Exploration
"The Castle" Smithsonian Institution Building
- 1000 Jefferson Dr SW
- Washington, DC 20560
Sign up for an organized tour of Arlington and Washington, DC, and leave the driving — and guiding — to someone else.
Get the most out of your vacation experience with guided tours of Arlington and the capital region. Let knowledgeable guides enrich your experience with their insights and behind-the-scenes stories. From the landmark monuments and memorials of Arlington and Washington, DC, to the unique foods and drinks of the area, there’s a tour waiting for you. Choose from bus, pedicab, walking, biking, boating or specialized theme tours.
See the sights of the nation's capital from an open-top bus with a hop-on, hop-off ticket from Big Bus Tours that lets you see the attractions up close. Board a bus in Arlington (the Blue Loop visits Pentagon City and Arlington National Cemetery) and cross the Potomac River to see sights in the capital. Hear informative and entertaining pre-recorded commentary (available in eight languages) about history and key buildings and landmarks.
Another hop-on-hop-off option is Hop-On-Hop-Off DC Bus Tours. They provide either live or pre-recorded commentary (in up to 11 languages) as they show you the sights.
Focusing on heritage tourism, Historic Tours of America showcases some of Washington, DC’s top attractions. Its popular Old Town Trolley Tours cover many major sites on the National Mall narrated by licensed guides. Convenient “on-off” privileges apply at 16 stops. Guides on its Arlington National Cemetery Tours, the only official tours of the cemetery, share interesting details about this national landmark. Its Monuments by Moonlight Tour showcases our country’s most stirring monuments illuminated at night.
USA Guided Tours™ offer city sightseeing with expert local guides. Ranging from a few hours to all day, these tours include both a driver and a guide, who gets off the bus and gives you walking commentary at each stop, while your bus and driver wait for you. For an open-air experience, choose a unique open-top or glass-top convertible bus option. Tours feature the prime tourist highlights in DC, as well as Arlington National Cemetery.
Similar to USA Guided Tours, Signature Tours DC feature both a driver and a guide, who entertains you with an informative narration about every historic building or landmark. You can walk with the guide at each stop to snap memorable photos. Some tours include Arlington National Cemetery.
Gray Line DC tours bring the nation’s capital region alive with stories and events that inform and entertain, such as A Taste of DC and Virginia. They also offer charter services for group trips.
Traveling with a group? See the major sights of DC with a chartered bus from the following lines:
Choose from a 25-passenger minibus to a 56-passenger motorcoach from National Charter Bus Washington DC.
Dillon’s Bus Service, Inc., provides 56-passenger buses for charters, airport shuttles and group tours.
For a fun and unique sightseeing experience, hop on a cycle rickshaw with Discover DC Pedicab Tours. Human-powered tricycles designed to carry passengers, pedicabs are faster than walking and are more environmentally friendly than buses and cars. Sit back and enjoy the enthusiasm of their young cyclist-guides. Tour choices (which can be customized) include the monuments, Lincoln sites, U Street murals and history, and even wine sipping while touring.
Follow passionate, knowledgeable guides on 2-hour walking tours of DC’s various neighborhoods with Washington Walks. Learn about the history, architecture and people of 19 neighborhoods, including Georgetown, Capitol Hill, the National Mall and Dupont Circle or choose from themes such as Hamilton’s DC, Black history and women who changed America.
DC by Foot offers the only free, tip-based walking tours of Washington, DC. These interesting and informative tours will take you everywhere from the National Mall to Arlington National Cemetery to Capitol Hill, as well as on themed itineraries such as the Lincoln Assassination and Ghosts of Georgetown.
See the nation’s capital in a whole new way aboard a Segway from Capital Segway Tours. Enjoy the fresh air and explore the history and architecture of DC while rolling along at a leisurely pace.
An award-winning worldwide tour company, Fat Tire Tours offers bike tours, e-bike tours and Segway tours of the monuments and memorials of Washington, DC.
Sign up with Bike and Roll DC for entertaining and informative bike and Segway tours of DC, including the monuments, Capitol Hill and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Guided tours, self-guided rides and night tours are available.
Experience the nation’s capital on a chartered yacht tour from Fleet Miami including such itineraries as Civil War on the Potomac, Prohibition on the Potomac and the Potomac Eco Tour.
On a Sightseeing Cruise, Sunset Sightseeing Cruise, DC Monuments by Moonlight Cruise and Cherry Blossom Cruise from Capitol River Cruises, discover DC’s spectacular views from the Potomac River. Cruises are about 45 minutes with historical narration.
Experience the exciting flavors of Clarendon’s unique culinary scene on the Clarendon Food Tour from DC Metro Food Tours. Savor a 3-hour progressive meal at three restaurants to sample some of their signature dishes.
DC Metro Food Tours also organizes walking and motorcoach-based culinary tours and pub crawls of top DC neighborhoods, including Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, U Street, Little Ethiopia, Eastern Market and Adams Morgan.
Bar crawling takes a new twist on a Pedal Saloon tour of Arlington. Hop on your own pedal-powered vehicle as you pedal to the best bars in the area. Enthusiastic guides lead the tours.
Shutterbugs, take note. USA Guided Tours™ has partnered with Sip & Develop on fun photo tours. You can visit the photogenic sights in DC and learn the art of film photography with an instructional class and darkroom education.
Get a virtual taste of Arlington by taking one of its digital 360-Degree Tours from the comfort of your home. Visit neighborhoods, attractions, shopping, unique venues and hotels virtually.
