2026160 Holiday Lights & Penthouse Nights

Day 1

Sunday December 6, 2026
9:00am Depart Audubon, NJ
12:00pm Arrive in DC! Meet your DC guide. Enjoy lunch on your own at the DC Christmas Market & Penn Quarter area.
Visit the National Portrait Gallery on your own . It's always face time at the National Portrait Gallery. They 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.
2:00pm Board and depart.
2:30pm Visit the United States Botanic Gardens featuring a living history of poinsettias in colors ranging from Classic reds, to pink, speckled, and white. Established in 1820, the U.S. Botanic Gardens is one of the oldest in North America.
3:30pm Board and depart.
4:00pm Stop at the Pathway of Peace to see the National Christmas Tree. Each year, the National Christmas Tree is surrounded by 56 state, district, and territory trees. The trees are decorated by school children chosen from each state.
5:00pm Board and depart for hotel
6:00pm Check in at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Baggage handling is included. See 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.
At Leisure Enjoy dinner on your own and a free evening at National Harbor.

Day 2

Monday December 7, 2026
At Leisure Enjoy included breakfast at the hotel
10:00am Visit ICE! where you step into a winter wonderland carved by expert artisans out of two million pounds of colorful ice in this exclusively Gaylord experience.
At Leisure Enjoy free time at the National Harbor for shopping, lunch on your own, and exploring at your own pace.
5:30pm Meet your motorcoach, board and depart.
6:30pm Arrive Top of the Town for a Penthouse Christmas Party. In a room adorned with holiday décor and warmed by laughter and cheer, you'll toast the season in style. Butler-served hors d'oeuvres, a celebratory holiday meal, and a DJ spinning both beloved Christmas classics and dance favorites set the tone, all while Washington's illuminated monuments drift into view through panoramic windows or the outdoor balcony -a luxurious and joyous kickoff to the holiday adventure. Alcohol for purchase at a cash bar. .
7:30pm Dinner is served. Menu TBD.
9:00pm Dancing!
10:30pm Party ends and depart.
11:00pm Return to the hotel for the evening.

Day 3

Tuesday December 8, 2026
8:30am Enjoy included breakfast at the hotel via a voucher and check out. Baggage handling is included.
10:00am Board and Depart.
11:00am Arrive at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens. Take a self-guided mansion tour followed by self-guided garden exploration. The mansion is the former home of cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and features one of the most comprehensive collections of eighteenth and nineteenth-century Russian Imperial art outside of Russia, as well as an extensive collection of eighteenth-century French decorative arts. Highlights include a diamond crown worn by Empress Alexandra at her marriage to Nicholas II; Beauvais tapestries designed by François Boucher; two Imperial Easter eggs by Carl Fabergé; La Nuit by William-Adolphe Bouguereau; and a collection of costumes and accessories worn by Mrs. Post or her family. The greenhouse and formal gardens are set among 25 acres of wooded hillsides located in the heart of Washington, D.C. Hillwood at Christmas transforms the estate into a winter wonderland with festive holiday decor, including trees and floral arrangements inspired by Marjorie Merriweather Post's life and collections, as well as special exhibitions. Visitors can enjoy decorated evergreen gardens with trees, holly, and witch hazel, participate in wreath-making workshops
12:45pm Board and depart for home.
5:30pm Approximate arrival back. A stop will be made enroute to Audubon.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner