Top Washington DC Half-day Tours

As a first time visitor, the tour was a nice way to get a taste of the 3 Smithsonians. We went to the museums of air and space, natural history and American history, in that order. I would highly recommend booking earlier in the day. The tour lasts about 3 hours with bathroom breaks and a little bit of self exploration. I booked a 2 pm slot and the tour concluded at 5 pm, leaving 30 minutes to explore a favorite (museums close at 5:30 pm). I would’ve liked to go back to the air and space museum but my feet felt otherwise. The tour was a last minute addition to my trip so I didn’t have many options. If you start the tour earlier, you might have enough time to circle back to a previously visited museum and do a more in-depth tour. Our guide was Skye and she was wonderful! Her energy and enthusiasm kept the group engaged. She gave us plenty of reminders regarding where we would enter, when and where we’d reconvene, directions during street crossings or turns, and security checkpoints. She was attentive to our questions and sprinkle fun bits of trivial throughout the tour. The tour comprised of selected exhibits and more on temporary ones so if you visit next time, you could visit the permanent displays. Be prepared to walk 2+ miles. The headquarters where we started offered cold bottled water and they did point out water fountains along the way which were much appreciated and needed.