★★★★★
Convenient pickup, a comfortable vehicle and a knowledgeable guide; worth it.
Kendra_E · Family · June 2026
Washington Night Private Tour from Your Hotel
Private vehicle9 stops of up to 20 minPickup at your hotelPrivate, up to 4
Two to three hours in an air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed guide of your own, who collects you from your hotel or rental and brings you back. The fare is for the vehicle, not the seat: up to four people for one price, with a separate grade for five to ten. You shape the stops with your guide, and the evening crosses the river too.
Your car, your guide, your order
Collected from your door
Hotels and vacation homes in DC and the surrounding area.
One fare for up to four
$595 covers the vehicle; five to ten guests is a separate grade.
Nine stops, re-ordered for you
Up to 20 minutes at most, longer where you want it, shorter where you do not.
Across the river too
A stop at the flag raisers in Arlington, and the Kennedy Center on the way.
Ready for rain
Umbrellas or ponchos are in the fare when the weather turns.
5.0 from 352 reviews
347 of them five stars: travellers name the pickup, the vehicle and the guides.
Picked up at your hotel or rental
There is no kerb to find. Your guide collects you from your hotel in Washington or the surrounding area, and the operator also picks up from vacation homes; you give the address when you book, and you are dropped back there at the end. The start time shows when you choose a date. That makes this the evening that works best if you are staying outside downtown, or with children who tire early.
The vehicle is air-conditioned and yours alone, with bottled water on board, and strollers are fine. It is not wheelchair accessible, and the operator asks for a moderate level of fitness: the stops are on foot, and some, like the Lincoln Memorial, have steps.
$595 buys a vehicle, not a seat
The $595 fare is for the vehicle with one to four guests. For five to ten, choose the second grade at booking and its fare shows then. Split between four, the car costs less than two seats on the van each, but for a couple it is several times the price of a coach seat.
| Your party | This car, each | The 7:30pm coach, each | The van, each |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $595 | $58 | $99 |
| 2 people | $298 | $58 | $99 |
| 3 people | $198 | $58 | $99 |
| 4 people | $149 | $58 | $99 |
The coach and the van figures are one seat each on the two shared evenings with their own pages here; neither collects you. Every private evening, including a private bike ride and a private walk, is compared on our page of private night tours.
Nine stops, re-ordered for you
The listed evening has nine stops: the Capitol and the White House, the World War II Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Marine Corps War Memorial across the river, and the Korean War Veterans, Lincoln and Vietnam Veterans memorials. Most are listed at 20 minutes and the World War II Memorial at five, but the itinerary is yours to change: tell your guide what matters and they will fit the evening to it.
On the way the car passes the Kennedy Center and Arlington National Cemetery, which closes at 5pm and is seen from the road. The memorials themselves are free and open 24 hours, with rangers on duty until 10pm, so an evening that runs late still finds them open. What each looks like after dark is on the memorials page.
Rain: ponchos, or a new date
A private evening depends on the weather more than a coach does, because so much of it is on foot. The operator hands out umbrellas or ponchos when it rains. If the weather is poor enough to call the evening off, you are offered a different date or a full refund. The months with the most rain and the warmest evenings are on weather and dark times.
Useful tip. Book the evening for your first night: if the
weather cancels it, you still have nights left to use the new date. And tell your guide at booking
if a stop matters to you, such as the flag raisers, which not every evening reaches.
The evening, stop by stop
- Pickup. At your hotel or vacation home, at the time you booked.
- The Capitol and the White House. Up to 20 minutes at each, from outside.
- The west end of the Mall. The World War II, Jefferson and King memorials.
- Across the river. The flag raisers in Arlington, passing the Kennedy Center.
- The Lincoln stop. With the Korean War and Vietnam Veterans memorials beside it.
- Drop-off. Back at your door, two to three hours after pickup.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book it if
- You are three or four, and the per-person cost comes close to a van seat each.
- You want to be collected at your door, especially from outside downtown.
- You have children and a stroller, or want to set the pace yourselves.
- You want the flag raisers across the river and time where you choose.
Book something else if
- You are two on a budget. The $48 van picks up at 7:00pm at the Marriott at Metro Center or 7:10pm at Navy Memorial Plaza, and adds a free next-day pass for the National Air and Space Museum.
- You would rather ride a bike. The private bike ride meets you at your lodging between 5pm and 9pm, for $595 for one or two riders.
- Someone in your party uses a wheelchair. The private minivan evening is listed as wheelchair accessible and carries up to five for $275.
- You want a guide at every stop on a shared coach: the 7:30pm coach costs $58 a person.
What $595 covers, and what it leaves out
In the fare
- Licensed private guide
- Bottled water
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Washington DC and surrounding areas
- Private tour in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Customizable itinerary
- Umbrellas or ponchos in bad weather
- Passes the Kennedy Center and Arlington Cemetery
Not in the fare
- Personal purchases or expenses
- Entry to anything: the memorials are free and open all night
- Guests five to ten, who book the second grade
Know before you go
- Book the right grade. One to four guests is the $595 grade; five to ten is a separate one.
- Not for wheelchairs. The vehicle is not wheelchair accessible; strollers and service animals are fine.
- Moderate fitness. Each stop is on foot, and some have steps.
- Changes close at 24 hours. Cancel or change at least 24 hours ahead; after that the fare is not refunded.
- Weather can cancel it. If it does, you choose a new date or a full refund.
- Give the full address. Vacation homes are picked up too, so say where you are staying when you book.
What travellers said at their own front door
★★★★★
The second year running on this tour, and both evenings were excellent: friendly guides and clean vehicles.
Keri_K · Business · June 2026
★★★★★
Relaxed: you get on and off when you want, with a guide who fits the evening to the group.
Jeffrey_D · Business · June 2026
Frequently asked questions
How many people does the fare cover?
The $595 grade covers one to four guests in one vehicle. For five to ten, choose the second grade when you book and its fare shows then.
Is it worth it for two?
It works out at about $298 each, against $58 for a coach seat. For two on a budget, the 7:30pm coach or a van will save most of that.
Can we choose the stops?
Yes. The itinerary is customizable, so you can add time where you want it and skip what you have already seen.
Do you pick up outside downtown?
The operator picks up in Washington and the surrounding area, including vacation homes. Give the address when you book so it can confirm.
What if it rains?
Umbrellas or ponchos are provided in bad weather. If the weather calls the evening off, you are offered a new date or a full refund.
Is there a shared evening with pickup?
Yes, from downtown hotels: the moonlight van picks up there for $67 a person, with bookings of two or more. For a small shared van without pickup, the van from the Grand Hyatt carries 12 at most.
Other ways to see the memorials lit up
Ready for an evening of your own?
Check the evenings still open for your party, with a full refund up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability