Best Walking Tours in Washington DC

Discover the beauty of Washington DC on foot with our curated walking tours. Whether you're visiting for the first time or looking to uncover hidden gems, exploring Washington DC by walking lets you experience its culture, history, and landmarks up close.

Top Walking Tours in Washington DC

Ghosts of Georgetown & The Exorcist Steps Walking Tour in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (526 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 39.00

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

Deep, dark secrets about a forgotten past lie among the manicured gardens and Victorian row houses of DC’s finest neighborhood. Historical figures stayed here, documenting their experiences in letters & journals. Some have never left, haunting these grand homes to this day. On this family-friendly nighttime tour, you will learn about this town and be enchanted by its past, present, and future. Halloween vibes all year long. -Hear stories of a young boy trapped after his accidental death in the oldest residence in DC. -Learn what happened in Civil War hospitals that make an apartment seem unliveable. -Learn about the curse of Abraham Lincoln's son. -Hear a story of a nanny's undying love for her charges - and her rules. -See lights flicker at a house whose past resident hated electricity and whose ghost haunts our guides. -End the tour at the famous Exorcist Steps and hear how this movie was based on a true local story. Do you dare to walk down the creepy stairs at night?

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DC Ghost Tour: Descent of the District Dread in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (437 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 26.00

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

Venture into the shadowy streets of Washington D.C. on our spine-tingling ghost tour, where eerie history meets the supernatural! Guided by a local expert and master storyteller, you'll uncover chilling tales at the city’s most iconic sites. As you wander the historic district, brace yourself for spine-chilling accounts of ghostly presidents and infamous assassins that haunt these grounds. On this mile-long journey, you’ll explore haunted hotspots like the Treasury Annex, where whispers of the past linger, and President’s Park, steeped in spectral lore. Stand before the White House, home to century-old ghost stories, and the Blair House, known for its unsettling encounters. Even as we admire privately owned buildings from the outside, the paths you tread are rich with ghostly legends. Keep your senses sharp; the shadows may reveal secrets waiting to be uncovered. Join us for a night of thrills, chills, and historical intrigue in the nation's haunted capital.

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No-Wait Washington Monument Direct Entry Tickets & Guidebook in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (387 reviews)
Likely to Sell Out

From $ 25.00

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

This is a direct ticket emailed to you to go to the top of the Washington Monument in DC without waiting in hours-long lines in the early morning to get tickets. There is only a brief security line to pass through with your timed entry pass. No additional costs from hopping on a tour bus and the like. It's simple - we do the waiting, you the sightseeing.

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Ghosts of D.C. - Walking Tour in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (338 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 29.99

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

Our Ghost of Washington D.C. is our all-ages tour that sheds light on the capital's dark past. This tour will explore some of Capital Hills' most haunted historical sites and mentions poltergeists, assassination, historical architecture, and the dark past of our most prominent presidents. If you have 10 or more guests in one group, please get in touch with the private & group sales coordinator with Ghost City Tours.

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George Washington's Mount Vernon Gardens & Grounds Admission in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (326 reviews)
Likely to Sell Out Free Cancellation

From $ 28.00

 

Visit George Washington's Mount Vernon and take a self-guided tour of the first American president’s historic estate.You can stroll through the 18th-century gardens and grounds; visit the Washington family tombs; meet heritage-breed animals; and interact with people from Washington's world. The Mansion at Mount Vernon is currently undergoing preservation work; rooms will be taken off-display temporarily as the work progresses. From July 8th, 2024 through 2025, the Education Center exhibit on George Washington’s life will be off display for an extensive rebuild.

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Dark Nights in D.C. - Walking Tour in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (197 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 34.99

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

Washington, D.C., is more than the nation's capital and the heart of our government. It's also a hotbed for the paranormal. The Dark Nights in D.C. tour is our adults-only tour emphasizing the macabre nature of the city’s past. We will explore restless spirits, murders, mysterious deaths, violent suicides, and tragic hauntings of past presidents and soldiers. If you have 10 or more guests in one group, please get in touch with the private & group sales coordinator with Ghost City Tours.

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Haunted DC Night-Time Walking Tour on Capitol Hill  in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (167 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 25.00

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

Delve into a world of spooks, ghouls, and haunted souls on a 1.5-hour walking tour of Washington DC’s Capitol Hill. Set out with your group and guide along local streets and into one of America's most haunted neighborhoods. Learn how ghosts of past continue to feud in the afterlife, associate with the spirits of former presidents, and hear about the demon cat, which continuously casts its powers. Enjoy this fascinating look into DC’s dark past and spooky present.

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The "Madams of DC" Guided Walking Tour in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (74 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

Duration: 2 hours (approx.)

This tour is offered the first and third Friday of the month. Check website for exact schedule. All tours available for private tours. The Madams in DC walking tour gives you a totally unique side of DC's history that you won't hear anywhere else. The Civil War completely transformed the capital, and turned Pennsylvania Avenue into a red light district lined with bawdy houses, taverns, theaters, and commercial ventures. Hard to imagine, now that it's lined with monolithic government buildings! You'll learn about how the women who worked in these brothels made their way in life, and even had an impact on affairs of government.

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Haunted Washington D.C. Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (55 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 34.68

Duration: 2 hours (approx.)

Combine a top-rated ghost tour with a pub crawl around the White House on this guided, 2.5-hour, Washington, DC adventure. This haunted walking tour covers approximately one mile, with stories of ghosts, presidents, prohibition, and pubs as the conversation of the day. Costumed guides lead the way through Lafayette Square, with time to enjoy a beverage at two to three haunted pub stops. *Tour route and drink stops are subject to availability. *All guests must be 21+ with Valid ID. Alcohol is not included.

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Harlem Renaissance in DC Walking Tour in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (35 reviews)
Likely to Sell Out Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

Duration: 2 hours (approx.)

* Starting February 2025, tour is offered the second Saturday of the month at 4pm. This amazing walking tour will take you on a journey to an era in which U Street NW DC was the center of African American music and intellectualism. The sounds of jazz was everywhere, Langston Hughes and Jean Toomer were being established as the future writers of the day, and an effort to document the history of African Americans was underway. Take a journey through the Harlem Renaissance as it started in DC! Tour stops mid-way at the famous Ben's Chili Bowl, for optional refreshments and a bathroom break.

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Historic Alleyways Guided Walking Tour of Washington DC in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (34 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

 

*2025 Schedule - Tour is offered the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month at 2pm. Check out one of DC's most unique features, less than a mile away from the National Mall, in the historic Shaw neighborhood, near the Convention Center. The Alleyways of DC served a distinct purpose as a city planning feature, but they also provided a hidden safe space where escaped enslaved people and the poor could find inexpensive housing and live their lives away from prying eyes. While city officials condemned life in the alleyways as dangerous, dirty and diseased, they were in fact a place where communities sustained each other and provided security. Tour is 1.5 hours with a halfway stop at La Colombe Coffee.

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Washington DC History of Slavery Walking Tour in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (33 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 40.00

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

The theme/subject is a much needed topic of discussion for all Americans, young and old. This tour is unique because it is one of a kind in the Nation's Capital. There are many so called "classical tours" given but none on the lines of my tour which offers the history of slavery in the Federal City.

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Residences of the Presidentses Walking Tour: Dupont & Kalorama in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (31 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 25.00

Duration: 2 hours (approx.)

[Tours are generally offered March through October. Please note that this tour is recommended for people ages 13 and up.] DC is the city of presidents, and this is the tour that gives you the most POTUS for your buck. This is a great way to see some of DC's most beautiful neighborhoods, away from the big tourist crowds on the National Mall. If you love history, trivia, politics or walking, it's a great way to enjoy the nation's capital. Your guide is a former journalist and stand-up comedian obsessed with the presidents -- Chris White has been to almost every presidential birthplace, home and grave in the country. This tour usually departs at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. Please check the start time before completing your booking.

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Comedy Walks© Washington D.C. in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (29 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 25.00

Duration: 1 hours (approx.)

Discover the city and laugh yourself silly at the same time? Then you’re ready for Comedy Walks: a stand-up comedy show with the city as a stage. Experience Washington D.C. through the eyes of a professional and hilarious stand-up comedian. This 1,5 hours walking tour, will take you past several famous historical places and let you discover the city’s hidden beauties while a comedian makes fun of the Americans, Washington D.C. and above all of himself. Be ready for historical to be turned into hysterical. A unique experience of a one-of-a-kind, top-notch comedy show using the city of Washington D.C. as a stage. The most fun and original way to see the city. Comedy Walks D.C. offers different Comedy Walks with different comedians. The 'original' tour is hosted by Mark Palchick. For the others, the name of the comedian is in their description. So, no time to waste! Stand-up and COMEdy WALK With us!

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The History of Black Georgetown in Washington DC

Washington DC , USA

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (24 reviews)
Free Cancellation

From $ 30.00

 

March - May 2025, tour is offered the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month at 2pm. June - August 2025, tour is offered the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month at 10am. Someone visiting Georgetown today may see it as another wealthy enclave in a continuously gentrifying Washington, DC. However, this charming area has a diverse history. Originally a busy port for the export of tobacco, it was also the site of an active slave trade, and at one point African Americans counted as 30% of the Georgetown population. Descendants of those enslaved peoples and black free folk have lived in Georgetown for generations, but their contributions to its history do not often receive the same recognition. This tour will reveal the stories of the black citizens who made their mark on one of DC’s oldest neighborhoods. The tour starts at 3206 O Street NW DC and ends at the Mt. Zion Cemetery, at 2501 Mill Rd. NW. There is a half-way stop at Thomas Sweet Shop for a bathroom break and refreshment.

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Local Tips for Washington DC

Guided vs. Self-Guided Walking Tours

A guided walking tour offers expert insights, historical context, and often includes skip-the-line access to major landmarks. If you prefer flexibility, a self-guided route lets you explore Washington DC at your own pace using maps and mobile apps. Combining both options is ideal for a complete experience.

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