America's Historic Trail

This eight-night escorted tour by Just You threads through some of America's most pivotal places for early history and independence. The trip starts in Washington DC with its National Mall stretched out like an open-air museum, including the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. There's time to wander among the Smithsonian museums before an evening drive past monuments lit for the night.

From the capital's formality, the route moves south through Arlington National Cemetery and the preserved waterfront town of Alexandria before reaching the Blue Ridge Mountains skyline and the home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello. The focus here is as much on the lives of enslaved people as on Jefferson himself, with a lunch break in a tavern dating back to the 18th century.

The final days turn towards early settlements: Colonial Williamsburg recreates 18th-century colonial life while Jamestown Settlement digs into the complex interchanges between colonists, indigenous people, and the first West African arrivals. The tour closes in Philadelphia with its historic square mile, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and time to stroll the Reading Terminal Market, which offers a less polished but entirely genuine American experience.