DC Monuments by Night: 10+ Landmarks | Open-Top Upgrade Available
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Washington DC, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
See a different side of Washington DC, and beat the daytime crowds, on a nighttime coach tour of the city's top sights. Travel in a standard vehicle, or upgrade for one with a glass roof. Along the way, gaze at floodlit memorials and monuments, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. Have time for photo stops, and learn more from your guide's narration en route.
- See a view of Washington DC some visitors miss on a night tour
- Learn insider facts and stories from your guide’s in-depth commentary
- Upgrade to travel aboard a glass-roofed mini-bus for unimpeded views
- Avoid the hassle and crowds of daytime sightseeing in DC
What's Included
- Guided city tour
- Bottled water
- Profesional Tour Guide (English-speaking; on and off the bus)
- Air-conditioned vehicleThe tour is conducted by either a closed-top or open-top convertible tour bus - please make sure to select one of the bus options
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick up and drop off
- Luggage Storage
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- US Navy Memorial Plaza701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
Tours Start/Ends at the U.S. Navy Memorial at 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004. We meet guests in the front of the Memorial, a large fountain plaza, by the tall navy flags - on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 7th & 9th St NW.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.7:30 pm
Itinerary
Start your Washington DC night bus tour from the US Navy Memorial Plaza. Settle into your coach or your glass-roofed vehicle (if upgrade selected when booking), and set off to view DC’s illuminated monuments and memorials.
See the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, and more, all of which are especially impressive when dramatically floodlit at night.
Along the way, listen to in-depth commentary about Washington DC history from your guide. Make a number of stops along the way to snap photos of main attractions and get a closer view.
Finally, after several hours of exploring, return to your original starting point, where this tour ends.
See the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, and more, all of which are especially impressive when dramatically floodlit at night.
Along the way, listen to in-depth commentary about Washington DC history from your guide. Make a number of stops along the way to snap photos of main attractions and get a closer view.
Finally, after several hours of exploring, return to your original starting point, where this tour ends.
United States Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center (Pass By)
1
The White House
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
U.S. Capitol
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
National World War II Memorial
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Jefferson Memorial
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Lincoln Memorial
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Korean War Veterans Memorial
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Small carry-on bags are allowed; however it recommended to travel light
- For security reasons, the tour operator reserves the right to search any bags or purses you bring on board
- Please note that most attractions in Washington, DC are equipped with metal detectors at the entrances, and to make your sightseeing experience as seamless as possible, we recommend traveling light on our tours
- No food allowed on buses (snacks are fine!)
- Convertible buses switch from open-tops to glass-tops between October and March due to colder temperatures
- Departure Location: Tours Start/Ends at the U.S. Navy Memorial at 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004. We meet guests in the front of the Memorial, a large fountain plaza, by the tall navy flags - on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 7th & 9th St NW. Please note: rideshares tend to bring people to the opposite side of the block.
- Parking/Metro: We do not have dedicated parking for this tour. There is street parking and parking garages (including directly under the Navy Memorial meeting location) located in the area. Tours also meet directly outside the Metro station "Navy Memorial - National Archives" on the yellow and green lines.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
Supplied by
Frequently Asked Questions (5)
Q:Where does this tour meet?
A:Tours Start/Ends at the U.S. Navy Memorial at 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004. We meet guests in the front of the Memorial, a large fountain plaza, by the tall navy flags - on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 7th & 9th St NW. Please note: rideshares tend to bring people to the opposite side of the block.
Jun 2025
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 7,204 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Kim_D, Jul 2026
Fast paced. Still lots of walking. Air conditioned bus. Free waters. Way to see most all monuments in one outing
Laurel_K, Jul 2026
We were late because of all of the construction in the city (our walk more than doubled), but some team members waited for us and brought us to meet the group in a van, which was amazing. Unfortunately, when we caught up with the group, other customers resisted making space (using seats for unticketed lap children and strollers), and the tour guide was not supportive in helping us find seats. Two members of our group ended up leaving and not participating in the tour. Our tour guide was personable, but gave some misinformation and/or misworded "facts" as we toured. The driver was outstanding, though.
Tess_W, Jul 2026
Wonderful tour of the monuments at night! We loved Curtis and Buzz! We had plenty of time at each stop and enjoyed seeing everything lit up at night. It was beautiful!
Amanda_H, Jul 2026
George was an amazing tour guide. He had so much knowledge and it was clear he enjoys being a tour guide. To be able to visit so many of the monuments without the hassle of driving was worth every penny!! The history lesson along the way was awesome. My kids (11 and 8) learned so much.
Sue_S, Jul 2026
Excellent tour. George was so knowledgeable. And with his booming voice was easy to hear him. He was fun & entertaining & full of interesting facts. Alicia was a careful & considerate bus driver. The bus was comfortable & the AC was just what we needed on the hot & humid night.
Melanie_G, Jul 2026
Our tour guide and bus driver were excellent. The bus was comfortable and air conditioned. My only complaint was that 4 family members (out of the 14 tickets I purchased) were on a plane that was diverted because of weather and I had no recourse to ask for a refund since I booked through Viator. The tour company could not help me and the Viator website gave no recourse or phone number. I was out $250 plus. I will think about booking directly rather than through Viator, which I have used successfully many times.
Kathleen_J, Jul 2026
Our guide was incredibly informative and made the entire tour great. We never would have discovered the information or been able to cover all of the monuments on our own in this same amount of time. Definite must see even with teenage kids.
Aurea_D, Jul 2026
Very organized and friendly the tour guide explain each monument and give very good feedback to all the questions
Marcie_S, Jul 2026
Very informational, history you never have heard. Nice bus and driver. Tour guide was awesome. I wish he could record himself and have someone type it up to sell. I heard other tour guides, and ours seemed alot more friendly and acknowledged. Definitely would recommend.
MUKESH_P, Jul 2026
Guide is too fast in speaking
We need reasonable speed so we understand
everything. Otherwise all good
All tourist not from USA. They are from different parts of the world. Thankyou
Jennifer_L, Jul 2026
Excellent experience - Loved Buzz, our guide, and Curtis, our bus driver. There was a heat wave moving through DC, so it was nice to have a cooler bus to retreat to after hearing about each monument. Loved the info and little known facts shared at each stop. Highly recommend.
MIRIAM_T, Jul 2026
This was a fantastic experience. It did take a full 3 hours. Iwo Jima was my favorite part of this tour. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly.
Mary_C, Jul 2026
Views were stunning. Driver and guide were both great! Great way to see the monuments in a relatively short time.
Veronica_B, Jul 2026
We really enjoyed our tour! Jeff and Ricky took great care of us. We felt safe and enjoyed the knowledge and skill navigating the city. Would recommend and do it again!
Belinda_B, Jul 2026
This was a scheduled tour and load in the bus to only cancel our tour so did not get to see the monuments so completely ruined our trip. The other times had been booked and happen to have an opening day before we left . No apologies no explanation but did give a full refund but doesn’t make up for the missed experience.
Michael_M, Jul 2026
I took the DC Monuments by Night tour on the 4th of July and it was a bit of a mixed bag. It started with a delay and the whole evening felt very chaotic due to the holiday. That said, the tour guide was fantastic and deserves a lot of credit for dealing with the heat and the crowds like a total champ. Despite the chaos, the tour was very informative. I'd definitely give it another try on a regular, non-holiday day
Nancy_F, Jul 2026
George was a wealth of knowledge and he and the bus driver did a good job of navigating the tour around the unexpected road closures. Would recommend to others.
JoAnn_S, Jul 2026
Our tour guide and driver were fine. The issue is that we spent most of the time riding around on the bus. We did not visit the Jefferson Memorial. We did not visit the Vietnam Memorial. Both are listed on the itinerary. We started late and ended on time. Nothing was communicated as to why we did not visit the memorials just that we had to go back to starting place. If there were known road access issues then we would have rescheduled. Time was not managed well and you don’t really have 3 hours. We’ve taken other DC tours. No one of us really enjoyed this one because we felt that we didn’t see as much.
Jennifer_G, Jul 2026
The tour was advertised as an exclusive glass covered mini bus tour with AC and minimal walking. I paid over $200 for two tickets to ride a beat up mini bus, no glass top, no AC and walking at every stop. I could barely walk my feet were so swollen. This was supposed to be the highlight of our trip on our last day in DC. 💔 We were excited about going to see the monuments we couldn't see because of my terribly swollen feet. The driver was kind, not his fault but there was no one that could assist me with a refund or even a change of bus. I lost that money and the memories we could have made on our very first trip to DC. Never again. We ended up getting dropped off back where we started after the first stop at the capitol. I would NOT recommend this tour agency at all. I don't know how they have such good reviews. I never leave bad reviews but this was so bad I had to. We were decived. Maybe this review will help the next person not experience what we did.
Nathan_A, Jul 2026
Most important is that our guide, Rafael, put his all into this tour and our driver did a good job constantly re-routing around blocked roads.
We took the tour on July 3 in 100 degree heat. Although the service offers both open-top and closed tour vehicles, we were not expecting the open kind in that heat. They did supply lots of water to keep us hydrated. We got a late start and ended up doing more walking than expected due all the road blocks. Still, we managed to see everything and we give a ton of credit to Rafael for doing this tour multiple times in that heat and also for his knowledge of the city that helped us re-route and see everything, including some sites that we were not even aware of previously. Rafael and the driver were the good, the re-routing due to roadblocks was the bad and the heat was the ugly, but we definitely got our money’s worth!
Ashley_R, Jul 2026
I understand not having all the answers for a big event night like the night before the 4th of July. However with extreme heat and no plan to keep us in AC more than not and your usual routes shut down, you probably should have canceled. Also from the minute we were assigned to our bus which was not open air like the ad offers in the title we were met with a bus that simply could cool off in the heat wave. We then were kept put in the heat at stops for longer periods of time because the bus could not park and had to circle to be able to pick us up which lead to extend time in the over 100° heat. We also truly struggled to see about 4 of the monuments after dark had fallen due to bad lighting in those areas. We were trailed through a park that did not seem the safest and again at this point very dark, there was very uneven pavement and that was not noted. Overall it was very disappointing and I had even reached out earlier as I was concerned with the closures and the severe heat and they said it should not be impacted.
Laura_M, Jul 2026
I reached out to the tour company that afternoon to ask if the tour was still departing as we were in DC and they were closing streets and it was over 100+ degrees. I was told absolutely yes.
As suspected the roads were closed , The monuments were closed the bathrooms were closed. We were supposed to have been on a 35 person tour, it was 54. The AC barely worked and all we did was drive on a hot bus for 3 hours in grid lock to see nothing as all roads were shutting down so we kept having to pivot. Our guide and driver were amazing trying to make the most of it but there was no night tour.
The tour company should not have been so greedy with their tour money and should not have booked any tours that night.
Rachel_P, Jul 2026
The title of the booking said an open top luxury bus, but we were directed to a 50 person closed top bus. The A/C in the bus didn’t work well and I sat the whole trip drenched in sweat on a 100 degree evening.
The booking also says 10+ monuments in three hours, but because of the road closures for Freedom 250 events, we only got to stop at 5 places. And due to road closures our trip ended after about 2 hours.
Our bus driver and tour guide were great, and tried to be flexible to get us to see more sights. They were friendly and kind, but the overall experience was frustrating.
Erica_F, Jul 2026
Our guide Dion was excellent. He was full
Of knowledge and was very funny. It was very hot and they provided unlimited water which was needed. However the pace felt very rushed and we didn’t get to see the WWII memorial. Also, I thought I purchased the open air bus and it was a small, closed bus.
Jesse_L, Jul 2026
The tour was not delivered as advertised. When you book a tour that describes the vehicle as “open top” and “luxury” and it’s neither open top or luxury, I would call that false advertisement
The tour they put us on was enjoyable, buzz and Curtis were excellent (I’d give them both 5 stars). I submitted my experience to Viator as well as a request for a partial refund (as weren’t given what we paid for, based on the description of the tour before booking).
Do not book this tour is your think you’re paying for an “open top” or a “luxury bus”. It is neither.
Jennifer_H, Jul 2026
We weren't able to get to meet stop because of blocked off roads and metro running behind and tour guide refused to refund us before 730pm
Jeff_P, Jul 2026
This is an open air ride so it was very hot. Many streets were blocked off so it was harder to see several of the monuments.
Deborah_P, Jul 2026
The driver and host were terrific but our bus had a broken AC and it was not comfortable since it was 105 degrees outside. Even the water they gave us to drink was hot. I asked for a partial refund but they're never replied. And we didn't get to see everything that was on the list.
Judy_H, Jun 2026
Communication from ticket purchase to end of tour was great and responsive. Guide- Rocky and Driver Parker were knowledgeable and customer focused. We learned so much and had a great time. Highly recommend this tour. The smaller group and convertible top was comfortable and easy
Adrian_H, Jun 2026
Great! Deion has a wealth of knowledge and was very informative and funny! Be prepared to walk and make sure to take a ton of pictures.
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