Best Walking Tours of Washington, D.C

Washington D.C. is an incredible city. Not only is it one of the few "planned" cities in the country--Savannah, GA is another--but no building is above a certain height. There are no skyscrapers in this town. It is filled with the monuments and public parks and buildings that were built for show and for the people of the country. The National Library, Congressional Building, the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, and the Smithsonian are symbols of our nation's history, as is the White House itself. But Washington history is revealed in other places such as the southwest districts where many grand embassies were located and old Georgetown, with its coffeehouses and its lovely town homes. Rock Creek Parkway skirts neighborhoods of beautiful brownstone apartments and condominiums. Many of the area restaurants are historic places too. Washington does have its pockets of poverty, and the crime rate is a national shame, but any American in the D.C. area should tour this city. It's part of all of our history and should be important and as such, reveals a lot about our national identity.

http://www.washingtonwalks.com/ Washington Walks takes visitors to some unusual places, including a "haunted" walk to Lafayette Square and one to U Street, the capitol's rendition of New York's Harlem. There's a taste of D.C. walk that stops at some of the neatest eateries in the city. A Capitol Hill walk emphasizes the historic Marine Corps Barracks and many old buildings from the early 1800s. The Foggy Bottom tour roams the area between the Capitol and Georgetown on the riverfront. It was a working class neighborhood with row houses and taverns. A lot of history is located here. Watergate is right beside this neighborhood as is the Kennedy Center where this particular tour ends with a chance to view the Center and have a bite of lunch overlooking the Potomac. Tours with this group are just $10. They ask that groups of over 20 need to notify them in advance. Take a look around the web site and decide which tour or tours are the most interesting and get ready to see some neat sights.202-484-1565 or info@washingtonwalks.com.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/walkingtours/Washington_DC_Walking_Tour/index.html Everyone should take a National Geographic walking tour of any city. These are self-guided tours with a guide to all the sites noted which is printed out from your computer. With this in hand, all the instructions clearly lead you from one location to another, explaining historical facts as people walk at their own leisure. This particular guide takes visitors down the National Mall from the banks of the Potomac down past the most famous national monuments of the city. The Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and many other landmarks are part of this walk. It's the traditional Washington "Walk."

http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/ Cultural Tourism D.C. tours are just that--they explore the culture of the city, past and present, describing events and buildings that contributed to neighborhood's character in the past and present. They take visitors into Foggy Bottoms, DuPont Circle and historic Georgia Avenue to view buildings dating back to the mid-1800s. Their tours can be theme-based or anecdotal history walks. The group sponsors guided walks, self-guided tours, or even bus tours. It's just up to the visitor to decide what's most intriguing. Call them at 202-661-7581 or email them to ask questions or schedule a tour for a group. Tours will vary in length and cost, depending on the nature of the walk and the speaker. First find the walking tour that you like and then inquire about the rest.