God Bless America Tour

Price Per person double occupancy

Date	Price	Single Supplement
Main Tour: April 26 – May 7, 2026	$4,919*	$1,735
Extension: May 7-10, 2026	$1,769*	$520
*Airfare not included Reservation Due: January 25, 2026 Final Payment Due: February 13, 2026

Included

11-14 nights lodging at 4-star hotels (Gettysburg = 3-star), Breakfast daily at hotels, 1 lunch, 3-4 dinners at hotels or restaurants, Local site guides as needed, Services of long-distance deluxe coach as appearing on itinerary, All entrances and transportation as appearing on itinerary, Porterage at hotels (1 piece), Amish Farm Experience, 1 group NYC departure transfer and 1 group Boston departure transfer, Whisper/Listening devices, Tips to drivers, guides, and hotel staff, Pilgrim Payment Processing for check, Visa, MasterCard or Discover

Not Included

Airfare – under passenger arrangement, Pilgrim will assist upon request), DC arrival transfer – under passenger arrangement, All lunches and drinks with meals except as noted in itinerary, Optional Travel Insurance – 7.95% or 10.85% of tour cost (rates current as of quote date), Boston Red Sox game tickets – to be booked by Pilgrim after all passengers are registered, cost to be added to final invoices (Estimated cost of $115-$150/person), Optional DC scooter tour – $65/person and signed waiver required, Museum of the Bible entry – approx. $36/person, can purchase on site

Meet your tour host

Ben Bryson is a seasoned tour host and servant-hearted leader who has led nearly 50 tours, both domestic and international. Known for his kind demeanor and steady presence, Ben serves his fellow sojourners with genuine love, creating meaningful and memorable journeys for all who travel with him. He pastored Court Street Christian Church in Salem for 26 years, faithfully walking alongside people in every season of life. Ben has been married to his beautiful wife, Sharon, for 32 years, and together they have raised two daughters. Now semi-retired, Ben resides in Maui, continuing to share wisdom, hospitality, and the spirit of aloha wherever he goes.

Day 1 – Sunday, April 26: Arrive Washington, DC

We all arrive at our DC hotel today and will enjoy our first dinner together as a group this evening. Please note that arrival transfers from the airport to hotel are not included as various ones will likely be arriving on different flights. We will spend three evenings in Washington, DC.

Day 2 – Monday, April 27: Arlington National Cemetery, Monuments & Memorials, Ford’s Theatre, U.S. Capitol

After breakfast, we pay a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where we will have approximately two hours to make our way around; be sure to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony that takes place every hour on the half hour. Other famous sites to visit here are the John F. Kennedy gravesite, the Memorial Amphitheater, the Pentagon Memorial, and Arlington House (free admission), the former home of Robert E. Lee. After our time here, we will purchase lunch before being joined by a city guide for the remainder of our day as we pay a visit to Ford’s Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot and the nearby Petersen House where he died. Next, we will head to the U.S. Capitol Building for a tour, after which we will be taken on a walking tour of the most iconic DC sites: the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, the Washington Monument, and a view of the White House. Dinner this evening is on our own.

Please Note: This evening, those who wish to may participate in an optional nighttime scooter tour of the National Mall monuments (additional $65/person). Please note that as this is considered a “high-risk” activity due to the use of scooters, each participant will be required to complete a waiver.

Day 3 – Tuesday, April 28: Museum/National Mall Day

This morning we each get to choose our first stop of choice, and our bus will drop us off: Museum of the Bible (approx. $36/person, purchase on site), the Library of Congress (free entry), or one of the Smithsonian museums (free entry). The remainder of our day here is free to spend as much time as we like visiting various museums and exploring further. Both lunch and dinner are on your own today. The bus will be available for group transport back to the hotel at end of day, so please watch for any communication from Ben Bryson regarding any meetup points and transportation plans. Uber and Lyft are also both available.

Day 4 – Wednesday, April 29: Leisure Time, Transfer to Annapolis

Our morning is free today to pay any final museum visits. Please be prompt in assembling at the time and place appointed for our drive to Annapolis early this afternoon. We will be taken to the City Dock area, the heart of historic Annapolis to spend the remainder of the afternoon. Watch the many boats coming and going in the Ego Alley marina area as they head out into Annapolis Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. Main Street is brimming with boutiques, gift shops, historic buildings, and pubs and restaurants. Enjoy exploring until dinnertime; we will dine together at a local riverside restaurant. We will spend one night in Annapolis.

Day 5 – Thursday, April 30: Maryland State House, U.S. Naval Academy, Arrive Gettysburg

Following breakfast, we will pay a brief morning visit to the Maryland State House where tour information will be provided to enable us to enjoy a self-guided tour. We then make our way to the U.S. Naval Academy, first established in 1845. Please note that the website states visitors must have either a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or US Passport for entry. Enter the beautiful domeed USNA Main Chapel building, and then continue to the crypt beneath the chapel where American War Hero John Paul Jones is interred. Take a peek into the two accessible areas (the rotunda and Memorial Hall) of Bancroft Hall, the largest academic dormitory in the US where over 4,400 midshipmen attend. At noon, be sure to watch the entire Brigade of Midshipmen gather (weather permitting) in Tamanend Court for roll call, followed by “Anchors Aweigh” and “The Halls of Montezuma” played by the Naval Academy Band. We will have a bit of down time to purchase lunch and enjoy the city before boarding our bus this afternoon for the two-hour drive to our Gettysburg hotel where we lodge for the next two evenings. Dinner will be served this evening at a local restaurant.

Day 6 – Friday, May 1: Gettysburg

Today we immerse ourselves in Civil War history. We begin with a visit to the Gettysburg Visitor Center; explore the displays in the Gettysburg Museum of the Civil War, watch the short film A New Birth of Freedom narrated by Morgan Freeman, and see the unique Cyclorama painting and immersive presentation of Pickett’s Charge. We will then spend the next two to three hours taking a guided bus tour of the most famous sites that featured in the fierce three-day battle. We will drive by some areas with commentary but will also make brief stops at some key sites including: the Gettysburg National Cemetery where Abraham Lincoln delivered the “Gettysburg Address,” Seminary Ridge, location of General Lee’s headquarters with his likeness now depicted on horseback, Devil’s Den and Little Round Top, a heavily-contested area of the battle, and Cemetery Ridge, the main position of the Union army that saw the final fight of the battle, Pickett’s Charge, take place. We have taken in a wealth of information today and will have the remainder of the afternoon at leisure to process, rest, enjoy the historic downtown area, and purchase dinner this evening on our own.

Day 7 – Saturday, May 2: Lancaster County, Free Evening

We check out of our hotel and drive through the heart of “Dutch Country” (Mennonite and Amish farmland area) to Old Windmill Farm for a one-hour Amish farm tour. Try your hand at feeding a calf and milking a cow, then see the gardening process, and take a hayride. We then drive to nearby Shady Maple Smorgasbord, a top destination for locals and visitors alike; you can go back to the all-you-can-eat buffet as many times as you like, so choose your portions wisely! Next, we drive through rural Pennsylvania countryside to Philadelphia and check into our hotel this afternoon; we lodge here for two nights. Any remaining time today is free to familiarize ourselves with the area and purchase dinner at one of the many Philly restaurant options.

Day 8 – Sunday, May 3: Historic Philadelphia

After breakfast, we will take a guided walking tour of Philadelphia’s historic district and watch some of our nation’s earliest historical moments unfold before us. Take a tour of Independence Hall, see the Liberty Bell, visit Franklin Court Printing Office, and Christ’s Church. For lunch today, our guide will take us to a local Philly cheesesteak place so we can purchase some classic Philly cuisine. Be sure to follow the proper rules for placing your order! Locals take their cheesesteaks very seriously. This afternoon we head to Pennsbury Manor, the home of William Penn, the Quaker founder of the colony of Pennsylvania. Meaning “Penn’s Woods,” this tract of land was granted to William Penn by King Charles II as repayment of a large dept owed to Penn’s father. We return to Philadelphia where any remaining time is free. We will purchase dinner on our own.

Day 9 – Monday, May 4: Valley Forge, Transfer to NYC, 9/11 Memorial Museum, Lower Manhattan

As we depart Philadelphia today, we will first stop at the nearby Valley Forge visitor center and new museum exhibit dedicated to the Revolutionary War. Take a guided trolley tour, and see the replicas of the soldiers’ huts and visit the house known as Washington’s Headquarters as we learn of the brutal winter that the Continental Army endured here. We then make the drive to New York City, stopping en route to break up the journey and allow time to purchase lunch. Upon arrival this afternoon, we will be joined by a guide who will take us to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, followed by a guided introductory walking tour of historic Lower Manhattan including the iconic Charging Bull Statue, Trinity Church (Alexander & Eliza Hamilton, and Robert Fulton are buried here), the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, and Federal Hall (where Washington took the oath of office in 1789). Our tour will end on Stone Street, the oldest paved street in NYC, allowing us to purchase dinner here or nearby. We will overnight in NYC for the last three nights of the tour.

Day 10 – Tuesday, May 5: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Heart of NYC

We will again be joined by a city guide for a full-day tour of some of NYC’s most iconic sites. This morning ,we will head to Liberty Island to visit Lady Liberty (outside view only) and the museum and then on to Ellis Island to visit the Immigration Museum. Next, we make our way to Fraunces Tavern, where Washington took leave of his officers in 1783 following the close of the Revolutionary War. The tavern houses a museum highlighting the events of the war for liberty. This afternoon we will visit the Empire State Building and of course the Observatory on the 86th floor before continuing on to view Rockefeller Center and walk a portion of Broadway, ending in Times Square. This evening is again free to purchase dinner on our own.

Day 11 – Wednesday, May 6: Free Day (no guide or transportation included)

Today, each person will be provided with a Go City Explorer Pass with three attractions (you choose which ones) included. We will need to walk or take public transportation as we make our way around the city today. An assistant will provide the passes to us this morning at our hotel and will explain how to use them. The day is all yours! Spend it as you wish, purchase lunch and dinner on your own, and maybe plan ahead to attend a play or show.

Day 12 – Thursday, May 7: Return Home

A single group transfer is included this morning to JFK Airport for those returning home today. This transfer will be scheduled based on a time frame that accommodates as many passengers as possible.

Optional Boston Extension:
Day 1 – Thursday May 7: Transfer to Boston, Boston Tea Party

Depart New York City in the morning, arriving Boston in the early afternoon. Purchase lunch, visit the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum to experience a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party. We will enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant before checking in at our hotel where we spend the last three evenings of our tour.

Day 2 – Friday, May 8: Boston Freedom Trail

Today we’ll take a guided walking tour of the Freedom Trail, beginning at the Boston Common, and making our way along the sixteen different historical sites that make up the trail:

1. Boston Common – American’s oldest public park, site of the Freedom Trail visitor center. Early colonists grazed cattle here and held public hangings. The British camped here before setting off for Lexington and Concord at the start of the war.

2. Massachusetts State House (outside view) – Seat of Massachusetts government since 1793. John Hancock’s mansion formerly stood adjacent to this building.

3. Park Street Church (outside view) – Built in the very early 19th century over the site of Boston’s granary. In addition to storing grain, sails for the USS Constitution were made here as well. Gunpowder was stored at the church during the War of 1812. The country’s first Sunday School was founded here in 1818.

4. Granary Burying Ground (visit the grounds) – Dates back to 1660 with about 2,300 burial markers, though with an estimate of at least 5,000 actually buried here. Many notable Americans are buried here. See the burial places of John Hancock, Paul Revere, James Otis, and Samuel Adams, as well as the victims of the Boston Massacre.

5. King’s Chapel & Burial Ground (short visit inside church and in burial grounds) – First Anglican church in New England with oldest American pulpit still in use today. Church bell (made in England) cracked in 1814 and was recast by Paul Revere, also still in use. In the burial ground, see the burial site of John Winthrop, Pilgrim father and first governor of Massachusetts, and Mary Chilton, said to be the first woman to step off the Mayflower.

6. Boston Latin School Site/ Ben Franklin Statue – America’s oldest public school, notably attended by Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, and William Hooper – all signers of the Declaration of Independence. A mosaic and statue mark the location.

7. Old Corner Bookstore (outside view) – Now a Chipotle, the original building housed a reputable publishing company, Ticknor and Fields. They produced famous works by America’s early authors and poets.

8. Old South Meeting House (museum visit) – Site of the final meeting that signaled the start of the Boston Tea Party. Set for demolition in 1872, notable citizens including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Julia Ward Howe, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Louis May Alcott helped raise funds to save the building and established it as a museum – the first time this was done in American history.

9. Old State House (outside view, suggested museum visit during free time) – Oldest surviving public building in Boston and witness to the Boston Massacre. Now houses a museum dedicated to Revolutionary War history.

10. Boston Massacre Site – Due to rising tensions regarding British occupation of the city, riots broke out on March 5, 1770. British soldiers arrived on the scene, firing on the crowd. Five colonials died as a result, sparking further anger with British rule.

11. Faneuil Hall (outside view, free time at the Marketplace to buy lunch) – Meeting place of the Sons of Liberty. America’s first Town Hall held here. Note the grasshopper weathervane atop the building, used during the war to identify spies.

12. Paul Revere House (inside visit) – Owned by Paul Revere 1770-1800 and oldest remaining structure in downtown Boston.

13. Old North Church (short inside visit of the sanctuary) – Church used as a signal that the British were mounting an attack – “one [lamp] if by land, two if by sea” being the code famously used.

14. Copp’s Hill Burying Ground (short grounds visit) – Site where much of Boston’s skilled working class and tradesmen were buried. See the burial sites of famous Puritan preachers Cotton and Mather, sexton Robert Newman (who hung the lanterns in Old North Church), and Edmund Hartt, who built the USS Constitution. The British used this vantage point to position their canons against the colonials positioned on Bunker Hill.

15. Bunker Hill (view of the monument, suggested museum visit during free time) – Site of the first major Revolutionary War battle. Marquis de Lafayette laid the cornerstone of the monument on the 50th anniversary of the battle.

16. USS Constitution (museum and ship visit) – World’s oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat that earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812 after fighting the British frigate HMS Guerriere. Dinner on our own this evening.

Day 3 – Saturday, May 9: Lexington, Concord, Boston Red Sox Game

Drive this morning to Lexington Green – site of the 1st skirmish of the Revolutionary War – for a photo stop of the green and the memorials placed here. Then visit the nearby Hancock-Clarke House where John Hancock and Samual Adams were staying when Paul Revere and Wiliam Dawes arrived by different routes to warn local minutemen that the British were advancing on Lexington. On April 19, 1775, British troops and the colonial militia opened fire, the first shot being made famous by Ralph Waldo Emerson as “the shot heard round the world.” We then head to nearby Concord, where the first true battle took place at the Old North Bridge within sight of the Old Manse, then the home of Emerson’s grandfather, Rev. William Emerson, and later in time the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Brief stops will be included at the bridge and the manse for photos and to help us better envision what took place here. We then return to Boston for an afternoon at leisure. This evening, transfers are included to take us to and from Fenwick Park; dinner will not be included at our hotel as we will purchase dinner at the game.

Please Note: Game tickets are not included in the listed tour price. Pilgrim Tours will book tickets for the group once all registrations have been received and will add the cost to the final invoices. Anticipated cost between $115-$150/person.

Day 4 – Sunday, May 10: Return Home

A single group transfer is included this morning to Boston Airport. This transfer will be scheduled based on a time frame that accommodates as many passengers as possible.

Itinerary subject to change while touring for the best interest of the group.