This is a customized experience. Let your tour guide know what appeals most to you from the itinerary. They will design a visit that will suit your request perfectly in between the time frame of the service.
Your Experience begins at Lafayette Square, across from the White House. Your personal tour guide will provide statistics’ and reveal historical facts of the neighborhood, pointing out Saint John’s Episcopal, “Presidents Church,” West Jackson place Street. Time out will be given for you to stroll along 1,600 Pennsylvania Avenue; and perceive the daily atmosphere surrounding the Executive Mansion, as well as sense the importance of the West-wing command center, international press cubicles, and Old Executive building (Vice-Presidency headquarters.) (20 mins.) *Note: White House interior is not open to the public
From the White House towards the U.S Capitol, a narrative drive through Pennsylvania Avenue will be taken. Passing by City Hall, Waldorf Astoria Hotel. "Old Post Office Building", J. E. Hoover FBI Building, Department of Justice, The Archives, Navy Memorial Plaza, National Galleries' of Art, Embassy of Canada.
At the intersection of First, St. and Maryland Ave. NW. (James Garfield circle) You will step down and walk up the Westside of the Capitol façade. Here is where elected presidents vow constitutional allegiance every four years. The grandeur sensation of standing on this terrace is enigmatic; as well impressive is the scenic view of G. Washington Obelisk in the distance, and the national mall with the Smithsonian Museums Institution surrounding it. (15 min.)
Narrative drive through the Smithsonian Museums Institution, towards WWII Memorial.
NOTE: Although G.W. Monument is a (Drive Through) since it can be seen from all the surroundings of the mall, you can always snap a close-up picture of it on your WWII Memorial stopover.
Dedicated in 2004. The large stone plaza designed by architect Friedrich St. Florian, forms a ring of columns representing the U.S. States and territories joined together by a bronze cord symbolizing their united effort, as well honoring those who fell. Recognizing in victory, their strength to restore freedom and end tyranny around the globe. (15 min.)
Dedicated on May 30th, 1922; This neoclassical temple designed by American Beaux-Arts Architect (Henry Bacon) and interior statue designer (Daniel Chester French/ Piccirilli Bro. carvers) pays tribute to the 16th president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln.
Honor all service members of the U.S. armed forces who served from 1955 through 1975 in Laos, Cambodia, and Saigon.
Just south of the reflecting Pool on the National Mall. A 1950 War scene is depicted. 19 Stainless still soldiers walking down the 38th parallel north, border between North and South Korea.
Conveniently located at 1964 Independence Ave SW. At this stop, you will picture perfect the Jefferson Monument across the Tidal Basin, and walk to the sprawling FDR memorial next by. Completed on August 22, 2011, the memorial honors Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy: a non-violent philosophy striving for freedom, justice, and equality. This prominent leader in the modern civil rights movement, has become the first African American individual on the National Mall. No doubt that his space is a place to contemplate his legacy, also enjoy the Cherry Blossom trees flourish during Spring.! (15 min)
Crossing the Potomac River through Memorial Bridge you will enter the most important military burial ground of the nation. After a 25-minute walk through the grounds you will experience the solemn Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Visit inside Arlington National Cemetery 1hr. 30 mins.
Those who prefer not to walk up The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier can opt to visit the United States Marine Corps War Memorial. You will still see the shrines in Arlington while driving through; and will step off at the famous bronze sculpture that depicts six marines lifting the flagpole on top of Mount Suribachi In the battle of Iwo Jima 2/19/1945. While the scene depicts one of the most famous clashes of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775. (15 min.)
Airforce Memorial & Pentagon. In between the Navy annex, and the US. Department of Defense headquarters, three striking polished stainless-steel spires reach out to the heavens, a homage to all Airforce service members. The memorial looks at the Pentagon western façade, struck during the 911/2001 (15 min.)
From the time Louie picked us up till he dropped us off he was excellent , Very informative, no rushing , easy pace . Very accommodating and pleasant. Made our experience very enjoyable. Thank you
Awesome experience! Guide was very professional and accommodated us on what we wanted to see. Guide was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed the interesting facts he shared with us on what we were seeing.
Make sure you hydrate! Louis was great! Very good driver, and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the ride!!!!
Wonderfully Informative, knowledgeable & historical experience.
Frank was a great tour guide. Very friendly & knowledgeable!! We were picked up & dropped off at our hotel, very convenient. It helped to avoid having to use Google Maps & trying to get around on our own.
I highly recommend this tour to see all the sights in D.C. Frank was a great tour guide. Our family really enjoyed the tutor
Louie was excellent. Not only is a wealth of knowledge (retired teacher) but he handled our unique situation well and did not hesitate to alter stops based on what we had already seen. It was a lovely morning for me and my son. We learned and saw sooo much.
Knowledgeable tour guide and very accommodating. My husband has a bad ankle so we should have taken a shuttle becatit was a very long walk
Tour guide was pleasant, friendly and engaging. She was so patient with us when my husband couldn’t find his way back to the meeting place putting us behind schedule. She was willing to go over the time allotted for the tour and go the extra mile to show us things we requested.
This was a very informative tour with lots of stops along the way. Louie was great! Enjoyed all the history he shared with us. He was very polite and helpful. Gave us plenty of time for us to look around and take pictures. Our only problem was the weather. It started raining on us but drove us through a lot of the city pointing out museums and buildings. He gave us suggestions for viewing on other days of our visit. Great tour and wonderful guide!
Great experience with wonderful tour guide Louie who created the tour according to the places we wanted to see. We learned a lot about the early history of Washington DC and the USA, from the revolution to the inauguration and assassination of Lincoln. We also enjoyed the newer monuments like Martin Luther King, Korean memorial and Eisenhower monument.
This was a perfect tour if you have just a few hours in DC. We hit up all the famous landmarks and we had enough time to walk around the sites we were most interested in seeing. Frank, our tour guide, was so knowledgeable, friendly and respectful- we enjoyed spending a few hours with him. We especially appreciated his communication with us before and during our tour. We took this tour with my parents, aunt and uncle so we appreciated the big and comfortable van that allowed easy on and off access for them.
Our tour guide Louie was so good. He was professional and knowledgeable. We had learned so much about our country and our history. Amazing experience. He was also courteous and extremely helpful. He had made our day wonderful!!
Lots of walking at Arlington cemetery. We saw quite a few sites. Take snacks and water to stay hydrated.
Very good experience our tour guide Louis was very informative and gave us the best facts about all our tour site visits . Very friendly and. Very good at his dates and information .. fully recommend this trip
Angela was a great tour guide. Very knowledgeable about the history of DC. And the areas of interest. A private guide is the way to go.
The guide we were assigned, Louie (not sure if that's spelled right) was phenomenal. He was very knowledgeable, personable, funny, and would answer questions. He didn't push any agenda and just cited facts without putting any bias into the content. We loved him so much that we requested him for our next day's tour to Mount Vernon. Our first night in DC was a horrible experience because of a very bad tour guide. Louie was the exact opposite. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Louie to ANYONE!
Our tour guide Louie was great, very informative and went above and beyond for us. If you are thinking of doing it just hit the book button.
It was an amazing tour. The changing of the guard was so moving. I would highly recommend this tour. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable.
Angela was the nicest, sweetest and most informative guide we have ever met! She is truly a treasure!!! Can't say enough kind words about our experience! Angela had water if we needed it and even umbrellas when it was raining! She even dropped us off at our dinner reservation restaurant! Thanks for the wonderful experience!!!
Excellent experience with your tour .Lou the tour guy was very knowledgeable and informative I would recommend your go.
Very good guide and the sites which was covered was very good with nice explanation about Washington DC
This private tour was much better than a group tour, and we were able to customize it. Our driver/guide (Louie) knew so much about Washington DC. and he was great with the kids!
Angela was excellent! She was prompt, knowledgeable and interesting. She showed us everything on the tour and then some. Our group was well accommodated. Thank you!
The monuments were awesome and we appreciated Angela’s knowledge of the history. I would definitely do this again and would highly recommend
Very poorly organized - many of staff were not given necessary information and tour was constantly changing the plan The tour listed 12 "Inclusions" and we only got to do two. And that was after begging to have a second day - otherwise we would have only gotten one.
Incredible service. Wonderful to have a guide, explaining the history and the sites. DC has such history and sites to see! ! Journal Tour and Travels made our experience a memorable one !!! Highly recommended 🇺🇸
The tour was fantastic. We were able to see so many import sights in one day. Frank was an outstanding tour guide. He made us feel very comfortable and he was very knowledgeable on everything we saw.
I booked this tour as I was traveling with my young kids (7 and 1) and my parents (dad is 75). I wanted to find the most convenient way to learn about the monuments and also visit them. I am so glad I booked this tour. Heidi was a perfect guide - knowledgeable, empathetic and very accommodative. We saw all the important sights, had the flexibility of leaving my dad in the car for some of them and my daughter learned so much from Heidi’s explanation of the monuments and the significance. We were able to cover all the important places and take lots of photos to record our memories. On the way back we did the Arlington cemetery the last and so wanted to stay back with my 7 year old while Heidi dropped off my parents and baby at our Airbnb. Heidi helped not just drop them but also with their bags. Super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. She also recommended the peoples house to us when we told that we could not get the White House tour. And wow that was an amazing recommendation that all of us enjoyed. Book this tour, it’s a great value for money, helps you see all the important sights, gives flexibility if traveling with kids or older parents and you also get good recommendations for rest of your trip!
Louie was our guide and he was absolutely the very best! So nice kind and knew so much history and facts about every stop and every building . I am 71 and traveled with my daughter son in law and two grandsons. He was so informative and we all learned so much from him. He told facts and stories about all of the historical people and made it very interesting. We all feel like we learned so many details about our country and are grateful we had Louie! He was kind and helped me when I had trouble walking back to the Tomb of the unknown soldier and kept the pace slower. We couldn’t have had a better experience and will recommend your tour to everyone we know. The whole experience was amazing.
Loved the guide, knowledge and felt like vip the entire time. Personal and super fun being with our own group and our own private tour guide
Wonderful experience. Louie was a great guide, sharing historical facts and keeping interesting for teenagers!
This experience was very neat, and me and my family enjoyed it! Our tour guide was very informative and also personable! He was flexible when we requested to visit the Basilica, and overall it was a great experience that I would highly recommend!
The experience with Journal Tour and Travels was amazing from booking until end of tour. Heidy was extremely helpful during the entire booking process. She was very prompt in responses to every question I had. Communication was absolutely top notch!! The tour itself was also impressive. The vehicle was comfortable for the ten adults on this tour. Jack, our guide, was prompt on arrival at our pick up point. Our first stop was at Arlington Cemetery. Jack walked with us and explained many things as he guided us to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We were able to see the Changing of the Guard well as the Kennedy gravesite. We explored Arlington at our own pace and didn’t have to feel rushed. Jack also was able to customize our tour so we were not revisiting monuments that we had already been to. His knowledge of DC was impressive and a great learning experience for us all. I highly recommend this Private Tour as well as Journal Tours and Trav. Thank you Heidy and Jack!!
If we could give Frank 6 stars he would deserve every single one. Enthusiastic, engaging with the kids, never rushed, and great and getting us the best experience, our tour with Frank and Journal Tour and Travels was hands down the highlight of our last minute trip to DC. Thanks Frank! We learned a lot, saw a lot, and enjoyed on time with you.
Overall, we had a really awesome tour. Our guide Jack did a great job explaining the history as he drove us throughout the city. He strategically maneuvered between our stops, making sure to place us in the best possible position to easily access the monuments. He also walked with us at Arlington, and placed us in a good standing position to observe the changing of the guard. I highly recommend this tour, worth all five stars!
Our guide Louie was very knowledgeable about the city and kept our son engaged throughout the experience. He was also flexible with the itinerary bypassing sites we had seen already and adding new ones. This was a great selection for us.
It was a great intimate experience, with great history lessons. Full day tour, the changing of the guards at Arlington cemetery was our favorite
We had a great time. Jack was a great guide and new all the best places to be at the right time. Very educational about the area and its history.
This was a great way to see several DC highlights as well as Arlington. Our driver was knowledgeable and friendly and made sure we had the time we wanted at each location.
Our tour guide Frank was amazing. He was very informative and was great with the kids! Would definitely recommend to families!
Arlington changing of the guard, Jefferson memorial, Capital Christmas tree. Louie was a great guide and driver.
Frank was a fantastic tour guide for us and this is an exceptional private tour experience. We were picked up at our hotel and Frank was so gracious welcoming us and our five grandchildren ages 1-8. He provided great historical insights thru the tour. Frank was also flexible with us so we could visit a family grave at Arlington. Highly recommend!
The guide was very knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. Supplied many historical facts we were not aware of.
While we paid extra for the Changing of the Guard ceremony, unfortunately, we did not get to attend it. However, the experience was still worthwhile thanks to Frank, our driver and tour guide. He was incredibly informative, sharing detailed insights and historical context throughout the tour. His knowledge and engaging storytelling made the trip memorable, even without the ceremony. If you’re looking for a tour guide who truly knows the city and its rich history, Frank is your guy. We appreciated his professionalism and enthusiasm for making sure we had a meaningful experience.
Great time for the whole family! A perfect way to start your DC trip. Easy, informative, and inspiring.
Excellent tour, with a great guide! My family of 6 enjoyed every minute. We learned a lot. Great way to start your visit to D.C.
Great tour. Can only recommend it. Our guide Louie was very knowledgeable. With him, time flew and I couldn’t believe how fast the 4.5 hrs had gone by. For me, the most impressive stop was Arlington and Louie knew the exact best spot to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
Our guide Louie was fantastically knowledgeable and knew just where to have us stand for the changing of the guard.
This was a great tour! Having it private was really nice, and Mark was a great guide! Very informative and accommodating to our group. Highly recommend!
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