Gaithersburg + Niagara Falls + New York + Washington DC 4-Day Tour [EW-GFNG4]

Go to the headquarters of Corning, a Fortune 500 company, visit the world's largest glass collection museum, and enjoy the live glass production performance technology. After lunch, go to the famous Watkins Glen. Then arrive at Niagara Falls, visit the Falls National Park, and overlook the "American Falls", "Horseshoe Falls" and "Bridal Veil Falls". The water rushes down and thunders, and you can experience the majestic momentum in person, just like a thousand horses galloping.

Itinerary:

Corning Glass Center (at own expense, 90 minutes) → Watkins Glen State Park (at own expense, 60 minutes, the tour will no longer go there after it closes) → Hotel → Niagara Falls Night Tour (at own expense, 90 minutes)

Schedule from 01/01/2024:

Corning Glass Center (at own expense, 90 minutes) → Watkins Glen State Park Finger Lakes (at own expense, 90 minutes, the tour will no longer go there after closing) → Hotel → Niagara Falls Night Tour (at own expense, 90 minutes)

Kind tips:

Watkins Glen State Park is a summer trip that takes place after the canyon opens, usually from April to October each year.

——————————————————–

The Corning Museum of Glass
The world-renowned Corning Glass Center is located in Corning, a small town with unique style and quaint flavor in upstate New York. Although it is a small city, it is the center of the American glass industry. The status of Corning's glass and porcelain in the United States is just like the status of Jingdezhen porcelain in China, and it is also well-known in the world. Corning Glass Center can be said to be a magical glass world. Corning Glass Center has about 100,000 pieces of glass boutiques and artistic sculptures on display. These exquisite glass products are either colorful or crystal clear, dazzling and overwhelming. The Glass Center is not only a glass museum, but also a factory for the production of glass strengthening, glassware and handicrafts, and a store that sells glass and crystal products such as sunglasses, necklaces, pins, etc.

Watkins Glen State Park
Watkins Glen is located in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, USA. It is a stratified rock geology, which has been eroded by glaciers and streams, forming a unique landform. There are more than a dozen waterfalls along the approximately two-mile canyon trail. There are excellent canyon trails, waterfalls that can be admired up close, and pleasing natural scenery, providing tourists with an excellent photo spot, and it is known as the "Millennium Valley".

Finger Lake
The Finger Lakes are located in the northwest of New York State. They are a scenic spot consisting of as many as 14 narrow lakes. They are named because they are arranged vertically from south to north, shaped like fingers. Many Hollywood stars have holiday villas or estates here. The red leaves here in autumn are also very famous. You can overlook the entire lake area from the high ground of Cornell University. The red leaves all over the mountains and the blue lake water echo each other, which is intoxicating.

Niagara Falls Night Tour
During the trip, we will go to [One Park, Two Islands, Three Falls], go deep into Niagara Falls Park, and see a wide variety of exotic flowers and trees up close; stand on two islands - Ram Island and Moon Island, and appreciate the magnificence of the Water of Thor from multiple angles in the dark; see the three major waterfalls - Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and American Falls, and feel the majestic momentum of nature presented by the different faces of the waterfalls under the illumination of colorful neon lights. At this time, don't forget to pick up your camera and take a photo with them.

Meal
Breakfast - at own expense, Lunch - at own expense, Dinner - at own expense
Accommodation
M Hotel Buffalo or similar
Transportation
Bus
Shopping Arrangements
none

Today we will have a series of activities at the falls, drive along the Niagara Falls to the War Fort downstream, take the famous Maid of the Mist boat ride, and learn about the past and present of the falls from both water and land perspectives. Finally, we will return to New York.

Summer itinerary (starting with the Maid of the Mist waterfall viewing boat):

Niagara Falls In-depth Tour (at your own expense, 120 minutes, including Whirlpool Park and Fort Old Town State Park) → Maid of the Mist Falls Cruise (at your own expense, 40 minutes, the tour will no longer go there after closing) → Niagara Falls Daytime Tour (30 minutes) → New York

Winter itinerary (starting from the closure of the Maid of the Mist waterfall viewing boat):

Niagara Falls In-depth Tour (at own expense, 120 minutes, including Whirlpool Park and Fort Old Town State Park) → Cave of the Winds (at own expense, 45 minutes) → Niagara Falls Daytime Tour (30 minutes) → New York

Special instructions:

1. If the Old Fort State Park attraction is closed, the Niagara Falls in-depth tour will not be provided.

2. The Maid of the Mist waterfall viewing boat is open to the public from the end of April to October (depending on the ice conditions on the river). After the boat is closed, the itinerary will no longer visit this attraction. The specific closure time is subject to the actual notification of the attraction.

3. If time permits, guests will have the opportunity to attend the Niagara IMAX movie (Beautiful Scene) (at their own expense, 30 minutes) and watch the story of Niagara Falls up close!

———————————————————————————————-

Niagara Whirlpool State Park
The Niagara Whirlpool is 125 feet deep and was formed by water erosion 7,500 years ago. It is located where the Niagara River suddenly turns northeast from the northwest. The rapid river water flows back after the change of direction, forming a huge whirlpool. The park is very quiet, with barbecue pits and picnic tables. Standing on them, you can overlook the whirlpool below, which is very spectacular. There is a trail in the park that leads down to the bottom of the valley, and you can take a speedboat into the whirlpool to experience the thrilling scene.

Old Fort Niagara State Park
The War Fort is a tourist attraction of great historical value. It existed at the mouth of the Niagara River leading from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie before the independence of the United States. Therefore, it played a very important role in the Indian-French War, the American War of Independence, and the Anglo-American War at that time. Behind it is the vast Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes of the United States.

Maid of the Mist
The Maid of the Mist is the most monumental boat trip in the United States since 1846. There is no better way to experience Niagara Falls in the United States. Put on a blue raincoat and take aboard the dreamy Maid of the Mist boat to experience the refreshing mist, surging waves, and roaring waterfalls produced by more than 2 million liters of water per second. As a unique fleet of yachts, under the skilled command of captains, they have been sailing safely in the waves of the Niagara Gorge for more than 100 years and have carried tens of millions of tourists directly into the depths of the misty water.

Cave of the Winds
The entrance to the Cave of the Winds is on Goat Island, where there is a small museum and a small cinema. You can then take an elevator down 53 meters in the Niagara Gorge cave to the bottom of the valley. Standing at the foot of the falls, looking up, you will see the falls rushing down with overwhelming momentum, which can't help but make people feel passionate and resonate with nature.

Meal
Breakfast - at own expense, Lunch - at own expense, Dinner - at own expense
Accommodation
Holiday Inn Newark International Airport or similar
Transportation
Bus
Shopping Arrangements
none

"If you love him, please take him to New York, because it is heaven; if you hate him, please take him to New York, because it is hell." This line from the TV series "Beijingers in New York" has aroused everyone's infinite reverie about New York. We will walk through the rows of high-rise buildings and savor the prosperity and vicissitudes of New York, the world's largest city.

Itinerary:

Trinity Church (exterior) → Wall Street (25 minutes) → Wall Street Bronze Bull (take photos) → World Trade Center Observation Deck (at your own expense, 70 minutes) → Statue of Liberty Cruise (at your own expense, 60 minutes) → USS Intrepid (at your own expense, 60 minutes) → Times Square (20 minutes) → Free time on Fifth Avenue (100 minutes, you can go to Central Park or MOMA at your own expense) → Madame Tussauds New York (at your own expense, 60 minutes).

Meal
Breakfast - at own expense, Lunch - at own expense, Dinner - at own expense
Accommodation
Holiday Inn Newark International Airport or similar
Transportation
Bus
Shopping Arrangements
none

Today, we will drive to the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia, visit the Independence Historical Park, and witness the history of American independence. Then we will go to Washington, the political center of the United States, the capital, where the White House and Congress are located. It also has many museums and is a famous tourist destination.

Itinerary:

New York → Philadelphia → Independence National Historical Park (30 minutes) → Washington, DC → Capitol Hill in-depth tour (self-funded tour, 1.5 hours) Supreme Court and Library of Congress → White House (exterior, 30 minutes) → Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial Plaza, Vietnam War Memorial Wall (45 minutes)

Special instructions:

If due to special circumstances it is impossible to enter the Capitol, the itinerary will be replaced by an in-depth tour of Washington, DC.

Washington DC In-depth Tour Itinerary

—————————————————————————-

Independence National Historical Park
Philadelphia is a land that witnessed the independence and birth of the United States. The National Independence Historical Park, built in the spirit of the American War of Independence, contains some historical buildings related to the American Revolution and the founding of the country. It is known as "the most historic square mile in the United States." In the park, you can see the Independence Square surrounded by green trees, the towering milky white clock tower, and the bronze statues of the founding heroes standing on the lawn. The overall atmosphere here makes people feel solemn and dignified.

US Capitol In-depth Tour
As the political center of the United States, Washington has many iconic political and cultural landscapes, such as the Capitol Building and the U.S. Supreme Court. In the panoramic and in-depth tour of Capitol Hill, we will enter the geometric center of Washington, DC - the Capitol Building, walk in the gorgeous and exquisite corridors of the Capitol, listen to the stories behind each mural and each statue, and deeply understand why this is the highest symbol of a government owned by the people, governed by the people, and for the people.

Washington DC In-depth Tour
First, we will visit the Air Force Memorial, which is composed of three curved steel columns over 80 meters long. Its design was inspired by the three white smoke trails left in the air by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatic team during their stunts. Then we will visit the Jefferson Memorial in front of Taidou Lake to commemorate the great idea of "all men are created equal". Then we will visit the World War II Memorial built to commemorate the 16 million American soldiers who served during World War II, and finally go to the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

The White House
The White House is a white neoclassical sandstone building covering an area of more than 73,000 square meters. It consists of the main building and the east and west wings. The White House is the office and residence of successive US presidents and is also synonymous with the US government. Many important US decision-making bills are signed and announced by the president in the White House. George Washington, the founding father of the United States, once expressed his views on the construction of the US President's residence: it must not be a palace, and it must not be luxurious, because the masters working here are servants of the state.

Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is a white ancient Greek temple-style building built to commemorate the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is regarded as an eternal statue of the United States and a symbol of Washington. It is also the most famous rally for the pursuit of peace and democracy. Martin Luther King delivered his speech "I Have a Dream" here.

Korean War Veterans Memorial
The Korean War Memorial Plaza is located near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was completed on July 27, 1995 to commemorate the sacrifice of 5.8 million Americans who served in the U.S. military during the three-year Korean War. The plaza consists of four parts: one is a group of 19 life-size sculptures of American soldiers; the second part is a black granite memorial wall; the third part is a reflection pool; the fourth part is a sidewalk on the left side of the mural, which lists 22 countries that sent troops to the United Nations in the Korean War.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located north of the Lincoln Memorial. It is a 500-foot-long V-shaped monument made of black granite. It is used to commemorate the American soldiers and generals who died while serving in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The glittering black marble wall is engraved with the names of more than 57,000 US soldiers who died in the Vietnam War between 1959 and 1975, in chronological order of the date of each person's death.

Meal
Breakfast - at own expense, Lunch - at own expense, Dinner - at own expense
Accommodation
none
Transportation
Bus
Shopping Arrangements
none