The Best Washington, D.C., Tours

Note: Some tour providers on this list may have limited or ceased operations due to COVID-19. Check with your tour operator about availability before you book.

With lots of free attractions and historic sites in a relatively compact area, Washington, D.C., is a tourist’s delight. Even so, there’s no better way to get to know the nation’s capital than with an expert. U.S. News gathered expert recommendations and traveler opinions to create this list of the top 14 tours in Washington. Whether your interests include architecture, history or food, the following tours let you get to know the city like a local.

D.C. By Foot – National Mall Tour

D.C. By Foot’s National Mall walking tour is a two-hour, mile-long stroll that includes stories about famous landmarks like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. Travelers praise the tour, saying it is chock-full of information and that the guides are engaging. D.C. By Foot is a pay-what-you-want tour: it’s free, though it is assumed you will tip your licensed, freelance guides. Tours depart Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m.. The company also conducts a slightly shorter Scavenger Hunt at the Mall tour, which is geared toward kids, and a bevy of other tours around the city.

Old Town Trolley Tours of Washington D.C.

According to reviewers, this trolley tour provides an educational and relaxing outing, thanks to informative commentary from onboard guides. The tour lasts about 90 minutes and has one 30-minute stop at the Lincoln Memorial so travelers can stretch their legs and see monuments within the National Mall on their own. Silver Pass tickets cost approximately $45. Trollies run hourly from 10 a.m. to about 4 p.m. The Gold pass (around $55) includes a tour of Arlington National Cemetery. Old Town Trolley Tours also offers specialized Arlington National Cemetery tours, as well as the Monuments by Moonlight Tour, among others.

Bike and Roll DC – Monuments Bike Tour

A great way to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, the Monuments Bike Tour from Bike and Roll DC takes you on an approximately three-hour guided tour to see the main monuments along the National Mall and the Tidal Basin. What’s more, the entire tour takes place on sidewalks, paths and trails, so you never have to worry about navigating city streets. Plus, you can hop off to take photos and explore sites during the roughly 4-mile adventure. Visitors say the tour is perfect for families thanks to the engaging guides and manageable pace of the route. Tickets cost approximately $45 for adults and $40 for kids ages 12 and younger. The Monuments Bike Tour rides once or twice daily from March through mid-December. If you can’t get enough of the monuments, Bike and Roll D.C. also offers a Monuments @ Nite Bike Tour as well as Segway tours, among other options.

Mangia DC Food Tours – Georgetown Foodie Tour

Eating your way through Georgetown, one of D.C.’s toniest neighborhoods, with Mangia D.C Food Tours is a delightful way to get acquainted with the area. On its approximately 3 1/2-hour Georgetown Foodie Tour, you’ll visit up to five restaurants for tasty samples, plus a wine or spritz pairing. Your guide will give you an overview of the area’s cultural and political ties, as well as point out historic landmarks. Foodies say the tour is both filling and educational. Mangia D.C. limits tours to 14 people, which makes for an intimate group – another point of praise for reviewers. Tours run year-round Wednesday through Sunday in the afternoon. Tickets cost approximately $70. Looking for more local eats? Mangia also offers an Italian Food Tour in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood.

Seeing all of Washington’s landmarks on foot is an ambitious goal, but if you swap walking for riding a Segway, you’ll be able to glide to most of them. Highlights on this approximately two-hour tour include the White House, the National Archives, the Smithsonian, the Washington Monument and the Capitol. Every rider receives a radio headset, which makes it easy to hear the guide’s descriptions. Reviewers say the guides are great and that the tours provide the perfect overview of the city, which in turn helps visitors decide where they want to spend more time. Participants must be 16 or older and weigh at least 100 pounds to ride. Tickets start at $60. Tours run year-round and are offered several times a day, weather permitting.

Walk of the Town – Monumental sTOURies

Walk of the Town is a one-man show run by “semiretired” former teacher Tim Stewart. On his Monumental sTOURies tour, Stewart walks travelers to major sites, such as the White House, President’s Park and the Lincoln Memorial, among other top attractions. Over the four-hour tour, Stewart shares historical facts and stories about the area’s monuments. Stewart earns rave reviews from visitors, who praise him for his vast knowledge, humor and lessons in history. Tours are free; Stewart works for tips only. Tours start at 10 a.m., though the schedule varies. You can also arrange private, for-fee tours with Stewart.

Blue Fern Travel – U Street Food Tour

This U Street tour run by Blue Fern Travel (formerly Carpe D.C. Food Tours) is purportedly the company’s most popular, which makes sense because the U Street neighborhood is one of the liveliest in the city. During the three-hour tour, your guide will take you to severallocally-owned restaurants for hearty samples. As you make your way along U Street, you’ll learn about the neighborhood’s history, architecture and jazz heritage. Foodies find the history lessons surprising and informative; some love the information almost as much as the food. Tours, which are limited to eight people, venture daily (except Tuesdays) at 11:30 a.m. or noon year-round. Tickets cost approximately $90 per person. Blue Fern also offers food tours of Baltimore and Old Town Alexandria.

USA Guided Tours – African American History and Culture Tour

Travelers heap praise on the guides who lead the African American History and Culture Tour, applauding their expertise and storytelling. During the 3 1/2 hour bus ride across D.C., travelers will learn of African American history and Black perspectives of different D.C. monuments. Sites visited include Howard University (a historically Black university), the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial and the U Street Corridor, among other significant locations. Trips conclude at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where you will have reserved access to the popular site. (Note: Some stops are guided around monuments, while others are quick pauses for photos.) Tours cost approximately $90 for adults and $80 for children. They run Wednesday through Sunday at 10 a.m. This tour is also available as a private excursion. USA Guided tours operates a variety of bus and walking tours.

D.C. Design Tours – Dupont Circle & Embassy Row Tour

D.C. Design Tours focuses on Washington’s eclectic architecture and design. On its approximately two-hour, 2-mile Dupont Circle & Embassy Row Tour, you’ll explore the area while an experienced guide identifies and describes significant properties, such as the the Cosmos Club, the Embassy of Indonesia (Walsh-McLean House) and the Woodrow Wilson House. You’ll also hear a good deal of history and some juicy gossip about some of the nation’s movers and shakers. Tour-takers rave about the hidden gems and stories the guides share. Public tours cost about $35 per adult and $20 per child. Tours Design Tours also guides visitors through surrounding neighborhoods, such as Capitol Hill and Georgetown.

Grand Atlas Tours – Night on the National Mall

Visiting major Washington sites after the sun sets is a special treat. Grand Atlas Tours’ Night on the National Mall Tour helps visitors experience the mall in a unique and utterly VIP fashion. Tours, which start at a time you choose at a location of your choice, include a private guide and transportation with a driver. Along the three- to four-hour journey, you’ll visit landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Capitol and any other spots you wish to see as you can customize your itinerary. Visitors value the knowledgeable guides and excellent service. Prices start at $600 for two people in a luxury sedan. For 12 tourists in a luxury van, tickets start at $800. Grand Atlas offers a variety of private tours, including an afternoon tour of Washington must-sees as well as an Unusual DC Tour that takes visitors to off-the-beaten-path destinations in the city.

D.C. Metro Food Tours – Georgetown Food Tour

During the 3 1/2-hour Georgetown Food Tour, you’ll visit up to five local spots in this upscale neighborhood. But you won’t just be stopping in for a quick bite. Instead, tour-takers will sit down and be served a specialty of the house – an element foodies love about the tour. Dining highlights might include pie from a family-owned bakery, a Korean dish and Italian-American fare. In addition to tasty cuisine, guides will regale you with stories about local sites and landmarks as you walk between stops. Tickets cost about $70 per person. Tours operate Thursday through Sunday at 3 p.m. D.C. Metro Food Tours offers food tours of other area neighborhoods, including Dupont Circle and Virginia’s Old Town Alexandria.

City Brew Tours – D.C. Original Brew Tour

With a motto of “You Drink, We Drive,” D.C. Brew Tours sets the stage for a safe, yet beer-filled day on its Original Brew Tour. During the five-hour outing, you’ll be chauffeured around the city in a comfortable van, visit four breweries, get behind-the-scenes tours and enjoy up to 16 different local craft beers. This tour also includes a beer-pairing lunch. Participants champion the expert guides and excellent beers. Get your beer fix during one of four tours on Saturday or at 11 a.m. on Sunday (tours may also run at select times during the week). D.C. Brew Tours limits its excursions to 14 people. Tickets cost approximately $100. Crunched for time? The company also offers a shorter Sip of D.C. Tour.

Nonpartisan Pedicab – Smithsonian Museums and Pennsylvania Avenue

Being chauffeured around town in a private pedicab with Nonpartisan Pedicab is a novel and comfortable way to see the sights in D.C. You can sit back and relax while an expert guide gives you a personalized tour and does the cycling for you. On the company’s Smithsonian Museums and Pennsylvania Avenue tour, you’ll follow the inaugural route from the Capitol to the White House, passing 24 landmarks along the way. Tour-takers say the guides are excellent and share plenty of fun facts and history during the two-hour trip. Rates start at $150 per hour.Nonpartisan Pedicab offers a variety of tours around the city, including a twilight tour of the monuments and an Embassy Row and Georgetown tour, among others.

Potomac Riverboat Company – Monuments Sightseeing Tour

After you’ve toured the monuments by foot, bike or bus, why not admire them from the water? The Potomac Riverboat Company offers one-way and round-trip departures from Alexandria and Georgetown. Along the way, you’ll see the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Washington Monument, the Arlington Memorial Bridge and more, all while enjoying prerecorded commentary describing the monuments. Visitors appreciate the narration, but note that engine noise sometimes drowns out the recording. Round-trip tickets cost about $30 for adults and seniors and $20 for kids ages 2 to 11. One-way trips last 45 minutes; round-trip journeys span 90 minutes. The company offers several other sightseeing cruises, including one that drops off visitors at Mount Vernon.