Washington D.C. Politics Tour: From the Willard Hotel to Capitol Hill

A crash course in United States government
From US$350 privately
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Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • National Archives
  • Willard Hotel
  • Library of Congress
Photos & Highlights
  • Discover the nation's capitol on our Washington DC City Tour
  • Led by a local historian
Select a date
Tour Description
Interested in the inner workings of the United States government? Learn how US politics works (or not) on this three-hour Washington DC City Tour focusing on the political process and insider intrigue, led by a local historian or journalist. Together, we'll walk down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol, visiting places along the way significant to all three branches of government, including the Senate Buildings and Supreme Court. We may also visit the lead-lined vaults of the National Archives and the Federal Trade Commission, the latter standing as a testament to consumer rights for some and the beginning of “big government” for others. Along the way, our guide will discuss key people, places, and events while considering the ways that Washington’s political, intellectual, and architectural landscapes have evolved over the last 200 years.

Politics Reflected in the Cityscape

Our walk begins with an introduction to Washington in the lobby of the historic Willard Hotel—a DC institution that has hosted personalities like Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Buffalo Bill, and P.T. Barnum, in addition to almost every U.S. President since Franklin Pierce in 1853. With this magnificent Beaux Arts façade as a backdrop (just steps away from the White House), we’ll set the stage for an understanding of Washington by examining maps of the District and considering how Washington’s physical landscape reflects political principles and ideas.

We continue by traveling up Pennsylvania Avenue toward Capitol Hill, discussing landmark architecture along the way like the Old Post Office Tower and the Federal Trade Commission, as well as government agencies like the FBI. We might visit the National Archives to examine “founding” documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, or discuss public demonstrations and landmark court cases on the steps of the Supreme Court. Our crash course in American government then circles the Capitol and nearby Senate buildings, concluding at the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress.

Traveling with younger learners? Check out our Washington DC tour for kids, Context’s introduction to Washington history tailored especially for families.

For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQs.

Does this tour involve a lot of walking?
Yes, this tour covers a lot of ground in order to include all of the sites.

Will the Library of Congress be included on the tour?
In the case that we are unable to visit the National Archives, then the Library of Congress will be visited instead. Unfortunately we cannot include both due to limited time and the venues operating hours. The National Archives Rotunda and Museum no longer offers timed entry tickets so lines can be lengthy. As such, the interior of the venue will only be included on this tour if lines are short so that wait time doesn't interfere with the rest of the tour.

Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.


Where You'll Start
41 Reviews (4.86)

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

When I was looking for some tours in Washington, DC I researched VIP private tours and came upon your company. Read through your website and the tours looked to be good quality. I totally recognize that I may have been booking with shorter notice and you had to adjust to find a guide. With all that said, this honestly could not have been any worse - if I could give it a zero stars I would. And I’m generally an easy going person. But here’s where it failed terribly: 1: Communication around Tour route and and expectations - 0/5. I clearly state I had 79 year old parents with me and nowhere did you set up expectations that they would need to walk 4+ miles some of it uphill. Not at the beginning of the tour did the guide set it up so we could adjust, nor did anywhere along the way really outline expectations before we left so we could manage. 2: Terrible organization - our Tour started at the Willard Hotel at 1pm and you booked us into the Library of Congress timed entry for 2pm. We started the tour at 1:00pm. Even myself who is incredibly fit would’ve had a hard time getting from the Willard Hotel to Library of Congress while seeing the sights along the way by 2:00pm. Not only that, but that was supposed to be our last stop for a tour ending at 4:00pm. So we were supposed to walk 3.6 miles from Willard to Library of Congress in one hour while stopping and seeing the other sights. 3: Our guide was nice so I don’t want to be critical as he was somewhat knowledgeable, but not at all the experience I expected for the amount we paid. On top of it, he did not at ALL set up expectations on how long the walk would be at the start of Tour or on timing. I could have got us an Uber or car so we avoided a marathon walk and made our time. Here’s how it all went - after hoofing it from the Willard at Mach speed trying to see and talk about sights along the way, my exhausted parents couldn’t even make it up the hill to the Library of Congress. They’re fit people for their age and trying to be brave but it was ridiculously too much ground to cover (at their age) and in the timeframe. My mom couldn’t even catch her breath and I had to call it and say there’s no way my parents can make it to the Library in even close to time for the “timed entry” that you had booked. I then had to pay for an Uber and guide tried to salvage by taking us to the National Archives which was also a disaster and I think maybe told us two knowledgeable things while there. At 3:00pm I finally just told Stephen to leave because there was no value or interest to get us another hour of tour. Not at all the tour I was expecting.
Our tour with Jane was a highlight of our visit to Washington. Her knowledge, together with her lovely nature made for an unforgettable experience.
Mary Jo was awesome! Thank you!