Washington DC

Private Guided Group Tours

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Starting at $450 / group (Private SUV, Up to 4 People)

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The best way to visit the US Capital is with See DC Private Tours

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2,000+ Fantastic Reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, Viator, and other travel websites

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Why take a Private Tour?

Private tour, limited to Your Guests Only
A tour completely exclusive, personalized, and optimized for you and your own guests.

Fully Customizable
Change the stops, the length of tour, add special requests, and more.

A better, more Personal Tour Experience
We'll answer your questions, take photos, amaze and entertain you with our capital knowledge!

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Your tour, your guests, your way.

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Make your DC trip memorable.

🗺️ Itinerary Options:
Not sure what you'd like to see? We'll provide options and work with you to create the best tour based on your specific interests.

🚶 Make it a Walking Tour:
Leave the vehicle behind and our guide will lead you for a short stroll through a historic neighborhood, then back to the National Mall.

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💬 Special Requests:
Need a truly 'custom tour'? We live to please! Events, VIPs, special needs, no problem. Let us know how we can make your DC tour a special one.

🚐 Any Pickup/Dropoff location
We'll pick you up and drop you off at any destination of your choice close to DC.

⏰ Any time, Any length
We'll schedule the tour to start/end when it's convenient for your group.

Explore the amazing history in our nation's capital.

Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., it is a symbol of national history and pride. Constructed between 1792 and 1800 in a Neoclassical style, the building comprises six stories and about 55000 square feet of floor space, including nearly 200 individual rooms and 35 bathrooms. Along with its iconic facade, other features have become symbolic aspects of this historic site such as the White House gardens, the North Lawn, and Lafayette Square. The house’s interior design continues to change over time based on each president’s personal preferences—from James Monroe's ornate decor to Harry Truman's more minimalist style, for example—but certain presidential icons remain constant in all eras like Thomas Jefferson's collection of books or Abraham Lincoln's desk. The White House also houses countless works of art from American masters such as Gilbert Stuart, George Munger, Honoré Daumier, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, among many others; some even go back all the way to Benjamin Franklin who gifted a bust sculpted by Jean-Antoine Houdon upon his inauguration in 1797! Most recently contemporary artists like William Kimmel were commissioned to hang pieces within this architecturally impressive structure. At times serving as backdrop for international negotiation or hosting famous visitors such as Winston Churchill or Pope Francis ,the White House remains an enduringly powerful monument that reflects both U.S heritage while also inspiring us with its modern grandeur today.

White House

The White House is the official residence of the President of the United States. It has been home to every president since John Adams in 1800 and serves as a symbol of the American people and their government.

Reflecting Pool

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is a large rectangular pool located in Washington D.C., between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It is one of the most iconic landmarks in the city and a popular spot for tourists and locals alike.

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is an obelisk-shaped monument located in Washington D.C., on the National Mall. It was built to honor George Washington, the first President of the United States and one of the country's founding fathers.

This memorials unveiling was set for August 2011, that month was the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington led by Martin Luther King, Jr. However, the opening ceremony did nt happen on the oringinal intended date due to a freak 5.8 earthquake. Eventually the MLK Memorial was officially unveiled in October 2011.

Once at the entry plaza, stop and look south! There will be two enormous boulders ahead of you and another boulder looming off in the distance (before the edge of the Tidal Basin). The statuary component of the memorial is based on a line from King’s famous I Have a Dream speech, “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” The two boulders in the distance represent the Mountain of Despair and the third boulder pushed out very close to the Tidal Basin is the Stone of hope.
At this point move forward through the Mountain of Despair and you will see the famous quote “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope” carved on the west side of the statue’s base. Continue moving forward and turn and face the boulders and you will see the bas relief statue of Martin Luther King, Jr, embedded in the Stone of Hope. Follow the gaze of the statue out into the mist of the Tidal Basin.

The balance of the memorial is devoted to bringing to life MLK’s most famous quotes which appear on curving granite wall that flank the I Have a Dream statuary. Water features spring from the Mountain of Despair and the entire Memorial area on the bank of the Tidal Basin – no matter what time of year you visit - is deeply spiritual and contemplative.

The architect, Marshall Purnell, was former president of the American Institute of Architects.

The creator of the statuary is a prominent Chinese sculptor, Li Yixin. He was discovered by the King Memorial Project Foundation committee at a granite carving festival in Minnesota and later named head sculptor for the Stone of Hope statue at the MLK Memorial.

The award-winning parklike area around the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was created by landscape architect, Oehme van Sweden (OvS). This landscape reflects the newest ideas of green infrastructure using trees, plants and soil to welcome and protect visitors to the Memorial while also protecting the environment itself at the edge of the Tidal Basin from erosion and flooding.

There are restrooms adjacent to the MLK bookstore across the street. Both close in the evening.

Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is a monument in Washington D.C. dedicated to the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The memorial features a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. standing with his arms crossed, carved into a large block of granite. Inscriptions of quotes from King's speeches are also featured on the walls of the memorial.

National Mall

The National Mall is from the Lincoln Memorial to the US Capitol Building. Most of our stops are on the National Mall

Ford's Theatre

Ford's Theatre is a historic theater located in Washington D.C. that is most famous for being the site of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865.

Lincoln Memorial

In a city of icons, the inspiration for the back of a penny stands out in the crowd.

The memorial's main feature is a wall with the names of the servicemen and women that lost their lives in the war. The grounds also contain the Three Servicemen Statue and the Vietnam Women's Memorial.

The concept of a wall of names for those killed in the Vietnam War was developed by Jan Scruggs a Vietnam Veteran. In 1979 Scruggs saw the movie The Deer Hunter that tells the story of three friends whose experiences in the Vietnam War left them emotionally scarred and struggling with PTSD.

Scruggs identified completely with this struggle and eventually raised $8,000,000 in private funds to build a Vietnam Veterans Memorial identifying the names of those who died or were missing in Vietnam. The 2 acres of land for the memorial to these men and women was identified by Congress in 1980.

In 1981 the design competition for the memorial was won by a 21-year-old female college student, Maya Lin. By 1984 an additional feature was added: a bronze statue of The Three Soldiers by Frederick Hart. In 1993 a third element, an in-the-round statuary composition Faith, Hope and Charity by Glenna Goodacre was added to honor the nurses who served and died in the war.

There were 58,282 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 2021. The average age of those killed or missing is 19. The names are NOT in alpha order but in casualty order beginning at the center top of the memorial. To find a name use the alpha directories posted at the entrances to the Wall or go online to www.vvmf.org where you will find the panel number and row number of your soldier’s name. Most days Park Service Volunteers are on hand to provide paper and pencils to make a rubbing of the name.

You will also discover there is code indicating whether each soldier was killed or is missing in action. There is a small diamond shape separating most of the names on the wall so that the names do not run together. But occasionally you will notice there is cross shape where the diamond should be. The cross shape indicates the soldier is missing in action.

When a missing soldier is declared killed in action (his remains identified), a diamond shape is superimposed on the cross.

The design of the Wall has been controversial. From a bird’s eye view the shape of the wall appears to be a laceration or a tear. This has been interpreted as a war wound or a tear of the fabric of society - caused by protests against the war. The black color of the granite (from India) has reminded many of death - casting the Vietnam war as doomed struggle. Not all the Vietnam veterans were on board with the design of the wall and many of them insisted on adding Hart’s bronze stature of The Three Soldiers to more realistically depict what the day-to-day life of jungle combat looked like.

The selection of Maya Lin was criticized at the time because she was a student and campuses across the country were the centers of Vietnam war protests. She was also a female… of the names on the wall only 8 are female and they were nurses…what would a female designer know of war or of a war memorial? And lastly, Maya Lin was Asian- American and the enemy was Asian.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has over 5 million visitors each year. This memorial site is on the National Mall, along the popular Reflecting Pool. The memorial conveys a quiet, reflective mood. You can visit the memorial 24/7.

Tidal Basin

The beautiful Tidal Basin actually serves a practical purpose, flushing the adjacent Washington Channel. Two Tour Stops (Jefferson Memorial and Martin Luther King, Jr) are on the Tidal Basin.

Korean War Veterans Memorial

The Korean War Veterans Memorial is a national memorial located in Washington D.C. dedicated to the service members who fought in the Korean War.

The Capitol was designed by William Thornton, an Irish doctor-turned-architect, and built between 1793 and 1800 after a competition among several Architects vying for the prestigious commission. Although renovations have been made through its lengthy history, much of its original appearance remains due to a renovation project undertaken in 1959. The building stands at over 272 feet tall with a floor area of around 600,000 square feet and is considered one of America’s most beautiful public spaces and sculptures with features like its grand pediments, columns, staircases and unique dome known as the rotunda contained within it’s walls are just some examples. The Capitol also features exhibits that showcase objects related to U.S government history including George Washington's sword from his inauguration day speech and first ladies' gowns on display in Statuary Hall. The impressive architecture combined with all of these historical artifacts make this iconic site an incredible place to visit or experience when in our nation’s capitol

US Capitol

The United States Capitol is the home of the United States Congress and the seat of the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Federal Government.

The World War II Memorial was designed by Friedrich St. Florian and was dedicated on April 29, 2004.
It is located on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. The memorial features two 43-foot triumphal arches on either end, representing the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of the war.
Between the arches are 56 granite columns, each representing one of the U.S. states or territories that existed during the war. Inside the memorial, there are several features including a Rainbow Pool, a Freedom Wall, and a Field of Stars. The Freedom Wall contains 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. The Field of Stars is a circular pool with a fountain, representing the states and territories that participated in the war.

World War II Veterans Memorial

The National World War II Memorial is a national memorial in Washington D.C. that honors the 16 million people who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home during World War II.

Day or night tours

Daytime tours offer the best opportunities for group photos and best family tour experience. See all the monuments, immerse yourself in American history.

Moonlight tours offer stunningly contrasted views, smaller crowds, and an intimate way to experience the photographic majesty of our capital monuments.

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For groups of any size

Custom options available, Call for Quote

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Enjoy your own private vehicle, driver, and guide.

SUV - Seats 4

$450

Van - Seats 12

$699

Mini-Bus - Seats 38

$1950

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2,000+ Fantastic Reviews & Testimonials

on Google, TripAdvisor, Viator, and other travel websites

"Great tour, highly recommend. In four hours, saw so many highlights of DC. No way we could have done all that ourselves. All the places we stopped have parking for the tour companies that is very close to the monuments and memorials. So a short walk from the van and you're there. I was concerned at first by reading the itinerary, that the stops were pretty short. In actuality, the stop time at each one was just right. No one in our group felt rushed, or like we needed to go back to any of them to spend more time.
The vans were modern and comfortable with good A/C on a warm day. The smaller size tour was nice and our guide, Dustin was very good. One other benefit of the smaller group size is that you don't waste a lot of time loading and unloading like on a big bus with 50 people. We could load and off load in about 60 seconds. More time touring and less time waiting!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review from Paul & Amy Vander Kamp

See this review and others on 🔗Google

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the tour?

A National Mall tour is typically 3-4 hours depending on the time of day the tour is operating. Your own tour can be as long as you like.

Will I need to print my ticket?

No need to print your ticket. Just check in with your name. Save a tree.

Will there be restroom breaks?

Yes, there are restrooms are located at the following stops: Jefferson Memorial, WWII Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial.

Are we allowed to bring drinks or snacks on the van?

We provide complimentary water for our guests during the tour. You may also bring your own beverages and snacks if needed.

Are the vans handicap accessible?

No, we currently do not have any handicap-accessible vans.

Can we bring a foldable wheelchair?

Yes, you can bring a foldable wheelchair. We only ask that you notify us in advance so we can make accommodations.

Do we stop for lunch?

We do not stop for lunch during the tours unless it's been arranged in advance. Our tours are optimized to get as much done in a short period of time. The National Mall will have food/snack trucks along the route.

What is your cancellation policy?

If you book direct at SeeDCPrivateTours.com, All we need is 24 hours notice. Notify us by email (Sales@SeeDCToday.com), a phone call or text (202-335-5838), or the chat feature on our webpage.

What is your lost and found policy?

Call us at 202-335-5838 to let us know what you are missing so we can try to locate and return the lost item.

Do you offer Tour Guide service if we have our own transportation?

Yes, we have several guides that could tour with you in the transportation you provide.

How do I leave a review for my tour?

Here is a link to leave a Google Review.

https://g.page/r/CckpFuKd6nqwEB0/review

A tour built specifically for you

• Informative and friendly tour guides

• Transportation waiting at every stop

• Itinerary customized for your group

• Unparalleled service and hospitality

"It greatly exceeded our expectations."

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Mike Anderson via Google

Book Now

The best way to visit the US Capital is with See DC Private Tours

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Explore the amazing history in our nation's capital.

|

2,000+ Fantastic Reviews & Testimonials

Request a Quote

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A tour built specifically for you