6 Best Bike Tours in Washington DC

Washington DC is a city designed for exploring on foot. In a small area, you can go from the Obelisk to the Lincoln Memorial in just a few steps, and from there to the White House or the Capitol, always following the National Mall, but it is also an ideal destination to explore by bike and make the most of your stay, especially if you are only here for a short time.

When choosing, you can opt for different bike tours, some of which are limited to the best-known circuits and aim to show you all the buildings and monuments of Washington, while others try to give a broader overview of Washington DC and its secrets. Here are the best bike tours in the US capital.

Not counting the adjacent attractions, the National Mall has seventeen buildings and monuments that can be visited. Walking around them is a valid option but can be tiring, especially if you are in the city for a short time, so opting for a bike tour may be a good way to enhance your short stay.

This tour allows you to move easily between the National Mall and the Potomac River while visiting the Washington Obelisk, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the White House and much more.

What's more, with a guide, you can make the most of your time by avoiding traffic jams and long distances on foot while learning more about the history of Washington DC.

Details of interest

• Price... From £30 for a day tour with a guide.

• Duration: From three hours, depending on the information service offered by the guide.

:::link|text=Washington has many attractions to enjoy|element=sc-8-1054::: during the day, but it also stays lively after the sun goes down. Seeing the city's monuments lit up at night and avoiding the tourist crowds during the day is incentive enough to choose this tour, which offers a different perspective.

The night tour allows the guide more time to provide information about the buildings and memorials and make the tour more efficient. I also recommend paying attention to those monuments that are even more attractive at night, such as the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the fountain at the National World War II Veterans Memorial , and the Lincoln Memorial, which is the site of ongoing tributes.

With the right weather, you can also see the Potomac River illuminated by the moon and the Tidal Basin reflecting the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Details of interest

• Price... From £30 for a night tour with a guide.
• Duration: From three hours, depending on the information service offered by the guide.

If cycling around the main sights of Washington DC isn't enough for you, you can up the ante and opt for a tour of Mount Vernon, which will take you from Alexandria, across the Potomac River, to George Washington's historic residence in Virginia.

This tour will take you along the trails of Alexandria that run alongside the Potomac River and to the former home of the first President of the United States. On the way back, you can choose between returning by bike or taking a scenic river cruise.

If you're interested, you can also have lunch at one of the restaurants on the Mount Vernon food trail, but keep in mind that this activity has an extra charge and is not included in the initial tour.

Details of interest

• Price... From £40 for the tour to Mount Vernon with a guide. The return cruise costs an extra £15.
• Duration: From four hours, depending on the return option chosen. Can be extended to seven hours.

Exploring Washington DC by bike with a group can be a lot of fun, but it can also take away your freedom and prevent you from managing your own time during certain parts of the tour. That's why, if you're looking for a personalised tour, you can opt for a private tour of Capitol Hill and the National Mall.

On this tour, you'll experience the monuments, museums and buildings of Washington DC with the assistance of an expert guide who will suggest an itinerary but will be available to answer your questions and cater to your interests. Within the time allotted for the tour, you can ask all the questions you want and stop at the sites that catch your attention.

This tour is designed for visitors of all physical conditions and is geared towards tourists looking for a personalised experience. As with the group tours, you will visit the White House, the Washington Obelisk, the Smithsonian museums, and all the attractions the city has to offer.

Details of interest

• Price: From £90 for groups of up to two people.
• Duration**...** From three hours, depending on the information service provided by the guide.

This is the most economical option and also the one that many people choose so they can spend their time as they wish. Bicycle rentals are available at accommodation establishments and tourist offices in Washington DC. They are widely used services that can be accessed by paying the rental fee and leaving a form of personal identification as a deposit.

However, it is not the most recommended option as it only solves the problem of tiredness from long walks but does not provide any information about the route, although some bikes are also rented with a self-guided tour device that includes recommendations to avoid the city's constant traffic jams.

It should also be noted that for safety reasons, these bikes are not usually rented to minors, even when accompanied by a responsible adult, which may detract from the appeal of a route suitable for the whole family.

Details of interest

• Price: From £15 for two hours' use to £40 for a full day. For an extra cost, some services also include the hire of an electric bike.
• Duration: From two hours to a full day, depending on the service contracted.

After a thirty-minute orientation session, you will be ready to set off and explore the streets of Washington DC on a Segway scooter. The guide will facilitate the tour by providing information about the city's most important buildings and monuments and will be available to answer any questions the group may have.

We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and bringing a backpack to store your belongings, as you will be standing on the Segway with your hands on the controls throughout the tour. Be careful, as some of them are very fast!

This is a good option if you are looking for a personalised tour, as although the tours are in groups, the Segway is faster than a bicycle, so the groups are usually smaller so that the instructor can keep control of the visitors.

Details of interest

• Price... From £45 for a two-hour tour plus half an hour of instruction before the tour begins.
• Duration: Tours last between two and three hours, and most are limited by the battery life of the Segway.

Booking a bike tour in Washington DC is quick and easy with Hellotickets, where you'll find a range of options to suit all tastes. From historical routes to sunset tours of the city's most iconic monuments.

Simply select the date, add the number of participants and complete the online payment. You will instantly receive a confirmation voucher with all the details you need to meet your guide on the day of the tour.

What's more, many of these tours include free cancellation, so if your plans change, you won't have to worry. It's that easy to start pedalling and discover Washington in a fun and different way.

All tours of the main Washington DC circuit are designed to take approximately three hours, enough time to see the monuments and buildings of Capitol Hill and the National Mall with the help of an expert guide.

Some more complex tours, such as the Mount Vernon tour, can last up to seven hours, depending on the return options you choose.

On tours of Capitol Hill and the National Mall, you can see and learn about the history of the most iconic buildings and monuments in the US capital, such as the Washington Obelisk, the Lincoln Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and some of the war memorials, such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

On night tours, you'll see a different side of the city, witnessing its transformation when night falls and the lights of the main circuit come on.

Basic bike tour services include reflective safety jackets, lights and helmets to make your tour safer. These are not only important for distinguishing the members of your group, if you have booked a tour with several people, but also make you visible to cars and protect you from road accidents if the tour is at night or you are in the middle of a sunset.

If you rent a bike or book a tour and the providers do not agree to provide you with basic safety equipment, it is best to cancel your reservation and request a refund.

If the tour does not include drinks, it is advisable to bring water to stay hydrated during the tour, especially during the summer when temperatures in Washington can be high.

If you are taking the tour in winter, I recommend being very careful when riding, wearing comfortable clothing and bringing a warm coat.

The National Mall circuit may seem intuitive, but the truth is that by visiting the buildings and monuments on your own, you will miss out on a lot of information and significant details that can enhance your experience.

Hiring a bike tour that includes a guide will save you time and make the tour more effective.