Best Night Tours in Washington DC

Washington DC was created to be the city of power in the United States. Its buildings witnessed critical circumstances and its monuments pay tribute to great figures. You can discover all this on a daytime walk along the National Mall that will take you from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial via the Obelisk and the World War II Veterans Memorial, but behind this planned city there are also hidden lights and shadows, mysteries and secrets that come to the surface at night.

Here are the best night tours to get to know the other side of Washington, whether it is the one that illuminates the most emblematic monuments creating a unique atmosphere or the one that supports the theory that it is a city of ghosts.

This tour offers a walking tour of Washington's haunted sites. It's a tour that began in the 1980s and has grown in popularity, with several experts offering to guide the tour.

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, at Blair House, or to hear the sobs of the souls in mourning in President's Park, or to tour some of the haunted houses in Washington DC or Ford's Theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

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

Details of interest on this tour

• Price... From 22 euros including guide.
• Duration... The tour can last between one and two hours.
• Advantages of this option... Through this tour it is possible to get to know an alternative side of Washington.

This walking tour focuses on the real and proven stories of the city that are no less terrifying than the ghosts of Blair House.

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

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

Details of interest on this tour

• Price... From 32 euros including guide.
• Duration... The tour lasts one hour and a half.
• Advantages of this option... If you are a sceptic of ghost stories, this tour will interest you because of the truthfulness of the stories.

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

The evening tour of U Street offers a journey back in time to the years when these Washington neighbourhoods were the refuge of the largest African-American community in the United States.

The tour is led by local guides who not only tell the stories of U Street but also offer recommendations of restaurants and bars in the area.

Details of interest on this tour

• Price... From $23 including guide.
• Duration... The tour lasts two hours.
• Benefits of this option... You'll be able to visit the site where thousands of marchers came out to support Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1963 speech in Washington and have access to a variety of restaurants.

After dark, Washington DC's buildings and monuments offer a spectacle not to be missed. Illuminated by night and the array of artificial lights that enhance each building, visitors can tour the iconic memorials, many of which remain open 24 hours a day, and be left with a unique experience of one of America's most iconic cities.

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

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

Details of interest on this tour

• Price... From $62 including guide, transfer and pick-up from accommodation.
• Duration... The tour lasts three hours.
• Advantages of this option... You will get an unmissable and totally different view from the daytime panorama of Washington DC's most iconic monuments.

The private chauffeured van tour is a good alternative if you are looking for comfort, if you are accompanied by minors or seniors or if you have little time to get to know Washington DC.

On this tour you will be able to choose your departure times and you can depart 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 from your accommodation and offer you a three-hour service with a tour of the city.

Details of interest on this tour

• Price... From 350 euros including transfer, pick up from accommodation and driver.
• Duration... The tour lasts three hours plus pick-up and drop-off time at the accommodation.
• Advantages of this option... By choosing the right tour times you will have the chance to get to know Washington without the crowds, moving efficiently and avoiding the delay of public transport.

This tour is one of the best options to learn about the history of the most representative monuments and buildings and to get the most beautiful pictures. The permanent assistance of an expert guide will prevent you from missing any detail and the open top bus will not get in the way of your picture when you press the shutter.

On this tour you will discover the splendour of Washington DC under the moonlight and witness the change that takes place when night falls and the lights of the monuments are switched on.

During peak season, when night tours crowd the buildings and monuments of the National Mall, the open-top bus is an interesting option for a clean, up-close 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 be able to count on permanent information provided by an expert guide and your photos will be the envy of everyone!

If you enjoy physical activity and want to discover all that Washington DC has to show you 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 lit up at night.

In addition, the night tour allows the guide more time to give you information about the buildings and memorials and build a more efficient tour.

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 or the wraparound fountain at the National World War II Veterans Memorial.

Details of interest on this tour

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

Washington DC's tourist trade has definitely been making its way to the Potomac River and one of the most popular services offered on the river circuit is the river cruise tour.

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

The Odyssey is considered a luxury ship and has observation decks that allow an open view of the National Mall monuments and buildings of Washington DC.

Details of interest on this tour

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

There are many companies providing the same services and most of them allow you to book directly from the web. I recommend that you buy your tour in advance because during the high season, which in Washington DC is from May to June and September to November, the services are usually sold out.

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

The length of the tours will depend on the tour booked. Those that offer a walking tour of the buildings and monuments on the National Mall usually last two to three hours, as do guided nighttime bike tours.

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

There is a wide variety of night tours in the city. The main circuit of the National Mall is the best known and will offer you a wide panor amic view of the most significant monuments of the capital that changes its dynamics when the sun goes down. You'll also get to see a different side of the city, with less crowds and some of the most important buildings lit up at night.

Alternative tours of the city will allow you to get to know the less explored side of Washington DC, which is not limited to the grand memorials that line the White House lawns but has a long tradition of mystery and strong ties to African-American culture.

Most of the US capital's tourist attractions are located outdoors, mainly on the National Mall bordering the Potomac River, so tips for evening excursions around the city will be related to the weather. During the summer temperatures are warm and although the wind picks up at night, it's important to bring water for hydration and comfortable shoes.

In winter, however, temperatures drop drastically so if you're walking or cycling around the city, make sure you pack warm enough to cope with snow and heavy rain.

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

If you prefer something more exclusive you can choose to tour Washington DC in a van or even in a van with a private driver completely at your disposal. In that case prices start at eighty euros and can go up to over five hundred.