13 Museum Tours in Washington DC to Build a Day Around

1.Guided African American History Tour with Reserved Museum Entry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,180 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $89Our pick

Spend about three and a half hours tracing African American history in Washington, DC, from Black Lives Matter Plaza to the MLK and Lincoln memorials. Guides such as Dre, Elvis, and Jeff add lively context before you receive museum entry for independent exploration.

“Enjoyed the company of the guide/driver as well as the travelers on the tour, very nice and welcoming”

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2.Museum of the Bible General Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 494 reviews · 1 day · from $34Best value

Visit the Museum of the Bible near the National Mall for a full day of artifacts, manuscripts, Bible translations, films, and interactive exhibits. Arrive at 9 AM for early entry, except Sundays. Add the six-minute Washington Revelations flight simulator if you meet the 42-inch height requirement.

“This entire experience far exceeded our expectations. It was both intellectually and spiritually profound. You exponentially get out of it what you are willing to put in to it.”

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3.Smithsonian Museum of Natural History – Exclusive Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 446 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $89Top rated

See the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History with a private guide in about two hours. Expect major displays such as the Hope Diamond, Egyptian mummies, dinosaurs, Henry the elephant, and Phoenix the 45-ton whale replica, with morning and afternoon departures.

“My friend and I had our own private tour Amanda, the tour guide was very informative and we enjoyed the time spent with her seeing the Capital the Library of Congress”

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4.African American History Tour with Museum of African American History Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 390 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Join Kenny for a 3.5-hour small-group tour of African American Washington, from the Capitol and Lincoln Memorial to LeDroit Park, Howard University, and the Frederick Douglass site. The tour ends with same-day entry to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“The tour was very informative and an overall enjoyable experience. Kenny was our tour guide and he shared a plethora of information and was personable and accommodating. I highly recommend this tour.”

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5.Washington, DC: African American History Tour & Museum Entry

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 312 reviews · 210 minutes - 4 hours · from $89

Spend 210 minutes to four hours tracing African American history with an English-speaking guide such as Dre or Elvis. Visit major memorials, Howard University, U Street, and the African American Civil War Memorial before using reserved entry to explore the Smithsonian museum independently.

“my family and I learned so much from the guide. He was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. only thing that was a lil frustrating was his mic on the bus... it was alil muffled.. just may need a new mic or speaker but other than that it was a awesome tour! I would definitely recommend this tour company!”

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6.The National Gallery of Art DC – Exclusive Guided Museum Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 166 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $89

Spend 2.5 hours at Washington’s National Gallery of Art with a guide such as Leigh, Rebecca, Stephen, or Donna. Follow a thoughtful route through major works by da Vinci, Van Gogh, Monet, Raphael, Picasso, and O’Keeffe, with room to shape the visit around your interests.

“Leigh our tour guide was possibly the most knowledgeable & engaging fine arts tour guide ever. I’ve done tours in three countries & this was by far the best explained. My teenage son commented after on how it really made the gallery visit a better experience. This was a bit pricey compared to others, but worth the money.”

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7.Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 159 reviews · 2 hours · from $75

Explore the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History with an English-speaking guide for two hours. Guides such as Nur, DC, and Maurice lead you to major dinosaur, gemstone, mummy, and human-history displays while adding context and Washington background. Museum entry is included, though admission itself is free.

“loved the tour person he did a great job explaining to us has alot of knowledge”

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8.Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Guided Tour 8ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 89 reviews · 2h 30m · from $95

Spend 150 minutes with an English-speaking guide in a group of no more than eight, or choose a private tour. See the Wright Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, Apollo 11 Command Module, moon rock, and an International Space Station model. Museum construction means exhibits can change.

“Paul was brilliant! He was not only full of facts but was also impassioned about flight in general and it showed in all that he said. Additionally he had personal videos he shared on his tablet to show reenactments of the Wright Bros flight. It was absolutely amazing from start to finish!”

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9.African American History Museum Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 54 reviews · 2 hours

Meet your English-speaking guide at the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a two-hour private visit. Guides such as Nur, Michael, Koura, and Hur focus on key exhibits, connect the museum to the National Mall, and keep children and teens engaged.

“Hur was a great guide! Friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about African American history. We loved it”

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10.Smithsonian Natural History Museum Tour Semi-Private 8ppl

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 34 reviews · 2h 30m · from $95

Spend 2.5 hours with an English-speaking guide at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. In a group of no more than eight, see the Hope Diamond, Dom Pedro Aquamarine, mummies, Phoenix the whale, fossils, ocean life, and giant animals, with time for your own questions.

“Our family enjoyed this tour. Tony was a great guide. We saw everything we wanted to see and learned a lot. Tony was very responsive to questions and gave us suggestions on what to see around DC. Highly recommend.”

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11.DC: All Creation Sings- Museum of the Bible Exhibition Entry

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 26 reviews · 1 hour · from $49

At Washington DC’s Museum of the Bible, experience All Creation Sings, a 25-minute, four-act presentation joining art, music, scripture, and reflection. Your ticket also includes museum admission, with exhibits on the Bible’s influence on music, fashion, literature, and history.

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12.Smithsonian Natural History + Air & Space Museum Tour 8ppl

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · 5h 30m · from $174

Spend 5.5 hours with a local English-speaking guide at Washington DC’s Natural History and Air and Space museums. See Henry the elephant, the Hope Diamond, the Wright Flyer, and Apollo 11 in a private or eight-person group, with guides such as Amanda, Tim, and Leigh.

“Brenda was our guide. She provides us detailed information about every museum the exhibits, historical context, and stories. Great customer service and great selections for every museum. Heaven and I ( Joel) really appreciate and highly recommend this”

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13.DC National Gallery of Art Guided Tour with 8ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 2h 30m · from $95

Spend 2.5 hours with an English-speaking guide at Washington’s National Gallery of Art. See da Vinci’s Ginevra de’ Benci, Van Gogh, Monet, Raphael, and more while hearing the stories, scandals, and techniques behind the works. Choose a private tour or a group capped at eight.

“This was a wonderful tour. The national gallery of art has a wide ranging impressive collection and Rebecca did an amazing job weaving my wife and I through it while sharing her expert historical context for each piece and the museum itself. Highly recommend, we got so much more out of the private tour than we would have walking around the museum on our own”

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