Top Williamsburg Sightseeing Tours - page 2

Spend the evening exploring the historic streets of Colonial Williamsburg on a candlelit guided ghost tour. The ghost tour reveals a lesser-known side of the historic streets and takes you to parts of the town most tourists wouldn’t be comfortable visiting on their own. Along the way, a guide entertains the group with family-friendly stories and local legends.

Our certified tour guide will greet you in front of illy's cafe and share background information as you walk over to the historic College of William & Mary (est. 1693), our "Alma Mater of the Nation." You'll tour the oldest academic building in the United States, the Sir Christopher Wren building, and learn about the second-oldest college in America, alma mater to four United States Presidents. If the Wren building is open, there may be an opportunity for a free organ recital on Saturdays at 10am in the Chapel, and our morning tour time on Saturday is longer for the recital. All tours include touring the Colonial classroom, the Chapel, the Blue Room, the Hall of Leadership, the Great Room and academic classrooms that are still used for religious studies. We'll also visit the Brafferton, former school for Native Americans, the Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved, and the Sunken Garden, visiting James Monroe, James Blair, the Tyler Family Garden (aka "Echo Wall") and Thomas Jefferson.

Enjoy a time-saving way to discover the best of Colonial Williamsburg—and learn the stories behind the sights—on this private walking tour. Pick from a range of convenient start times, meet your guide in Merchants Square, and set off on foot. You’ll see highlights like the Governor’s Palace and Capitol, will stroll along the history-saturated West Duke of Gloucester Street, and will visit the adjacent College of William & Mary.

The Ghost Tour is Williamsburg's first and only murder-focused tour. Explore areas that other history tours would be afraid to visit. Explore a historic city that conceals a sinister and unsettling past. A netherworld of horrific death and hatred. Accompany your guide on foot to some of our favorite local watering establishments. To help you get ready for what's to come, try a drink with a murder theme or one of the pub's specialty beverages. Then, take a stroll through the dim, peaceful streets of Historic Williamsburg, where you may learn the real stories of the city's most notorious crimes. There's nothing ghostly about Williamsburg's scariest tour. It has to do with murder.

On this private tour, you fully customize your history walk by choosing your route, landmarks, and duration. Designed for your group’s interests, this experience lets you set the pace as you explore the historic streets of Williamsburg with a dedicated storyteller. Focus on political drama at the Capitol, colonial trade workshops, or the Governor’s Palace’s architecture. Your expert guide brings the 18th century to life with stories of patriots, loyalists, and everyday citizens. Please note: routes and stops vary based on your selections made with your guide on the day. Highlights: • Customize Your Route: pick landmarks along Duke of Gloucester Street • Choose Your Story: politics, trade life, or architecture • Select Your Pace: private guide focused on your group • Flexible Duration: choose 2, 3, or 4 hours

Colonial Williamsburg offers the chance to step back in time to the 18th century—and this private walking tour will give you an even richer understanding of this early American destination. Explore the city’s key historical landmarks, including the Colonial Williamsburg Capitol, learn about colonial–era life, and hear behind-the-scenes stories about Williamsburg’s history.

`This private tour explores the historic and cultural heritage of Williamsburg through a refined journey across one of America’s most significant academic and colonial centers. Walk through an environment shaped by centuries of intellectual and architectural influence, reflecting a history older than the United States. Begin near Williamsburg United Methodist Church, where classical design reflects enduring community and cultural traditions. Continue to the Crim Dell Bridge, set within a landscape that represents the evolving story of local heritage and identity. Please note: The program and attractions may vary based on booking date/time and crowd conditions, ensuring each visit is a unique experience.

Explore at your own pace with a fully private guided tour! “Shadows of the Past: Tracing Slavery’s Legacy in Williamsburg” invites you to delve into the history of slavery in colonial America, beginning in the historic area of Colonial Williamsburg. This tour provides insights into how slavery shaped the community and the lives of those who lived during that era. After exploring Colonial Williamsburg, the journey continues to the Colonial Williamsburg Courthouse, reflecting the legal aspects of slavery. Next, visit the Capitol Building, where significant legislative decisions about slavery were made. Conclude the tour at the James Geddy House, offering a perspective on the daily lives of both free and enslaved people of the time.

Have you ever wondered how our modern Christmas traditions began? Join us for a 1-hour walking tour through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg, where your guide will reveal the colonial Christmas celebrations that shaped our current traditions. You'll also learn how the decorating style of Colonial Williamsburg influenced decorations across the nation. Shades of Our Past is not affiliated with Colonial Williamsburg; therefore, this tour does not include entry to any buildings owned by Colonial Williamsburg. The tour takes place through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg and is subject to weather conditions. Please be prepared for various weather scenarios. Additionally, the advertised tour route may change based on activities in the Historic Area. Please note that tours may be unavailable on certain days due to staff participating in other events. For more details about these programs, please visit our website.

During this one-hour walking tour, discover how a sleepy southern town was restored to its former colonial splendor through the dream of Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin and the backing of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. We will discuss the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg from its conception through to the continuing restoration efforts. We encourage questions and conversation so all guests can better understand why Williamsburg was, and is, so important not only to Dr. Goodwin and Mr. Rockefeller but also to future generations. Please note: Due to staff participation in other events, tours may be unavailable on some days. Please see our website for information. *Shades of Our Past is not affiliated with Colonial Williamsburg; therefore, this tour does not include entrance or admission into Colonial Williamsburg-owned buildings. Since the tour is through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg, it is weather contingent. Please be prepared for all weather conditions.

During this 1-hour walking tour, learn the complexities of Virginia's decision to seek independence from England. Discover the challenges faced by the men of the House of Burgesses as they ultimately chose to declare Virginia's independence and learn how this pivotal decision influenced the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Please note: Due to staff participation in other events, tours may be unavailable on some days. Please see our website for information. *Shades of Our Past is not affiliated with Colonial Williamsburg; therefore, this tour does not include entrance or admission into Colonial Williamsburg-owned buildings. Since the tour is through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg, it is weather contingent. Please be prepared for all weather conditions.

America turns 250 only once. Williamsburg has been waiting for this moment longer than any other city in the country. This is where colonial America was debated, governed, and defined — where the ideas that became the United States were argued on the street corners, in the taverns, and in the Capitol building at the end of Duke of Gloucester Street. On this private 2-hour walking tour, your dedicated guide brings the 18th century to life with insider stories, behind-the-scenes history, and personal commentary you will not find in any guidebook. The Williamsburg Inn, Merchants Square, Bruton Parish Church, the Governor's Palace, and the Capitol — each stop on this tour is a chapter in America's founding story. In 2026, walking these streets carries a weight no other destination can match. This is not a museum. This is a living city. And in America's 250th year, it has never felt more alive.

America turns 250 in 2026. The celebrations are deserved. But the full story of those 250 years includes voices that were long left out of the official account. This private 2-hour walking tour traces the history of slavery in Colonial Williamsburg — the legal systems that enforced it, the buildings where enslaved people lived and worked, the courts that judged them, and the legislature that debated their lives as political abstractions. Your dedicated guide does not simplify this history or soften it. They bring it to life with care, context, and humanity. Colonial Williamsburg, the Courthouse, the Capitol Building, and the James Geddy House — each stop reveals a different dimension of a society built on enslaved labor. Understanding this history is not separate from celebrating America's 250th anniversary. It is essential to it.

This private walking tour reveals the historic and cultural flavors of Williamsburg. Step into an Old Town shaped by early American civilization. Walk through streets older than the United States. Discover how culinary traditions reflect a rich heritage.In Colonial Williamsburg, aromas of the past still linger. What meals defined daily life in this historic settlement? Cultural practices shaped food and community across generations. Each step connects you with traditions rooted in centuries of history. Experience how seasonal ingredients guided colonial kitchens. Hear stories of craftsmanship and survival through food. Architectural surroundings reflect a classical era of growth and identity.This journey blends heritage, culture, and cuisine into one experience. Discover a civilization shaped through taste and tradition. Please note: The program and attractions may vary based on booking date/time and crowd conditions, ensuring each visit is a unique experience.

This is a private tour (your group) to an exceptional tour to visit Monticello, a World Heritage Site, home to our 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson, primary author of our Declaration of Independence and founder of the University of Virginia. Monticello provides in-depth tours of the historic house, gardens, views of the plantation, and, sometimes, an opportunity to engage in a lively presentation by Bill Barker, who portrays Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson enslaved over six hundred people throughout his life, and there are hourly slave tours to learn about the enslaved men, women, and children who labored on the plantation, including the Hemmings family and many others, like the Fosset family. The Monticello tour concludes with an opportunity to visit Thomas Jefferson's gravesite which is still owned by the family today. After leaving Monticello, guests may choose to have lunch at a nearby restaurant before returning to Williamsburg. Approx: 4 hours travel, 3.5 hours touring, 1 hour lunch.