Washington DC
Our tours to Washington, DC provide students an unforgettable journey into the nation’s capital. Days are spent inside the Capitol and the Supreme Court, among the collections of the Smithsonian, and along the Mall where the memorials trace American history from the founding forward.
52+ years of custom educational travel · Trusted by school groups in all 50 states · SYTA, IATAN, ARC, and NTA accredited
Bring your group to Washington D.C. and walk the ground where American history was made. Sit in the gallery of a live Congressional session, argue the merits of independence in a re-enacted House of Burgesses debate, and spend the rest of your days at the memorials, the Smithsonian, and the monuments that turned what your students read in class into something they can stand in front of.
A school trip to Washington D.C. has a lot of moving parts. The travel has to be arranged, the permission slips and payments have to be collected, and the group has to be ready to learn when the sites open their doors. Most of that lands on you, in the hours left around teaching.
We plan all of it before you leave. Your transportation, hotel, meals, site admissions, and rooming are booked and confirmed in advance. A named tour manager travels with your group to keep the itinerary running on schedule. We work with your families directly on signups and payments which keeps the money and the paperwork out of your hands entirely and we build your day-by-day itinerary around the specific units your students are studying.
East Coast Heritage Tour
Follow American history from the Capitol to Gettysburg, Philadelphia, New York, and beyond.
History & Civics Senior Groups Specialty & Cruises
7–10 Days
Washington, D.C. Tour
Monuments, museums, and the halls of American history, all in one week.
History & Civics Senior Groups
5 Days / 4 Nights
How It Works
Custom sounds like more work. With us, it’s less.
1
Discovery Call
Tell us about your group, your rough dates, and how many are traveling. A short conversation to get started.
2
Custom proposal
We send a full proposal with your itinerary, venues, and transparent pricing.
3
Revisions
Change anything you want. Swap a venue, adjust a day, or shift the budget. We revise until it fits.
4
Enrollment
We handle signups, payments, and traveler communication so you do not have to.
5
Support on the trip
Your planner and a 24/7 emergency line are with your group the entire trip.
CUSTOM ITINERARY
What a real Wahsington D.C. trip looks like:
Custom tours since 1974
Why Use ET Tours For Your Washington D.C. Trip?
No two of our trips look quite the same, because we start with you. Tell us what you’re hoping your group takes away from Washington DC, and we’ll shape the trip around that, right down to the dates that work for your calendar.
When you work with Educational Tours, you have access to our entire team. Every member of our staff is familiar with the groups we serve, so whether your question concerns your itinerary, your transportation, or a payment, you’ll reach someone equipped to assist you directly. Your trip is never confined to a single agent, it’s managed by the full team behind it.
For families, that means a trip run by people who have done this for decades. We’ve been planning group travel for over 50 years, we’re accredited by SYTA, IATAN, ARC, and NTA, and every detail from transportation to accommodations is vetted before your group ever leaves. Our custom pricing is transparent, with no upsells and no surprises, and payment plans are available so cost never has to be the reason anyone stays home.
The Difference a Custom Trip Makes
Each itinerary is built around the group traveling on it. A civics group might build their days around the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and a visit with their representative’s office, while a performance group might center theirs on a parade appearance and a night at the Kennedy Center. Custom does not mean starting from a blank page. We bring the venues, timing, and routing we have worked out over decades of Washington trips, and you tell us what to keep, what to cut, and what to add until the itinerary fits your group.
A few of our Washington DC trips
History & Civics
Tour the Capitol and the Supreme Court, view the founding documents at the National Archives, cross the river to Arlington National Cemetery for the Changing of the Guard, and walk the memorials along the Mall after dark.
Performance Groups
Perform in one of Washington’s parades or festival events, participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and take in a performance at the Kennedy Center.
Science & Technology
Work through the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall, ride out to the Udvar-Hazy Center to stand beneath a space shuttle, and add the National Museum of Natural History or a visit to NASA Goddard.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQs
How many days do we need in Washington?
Most groups spend three to four days, which covers the Capitol, the National Archives, the Mall and the memorials, and a day at Arlington or Mount Vernon. Longer trips make room for Gettysburg, Colonial Williamsburg, Philadelphia, or Baltimore.
When is the best time of year to visit?
Spring and fall are the most popular, with comfortable weather for a trip that involves a great deal of walking. Cherry blossom season in late March and early April is the busiest stretch of the year and books far in advance. Summer trips are common, though the heat and humidity are worth planning around for a group on its feet all day.
Can we tour the Capitol?
Yes. Advance reservations are required, and school groups are capped at 50 people. For large groups, requests should go in as early as possible so availability can be confirmed for everyone. Tours can be booked through the Capitol Visitor Center or requested through your senators’ and representative’s offices, and we handle that as part of planning your trip.
Can our group visit the White House?
White House tours are requested through your representative’s or senators’ office rather than booked directly. Requests must be submitted at least 21 days and no more than 90 days ahead of the visit, though offices encourage groups to reach out even earlier because dates fill quickly. Tours are not guaranteed and can be canceled on short notice, so we plan the day so a cancellation doesn’t leave your group without something to do.
Can students take part in a wreath laying at Arlington?
Yes. Wreath layings at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are available to school groups, with a limited number of slots each day and up to four students taking part in the ceremony alongside the Changing of the Guard. Slots go quickly, so this needs to be requested well ahead of your travel dates. Many groups choose their participants through an essay contest.
How much walking is involved?
A significant amount. The Mall alone runs two miles end to end, and groups cover it on foot along with the memorials and museums. Comfortable shoes matter here more than on most itineraries. Longer distances and day trips are all by chartered coach.
How does our group get there and get around?
That depends on where you’re starting. We arrange flights for groups traveling from a distance and chartered motorcoach for groups close enough to drive. Once you’re in Washington, a chartered coach handles transportation between sites on the itinerary you approved.
What's included in the price?
Transportation, hotels, meals, admissions, guided tours, and gratuities are all included, so the number you see is the cost of the trip rather than a starting point you build on. Most of Washington’s major sites are free to enter, which keeps a DC trip among the more affordable itineraries we plan.
How many chaperones travel with the group?
That’s up to you. Chaperone spots are built into the per student price, and most of our groups travel with one chaperone for every seven to ten participants. Schools are never asked to fund chaperone travel separately.
How do families pay?
Families register and pay Educational Tours directly, either online or by mail, so group leaders never collect or hold trip funds. Payments follow a deposit schedule set well ahead of departure, and we track every account and keep group leaders current on who has paid.
What happens if a student has to cancel?
Cancellation requests are handled in writing, and the refund depends on how far out the cancellation falls and what has already been paid to hotels, venues, and transportation on that traveler’s behalf. The full policy is printed in every trip brochure and available on our terms and conditions page.
How far ahead should we start planning?
Most Washington trips come together six to nine months out. Spring is the busiest season in DC by a wide margin, so groups traveling March through May should start earlier if they can, and anything involving a White House tour or an Arlington wreath laying needs lead time of its own.
Safety & Support
Every group travels on vetted transportation and stays in accommodations selected for location, security, and proximity to the itinerary. While your group is on the road, emergency support is available around the clock, staffed by our own people rather than an outside answering service, and group leaders carry direct numbers for the staff who planned the trip. From enrollment onward we keep travelers informed directly, so everyone always knows the schedule and who to call. We are accredited by SYTA, IATAN, ARC, and NTA. Full details, insurance information, and our incident protocol are on our Safety page.
Request a custom proposal
Tell us what you teach and where you want to go, we’ll handle everything else.