Philadelphia's University City Books & Cooks Tour on Weekdays

Combine street food and brain food on this Philadelphia tour that takes in the hallowed halls of academia, the glory of the grand terminal, the worship of college spots, and the fun of food trucking! Feed your mind as well as your belly on this Philadelphia city tour that bypasses the usual Philadelphia tourist spots and sends you back to school on the university campuses. Don't worry, there won't be an exam at the end - there'll be food trucks instead! Your Philadelphia tour begins at Philadelphia's largest transportation hub, 30th St. Station. You'll get a glimpse of the fine architecture inside the grand terminal, and be in the midst of the busy intersection of trains, buses, subways, and trolleys. We leave the station on foot and begin the journey down Market Street and the neighborhood's research core. Before we make it very far, we’ll stop for a taste of the Caribbean, at our first group of food trucks. It’s a bit of a hidden gem here, and you’ll be amazed at the quantity and quality of food being produced here.  Just down the road we'll reach Drexel University, where we'll head down one of their new green quads and into the beautiful Main Building, the very first building on Drexel's campus. You'll meander down the hill past World Cafe Live and underneath the highline as trains are passing high above (don't panic, that's not quite as scary as it sounds!). From here on this Philadelphia tour we enter Penn Park, a brand new green space with spectacular views of the Philly skyline. After soaking up this incredible panorama, your tour continues over the train tracks and passes by some of the most iconic college sports venues in the country - Franklin Field and the Palestra. Sports fans, this is the real deal and you won't want to miss it! If you’re lucky, you may even have the chance to see inside the famous Palestra and their wonderful college basketball museum. We’ll reach our second group of food trucks just in front of Franklin Field, and the variety here is pretty impressive. You’ll also get to experience this chaotic and wonderful food scene during the heart of lunch - a truly local experience! From there we head to the heart of Penn's campus, the very first public university in the United States. We'll take you inside Fisher Library, an architectural masterpiece by Frank Furness. We'll walk by College Hall, Penn's first building on the campus, and go inside Houston Hall, home of America's first Student Union. From there we walk up Locust Walk, arguably the most beautiful city campus setting in the country. We all know that Philadelphia is a city rich in US history, but with a local to guide you through these historical campuses you get a behind the scenes look into what college may have been like over 100 years ago. From there, we end up on Spruce Street, where there are dozens of food trucks all in a row. Here, you’ll be treated to something sweet at our final food truck spot of the tour. This is one of the best spots for food trucks in Philly, and in our opinion, a Philadelphia food tour wouldn't be complete without stopping here!  Finally, we walk through more of the campus and a hidden nature preserve and pond. When we arrive at the trolley stop, your guide will provide a token for each person, which is valid for a ride on the trolley. This street trolley ride is a unique experience and you'll definitely feel like a Philadelphia local once you've taken a trip on it! From this point, you'll have the option to ride back to 30th St. or continue into the city center. If you want some tips on more things to do in Philadelphia that day, just ask your local guide!

Ending point: 40th St. Trolley Station - The traveler will be able to ride the trolley (token provided) back to 30th St. or continue into Center City.