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Washington Day Trip: Iconic Monuments Tour
4.8
370 Ratings
New York
Embark on a day trip from Time Square NYC to Washington, D.C. and explore iconic monuments and memorials. Visit Arlington National Cemetery, The White House, Lincoln Memorial, The Capitol, and more. Enjoy free time at the National Air and Space Museum. Book now!
Embark on a day trip from Time Square NYC to Washington, D.C. and explore iconic monuments and memorials. Visit Arlington National Cemetery, The White House, Lincoln Memorial, The Capitol, and more. Enjoy free time at the National Air and Space Museum. Book now!
Duration:
15 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Arlington National Cemetery - Explore some of the most notable grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery. It’s an excellent way to gain a thorough understanding of this extraordinary site in just a few minutes.
Entry to the National Cemetery requires identification.
ALL TRAVELERS MUST BRING A PASSPORT.
(ALL US) RESIDENTS MUST BRING A STATE ID OR…
- Arlington National Cemetery - Explore some of the most notable grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery. It’s an excellent way to gain a thorough understanding of this extraordinary site in just a few minutes.
Entry to the National Cemetery requires identification.
ALL TRAVELERS MUST BRING A PASSPORT.
(ALL US) RESIDENTS MUST BRING A STATE ID OR DRIVER’S LICENSE.
- National Mall - The expansive, grassy National Mall hosts iconic landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. At its eastern end stands the domed U.S. Capitol, with the White House to the north. The area is also bordered by Smithsonian museums, and its lawns and pathways are frequently bustling with school groups, joggers, and softball teams. Nearby, the Tidal Basin reservoir is famous for its blooming cherry trees.
There will be some free time to enjoy lunch.
- U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial - A tribute to the Marine Corps members who have died since 1775, featuring six soldiers holding the United States flag. This memorial is inspired by Joe Rosenthal’s photograph from the Battle of Iwo Jima.
- Lincoln Memorial - A monument designed as a Greek temple, dedicated to the 16th President of the United States.
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial - A black granite wall inscribed with the names of soldiers who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.
- Korean War Veterans Memorial - Features 19 stainless steel statues representing a patrol squad from the Korean War and a 50-meter polished granite wall with engraved faces of soldiers and personnel who served in the war.
- White House - We will approach as closely as possible to capture photos of the residence of the President of the United States.
- U.S. Capitol - We will get as near as possible to the headquarters of the United States Congress for photo opportunities.
- Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast - We will explore the main avenue of Washington, where the incoming President parades after taking the oath. This avenue is home to significant buildings such as the FBI, the Department of Commerce, the National Archives, the Canadian Embassy, and more.
What's Included
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Food and Drinks
- On-board restrooms
- Food and Drinks
- On-board restrooms
Additional Information
Take a day trip from Times Square, NYC to Washington, D.C., and explore some of the most iconic memorials and monuments in the District of Columbia. Begin your journey at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, then visit The White House, Lincoln Memorial, The Capitol, FBI Building, and The National Archives, among other landmarks. Enjoy ample free…
Take a day trip from Times Square, NYC to Washington, D.C., and explore some of the most iconic memorials and monuments in the District of Columbia. Begin your journey at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, then visit The White House, Lincoln Memorial, The Capitol, FBI Building, and The National Archives, among other landmarks. Enjoy ample free time at the National Air and Space Museum. With a guided bus tour, you can simply sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Location
7th Avenue & West 51st Street
pick up starts at 5:50 AM
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(370 Ratings)
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Api3503yf
May 25, 2026
An excellent day in Washington DC - We had a brilliant time in Washington and really enjoyed the whole day. Our main guide for the day, Andy, was professional and upbeat. A long day for him to keep everyone together and engaged but he did a great job! Jose then joined the group as our guide once we arrived in Washington; he was very knowledgable and had fantastic energy while taking us round all the key attractions. Also, special mention to Jesus, our driver; the driving was smooth and we felt safe all day.
While you start the day early (5:30am) and get back late (21:30) it is well worth it and very well organised. You stop on the way there and back for a break after driving for a couple of hours. We saw everything on the itinerary and it didn’t actually feel rushed throughout the day despite all the things you get to see. Bring lunch to get more time to explore one of the museums. We went to the air and space museum and had 1.5hr there to explore. The tickets to this museum were free but register on their website to have the QR code ready for when you get there.
Thank you to the full team for an unforgettable day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carole
May 15, 2026
Excellent value for money - Can’t recommend enough! Visited 6 states.long day but worth it. Memories will last a lifetime fe time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jakubniewalda
May 6, 2026
Highly recommended! - The trip was amazing and I’m really happy with the whole experience. David was absolutely wonderful — friendly, professional, and made everything even better. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karla_m
May 2, 2026
One of the best experiences... - It's the second time I've been traveling with you, but with the guide Martin it was the best experience... 100% recommended...
Review provided by Viator
Jacquelinf2024
Apr 23, 2026
Totally worth it - It was a long day but totally worth it we got to see lots of the major iconic buildings
The driver and guides ( Mario and Andre’s) were really helpful and gave us lots of information but not over loaded
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U4111sfjimenac
May 18, 2026
Well organized - Highly recommended, the guides and the driver are very good,
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kirsty_y
May 12, 2026
Good tour, organisation could be improved.tou - This tour is a good way to see Washington DC in a day from NYC. It is a very long day but manageable if you plan ahead and make sure your next day isn’t too busy. It was great to see most of the famous sights of DC in one outing and nice to learn about the history of the city. I also liked hearing about some of the states we passed through on the way. The bus was clean and comfortable.
Where the tour lost me a bit was in its organisation which at times was chaotic, particularly at the pick up point. We got told several times throughout the tour to make sure to be back at the bus by a certain time but then the tour guides themselves didn’t show. Time was very tight in some of the stops and 1.5hrs at the Smithsonian wasn’t nearly enough. There is very little time to eat at the stops and I would advise anyone doing this tour to take plenty of food along as you can eat on the bus. Some of the sights were obstructed due to construction which I appreciate wasn’t the fault of the tour company but worth bearing in mind to anyone visiting in the next few weeks. Finally and most disappointing, the tour description said the tour would end at the same location as the start but we got dropped off further away which increased our 10min walk back to the hotel to 30mins.
All in all it wasn’t perfect but it was a good trip if you want to get a brief overview of Washington DC and manage your expectations.
Review provided by Viator
Denise_m
May 15, 2026
Not a good excursion - Our tour guides were 2 females, I don’t remember their names. I have booked many Viatour excursions and this was the worst one I have ever done. The tour guides seemed very disinterested in being there. There were so many opportunities to speak and give lots of history and information and there was nothing. Silence through all the states. The girls chatted with eachother but did not give any information.
When the bus stopped and we got off, the girls split into 2 groups, and the English tour guide sounded like she read her information off a piece of paper and had no idea what she was actually talking about. Same thing at every stop. Same thing on the trip back. I would’ve loved to hear about the locations we were passing on the 4 hour drive.
Review provided by Viator
Mercedes_d
May 12, 2026
Disappointing and lacking - Unfortunately, this Washington DC tour was a very disappointing experience from start to finish.
To begin with, the bus arrived late at the starting point, which immediately created stress and confusion. Once the tour finally got underway, huge portions of the journey were spent simply sitting on the road in silence, with very little communication or engagement from the guide. Long stretches passed without updates, commentary, or any meaningful effort to keep passengers informed about delays or what to expect.
What made the experience especially uncomfortable was the seating situation on the bus. I was seated near multiple passengers who were coughing heavily throughout the trip and not wearing masks. There was no announcement at the beginning of the tour encouraging people who were unwell to be mindful of others, cover coughs, wear masks if sick, or take basic precautions in such a confined environment. Given the amount of time spent together on the bus, this felt like a major oversight.
When I raised my concerns, the proposed “solution” from the guide was to move to the last row so there would be nobody coughing behind me. This suggestion made little sense, especially since the passengers who were coughing were already seated toward the back of the bus. It did not address the actual issue and left me feeling dismissed rather than supported.
In the end, the situation became uncomfortable enough that I chose to leave the tour early and make my own way back to New York City. This meant purchasing a train ticket at my own expense just to avoid remaining on the bus for the return journey.
Overall, the lack of organization, poor communication, and inadequate handling of passenger wellbeing made this an experience I would not recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Explore58315118604
May 8, 2026
Disappointing and Poorly Organised Washington Tour Experience - Firstly, the trip was cancelled without any notification. I only found out the next morning while waiting at the pick-up location. After multiple attempts to contact the company, they finally called back another passenger who spoke Spanish, and that’s how I discovered the tour had been cancelled. It was then rescheduled for the following day, again only after numerous calls to different numbers. No apology was ever given, and the person I spoke to did not even introduce themselves or provide their name.
The bus was late the next day as well, which caused even more unnecessary stress. The weather was unfortunately much worse too, but that would have been acceptable if the actual tour experience had been good.
Sadly, the English-speaking guide was extremely disappointing. She admitted herself that English is not her first language, which is completely fine in itself, but unfortunately her accent was very difficult to understand and, more importantly, she often seemed unsure about the information she was providing. Many comments and “jokes” felt inappropriate — for example asking whether we “had fun at the cemetery” and joking about one of the Kennedys dying before becoming president. It came across as unprofessional and uncomfortable rather than funny.
Overall, she seemed moody, disengaged, and spent more time on her phone than interacting with passengers. In contrast, the Spanish-groupl guide was kind, professional, and also spoke very good English. Unfortunately, I do not speak Spanish, so I could not benefit from her guidance.
At the end, the English guide also asked for positive reviews and tips, mentioning that tips were effectively part of their salary (or at least that is how it sounded). I actually would have happily tipped the driver and the other guide, but as tips were apparently shared, I decided not to.
Additionally, the itinerary did not match what was advertised. Instead of around 4 hours at the National Mall, we only had approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes for museums and lunch combined, which felt extremely rushed.
Overall, the trip was overpriced, exhausting, poorly organised, and disappointing. The bus was also dirty, which added to the negative experience.
In summary: if you do not speak Spanish, want to actually learn something during the tour, and expect proper communication and basic customer service when issues arise, I would strongly recommend choosing a different company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
