Tours

There are a number of really good tour options in DC. Several of them allow you to get on and off the tour bus and spend as much time as you want at the individual sight.  We highly recommend that if you have never been to DC, you should take advantage of one of these tour bus options on your first day.  This will give you the opportunity to get an overview of Washington in just a few hours - then you can decide which sights you want to revisit and spend more time.

Old Town Trolley - This is listed first because it is a favorite of ours (and no, they are not paying us to write that!).  All the tours mentioned here do a good job of showing you around DC, but the Old Town Trolley drivers and tour guides seem to have the best sense of humor. 

You can pick up the Old Town Trolley at 19 different stops beginning at 9am.  Tickets cost $24 per adult and $11 per child under 12 for an all day tour.  The best part about the Old Town Trolley (and a few others we will get to) is that you can start at Union Station, stay on the Trolley as it drives you by several sights, then decide you want to get off at the Lincoln Memorial and spend an hour or two.  When you are finished, just go back to the Trolley stop and wait until the next one comes - your ticket is still good. 

The other plus about the Trolley are the giant windows you can look out - not a standard bus at all.  The downside is - no air conditioning! In July or August, you can get a little warm. The movement of the Trolley provides a nice breeze which makes it bearable though. 

The Old Town Trolley After Hours also offers a wonderful night tour. Pick up the Trolley at Union Station (you can buy the tickets there too) and tour the sights in the dark. Some of the monuments are "must see" at night - like the Korean War Memorial or the Washington Monument.  The tour leaves at 7:30pm for most of the year (6:30pm from October - April) and the prices are $25 for adults and $13 for kids under 12. 

DC DUCKS is a crazy way to see DC.  These are actually 1942 amphibious military personnel carriers that Historic Tours have renovated so that you can pick up the Duck on land and end up in the water - without ever leaving the vehicle! These tours leave at 11am, 1pm and 3pm from Union Station. The tour lasts 90 minutes and prices are $24 for adults and $12 for kids under 12. 

Call (202)832-9800 for more information on any of these tours.