Anyone who likes American History should not miss a chance to visit the Colonial Williamsburg area!  Even if you aren’t a history buff, you will still enjoy a visit to this unique place.  From Williamsburg it is about an hour’s drive to Virginia Beach so it’s convenient to add on a few relaxing days at the beach at the end of your trip.  

Model Itinerary

Day 1:
Williamsburg is located on Interstate 64 in southeast Virginia. The three closest airports are Richmond International, Newport News/Williamsburg, and Norfolk International.
Day 2:
We decided to approach this trip by visiting sites in chronological order to try to gain a better historical perspective of the area.  We started the week off with a visit to Historic Jamestowne, part of Colonial National Historic Park.  This park sits on the site of the first permanent English colony in America. Ask at the park information desk to find out the times for a Park Ranger guided tour.  For lunch, walk next door to the Jamestown Settlement which is a separate museum that includes three outdoor living history exhibits; a re-created colonists’ fort, a Powhatan Village, and the three ships that sailed from England in 1607.  Costumed guides are available to explain the exhibits.
Day 3:
Plan to spend the entire day at Colonial Williamsburg, known as the “world’s largest living history museum.”  18th century America comes to life as you walk the streets of this historic city and visit the original or reconstructed buildings where costumed interpreters make history come to life.  You can walk around and explore at your own pace.  Some buildings have a talk every 30 minutes where you can learn more information, or they have craftsman working that you can interact with.  Don’t miss the Governor’s Palace and the Capital Building.  For dinner, you can eat inside or outside at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern, which is famous for being George Washington’s favorite place for seafood, but is my favorite place for fried chicken.
Day 4:
Continue the history lesson by visiting Yorktown Battlefield part of Colonial National Historic Park.  This park is located on the site of the last battle of the Revolutionary War in 1781, which ended the war for American Independence.  There is a museum and a self-guided driving tour of the battlefield.  Don’t miss taking a Ranger Guided walking tour.  You can find out tour times at the information desk.  You can also go on the website and find out the schedule for Artillery Firing, and Fife and Drums performances.
Day 5:
For a little fun and adventure, spend the day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.  This park has a variety of rides for all ages, including some intense roller coasters like The Griffon.  There are also a good variety of shows.
Day 6:
Virginia Beach is only 1 hour and 15 minutes away from Williamsburg.  It’s a great place to relax after a busy week.  If you want to stay in the Williamsburg area. you can still find something to do on the water on the nearby James and York Rivers.
Day 7:
If you don’t choose to spend the last part of your trip at the beach, you can drive 2 hours west on I-64 and stop in Charlottesville, Virginia to spend the day visiting Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.  Before you tour the grounds and home of Thomas Jefferson, there is a short film and exhibits in the Visitor’s Center.
Day 8:
Return home and start planning your next adventure!