covered with traditional shopping malls, boutiques, and stand-alone shops. For malls, you can check out places like King of Prussia Mall, which has a huge selection, and The Shops at Liberty Place.

For boutiques and the opportunity to support diverse local businesses, you’ll have a ton of options. You can find lists of some of those options, here, here and here. From the lists, we purchased some items from Senoj Clothing, a women’s clothing store, and Dope Botanicals, a wellness shop. Both had great service and offerings.

Last but not least, there is the popular Rittenhouse Row shopping district. We really loved this area. It reminded us of Soho in New York. Lots of shopping, restaurants and parks. And, if you like more high-end boutiques and familiar trendy stores like Anthropologie, head to Walnut Street between Broad and 18th Street.

Fancy Dinner Date with a View at Jean-George Philadelphia

1 N 19th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
IG Handle: @jean.georgesphiladelphia

If you love a skyscraper view, this is where to go! It sits 59 stories up in the air in the Comcast building- one of the tallest buildings in the country outside of New York and Chicago. We absolutely could not get over this gorgeous view as we dined on caviar, lobster, wagyu tenderloin, and more from their a la carte menu. This is the perfect place for a special date night during your weekend away. They also offer a tasting menu if you want to try a little bit of everything.

If you’re scared of heights but interested in other elevated dining experiences, try Friday, Saturday, Sunday for its Modern American eight-course tasting menu or Barclay Prime, a sleek and sexy steakhouse. They have all the foods that you’d expect at a steakhouse but are well known for having the most decadent and expensive Philly Cheese Steak in the world. It’s $140 and features hand-cut wagyu, black travel, foie gras, fried onions, copper sharp, and comes with a ½ bottle of champagne.

Day 3 of Your Philly Weekend Trip

Lunch at Reading Terminal

1136 Arch St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
IG Handle: @rdgterminalmkt

First opening in 1893, Reading Terminal Market is one of the nation’s oldest and largest public markets. It has a plethora of different cuisines to try, from Asian and Middle Eastern to soul food to traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fare to authentic Philly cheesesteaks. It is loved by both locals and tourists! Locals recommended that we try Beiler’s Donuts and the 4th Street Cookie Company. We did, and both were really good.

Take a Stroll Through LOVE Park

North 15th & Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107
IG: @LoveParkPhilly

During your Philly weekend trip with your love, it only makes sense to take a stroll in the iconic LOVE Park! In addition to the LOVE statue, which has been there since 1976, the area also offers green areas, a fountain, walking paths, and seating to take a walking break and gaze into your lover’s eyes.

If you go during the holiday season (typically the end of November to Christmas Eve), as we did, you’ll get to experience the LOVE park transformed into a European wonderland during the annual Christmas Village.

Try Candle Making or Parfum Creation at Loomen Labs 

620 S 5th St
Philadelphia PA 19147 
IG Handle: @loomenlabs 

If you are anything like my husband and me, we love scents, candles, diffusers, perfumes, you name it, and we always find it so cool when we get to customize and make our own unique fragrances. At Loomen Labs, the scents are named after Philly neighborhoods and its BYOB.

In addition to making candles and parfums, you can also sign up for a floral arrangement class.

Cooking Class at Old City Kitchen

218 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
IG Handle: @oldcitykitchen

We took the Pierogis Class with Chef Justin O’Hanlon, which was really fun and tasty. We made three different types- classic potato and cheese, wild mushroom, brown butter, and leek Kielbasa. I liked them all, but my favorite was the wild mushroom, and my husband liked the Kielbasa the most.

Old City Kitchen also has a ton of other classes to choose from, like European cheese and wine, Spanish tapas, Amalfi Coast, French, pasta making, and many more.

Day 4 of Your Philly Weekend Trip

Brunch at Rex at the Royal

1524 South St
Philadelphia, PA 19146
IG handle: @rexphl

Rex at the Royal is a beautiful restaurant with a tasty Southern-inspired menu and a stage for live music. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and our food. We got the chef’s special, so it isn’t on the menu, but if it happens to be in rotation during your visit, it’s definitely worth an order. It was wagyu steak with poached eggs.

End Your Philly Weekend Trip with some Pampering at Rescue Spa

1811 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
IG Handle: @RescueSpa

This gorgeous day spa is 9,700 square feet and has 15 rooms. It is most known for its facials but has options for massages, hair, nails, hair removal, and more. We both had facials and absolutely loved them. My husband got the Bio Lift, and I had the Lead Esthetician facial, which was similar to the popular Bio Lift but had two add-on services. My add-ones were oxygen and microdermabrasion. Our skin looked and felt great afterward!

That’s a wrap for our Philly weekend trip itinerary! We had an amazing time and definitely recommend this East Coast gem for a romantic weekend getaway. We hope you go and enjoy the City of Brotherly Love as much as we did!

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Our trip and this blog post were sponsored by the Visit Philly Tourism Board, but all thoughts and opinions are our own.