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Big Bus Washington DC Bus Tours
Routes
Timeline
Map
1
Union Station
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Union Station
Columbus Circle and Fountain
7 min walk
2
US Capitol at Garfield Circle
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
US Capitol at Garfield Circle
Library of Congress
5 min walk
Supreme Court of the United States
5 min walk
3
Air & Space Museum
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
4 min walk
National Museum of the American Indian
3 min walk
4
L’Enfant Plaza & International Spy Museum
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Smithsonian Castle
3 min walk
5
The Wharf & Potomac Boat Cruise
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
The Wharf
Potomac River
11 min walk
East Potomac Park
10 min walk
6
Washington Monument West
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Washington Monument West
Tidal Basin
5 min walk
7
Bureau of Engraving & Holocaust Musuem
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
9 min walk
Smithsonian American History Museum
7 min walk
8
Jefferson Memorial
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2 attractions
Nearby things to do
Jefferson Memorial
George Mason Memorial
1 min walk
9
FDR and MLK Memorial
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
11 min walk
Japanese Pagoda
10
Lincoln Memorial & Korean War Memorial
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Lincoln Memorial
Korean War Veterans Memorial
5 min walk
11
Lincoln Memorial North & Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
1 min walk
Constitution Gardens
2 min walk
12
Arlington Cemetery
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Arlington Cemetery
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Arlington House
3 min walk
13
World War II Memorial
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
World War II Memorial
D.C. War Memorial
1 min walk
Floral Library
2 min walk
14
Washington Monument East
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Washington Monument East
National Museum of African American History and Culture
2 min walk
15
Natural History Museum
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3 attractions
Nearby things to do
Natural History Museum
National Archives Museum
2 min walk
Ford’s Theatre
6 min walk
17
The White House & Willard Hotel
Get direction
3 attractions
Nearby things to do
The White House
3 min walk
Willard InterContinental Hotel
3 min walk
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
6 min walk
- Zip through landmarks or linger at leisure, the 24/48/72-hour Washington DC hop-on hop-off bus tour fits your style – the capital's yours to conquer.
- Hop on and off as you please along the 17 stops on the Red Loop as buses run every 15 to 20 mins.
- Opt for a 48-hour pass to go on a 2-hour Sunset Tour, take a free self-guided walking tour of Arlington Cemetery, and get great offers!
- Hop on a double-decker bus, grab those headphones, and let the city's history unfold in 5 languages. Sightseeing just got exciting, right?
- As an Authorized National Park Service concessioner get an up-close view of top spots like the White House, Korean War Memorial, and Washington Monument.
- Zip through landmarks or linger at leisure, the 24/48/72-hour Washington DC hop-on hop-off bus tour fits your style – the capital's yours to conquer.
- Hop on and off as you please along the 17 stops on the Red Loop as buses run every 15 to 20 mins.
- Opt for a 48-hour pass to go on a 2-hour Sunset Tour, take a free self-guided walking tour of Arlington Cemetery, and get great offers!
- Hop on a double-decker bus, grab those headphones, and let the city's history unfold in 5 languages. Sightseeing just got exciting, right?
- As an Authorized National Park Service concessioner get an up-close view of top spots like the White House, Korean War Memorial, and Washington Monument.
Inclusions
- 24/48/72-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off tour
- Access to Red Loop
- Self-guided walking tour of Arlington Cemetery
- Bike rental offer (book 1 hour, get 1 free)
- 2-hour sunset tour with 25% off (based on option selected)
- Morning shuttle transfers from Mayflower, Hilton & Marriott to stop #1 Union Station (based on option selected)
- Discounts at I Love DC Gifts, Artechouse, International Spy Museum Store & Unlimited Biking (based on option selected)
- Free commemorative Oval Office photo from White House Gifts (based on option selected)
- Pre-recorded audio commentary in English, French, German, Spanish & Brazilian Portuguese (on the bus)
- Exclusive drop-offs close to monuments
- Mobile app with a detailed map and live bus tracking
HOHO tour
Please click here for a detailed route map and boarding points.
You can join the tour at any stop and hop on and off for the duration of your ticket.
Red Loop
- First bus: 9:30am from stop #1 (Union Station)
- Last bus: 5:30pm from stop #1 (Union Station)
- Frequency: Every 15 to 20 mins
- Popular stops: Natural History Museum, The White House & Willard Hotel, Air & Space Museum
2-hour Sunset tour
Until Sep 2, 2025
- Departure: 7pm from Stop 1 (Union Station)
From Sep 3, 2025
- Departure: 6:30pm from Stop 1 (Union Station)
Hottel shuttle transfer
- Departure: 9:20am from Mayflower Hotel, 9:30am from Washington Hilton & 9:45am from Georgetown Marriott
- The buses are wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.
- Your safety comes first so visitors with mobility issues are restricted on the upper decks.
- Due to restrictions on the bus, pets (except ADA service animals)are not allowed onboard.
- The tour remains closed on Independence Day (Jul 4), Oct 29 & Christmas (Dec 25).
- The Sunset Tour is a non-stop bus tour, and not a hop-on hop-off service.
- Specific details related to the add-ons in your tickets like walking tours will be shared post-booking.
- You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Reviews
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Snapshots from our guests
4.0
400 ratings
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Guests from United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil and over 24 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Kimberly
Jun 2025Verified booking
The drivers and sidewalk staff were amazing!
William
Jun 2025Verified booking
Seeing so much in a limited amount of time. Drivers pleasant and very competent. You might suggest they delay one more minute before driving off after stops. Several times people who went upstairs were not seated when the bus jerked into action. Thank you
Anne
Jun 2025Verified booking
The buses did not run on schedule. At one point we had to give up and call for an Uber. It was probably due to Memorial Day road closures. I would not have paid full price for the tickets if I had known service would be so disrupted.
nadine
May 2025Verified booking
Very well organized tour of Washington. The Big Bus tour takes in all the major monuments. It's great to be able to get off at every stop, as everyone can visit at their own pace. Thanks to the organizers
View original review in French
Joan
May 2025Verified booking
Stops were good. We got to see the highlights of Washington in a relatively short period of time and understood what we were viewing due to good audio.
Spencer
May 2025Verified booking
The tour and guide were excellent. But, PLEASE, make it CLEAR, IF you start the tour at Arlington Cemetery, as to exactly WHERE you pick up the trolley ( and WHAT company you are). Also, WHERE you pick up the HOP ON/OFF bus and WHAT the company's name is. Much confussion from people. This did NOT alter the fact that the tour ( and guides) were brilliant.
Janis
Apr 2025Verified booking
In general very good. Hit all the major monuments. All personel were very nice and helpful. Buses in general ran on time and often. Negatives - every bus did not stop at every stop -skipped some and we were not informed of this. Tours were over sold and buses sometimes had only standing room which was very difficult for me since I am older. Standing on the buses packed in was dangerous. Drivers should limit when seats are filled.
Sara
Apr 2025Verified booking
We needed to see all of the mall with a family member with walking issues. This bus was the perfect solution to see all of the monuments in the DC Mall area.
Leanne
Apr 2025Verified booking
The Hop on Hop Off service was very informative with good audio descriptions, and very nice drivers. The sites were well covered to visit. The 3 day ticket was supposedly covering a sunset tour, but according to staff at Union Station it wasn't, so we virtually wasted / paid for an extra day as we didn't get to go on it when the weather was better : (
Irene
Apr 2025Verified booking
Loved everything about it except the waiting for the bus! This is my second survey but we enjoyed the experience so much we didn't mind doing it again.
Irene
Apr 2025Verified booking
The opportunity to be upfront and clearly visible places in the city that we may not have accessed if we were driving. Amazing!
Delilah
Mar 2025Verified booking
It was convenient and easy. The drivers and people at the stops were great. The bus was clean and in condition. The sound tracks could use some updating with more information and less music. There is so much to say about Washington DC to fill the gaps. I liked hearing about the basin having been a swamp and tieing it into the phrase "draining the swamp". Never knew that. It's a learning experience for a lot of kids (and adults) so pack it full of "Who knew?" moments and less music.
Susan
Mar 2025Verified booking
I understand that traffic happens and that the busses in Washington DC stop at 4:30 pm. However, at the Lincoln Memorial, the bus schedule indicates the bus comes through about every 20 minutes. When I got to the pickup area, the app indicated a 45 - 55 minute wait, so more than double. Consequently by the time I got back to the Washington monument to switch from Pink to Red the last bus had already departed leaving me to walk back to my starting point. Avoiding a 20 minute walk was one of the main reasons I purchased the ticket. The person at the Washington Monument offered me no other solutions & had an "oh well, too bad" attitude. 3/28 was part of peak Cherry Blossom time, so there was traffic. Perhaps schedule extra busses, pre-position some busses to avoid double the wait time, or extend the schedule when such serious traffic delays occur to get people back to their starting point.
Elizabeth
May 2025Verified booking
All very easy to do. Good route and drivers very helpful
Lucia
May 2025Verified booking
the sound in headphones was not always clear. The rest was quite good.
VLADIMIR
May 2025Verified booking
Excellent. Very warm people always ready to help.
Cecil
May 2025Verified booking
Excellent customer care and service
Rachael
May 2025Verified booking
The drivers were all fantastic.
Patricia
Apr 2025Verified booking
All good! Thank you! It was cooler on top! The buses were easy to get on and off of! Friendly drivers!!
Rick
Apr 2025Verified booking
Easy on and off. Hit hot spots. Friendly staff!
Kristin
Apr 2025Verified booking
Super easy and super fun bus. Drivers were very helpful and extremely kind!
Elizabeth
Apr 2025Verified booking
The tour recording, the ease of hopping on and off it was really a good tour
Terry
Apr 2025Verified booking
Ease of on/off. Commentary was really good - except for some of the lame jokes.
nelly
Apr 2025Verified booking
There were demonstrations in town
View original review in French
DAVID
Apr 2025Verified booking
Goes around the city to many attractions.
- As day yawns into the night, Washington DC transforms! Join the 2-hour sunset bus tour to uncover the city's captivating evening energy.
- The Black Loop route takes you on a non-stop ride along the city's most iconic landmarks revealing DC's softer side in the golden glow of dusk.
- Get the best of both worlds: live guides on weekends and digital commentary on weekdays, making every tour a fun-filled history dive.
- Step into history as you pass popular spots like the Lincoln Memorial, where MLK Jr delivered his iconic speech, or the White House.
- As day yawns into the night, Washington DC transforms! Join the 2-hour sunset bus tour to uncover the city's captivating evening energy.
- The Black Loop route takes you on a non-stop ride along the city's most iconic landmarks revealing DC's softer side in the golden glow of dusk.
- Get the best of both worlds: live guides on weekends and digital commentary on weekdays, making every tour a fun-filled history dive.
- Step into history as you pass popular spots like the Lincoln Memorial, where MLK Jr delivered his iconic speech, or the White House.
Inclusions
- 2-hour sunset tour of Washington DC
- English-speaking guide (from Fri to Sun until Sep 2)
- Pre-recorded commentary in English, French, German, Spanish & Brazilian Portuguese
- Complimentary headphones
- Authorized National Park Service Concessioner
- Mobile app with a detailed map and live bus tracking
- Free child (aged 2 and under) tickets
Exclusions
- Hop-on hop-off service
Please click here for a detailed route map and boarding points.
Black Loop
- Departure: 7pm from stop #1 (Union Station)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Frequency: Once every evening
- The buses are wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.
- Your safety comes first so visitors with mobility issues are restricted on the upper decks.
- Due to restrictions on the bus, pets (except ADA service animals)are not allowed onboard.
- The tour remains closed on Independence Day (Jul 4), Oct 29 & Christmas (Dec 25).
- You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Why choose the Big Bus Washington DC tours?
Flexibility
Hop on and off at your convenience with multiple stops around Washington DC. Explore key landmarks and attractions at your own pace without a fixed schedule.
Iconic landmarks
Visit top sites like the White House, Lincoln Memorial, and Capitol Hill. The tour covers essential DC attractions, providing a comprehensive city experience.
Informative commentary
Enjoy engaging audio commentary available in multiple languages, offering fascinating insights into Washington DC’s history, architecture, and landmarks to enrich your sightseeing.
Scenic views
Capture stunning views of DC’s iconic monuments and buildings from the open-top bus. Perfect for photography and enjoying the city’s beautiful skyline.
Convenient booking options
Book your tickets online for easy access and choose from various packages, including hotel transfers, sunset tours and Potomac river cruises.
Big Bus Washington DC: Routes, stops, and maps
Red Loop
Discover DC’s top sights on the Red Loop tour with multilingual commentary. Hop on and off to explore landmarks like the White House and Lincoln Memorial.
- First stop: Union Station
- Timings: 9:30am to 5:30pm
- Frequency: Every 15-20 minutes
- Number of stops: 17
- Full loop duration: 90 minutes
Highlights of your Big Bus Washington DC tour
The White House
Route name: Red Loop
Attraction timings: 8am to 12:30pm
Suggested Big Bus Washington DC itineraries
Washington DC in 1 day/24 hours
Washington DC in 2 days/48 hours
Washington DC in 3 days/72 hours
Red Route
If you have just one day in Washington DC, the Red Route of the Big Bus Tours is perfect for exploring the city's highlights.
- Start at the White House, taking photos and enjoying the surrounding gardens.
- Hop off at the National World War II Memorial to appreciate its grandeur and significance.
- Visit the Lincoln Memorial for its history and stunning architecture.
- Continue to the Washington Monument for breathtaking views of the city.
- Explore the National Mall, stopping at the various Smithsonian museums, such as the National Museum of American History.
- End your day at the U.S. Capitol, where you can admire the iconic building and its surrounding gardens.
Day 1
Explore Washington DC over 48 hours with Big Bus Tours, focusing on the Red Route for both days:
- Start at the White House, admiring its iconic architecture.
- Visit the Washington Monument for panoramic city views.
- Explore the National Mall, including the Smithsonian museums.
- Stop at the Lincoln Memorial and reflect at the reflecting pool.
- Post-lunch, visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Korean War Veterans Memorial.
- End the day at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
Day 2
Explore Washington DC over 48 hours with Big Bus Tours, focusing on the Red Route for both days:
- Begin at the U.S. Capitol, taking in the grandeur of Capitol Hill.
- Visit the Supreme Court building and the Library of Congress.
- Stop at the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence.
- Explore the National Air and Space Museum.
- Post-lunch, visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
- End the day at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Day 1
Explore Washington DC over three days with Big Bus Tours, focusing on the Red Route for an in-depth experience of the city's top attractions:
- Start at the White House and admire its iconic architecture.
- Visit the Washington Monument for panoramic city views.
- Explore the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums.
- Stop at the Lincoln Memorial and reflect at the reflecting pool.
- Visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Day 2
Explore Washington DC over three days with Big Bus Tours, focusing on the Red Route for an in-depth experience of the city's top attractions:
- Begin at the U.S. Capitol, taking in the grandeur of Capitol Hill.
- Visit the Supreme Court building and the Library of Congress.
- Explore the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence.
- Head to the National Air and Space Museum.
- Stop at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Day 3
Explore Washington DC over three days with Big Bus Tours, focusing on the Red Route for an in-depth experience of the city's top attractions:
- Visit the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
- Spend time at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
- Explore the National Museum of American History.
- Stop by the World War II Memorial.
- End the day with a leisurely walk around the Tidal Basin
Frequently asked questions about Big Bus Washington DC tours
How do Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off buses work in Washington DC?
The buses allow you to board and disembark at any designated stop, offering flexible exploration of Washington DC’s attractions at your own pace.
What is included in a Big Bus Washington DC Tour ticket?
Tickets include unlimited Hop-on Hop-off access, live guided commentary, and the option to upgrade to include a night tour or a cruise on the Potomac River.
How often are the Washington DC Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off buses?
Buses run every 15-20 minutes.
How many Big Bus Washington DC routes are there?
There is only one route - the Red Loop - which covers all the major landmarks in Washington.
Are there audio guides on the Big Bus Washington DC Hop-on Hop-off bus tours?
Yes, pre-recorded audio commentary is available in
Are the Big Bus Washington DC Hop-on Hop-off bus tours accessibility-friendly?
Yes, the buses are wheelchair accessible.
How long is my ticket valid for?
Tickets are valid for 1, 2, or 3 days, depending on the type of ticket purchased.
Are hotel pick-ups or drop-offs included with the Hop-on Hop-off tours?
Enjoy morning shuttle transfers from Mayflower, Hilton & Marriott to stop #1 Union Station with Big Bus.