8 Best Night Tours in Washington DC

Washington, D.C., was created to be the seat of power in the United States. Its buildings have witnessed critical events and its monuments pay tribute to great figures. You can discover all this on a daytime walk along the National Mall, which will take you from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, passing by the Obelisk and the World War II Veterans Memorial. But behind this planned city also lie lights and shadows, mysteries and secrets that come to the surface at night.

Below are the best night tours to discover the other side of Washington, whether it's the one that illuminates the most iconic monuments, creating a unique atmosphere, or the one that fuels the theory that it's a city of ghosts.

This tour offers a walk through the sites of Washington that are considered haunted. It began in the 1980s and has become so popular that several experts now offer their services as tour guides.

The tour focuses on the area near the White House and offers visitors the chance to witness the ghost of Griselio Torresola, the Puerto Rican who in 1950 unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate President Harry Truman, or hear the sobs of the souls in President's Park, or visit some of Washington DC's haunted houses and Ford's Theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. assassinate President Harry Truman, or hear the sobs of souls in torment in President's Park, or visit some of Washington DC's haunted houses or Ford's Theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

The stories are narrated by the guides and are backed up by the testimonies of alleged witnesses to the apparitions and paranormal activity in each case. Would you dare to join the tour?

Details of interest on this tour

• Price: From £22, including guide.
• Duration**...** The tour can last between one and two hours.
• Advantages of this option... This tour offers the opportunity to discover an alternative side of Washington.

This walking tour focuses on real, verified stories about the city that are no less terrifying than those of the ghosts of Blair House.

On a walk through the most iconic buildings of the American capital, the guide will delve into the secrets of the founding of Washington DC, Masonic alley, andthe suicides, deaths, and murders that took place in the city and cemented the power of many presidents and rulers.

The tour includes visits to the White House, St. John's Church, Lafayette Square and several other buildings in Washington that have witnessed incredible events over the years.

Interesting details about this tour

Price: From £32 with guide included.

• Price: From £32, including guide.
• Duration: The tour lasts an hour and a half.
• Advantages of this option... If you are sceptical about ghost stories, this tour will interest you because of the authenticity of its stories.

Away from the lights of the National Mall, the U Street corridor emerges, also known as Black Broadway. This Washington circuit played an important role in the history of African American culture in the city and in the emergence of jazz at the behest of Duke Ellington's great work.

The night tour of U Street takes you back in time to the years when these Washington neighbourhoods were home to the largest African-American community in the United States.

The tour is led by local guides who, in addition to telling the stories of U Street, offer recommendations for restaurants and bars in the area.

Details of interest on this tour

Price: From £23, including guide.

• Price: From £23, including guide.
• Duration: The tour lasts two hours.
• Advantages of this option... You can visit the site where thousands of protesters gathered to support Martin Luther King Jr. during his speech in Washington in 1963 and enjoy a wide variety of restaurants.

After dark, the buildings and monuments of Washington DC offer an unmissable spectacle. Illuminated at night by artificial lights that enhance each building, visitors can tour the iconic memorials, many of which are open 24 hours a day, and enjoy a unique experience in one of the most iconic cities in the United States.

This tour offers a three-hour bus tour with stops at the most iconic sites. You can visit the Thomas Jefferson Memorial surrounded by the lights of its columns, see the illuminated dome of the Capitol up close, and the imposing granite figure of Abraham Lincoln.

Other monuments that are a must-see on a night tour are the Vietnam VeteransMemorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, whose stone figure, built in perspective, is magnified by artificial lighting.

Details of interest on this tour

• Price: From £52, including guide, transport and pick-up from your accommodation.
• Duration**...** The tour lasts three hours.
• Advantages of this option... You will enjoy an unmissable view that is completely different from the daytime panorama of Washington DC's most iconic monuments.

The private tour by van with driver is a good option if you are looking for comfort, if you are travelling with children or elderly people, or if you have little time to see Washington DC.

On this tour, you can choose your departure times and leave from the main circle of the National Mall, although the service providers usually recommend a tour of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol, the Washington Obelisk, the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House.

The driver will pick you up at your accommodation and offer you a three-hour service with a tour of the city.

Details of interest on this tour

Price: From £350 with transfer, pick-up from your accommodation and driver included.

• Price... From £350 with transfer, pick-up from your accommodation and driver included.
• Duration... The tour lasts three hours plus pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation.
• Advantages of this option... By choosing the right tour times, you will be able to explore Washington avoiding the crowds, getting around efficiently and avoiding delays on public transport.

This tour is one of the best options for learning about the history of the most iconic monuments and buildings and for taking the most beautiful photographs. The constant assistance of an expert guide will ensure that you don't miss a thing, and the open-top bus won't get in the way when you press the shutter button.

On this tour, you will discover the splendour of Washington DC under the moonlight and witness the change that occurs when night falls and the lights of the monuments come on.

During the high season, when night tours crowd the buildings and monuments of the National Mall, the open-top bus is an interesting option for getting a clear, close-up panoramic view of the memorials.

Details of interest on this tour

• Price: From fifty euros, including guide.
• Duration**...** The tour lasts two hours.
• Advantages of this option... You will have a knowledgeable guide providing information throughout the tour, and your photos will be the envy of everyone!

If you enjoy physical activity and want to discover everything Washington DC has to offer after dark, then this tour may be just what you're looking for. The night bike tour will allow you to see the city's monuments illuminated at night.

In addition, the night tour allows the guide to spend more time providing information about the buildings and memorials and to create a more efficient itinerary.

I also recommend paying special attention to those monuments that are more attractive at night, such as the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial , and the surrounding fountain at the National World War II Memorial.

Interesting details about this tour

• Price... From £30, including guide.
• Duration**...** The tour lasts three hours.
• Advantages of this option... Enjoy the monuments and buildings without crowds of tourists.

Tourism in Washington DC has definitely made its way to the Potomac River, and one of the most popular services offered on this river circuit is cruises.

One of these tours offers an evening on the Odyssey cruise ship, which is a glass-enclosed boat designed to provide the best view of the city, with dinner included at a private table and background music.

The Odyssey is considered a luxury boat and has observation decks that offer unobstructed views of the monuments of the National Mall and the buildings of Washington DC.

Details of interest on this tour

• Price: From £104 per person, including brunch or a three-course dinner.
• Duration: The tour lasts between two and three hours.
• Advantages of this option... Enjoy a panoramic night view of the city directly from the Potomac River.

There are many companies offering the same services, and most of them allow you to book directly on their websites. I recommend buying your tour in advance because during the high season in Washington DC, which is from May to June and from September to November, services tend to sell out.

If you organised your trip at the last minute and didn't have time to buy tickets in advance, you can try to buy them directly at the designated meeting points. There are often last-minute cancellations that leave spots open. Here you can find all the information about tickets for attractions in Washington.

The duration of the tours will depend on the tour you book. Those that offer a walking tour of the buildings and monuments of the National Mall usually last around two to three hours, as do the guided night-time bike tours.

Other tours, such as the private tour with a driver, last three to four hours, and the tours of haunted houses, haunted buildings and the African-American district of U Street can last between one and two hours.

The city offers a wide variety of night tours. The main circuit of the National Mall is the best known and will give you a broad overview of the capital's most significant monuments, which take on a completely different atmosphere when the sun goes down. You will also get to see a different side of the city, with fewer crowds and some of the most important buildings illuminated at night.

Alternative tours of the city will allow you to discover the lesser-known side of Washington, D.C., which is not limited to the great memorials adjacent to the White House gardens, but also has a long tradition of mystery and strong ties to African-American culture.

Most of the tourist attractions in the US capital are outdoors, mainly on the National Mall bordering the Potomac River, so tips for night-time excursions around the city will be weather-related. During the summer, temperatures are warm and although it gets windy at night, it is important to have water to stay hydrated and comfortable footwear.

In winter, however, temperatures drop dramatically, so if you are going to explore the city on foot or by bike, I recommend that you bring a warm coat to cope with snow and heavy rain.

As a cosmopolitan city visited by millions of tourists every year, prices vary and there are options for adults and children. If you want an affordable tour, you can book a night-time walking tour that visits the National Mall and the main monuments, all of which are free to enter. In this case, you will find guided tours for fifteen or twenty euros.

If, on the other hand, you prefer something more exclusive, you can choose to tour Washington DC in a van or even a truck with a private driver at your complete disposal. In this case, prices start at eighty euros and can exceed five hundred.