Things to do in

Virginia

Let us show you how your evening will unfold: Welcome Aboard - You’re in for a special evening the moment you are escorted to your candlelit table. Order drinks, then feel free to explore the ship while our crew casts off for three fabulous hours on the Elizabeth River. Your waiter will invite you to the attended Grande Dinner Buffet. Everything is freshly prepared. Take as little or as much as you like. Savor your culinary selections over perfectly-paced dinner music and a never-ending view of Norfolk’s breathtaking skyline. See the cruises route and relax over coffee and dessert.   Listen to relaxing background music, providing the backdrop for your dinner experience. Stroll under the stars as you take your drinks topside and relax on the largest outdoor patio deck in the city.  Sample Dinner Menu: Salads Caesar Salad Romain Lettuce | Aged Reggiano Parmesan Cheese | Herb Croutons Bow Tie Pasta Salad Scallions | English Cucumbers | Roma Tomatoes | Dill & Mustard Vinaigrette Vegetables, Potatoes & Pasta Roasted Broccoli Florets Toasted Garlic | Chili Flakes Creamed Corn & Cheddar Cheese Casserole Green Chilies | Scallions | Fresh Cilantro Baked Ziti Pasta Aged Reggiano Parmesan Cheese | Mozzarella | Cheese Spinach Sauce Mashed Potatoes Idaho Potatoes | Roasted Garlic Entrées Oven Baked Flounder Filet Tomato, Shallot & Caper Sauce Honey & Sesame Chicken Scallions | Fresno Chilies Italian Beef Meatballs Creamy Mushroom Sauce | Italian Parsley Braised Beef Short Ribs Baby Carrots | Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce Spirit Seasonal Dessert Display *Menu subject to change. Please inform your server if anyone in your party has a food allergy.

You are in for a special day on a Spirit of Norfolk Lunch Cruise. Dine and delight in breathtaking views of the Norfolk skyline bathed in sunshine and the United States Navy’s Atlantic Fleet of Ships. Your 2-hour cruise begins as a Shipmate escorts you to your candlelit table. Order drinks, then feel free to explore the ship as the crew cast off on the Elizabeth River. The Shipmates invite you to an attended grand lunch buffet, freshly prepared on-board. Take as much or as little as you like and savor your selections as the sights of Norfolk glide by. After lunch, take your drinks topside and relax on the best outdoor patio deck in the city.  After you have relaxed over coffee and dessert, take a refreshing stroll around the ship's decks and listen to relaxing background music as you take in everything Norfolk has to offer.  Create unforgettable memories on a Spirit of Norfolk Lunch Cruise. SAMPLE MENU Salads Caesar Salad Romain Lettuce | Aged Reggiano Parmesan Cheese | Herb Croutons Bow Tie Pasta Salad Scallions | English Cucumbers | Roma Tomatoes | Dill & Mustard Vinaigrette Vegetables, Potatoes & Pasta Roasted Broccoli Florets Toasted Garlic | Chili Flakes Creamed Corn & Cheddar Cheese Casserole Green Chilies | Scallions | Fresh Cilantro Baked Ziti Pasta Aged Reggiano Parmesan Cheese | Mozzarella | Cheese Spinach Sauce Mashed Potatoes Idaho Potatoes | Roasted Garlic Entrées Oven Baked Flounder Filet Tomato, Shallot & Caper Sauce Honey & Sesame Chicken Scallions | Fresno Chilies Italian Beef Meatballs Creamy Mushroom Sauce | Italian Parsley Spirit Seasonal Dessert Display *Menu subject to change. Please inform your server if anyone in your party has a food allergy.

Experience a great American adventure on this boat trip to the home of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Enjoy a round-trip cruise from Washington, D.C. to Mount Vernon, including entrance to the estate of George and Martha Washington. Start your tour with a fully narrated cruise down the Potomac River to Mount Vernon. Tour the gardens and grounds of this national historical landmark and learn the history of one of the country's most important leaders. Spend 3 full hours at the estate viewing the gardens, strolling the many trails, visiting the farm, and stopping by the many restaurants and shops, on a tour that allows you to travel back in history to the time of colonial America.

Visit the colorful and historic Old Town Alexandria and the former home of George Washington on this unmissable private tour of the two!\. Walk in the footsteps of Washington with this sensational five-hour excursion from the capital. Enjoy pickup in a luxurious, climate-controlled vehicle while your guide explains the significance of some of the city’s most recognizable monuments. A short drive brings you to the candy-colored architecture of Alexandria, where you can take a tour of some monuments notable to the former president – including the Masonic Temple and Christ Church. Arguably the birthplace of the city itself, George Washington’s former estate is located just 13 miles from the capital’s center. Then, go for an in-depth foray through the mansion, with entrance tickets to the grounds and gardens included. Interactive, historic reenactments bring the founding father’s story to life, while a guided tour of the building helps shine a light on his fascinating story. Next, you'll ride along the Potomac River and visit the Mount Vernon Estate - one of the Washington, DC, area’s premier sightseeing attractions. Explore historic Mount Vernon – from the mansion’s interior where President Washington resided, to his beloved gardens, and final resting place.  Take some time for lunch at the Mt Vernon Food Court if you like, then learn more about George Washington’s life and legacy in both the Museum and Education Center – home to more than 700 original objects (including his false teeth) and 25 theaters and galleries. There is even a multi-media theatre where it actually snows. After shopping for unique gifts at the Mt Vernon Shops, you will be entertained by your guide as you return back to Washington DC.

Hear the stories of the ghosts who inhabit the town of Williamsburg. Follow your ghostly guide down eerie streets and experience 13 haunted locations on this tour of the most haunted places in town. Discover the 17 spirits of the Peyton Randolph House, known as the most haunted place in Virginia. Learn what happened in the oak panel bedroom and hear what is waiting for you in your jail cell. Learn about the Wagon of Death, the gallows, and what happened to Lucy Ludwell, George Wythe, Ida Jones, and many more. Learn the outcome of the witch trials here and what happened to Williamsburg's most famous witch. Guests often see and hear strange, unexplainable sights and sounds, so you will not want to attend without a camera in hand.

Take a fun walking tour through downtown Williamsburg, visiting 9 local eateries and restaurants in a single afternoon. Taste the specialty from each place as you discover hidden facts about some of the restaurants, and get an introduction to downtown Williamsburg’s culinary scene.  Come hungry, because this tour will have you sampling cheeses, beer, peanuts, frozen yogurt, and more. See how fudge is made at Kilwins, and then get to try their famous products. Taste some of the best mac and cheese on the planet at Blue Talon Bistro.  Head to the Wythe Candy Shop to try an assortment of chocolates, and  stop at Paul's Deli for some homemade pizza. Taste spices at Spice and Tea Exchange, and visit the Justified Bakery for samples of gourmet desserts. With a wide variety of foods to try, there is something to please any palate.

Admire Maryland and Virginia’s historic sites from a unique perspective on a two-person catamaran boat, also known as a Craigcat, journeying down the Potomac River. You will be guided down the Potomac River by a guide in their own boat and will guide you by radio. Your journey will see you navigating down the river at speeds of up to 25-miles per hour. Meet at the boat pier at National Harbor, be fitted with a life jacket, and complete a 20-minute training session to receive your 10-day boat license waiver before taking the journey down the river. Travel down the Potomac River and stop at different points-of-interest including, National Harbor, Jones Point Lighthouse, Mount Vernon, Fort Washington, and Little Hunting Creek. The Potomac River is home to a mixture of wildlife, so along the way, you might see Bald Eagles, Osprey, and different types of fish.

Embark on the ultimate, bone-chilling, haunted, and historical adventure of either 60 or 90 minutes through the ghostly streets of Colonial Williamsburg to experience up to 12 of the most haunted locations in town. After meeting your experienced and licensed tour guides, learn about the centuries-old history of one of the nation's oldest colonies and hear obscure and fascinating tales of eyewitness accounts that occurred at all of the haunted locations.  Follow the amazing storytellers as they bring you deeper through the eerily-lit colonial streets to Bruton Parish Church, over 350 years old, surrounded on all sides by a spooky cemetery. Continue on your journey to sites of grizzly bloodshed which took place in the streets of Williamsburg during the Battle of Williamsburg, and walk on the haunted ground where piles of hapless soldiers' lay buried — right beneath your feet. Stand in the shadow of the Peyton Randolph House, Williamsburg's most haunted house, and hear the tragic stories of how over two dozen deaths, as well as mass graves of Native Americans, have made the building into the town’s most infamous mansion. Walk up to the courthouse where the Declaration of Independence was read aloud in 1776, and stand where George Washington planned the battle of Yorktown that ultimately won the revolutionary war. After more haunted sightings, head back to the meeting point, having gained insights into the paranormal and historical sides of Williamsburg.

Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, is the world’s most beautiful theme park, as voted year after year since 1990. Wander through the classic European themed and artfully landscaped villages, resembling the Parisian streets of France, the hamlets of Scotland and the Oktoberfest celebrations of Germany. Explore all nine villages centered around six countries. Kids can sing with Elmo, feed a lorikeet and ride between mom and dad on a thrilling kid coaster all in the same day! After catching one of the many entertaining shows, head over to award-winning roller coasters inspired by Old World legends like the Apollo, the Griffin, and the Loch Ness monster. From virtual reality to carousels, everyone one in the family will find an activity they love and create cherished memories to think back on for years to come! Animal Exhibits: Spend some time at Highland Stables and take part in a celebration of centuries-old Scottish traditions. Interact with blackface sheep and their border collie guardians. Enjoy demonstrations of traditional herding and hunting methods. Visit Eagle Ridge to meet some gutsy American Bald Eagles, each one a survivor of injuries that left them unable to live on their own in the wild. Hear their inspiring stories and feel the sense of awe that travels with these majestic birds. Stroll through Lorikeet Glen and make a bunch of new friends as colorful birds glide down to greet you from the branches of a fascinating, free-flight aviary. Go beyond the haunting calls and piercing eyes of the mysterious gray wolf in Wolf Valley. Learn what you can do to help these important ancestors of modern-day canines survive and thrive. Theme Park Rides: Take a ride on Alpengeist, one of the tallest, fastest and most insane roller coasters in the world. Before you can say "boo" the floor drops beneath your feet, so get ready for what many coaster enthusiasts still call the ride of a lifetime. Experience the mind-bending climbs and weightless wonder of floating airtime at Apollo's Chariot, one of the mightiest coasters of all time. Hop on the classic Loch Ness monster which hurls its passengers along 3,240 feet of steel track into the air, over water, and through a dark cave. Join the bravest of ride warriors and challenge yourself to the 205-foot, 90-degree, 75 mph free fall of Griffon, a heart-pounding, tour de force roller coaster.

Avoid the traffic and see Washington, D.C., from the Potomac River. Once you arrive at the Old Town Alexandria Waterfront, simply hop on to the boat, sit back, and relax on this 45-minute cruise to Georgetown, one of the district's most historic and fashionable neighborhoods. Make the most of your day and choose either a one-way cruise and return to Old Town Alexandria on your own, or choose a convenient round-trip cruise with 2 hours to explore Georgetown. In either case, you will be able to visit Georgetown's historic streets and alleyways, quaint cafes, and high-end boutiques, making the most of your trip to Washington, D.C.