Exploring the nation’s capital is a must-do during Colonials Weekend and there is no shortage of ways to travel through the 63 square miles.
Big Bus Tours
Sitting on the open-top deck of a bright red double-decker bus is one of the more traditional ways to see D.C. This hop-on, hop-off bus tour allows you to soak in the sights, culture and history of the capital at your own pace, with three different routes to choose from. From the White House and the U.S. Capitol to Georgetown and the National Cathedral, these buses run at regular intervals every 15 minutes in central areas and every 30 minutes on the extended routes. The tour also includes a free, serene 50-minute cruise along the Potomac River.
Location: Tour kiosk at Union Station
Time: Departs every 20 to 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Price: For 24 hours, Adults $31.50, Children (ages 4-12) $16.20. For 48 hours, Adults $36, Children $18
Contact Info: Reserve online to save 10 percent at
www.bigbustours.com or call 877-332-8689 for more information
Capital Segway
Let’s face it – touring around the city takes time and energy. Why not cover an entire day’s worth of touring within three hours, buzzing around the city on an unbelievably cool Segway tour? After a quick training session, take your new skills to the streets, and glide through the National Mall, seeing the Botanical gardens, the White House, the Capitol building and the J. Edgar Hoover Building. Including this quick, trendy tour as a part of your weekend will ensure that you have plenty of time to check out more of the city than you planned.
Location: 14th and I streets, NW
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily
Price: $65 to $80 (must be over 16)
Contact Info: Reserve online at
www.capitalsegway.com or call 1-800-979-3370. Special and students rates may be available, call 202-682-1980
Arlington National cemetery tour
Get a glimpse of the history and sacrifice of America’s patriots and war heroes, both humble and well known, with the only authorized mobile tour through the Arlington National Cemetery. This tour includes the Women in Military Service for America memorial, the Kennedy gravesites, the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Robert E. Lee memorial. Catch the last tour, which departs 30 minutes prior to the Cemetery’s close to watch the Changing of the Guard.
Location: Arlington Cemetery Visitors Center
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; cemetery hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Oct. through March)
Price: Adults – $8.50; Children (ages 3–11) – $4.25
Contact Info: Tickets may be purchased only at the ticket booth inside the visitors center. For more information, call 202-554–5100.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Celebration Brunch cruise
Celebrate the historic dedication of Martin Luther King, Jr. with this elegant, civil rights inspired cruise along the Potomac River. With live entertainment and narration from the Civil Rights era in the background, deliciously fresh cuisine and an amazing riverside view of D.C., this could be the perfect weekend getaway to relax, enjoy and experience.
Location: Gangplank Marina, 6th and Water streets, SW
Board: 10:45 a.m.
Cruise: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Price: Adults – $59.90, Children (ages 3-12) – $29.95
Contact: Reserve by calling 866-306-2469 or online at www.odysseycruises.com/washingtondc
D.C. Ghost Tour
Fancy yourself a ghost hunter? Experience the darker side of the District with a lantern-lit tour through the “crimes of passion, duels and assassinations” that haunt the city’s history. Take a nightly tour with a Victorian-clad tour guide to learn more about the ghosts of St. John’s Church, rumors of Lincoln’s ghost in the White House and possible hotel poltergeists. Not recommended for those who are nightmare-prone.
Location: In front of the Dolley Madison House, 1520 H St., NW
Time: 8 p.m. nightly
Price: Adult – $15 (ages 12 and up), Child – $8 (ages 7-11)
Contact: Reserve online at www.dcghosttours.com or call 888-844-3999
Historic Old Town bike tour with Bike and Roll
What better way to spend a gorgeous weekend than biking through the refined atmosphere of Old Town Alexandria? Discover the charm of this area by biking through the countless boutiques, mouth-watering restaurants, antique shops and contemporary art galleries on a Sunday morning. This guided tour highlights various sites often visited by “George Washington, Robert E. Lee, and Thomas Jefferson including Christ Church, Gadsby’s Tavern and the George Washington Masonic Memorial,” according to the company’s website.
Location: 1 Wales Alley, Alexandria, Va.
Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Price: Adults – $40 (must be over 13)
Contact Info: Reserve by calling 1-866-736-8224 or online at www.bikeandroll.com
