- Twelve and a half hours. That's how long one tourism company says visitors should allow for exploring eight of the "must see" attractions in Washington, D.C. But forty major attractions await on and around the National Mall and in Arlington National Cemetery. Shuttle services can help you get the most out of whatever time you have in the capital. Three companies offer narrated, hop-on and hop-off bus services. Guides relate history, fun facts and colorful anecdotes between stops.
- Tourmobile uses distinctive 85-passenger two-car red, white and blue trams. Daily between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., except Christmas and New Year's Day, tourists on the Tourmobile American Heritage Tour of Washington, D.C., and Arlington Cemetery can board or get off at any of 19 stops on the National Mall, on Capitol Hill or at Arlington National Cemetery. The red, white and blue Tourmobile signs marking the boarding locations are easy to spot. Vehicles arrive every 30 minutes on the American Heritage loop and every 20 minutes on the Arlington National Cemetery loop. It takes about an hour to complete both loops. In summer the trams are open air, without air conditioning.
Tourmobile Sightseeing
1000 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20024
(888) 868-7707 or (202) 554--5100
Tourmobile.com - Open Top Sightseeing uses red double-decker buses, the only double-decker tour buses serving Georgetown and the National Cathedral. Grab an upper deck seat and get an unobstructed view of the sights of Washington, D.C. Vehicles arrive every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Although there is only one stop at Arlington National Cemetery, there are 28 additional stops throughout Washington, D.C. Those outside the National Mall include Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Woodley Park, Newseum, Washington Convention Center, International Spy Museum, Ford's Theatre, National Geographic Museum, St. Matthew's Cathedral, Phillips Collection, Embassy Row, National Zoological Park and the National Cathedral. The full circuit takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. The lower level of the bus is air conditioned during the summer.
Open Top Sightseeing
5500 Tuxedo Road
Hyattsville, MD 20781
(877) 332-8689
OpenTopSightseeing.com - Old Town Trolley, with bold orange and green trolleys, has three tour loops: a 90-minute tour of the National Mall and downtown; a 90-minute tour of the National Cathedral, uptown and Georgetown; and a tour of Arlington National Cemetery. Tourists can hop on and off at any stop on any loop. The trolley stops at 19 tourist sites, with additional stops at hotels for convenience. Tours are daily and depart at least every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The guides with Old Town Trolley highlight 100 attractions and points of interest with "transportainment." Trolleys have heat in winter, but most have no air conditioning in summer. Windows protect tourists from rain and snow. Old Town Trolley started going green in the 1980s and has converted 90 percent of its fleet to clean-burning propane to preserve and protect the environment.
The Old Town Trolley website provides information for tourists about the attractions at each stop, usually including estimated times to explore.
Historic Tours of America
201 Front St.
Key West, FL 33040
(800) 868-7482. (202) 832-9800
TrolleyTours.com - Open Top Sightseeing and Old Town Trolley offer discounts for tickets purchased online in advance.
Tourmobile tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 551-SEAT.
If you don't get bus tour tickets in advance, you can get Old Town Trolley tickets at the Washington Welcome Center at the northwest corner of 10th and E Sreets., NW (Gallery Place Metrorail Stop: Red Line); Tourmobile, Open Top Sightseeing and Old Town Trolley tickets at Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave., NE (Metrorail Stop: Red Line); and Tourmobile and Open Top Sightseeing tickets at Arlington National Cemetery (Metrorail Stop: Blue Line).
Tourmobile and Open Top Sightseeing drivers sell tickets at all stops. This option is limited to cash (small bills recommended).
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