Word: Some tour suppliers on this listing could have restricted or ceased operations attributable to COVID-19. Test along with your tour operator about availability earlier than you e book.
With plenty of free sights and historic websites in a comparatively compact space, Washington, D.C., is a vacationer’s delight. Even so, there is no higher technique to get to know the nation’s capital than with an knowledgeable. U.S. Information gathered knowledgeable suggestions and traveler opinions to create this listing of the highest 14 excursions in Washington. Whether or not your pursuits embrace structure, historical past or meals, the next excursions allow you to get to know town like an area.
D.C. By Foot – Nationwide Mall Tour
D.C. By Foot’s Nationwide Mall strolling tour is a two-hour, mile-long stroll that features tales about well-known landmarks just like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. Vacationers reward the tour, saying it’s chock-full of knowledge and that the guides are partaking. D.C. By Foot is a pay-what-you-want tour: it is free, although it’s assumed you’ll tip your licensed, freelance guides. Excursions depart Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m.. The corporate additionally conducts a barely shorter Scavenger Hunt on the Mall tour, which is geared towards children, and a bevy of different excursions across the metropolis.
Outdated City Trolley Excursions of Washington D.C.
In line with reviewers, this trolley tour gives an academic and enjoyable outing, because of informative commentary from onboard guides. The tour lasts about 90 minutes and has one 30-minute cease on the Lincoln Memorial so vacationers can stretch their legs and see monuments throughout the Nationwide Mall on their very own. Silver Move tickets value roughly $45. Trollies run hourly from 10 a.m. to about 4 p.m. The Gold go (round $55) features a tour of Arlington Nationwide Cemetery. Outdated City Trolley Excursions additionally presents specialised Arlington Nationwide Cemetery excursions, in addition to the Monuments by Moonlight Tour, amongst others.
Bike and Roll DC – Monuments Bike Tour
A good way to cowl loads of floor in a brief period of time, the Monuments Bike Tour from Bike and Roll DC takes you on an roughly three-hour guided tour to see the primary monuments alongside the Nationwide Mall and the Tidal Basin. What’s extra, the whole tour takes place on sidewalks, paths and trails, so that you by no means have to fret about navigating metropolis streets. Plus, you’ll be able to hop off to take photographs and discover websites in the course of the roughly 4-mile journey. Guests say the tour is ideal for households because of the partaking guides and manageable tempo of the route. Tickets value roughly $45 for adults and $40 for teenagers ages 12 and youthful. The Monuments Bike Tour rides a few times every day from March by means of mid-December. If you cannot get sufficient of the monuments, Bike and Roll D.C. additionally presents a Monuments @ Nite Bike Tour in addition to Segway excursions, amongst different choices.
This sandwich is among the many tasty treats you may eat on Mangia D.C.’s Georgetown Meals Tour.(Reza Venegas/Courtesy of Mangia D.C.)
Mangia DC Meals Excursions – Georgetown Foodie Tour
Consuming your manner by means of Georgetown, considered one of D.C.’s toniest neighborhoods, with Mangia D.C Meals Excursions is a pleasant technique to get acquainted with the world. On its roughly 3 1/2-hour Georgetown Foodie Tour, you will go to as much as 5 eating places for tasty samples, plus a wine or spritz pairing. Your information provides you with an summary of the world’s cultural and political ties, in addition to level out historic landmarks. Foodies say the tour is each filling and academic. Mangia D.C. limits excursions to 14 individuals, which makes for an intimate group – one other level of reward for reviewers. Excursions run year-round Wednesday by means of Sunday within the afternoon. Tickets value roughly $70. Searching for extra native eats? Mangia additionally presents an Italian Meals Tour in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood.
Seeing all of Washington’s landmarks on foot is an bold objective, however in the event you swap strolling for driving a Segway, you can glide to most of them. Highlights on this roughly two-hour tour embrace the White Home, the Nationwide Archives, the Smithsonian, the Washington Monument and the Capitol. Each rider receives a radio headset, which makes it straightforward to listen to the information’s descriptions. Reviewers say the guides are nice and that the excursions present the right overview of town, which in flip helps guests resolve the place they need to spend extra time. Contributors have to be 16 or older and weigh at the least 100 kilos to journey. Tickets begin at $60. Excursions run year-round and are provided a number of instances a day, climate allowing.
Stroll of the City – Monumental sTOURies
Stroll of the City is a one-man present run by “semiretired” former instructor Tim Stewart. On his Monumental sTOURies tour, Stewart walks vacationers to main websites, such because the White Home, President’s Park and the Lincoln Memorial, amongst different prime sights. Over the four-hour tour, Stewart shares historic info and tales concerning the space’s monuments. Stewart earns rave critiques from guests, who reward him for his huge data, humor and classes in historical past. Excursions are free; Stewart works for suggestions solely. Excursions begin at 10 a.m., although the schedule varies. It’s also possible to organize personal, for-fee excursions with Stewart.
Blue Fern Journey – U Avenue Meals Tour
This U Avenue tour run by Blue Fern Journey (previously Carpe D.C. Meals Excursions) is purportedly the corporate’s hottest, which is sensible as a result of the U Avenue neighborhood is among the liveliest within the metropolis. In the course of the three-hour tour, your information will take you to severallocally-owned eating places for hearty samples. As you make your manner alongside U Avenue, you will study concerning the neighborhood’s historical past, structure and jazz heritage. Foodies discover the historical past classes stunning and informative; some love the data nearly as a lot because the meals. Excursions, that are restricted to eight individuals, enterprise every day (besides Tuesdays) at 11:30 a.m. or midday year-round. Tickets value roughly $90 per individual. Blue Fern additionally presents meals excursions of Baltimore and Outdated City Alexandria.
Howard College is a traditionally Black college in northern D.C.Getty Photographs
USA Guided Excursions – African American Historical past and Tradition Tour
Vacationers heap reward on the guides who lead the African American Historical past and Tradition Tour, applauding their experience and storytelling. In the course of the 3 1/2 hour bus journey throughout D.C., vacationers will study of African American historical past and Black views of various D.C. monuments. Websites visited embrace Howard College (a traditionally Black college), the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial and the U Avenue Hall, amongst different important places. Journeys conclude on the Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition, the place you’ll have reserved entry to the favored website. (Word: Some stops are guided round monuments, whereas others are fast pauses for photographs.) Excursions value roughly $90 for adults and $80 for youngsters. They run Wednesday by means of Sunday at 10 a.m. This tour can also be accessible as a personal tour. USA Guided excursions operates a wide range of bus and strolling excursions.
D.C. Design Excursions – Dupont Circle & Embassy Row Tour
D.C. Design Excursions focuses on Washington’s eclectic structure and design. On its roughly two-hour, 2-mile Dupont Circle & Embassy Row Tour, you will discover the world whereas an skilled information identifies and describes important properties, such because the the Cosmos Membership, the Embassy of Indonesia (Walsh-McLean Home) and the Woodrow Wilson Home. You will additionally hear a great deal of historical past and a few juicy gossip about a number of the nation’s movers and shakers. Tour-takers rave concerning the hidden gems and tales the guides share. Public excursions value about $35 per grownup and $20 per baby. Excursions Design Excursions additionally guides guests by means of surrounding neighborhoods, akin to Capitol Hill and Georgetown.
Grand Atlas Excursions – Night time on the Nationwide Mall
Visiting main Washington websites after the solar units is a particular deal with. Grand Atlas Excursions’ Night time on the Nationwide Mall Tour helps guests expertise the mall in a novel and completely VIP style. Excursions, which begin at a time you select at a location of your alternative, embrace a personal information and transportation with a driver. Alongside the three- to four-hour journey, you will go to landmarks just like the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Capitol and every other spots you want to see as you’ll be able to customise your itinerary. Guests worth the educated guides and glorious service. Costs begin at $600 for 2 individuals in a luxurious sedan. For 12 vacationers in a luxurious van, tickets begin at $800. Grand Atlas presents a wide range of personal excursions, together with a day tour of Washington must-sees in addition to an Uncommon DC Tour that takes guests to off-the-beaten-path locations within the metropolis.
D.C. Metro Meals Excursions – Georgetown Meals Tour
In the course of the 3 1/2-hour Georgetown Meals Tour, you will go to as much as 5 native spots on this upscale neighborhood. However you will not simply be stopping in for a fast chew. As a substitute, tour-takers will sit down and be served a specialty of the home – a component foodies love concerning the tour. Eating highlights would possibly embrace pie from a family-owned bakery, a Korean dish and Italian-American fare. Along with tasty delicacies, guides will regale you with tales about native websites and landmarks as you stroll between stops. Tickets value about $70 per individual. Excursions function Thursday by means of Sunday at 3 p.m. D.C. Metro Meals Excursions presents meals excursions of different space neighborhoods, together with Dupont Circle and Virginia’s Outdated City Alexandria.
This brewery is a favourite with locals and is among the locations you may go to on the D.C. Authentic Brew Tour.(Jacob Wagner/Courtesy of Port Metropolis Brewing Firm)
Metropolis Brew Excursions – D.C. Authentic Brew Tour
With a motto of “You Drink, We Drive,” D.C. Brew Excursions units the stage for a secure, but beer-filled day on its Authentic Brew Tour. In the course of the five-hour outing, you will be chauffeured across the metropolis in a snug van, go to 4 breweries, get behind-the-scenes excursions and luxuriate in as much as 16 totally different native craft beers. This tour additionally features a beer-pairing lunch. Contributors champion the knowledgeable guides and glorious beers. Get your beer repair throughout considered one of 4 excursions on Saturday or at 11 a.m. on Sunday (excursions may additionally run at choose instances in the course of the week). D.C. Brew Excursions limits its excursions to 14 individuals. Tickets value roughly $100. Crunched for time? The corporate additionally presents a shorter Sip of D.C. Tour.
Nonpartisan Pedicab – Smithsonian Museums and Pennsylvania Avenue
Being chauffeured round city in a personal pedicab with Nonpartisan Pedicab is a novel and comfy technique to see the sights in D.C. You’ll be able to sit again and loosen up whereas an knowledgeable information offers you a personalised tour and does the biking for you. On the corporate’s Smithsonian Museums and Pennsylvania Avenue tour, you will comply with the inaugural route from the Capitol to the White Home, passing 24 landmarks alongside the best way. Tour-takers say the guides are glorious and share loads of enjoyable info and historical past in the course of the two-hour journey. Charges begin at $150 per hour.Nonpartisan Pedicab presents a wide range of excursions across the metropolis, together with a twilight tour of the monuments and an Embassy Row and Georgetown tour, amongst others.
Potomac Riverboat Firm – Monuments Sightseeing Tour
After you have toured the monuments by foot, bike or bus, why not admire them from the water? The Potomac Riverboat Firm presents one-way and round-trip departures from Alexandria and Georgetown. Alongside the best way, you will see the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the John F. Kennedy Middle for the Performing Arts, the Washington Monument, the Arlington Memorial Bridge and extra, all whereas having fun with prerecorded commentary describing the monuments. Guests recognize the narration, however word that engine noise generally drowns out the recording. Spherical-trip tickets value about $30 for adults and seniors and $20 for teenagers ages 2 to 11. One-way journeys final 45 minutes; round-trip journeys span 90 minutes. The corporate presents a number of different sightseeing cruises, together with one which drops off guests at Mount Vernon.
