Christmas on the Harbors

MARS HOLIDAY TOUR WELCOMES SMALL GROUPS WITH PRICING FOR 20 MINIMUM

Celebrate the holiday season from the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center to The Renaissance Harborplace. Immerse yourself in Christmas Joy during your 3 Night, 4 Day Tour. Explore Christmas Markets, Shops, Irvin Berlin’s White Christmas, Enchant, and much more!

Duration
4 Days /3 Nights

Group size
20

Customization
Available!
Estimated Tour Pricing Inclusions: 3 nights’ accommodation; 3 breakfasts; 1 lunch; 2 dinners; admissions, entrance, and guide fees as stated in the itinerary, including taxes, and gratuity. Except gratuity for guide fees is not included on adult tours unless otherwise requested.
Highlights:
  • Union Station Shops
  • US Botanic Garden
  • VIP Welcome Reception
  • Mount Vernon Christmas
  • DC Christmas Markets
  • National Portrait Gallery
  • Enchant at Nationals Park
  • Museum of the Bible
  • Dinner Theatre
  • Irvin Berlin’s White Christmas
  • Distillery Tour & Tasting

Sample Itinerary:
Day 1 - Union Station Shops, US Botanic Garden, & VIP Welcome Reception
  • Arrive at at Union Station with free time to explore the shops. The city’s main train station is a classic Beaux-Arts design of monumental proportions.  Restored to its original grandeur in the 1980’s, Union Station features a large food court, a movie theater, shops and kiosks. 
  • During the holidays, shoppers flock to the stores inside Union Station and are treated to some of the best holiday decorations in town as an added bonus. 
  • Don't miss the special holiday train display in the West Hall or centrally-located tree, gifted to the people of Washington from Norway.
  • Enjoy lunch on own today.  
  • Visit the United States Botanic Garden a living plant museum. Exhibits interpret the role of plants in supporting earth's diverse and fragile ecosystems and in enriching human life.  Established by Congress in 1820, the U.S. Botanic Garden is one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America. See the Poinsettias displayed for the season at the Botanic Garden.
  • Check-in to Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center for Christmas on the Potomac. Enjoy the region’s most beautiful Christmas decorations with 1,000’s of twinkling lights and a 55-foot tall Starlight Christmas tree suspended over the indoor garden atrium. Enjoy a VIP Welcome Reception!
  • Walk to the Plaza Stage for group photo at the Harbor Holiday Tree, followed by a ride on the Capital Wheel!
  • Nightly indoor snowfallSights & Sounds of the Season Laser Show, and National Harbor Scheduled Trolly Service included with ongoing stops at MGM Casino & Resort, Tanger Outlets & National Harbor Restaurants and Shops. (Additional van transport at $5/pp)
  • Evening Enjoy dinner on own and free time exploring the vibrant night life at National Harbor. The National Harbor is a community unlike any other in the D.C. region, designed to take full advantage of the most historic river in the nation. Rising from the banks of the Potomac River, just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Prince George’s County, MD, National Harbor is a 350-acre resort destination that includes the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, Tanger Outlets, thousands of hotel rooms, hundreds of residential and office units, tree-lined promenades with scores of popular shops and restaurants, a marina, and The Capital Wheel – a 180-foot observation wheel featuring panoramic views of the nation’s capital. (Meals: None)
 
Day 2 - Mount Vernon Christmas, DC Christmas Markets, National Portrait Gallery & Enchant at Nationals Park
  • Enjoy breakfast at leisure this morning. 
  • Depart with GUIDE and enjoy Christmas at Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington.
  • Here, George Washington escaped the rigors of public office and enjoyed the life of a successful Virginia planter.  America’s most visited historic house, Mount Vernon sits on a grassy, shaded slope overlooking the Potomac River.  Many of the furnishings are original pieces acquired by Washington himself.  Mount Vernon is both George Washington’s home and final resting-place.  This Southern plantation standing on the banks of the Potomac River details the life of the “Father of Our Country” while providing fascinating insights into Colonial times. 
  • Visit the Ford Orientation Center & Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center at Mount Vernon. The center contain sculptures, paintings, portraits, models, photos, films, documents and diverse artifacts, with succinct descriptions and pithy quotations describing the life, times and accomplishments of our nation's first president. With 25 state-of-the-art galleries, the museum displays many objects shown at Mount Vernon for the first time.
  • Arrive at Penn Quarter and enjoy some free time and lunch on own in the DC Christmas Markets, all decked out for the holidays!
  • Visit the National Portrait Gallery. It’s always face time at the National Portrait Gallery. We tell the diverse story of America through leaders, rebels, artists, entrepreneurs, and other prominent personalities who shaped our culture. See the exhibit: “America’s Presidents”, the nation’s only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, this exhibition lies at the heart of the Portrait Gallery’s mission to tell the American story through the individuals who have shaped it.  
  • Enjoy lunch on own in the Café at the museum or one of many restaurants located in this area.
  • Visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception where you will see the largest Roman Catholic Church in the United States and in North America, and is one of the ten largest churches in the world. 
  • Arrive and attend Pageant of Peace in Ellipse Park across from the White House. This is the site of nightly choral performances, a Nativity scene, a burning Yule log, the National Christmas Tree and a spectacular display of lighted Christmas trees representing each state and territory of the United States.
  • Enjoy dinner included at local favorite restaurant. 
  • Experience the holiday glitter at Enchant, The Great Search; the world’s largest Christmas light Maze & Market, located at the elaborately decorated Nationals Park and featuring a luminescent land of larger-than-life sculptures as snow gently falls around you. (Meals:  B, D)
 
Day 3 - Museum of the Bible, Baltimore Christmas Markets, & Dinner Theatre featuring Irvin Berlin’s White Christmas
  • Enjoy breakfast at leisure this morning, ride the Capital Wheel, and shop at National Harbor before checking out OR visit the Museum of the Bible. Tour this amazing new state-of-the-art, 420,000 square foot facility.  Discover one of the World’s largest private collections of biblical objects and artifacts which convey the global impact and compelling history of the Bible in a unique and powerful way. (Additional $15 pp)
  • Visit the Baltimore Christmas Markets, a combination of outdoor and indoor Market modeled after traditional Christmas Markets in Germany, the most famous of which is the Christkindl market in Nuremberg, Germany.  Goods, presented in timber booths, include a rich variety of food and holiday gifts. At the market, you will find Christmas ornaments, arts and crafts, toys, sweets, and hot food and drinks. This is an event at which people can stroll around, meet friends, and enjoy live performances of Christmas music.  The unique atmosphere with thousands of lights, the big Holiday Tree, the delicious smell of waffles, gingerbread, bratwurst and mulled wine brings you into the perfect Christmas spirit.
  • Enjoy lunch on own then check-in to the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel
  • Arrive to Toby's Dinner Theatre and bring the MAGIC of Live Theater in-the-round featuring Irvin Berlin’s White Christmas. (Meals: B, D)
 
Day 4 - Holiday Shopping in the Inner Harbor, Farewell Lunch, & Depart
  • Enjoy breakfast at hotel before free time in the harbor for some holiday shopping at the Inner Harbor of Baltimore.  The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark of the city of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as “the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world.” The Inner Harbor is located at the mouth of Jones Falls, creating the wide and short northwest branch of the Patapsco River. From family-friendly museums and restaurants that satisfy every palate to cultural experiences to fun shops and spectacular people-watching, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor offers more to see and do than you can imagine.
  • Enjoy a Farewell Lunch at a Café that has been featured on national television, including Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, and Triple-D Nation, as well as Travel Channel’s Food Paradise. The restaurant has gained additional national attention, being awarded: America’s Favorite Family Friendly Restaurants, Best Pancakes In The Country & Best Breakfast Dish In Maryland by Food Network; The South’s Best Breakfast Spots & Best Fried Green Tomatoes In Maryland by Southern Living Magazine, and Best Breakfast Sandwich in America by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine. The Café also maintained its local resonance, having been named Maryland's Favorite Restaurant by the Restaurant Association.
  • After lunch, visit Sagamore Spirit Distillery for a Tasting & Tour.  You’ll learn about the famed history of Rye Whiskey in Maryland, see our 40-foot mirrored-finished copper column still, and taste three of our award-winning whiskies. Tours last about an hour and are led by our knowledgeable and fun Guest Experience Teammates. Our world-class waterfront distillery is directly off I-95 a short drive from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Depart home. (Meals: B, L)
 

Base rate does not include motor coach transportation, airfare, airport transfers, driver gratuity, guide gratuity, (student groups exempt) or any upgrades or add-ons unlisted from itinerary as stated. Pricing may vary based on day of arrival or other conditions. Personalized itineraries with custom pricing and/or additional transportation can be created and added based on client needs and upon client’s request. MARS will customize quotes or personalize itineraries for FREE.

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