Norfolk, VA and NATO Fest Featuring the Tattoo

Duration: 4 Days | Meals Included: 3 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

 

Trip Highlights:

 

Norfolk NATO Festival

Explore more than 30 countries in a Day - without a passport! Food, culture, and entertainment are just a few of the attractions in store for you at NATO Fest. Enjoy cultural performance acts and demonstrations from NATO member nations.

 

Parade of Nations

The Parade of Nations is the longest-running parade in the region and the only parade in the U.S. that honors NATO. Celebrate an incredible procession featuring marching bands, NJROTC teams, Virginia International Tattoo performers, and colorful floats representing all 28 NATO member countries. Enjoy the comfort of reserved seating (not bleachers). We recommend bringing a sweater or jacket for the cooler start, as the temperature typically warms up as the parade progresses. 

 

Virginia International Tattoo

The Virginia International Tattoo is a world-renowned celebration of tradition, patriotism, and international camaraderie. Experience the powerful sounds of massed pipes and drums alongside an extraordinary cast of over 900 performers—including bagpipers, drummers, military bands, dancers, singers, drill teams, and color guards—who travel from around the globe to Norfolk for this spectacular event. As the largest military tattoo in the United States, it offers a thrilling showcase of precision, pageantry, and cultural exchange that honors American pride and our allied partnerships. Enjoy the show from Premium Center seats, featuring comfortable, theater-style folding seats and convenient hand railings along every staircase for ease and safety. Virginia International Tattoo Hullabaloo: Three hours prior to the Tattoo performance, enjoy a variety of tasty foods and craft beers, live music, dance and drill performances, photo-ops with performers and even an audience-judged piping competition, all on Scope Plaza.

 

 

Nauticus & The Battleship Wisconsin

Visit Nauticus, an exciting science and technology center dedicated to exploring the power and mystery of the sea. This cutting-edge, interactive museum features virtual reality experiences that bring to life the ocean realm, showcase humanity’s relationship with the sea through shipping and naval history, and highlight the importance of the Hampton Roads port in global maritime affairs. A highlight of your visit is the USS Wisconsin, one of the largest and most powerful battleships ever built. This iconic Iowa-class battleship played a pivotal role in World War II, the Korean War, and the Gulf War, and now serves as a fascinating floating museum. Step aboard to explore its massive decks, see its impressive weaponry, and gain a firsthand understanding of life aboard a legendary naval vessel.

 

Victory Rover Naval Base Cruise

Enjoy a 2-hour narrated cruise aboard the Victory Rover. Cruise the smooth waters of the Elizabeth River and Hampton Roads Harbor, watching for aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, guided missile cruisers, and other vessels that form the world’s most powerful armada. On board the Victory Rover, you’ll find comfortable seating, clean restrooms, an air-conditioned enclosed deck, an open-air upper deck, a snack bar, and a souvenir shop.

 

Douglas MacArthur Memorial

The Douglas MacArthur Memorial serves as the final resting place for General Douglas MacArthur and his wife. The memorial houses an extensive collection of military and personal artifacts, offering visitors a comprehensive look into the life of General MacArthur and the millions of American men and women who served during the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, the Occupation of Japan, and the Korean War. Treasures on view include 19th and 20th-century medals, flags, paintings, weapons, and equipment. Additionally, a 25-minute film on MacArthur's life is shown in the theater.

 

Norfolk Botanical Garden

Norfolk Botanical Garden spans 155 breathtaking acres surrounded by Lake Whitehurst. Explore more than 40 themed gardens that boast some of the East Coast's largest collections of azaleas, camellias, roses, and rhododendrons. The Garden is recognized as a Virginia Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More than 200 African American women and men cleared this land and planted thousands of azaleas and daffodils as part of a Works Progress Administration initiative during the Great Depression. Today, the WPA Memorial Garden pays tribute to those efforts and the Garden's proud heritage. Admission includes a guided tram tour highlighting seasonal blooms.

 

Fresh Cone & Ice Cream at Doumar's

As the home of the original waffle cone, Doumar's believes in creating great traditions and keeping them going. You'll love their handmade waffle cones, rolled right in front of your eyes on the original four iron waffle machine, built in 1904. Doumar's has a long history and has been featured on the Rachael Ray Show as well as Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

 

Chrysler Museum of Art

The Chrysler Museum boasts fifty galleries, a growing collection of more than 30,000 objects, an interactive space for families, and the only glass studio of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region. From ancient artifacts and the modern masters to Tiffany glass, visitors will experience one of America's top glass collections.

 

Meal Information:

 

Dinner on day one is included at Orapax Restaurant. Choices are:

• Chicken Parmesan

• Fried Flounder

• Chicken Alfredo Pasta

• Grilled Chicken Breast

• Eggplant Parmesan

Dinner is served with bread, salad, and a brownie for dessert.

 

Lunch on day two is included from Panera. Boxed lunch choices are:

• Smokehouse BBQ Chicken: Smoked, pulled chicken, BBQ sauce, red onions, and aged white cheddar on Ciabatta.

• Bravo Club: Oven roasted turkey breast, Black Forest ham, applewood smoked bacon, aged white cheddar, crisp mixed greens, vine-ripened tomatoes, signature Bravo sauce, salt and pepper on Tomato Basil sourdough.

• Mediterranean Veggie: Zesty sweet peppers, feta, sliced cucumbers, crisp mixed greens, vine-ripened tomatoes, red onions, hummus, and sprinkled with salt and pepper on Tomato Basil sourdough

Boxed lunch includes a bag of chips, a pickle, a cookie, and a bottle of water.

 

Menus are subject to change.

 

Need to Know:

• Every Starr trip includes deluxe round-trip motorcoach transportation from one or more of our departure locations.

• A Starr Tour Director will accompany you on this trip.

• Baggage handling at hotels is included.

• Starr has reserved seats (not bleachers) for the Parade of Nations. We recommend bringing a sweater or jacket for the beginning of the parade.

• NATO Festival: This is a citywide event and the downtown area will be very crowded. Expect a moderate amount of walking; wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate attire.

 

Accessibility:

• Virginia International Tattoo: Seats in the Scope Arena are comfortable theater-like seats that fold down. Each of the staircases have railings. If you require accessible seating, please alert a Travel Advisor at time of booking; accessible seats are limited and not guaranteed.

• Victory Rover Naval Base Cruise: accessible for standard sized non electric wheelchairs. They cannot accommodate electric wheelchairs or mobility scooters on board. If you have an electric wheelchair or a scooter they can lock it up for you at the dock; you can then transfer to one of their manual wheelchairs for boarding.

• Nauticus: Wheelchair accessible throughout the building. There is an elevator to access the second and third floor.

• Battleship Wisconsin: Wheelchair accessibility on board the main deck of the Battleship Wisconsin only. Located right off the wardroom on the Battleship Wisconsin, the Ship Experience Access Room (SEAR) was developed for visitors that want to experience the Battleship, but are unable to physically take the tour. Built in the former Administrative Office of the Wisconsin, the SEAR creates a virtual tour of the ship through the use of video surveillance equipment. The room has been designed to mimic a control center and is equipped with four, high-resolution monitors with individual access to video surveillance management software. Visitors are able to sit at a station and create their own tour of the Wisconsin as they navigate the software. 

• Norfolk Botanical Garden: It’s also important to note that some of the pathways are permeable, packed gravel pathways which can be a little tricky to navigate with wheelchairs but it is doable. There are portions of the permeable pathway that are on a slight incline/decline including the road from the back of Baker Hall to the Rose Garden, the road from Rose Garden bridge to NATO Bridge, and the road from Rose Garden Bridge to Wildflower Meadow. Wheelchairs are available to borrow on a first come, first served basis at the Front Desk of the Visitor Center (ID will be held while you have the wheelchair checked out).

• Starr has a select quantity of wheelchair accessible motorcoaches available; therefore, we suggest you contact a Travel Advisor to discuss any needs you may have before reserving your trip.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Norfolk Airport (Norfolk, VA)

 

The hotel features an indoor pool and fitness room. Guest rooms are suites with a separate living and bedroom area and include a coffee maker, mini-fridge, microwave, hair dryer, and iron/board.

Norfolk Tattoo Promo Video