Private Guided Tour: DC National Archives Building & Capitol Hill

9 Ratings
  • Live Guide
  • Instant Confirmation
  • Private Tour
  • E-Ticket
  • 5.5 hr

This private, 5.5 hour guided combo tour will allow you to explore these two Washington DC icons, maximizing your time in the American capital city.Discover the United States’ turbulent history through works preserved in the National Archives before exploring the architectural marvels around Capitol Hill.

Itinerary Details

Operated by: Babylon Tours DC

This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: The National Archives Museum

Start at the Archives, a neoclassical building that acts as a temple to American history. Once inside, your expert guide will introduce you to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution while observing the original documents.. These papers, alongside the Bill of Rights and the Federalist Papers, are all signed by the prominent statesmen and founding fathers like Alexander Hamilton. Moving to the Public Vaults Exhibits, you’ll come face to face with letters from George Washington and John F. Kennedy. You’ll even see the Emancipation Proclamation, which, in 1863, led to the abolishment of slavery. Finally, in the Rubenstein Gallery, you’ll examine more historical documents like the Magna Carta of 1297, written well before the United States was even conceived, yet pivotal in influencing the other documents that you’ll experience in the Archives. By the end, you will have witnessed firsthand the humble documentation that created the world’s most powerful country.

Duration: 2 hour

Stop At: Capitol Hill

After a break for lunch, we’ll talk politics and history as we trace Washington DC’s evolution from a swamp to the capital of one of the world’s most influential nations.  Explore the City Upon a Hill with a knowledgeable guide who will show you Capitol Hill – the place where it all happens in the United States. Learn about the main buildings including the Capitol and the Supreme Court. Visit the magnificent exteriors while popping inside the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress, as well exploring Thomas Jefferson’s library and inspecting a real Gutenberg Bible. The tour may include a visit to a courtroom and tickets may be available for a tour of the Capitol’s interior.

Duration: 2 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Supreme Court

Just east of the Capitol you will visit the U.S Supreme Court, the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in many legal jurisdictions. Completes in 1935, you will be able to enjoy the Court’s stunning exterior whilst learn about all the history and tradition tied to it.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Library of Congress

Afterwards you will visit the Library of Congress, the research library that officially serves the U.S Congress and is considered the national library of the United States. The oldest federal cultural institution in the United States, the 1897 Thomas Jefferson building reveals an Italian-Renaissance style architecture. Inside one of the main highlights includes the beautiful circular main reading room with its 160ft ceiling.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

Inside the Capitol lies the U.S Capitol Visitor Centre, a large underground addition to the Capitol complex, which serves as a gathering point for up to 4000 tourists and an expansion space for the US Congress. Here you will be informed about the unique characteristics of the House, the Senate and U.S legislative process, as well as learn about the history and development of architecture of the Capitol. Our guide will end the tour providing access passes (and information about security protocols) for the visitor’s galleries of the current chambers for the House of Representatives and or the Senate, to be seen at your leisure.

Duration: 45 minutes
This site uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse you agree to the use of cookies. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.