Top Washington DC Historical Tours

Experience the sights and sounds of Washington, DC in one day on this guided walking and riding sightseeing tour around the nation’s capital. Visit the city’s historic, iconic landmarks and monuments, like the White House, the United States Capitol, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. See and learn about the memorials of famous American leaders who helped shape the United States, like Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther King, Jr., to name a few. Includes a seasonal Potomac River cruise.

Explore the famous monuments and war memorials of Washington, DC on this small-group or private sightseeing tour. Hop aboard a special eCruiser vehicle and enjoy an educational and entertaining narrated history of our nation’s capital. Get a glimpse of the White House and travel around and through Capitol Hill, the Smithsonian museum complex, plus a plethora of famous memorials and monuments — like the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument — and many other hotspots. This is a great way to see many of DC’s most famous landmarks.

Explore the famous monuments and memorials of Washington DC by moonlight on this narrated sightseeing tour. Hop aboard an open-air trolley and enjoy an educational and entertaining history of the nation’s capital while traveling past each point of interest. Take in the stunning views of an illuminated Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House, and many other landmarks. This is a truly unique look at the iconic monuments of Washington DC by night.

Explore the famous monuments and war memorials of Washington, DC by the light of night on this small-group (or private) sightseeing tour. Hop aboard an open-air, electric vehicle and enjoy an educational and entertaining narrated history of our nation’s capital. Travel around and through the plethora of famous memorials and monuments, with stunning views of an illuminated Washington Monument, the White House and many other landmark locations. This is a truly unique look at the iconic monuments of Washington, DC by night.

Take a hop-on hop-off Washington DC trolley tour to explore the nation’s capital at your own pace. The route encompasses the city’s top attractions, including the White House, Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and more. Just hop off at any stop when you want to explore, and then hop back on the trolley to continue around the city. When booking, select a 1- or 2-day pass, according to your schedule.

Go to the heart of America's Legislative and Judicial branches of government on a small-group tour of Capitol Hill that explores the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress. This tour goes inside each destination for a guided tour, and highlights include reserved-entry at the U.S. Capitol with a guide to help bring Capitol Hill's fascinating politics and history to life.

Discover the most popular sights in Washington, DC on this relaxing hop-on hop-off bus tour. Drive past many of the top attractions in the nation’s capital — including the White House, the Washington Monument, the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery, and choose where you want to get off and explore in more detail. Select a 1-2- or 3-day pass, then hop on at any of the stops on the red route and get to know the city with an audio commentary. Explore the city at your own pace with a Big Bus Washington DC hop-on hop-off bus tour Hop on and off at any of the city-wide stops. Choose from the 1- 2- or 3-day ticket where you will have a choice of additional extras that vary by season.

Beat the long entrance lines and experience some of the most popular attractions in Washington, DC like an insider on this full-day sightseeing tour. Enjoy priority entry into the United States Capitol Building, the home of Congress. Then see the city’s most famous landmarks and monuments, like the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and more. End your tour with a visit to the National Archives Building, where the original Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution are on display.

Head out after dark to see the iconic monuments of Washington, DC, lit up for the night. This evening tour takes you on a scenic ride past the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and other sites. This tour combines a ride in a tour vehicle with some stops where you'll get out to walk for a closer look. Learn about the history of the sites and ask plenty of questions.

See the moving Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns on a guided walking tour of Arlington National Cemetery. Be perfectly placed for good views of the moving ceremony, then continue to some of the cemetery's most important gravesites and memorials, including places dedicated to John F. Kennedy, the USS Maine, Second World War soldier Audie Murphy, and more, learning the fascinating history of the cemetery as you walk.

Explore the vast Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC at a pace that suits you on this hop-on hop-off trolley tour. With trolleys departing regularly, you can hop off at any of the stops, including the US Marine Corps War Memorial, the US Coast Guard Memorial, and the Eternal Flame. Listen to an onboard guide share the history of Arlington and the significance of the memorials, monuments, and burial sites that you pass.

Explore some of the most famous landmark locations around Washington, DC on this half-day historical sightseeing tour. Travel to Mount Vernon, George Washington's popular plantation in Virginia and one of the nation’s most beloved historic sites. Learn about his life and tour his home of more than 40 years. Then enjoy a bus trip around Old Town Alexandria. See the many historic 17th- and 18th-century homes, hear colorful stories about this founding father and discover little known facts about all the monuments, statues and buildings in the area.

Immerse yourself in the history of African-American culture in the United States during this half-day history excursion in the Nation’s Capital. Follow the path of the first African-Americans at Jamestown through the Civil Rights movement, checking out key sites like the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, the vibrant U Street corridor, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the MLK Memorial, plus much more.

Get a panoramic look at Washington DC on this 4-hour Half Day sightseeing tour that provides a comprehensive introduction to the United States capital and its historical and cultural landmarks. Listen to live narration as you see dozens of attractions, such as Lincoln Memorial, the exterior of the White House, Washington Monument and the National Mall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Smithsonian buildings. Tour stops at 8 top Attractions including White House, US Capitol, Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and Nurses Memorial. Bonus: Upgrade option available at checkout for those who would like to extend their half-day city hour into an 8-hour full day guided city tour including a visit to George Washington's Mount Vernon.

Explore the famous landmarks and monuments of Washington DC on this guided 6-hour walking and riding sightseeing tour. Hop aboard a deluxe motor coach and enjoy an educational and entertaining narrated history of the nation’s capital. Stop at the White House and the United States Capitol, plus the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and much more. The full-day tour features more than 30 sites with stops to at least 12 sites. It’s a great way to see many of DC’s popular attractions.

Experience the history and culture of the nation’s capital on this comprehensive, half-day, small-group tour. Travel in a comfortable vehicle complete with phone chargers, umbrellas, and a flat-screen TV, and see Washington DC’s monuments, museums, and memorials with a guide. See the US Capitol building, the White House, the Mall and more. Avoid the hassles of driving, or navigating public transportation and leave the logistics to your guide.

See a side of Washington DC that most visitors miss—and learn all about the capital’s spookiest corners and eeriest legends—on this small-group walking tour. Meet your guide in front of the Supreme Court Building, and set off after dark. You’ll explore many of DC’s top landmarks, from the US Capitol to the Library of Congress, and will learn all about the supposed hauntings and unexplained happenings that they’ve borne witness to.

Step into the past and be amazed by the natural world on this a 2-hour private guided tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. See some of the over 126 million artifacts housed in the museum including the Hope Diamond, Egyptian mummies, and a living coral reef. Spend time immersing yourself in the fascinating stories and objects that make up our history and come away from the museum with new knowledge.

Washington DC’s Georgetown neighborhood is considered the historic core of the city, but remains an energetic area today. See the best of past and present on a 2-hour walking tour of Georgetown that covers its main attractions over the course of a mile. A guide with extensive knowledge about the history of the area will provide narration throughout the tour.

Discover many of Washington DC’s most significant African-American historical and cultural landmarks on this small-group, half-day driving tour. Meet your guide in the morning at the US Navy Memorial Plaza, hop aboard your vehicle, and set off: you’ll pass highlights ranging from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. At tour’s end, head to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to explore independently.

Make the most of your National Archives visit on a small-group tour that highlights both famous documents and smaller gems often missed by visitors. Going with a guide is recommended, as you’ll learn historical facts and hear anecdotes you won’t find on plaques or in guidebooks. A small group size of eight or fewer ensures ample time for questions and a personalized experience.

See the best of Washington DC—and discover a new side of the city’s major monuments—on this nighttime tour. After sundown, meet your guide, hop aboard your vehicle, and set off with just a small group for company. You’ll see highlights like the US Capitol, Washington Monument, Supreme Court, and more; will have the opportunity to stop for photo breaks; and will learn about the landmarks’ history from your guide.

Visit two of Washington DC’s most famous Smithsonian museums on this private guided tour. Start at the National Museum of American History which takes you through the socio-political and cultural history of the United States from slavery to segregation to various wars to some of the most iconic pop culture moments. Then, tour the highlights of the Museum of Natural History including the Hope Diamond and T-Rex fossil.