Washington DC Tours

[KLayneUT8]

What are the best tours and why?, planning a trip just wanted some insight from the people i trust most VolNation

[volfanbill]

explore all on your own is what I've always found the most interesting. you can walk through the Lincoln Memorial, around the Washington Monument and all through the National Mall for free and do your own thing. Just about all the Smithsonian museums are free as well. I was there at least every other weekend for 9 months just visiting around and still didn't see everything I wanted to. Nationals Park is a beautiful baseball stadium. National Harbor was a letdown for me personally. I'd drive up to Baltimore and check out Inner Harbor. Loved that area.

[volfanbill]

Arlington National Cemetary is one of the most humbling and surreal places you'll ever visit. The Changing of the Guard gives me chills just to think about. It's a must visit.

[rockytop9808]

I would seriously just explore yourself. I've spent a lot of time up there recently, and because a lot of the national museums and stuff are free, like volfanbill said, it's probably cheaper just to do it yourself. Without a tour, you've also got the benefit of traveling at your own pace and taking it all in, plus it isn't that hard to get around.

[Toujours Pret]

Originally Posted by rockytop9808

you've also got the benefit of traveling at your own pace and taking it all in, plus it isn't that hard to get around.

This is sound advice. With a tour, you'll be shuttled around on a schedule, leaving you missing out on fully taking in things you're interested in.

[bentenn]

The Holocaust Museum was interesting too

[volwindy]

Originally Posted by bentenn

The Holocaust Museum was interesting too

I went there last year, and it was!

[volwindy]

We rented bikes and rode around dc, that was fun. Also rode up to mount Vernon, nice history there.

[YorkVol]

The old post office gives a nice view of the city.

[volfanbill]

Oh. Not to ruin the fun, but do not, I repeat do not, leave your wallet in somewhere as simple to pickpocket as your back pocket. Don't have anything too valuable on you either. There is nowhere that's relatively safe in Washington DC. People get held up at gunpoint in the middle of the National during the middle of a packed Saturday and I'm not exaggerating. The crime in DC is unbelievable.

[YorkVol]

Originally Posted by volfanbill

Oh. Not to ruin the fun, but do not, I repeat do not, leave your wallet in somewhere as simple to pickpocket as your back pocket. Don't have anything too valuable on you either. There is nowhere that's relatively safe in Washington DC. People get held up at gunpoint in the middle of the National during the middle of a packed Saturday and I'm not exaggerating. The crime in DC is unbelievable.

So you're saying don't take the Congressional tour?

[volfanbill]

Originally Posted by YorkVol

So you're saying don't take the Congressional tour?

I'm not even counting the crooked politicians. It'd be off the charts if I counted them.

[burntorangeVOLffle]

Just got back from DC. Do the monuments at night.

[PotS]

There are Segway tours of DC. Never done one, but could be interesting to zip around DC on a Segway.

[milohimself]

Originally Posted by PotS

There are Segway tours of DC. Never done one, but could be interesting to zip around DC on a Segway.

I can see why they'd be necessary. The mall is bigger than you'd expect.

I'd say plan two days for the national mall, all the Smithsonians are fantastic. I liked the spy museum a lot, and all the monuments are fantastic (I haven't been since the MLK monument went up).