Tours/Washington DC/Arlington Cemetery Private Tour
Viator · Private tour

Arlington Cemetery Private Tour

5.0(30)Washington DC1 hour
VIATOR5.0(10)TRIPADVISOR5.0(20)

Description

Experience Arlington Cemetery with a Veteran guide trained in military history. Observe the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Visit each of the Kennedy graves. Discover Robert E. Lee's mansion upon the grounds and his wife's garden where the first burials took place. Discuss the beginning of the cemetery during the Civil War and its evolution through all of our nations conflicts. US federal or state government issued photo identification or passport is required for entry into Arlington National Cemetery.

Tour Options

Arlington Cemetery Private Tour
  • Pickup included

Itinerary

240 min

Sample Itinerary (assuming a 0800 start): 0800: Pick up at lodging or agreed meeting point. 0800-0820: Transit 0820-1130: Arlington Cemetery Tour:  Discover how the cemetery got its start and some not so well known history.  Observe portions of a full military honors funeral.  Experience Arlington with all five senses.   Visit the grave of a favorite notable or loved one.  Tour a not well traveled part of the cemetery and observe silence and serenity. 1130-1200: Transit to agreed drop off point. More details: • Meeting location: Agreed Location within Alexandria City Limits, Arlington County, or District of Columbia (Washington City). • Most of the tour is out of doors so dress appropriately for the season. Early morning (0800 or 0830) start recommended. • End location: Agreed Location within Alexandria City Limits, Arlington County, or District of Columbia (Washington City). • Location options: Address or Intersection upon Traveler's request, Airport, Cruise Ship Port, Hotel, Monument/Building upon Traveler's request, Rail or Bus Station • Transportation Method: Private SUV (2017 Buick Enclave) to and from the cemetery. There's an option to employ the public trolley on the cemetery grounds if guests are mobility limited.  We will see more if we tour afoot.  Touring afoot is hilly and about 2.75 miles or 4.4 km.

Highlights

WiFi on board
Bottled water
Private tour
Air-conditioned vehicle
Transport by private vehicle

What's included

Included
WiFi on board
Bottled water
Private tour
Air-conditioned vehicle
Transport by private vehicle
Not included
Lunch
Gratuity

Pickup Locations & Times

We offer free pick-up and drop-off at lodging points within downtown Washington, DC, National Harbor, MD, Arlington County, VA, or the City of Alexandria, VA.

Traveller Ratings

5.0
30 reviews
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30
4
0
3
0
2
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1
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Important Information

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Reviews(30)

B
Barbara_F
September 2, 2024
Amazing & Interesting trip.

Everything about this tour was great. Tom, our Tour Guide, was the best! He picked us up at Union Station early & spent more than the allotted time taking us to all the most specific sites. We so highly recommend him with DC Military Tours to anyone wanting all the must sees ~ he was full of knowledge regarding everything about Arlington National Cemetery.

Operator response

Barbara, Thank you for sharing your extended family visiting from Arkansas with me. Hopefully they will decide to visit Washington again soon to see more of what we have to discover here. I suspect we will see each other again sooner or later since we are locals. Thank you for the kind review. Your family was so easy to spend time with. - Tom

M
MickKathy
August 6, 2024
Unforgettable Tours of Arlington

The past two years, Aril 2023 and 2024, I have taken a grandson to DC during spring break and both times we employed Tom for our tours. He is so personable and knowledgeable and easily communicates with both adults and teens. On our most recent tour, my grandson said that if his history teacher was half as interesting he would have aced history, and our grandson from the first tour in 2023 was so impressed he talked about it for weeks afterwards and, perhaps because of Tom's own Navy service, chose to enlist into the Navy straight out of high school. Tom takes care of his clients, placing us in the perfect position to see the changing of the guard. His knowledge of Arlington and his reverence for the fallen soldiers leaves you with a renewed sense of patriotism and respect for this great country of ours. My wife Kathy and I highly recommend Tom for all your DC tour interests.

Operator response

Mickey and Kathy, You are my dear friends and I’m glad we could share Washington with your grandchildren. I’m proud of Karstan joining the Navy. You never know what seeds one might be planting. The Navy is the perfect platform for him to springboard into life. And his high intellect will be refined there. Thank you for your heartfelt review. I’m looking forward to seeing you again soon. Tom

D
DmL1116
May 4, 2024
Look no further and BOOK IT!

I can not say enough about Tom and the experience we had at Arlington. His personable nature and knowledge is beyond compare. It was like being with a family friend from start to finish! Tom was so accommodating to all of us (clean, comfortable beautiful vehicle, curbside pick up at drop off at locations of our choosing, sunscreen, cold water on hand just to name a few). He even went out of his was to to make my son wish come true to see Stumby the Cherry tree of all things! Tom and our tour was truly top notch and well worth it! We learned so much more with Tom than could have been done on our own accord. I highly recommend D C Military tours! It is something you will not regret. We will be using Tom in the future when we return to the area. If ease of travel, knowledge, comfort, true professionalism and a worthwhile memorable experience is what you are looking for.. stop searching! You found it! Thank you Tom!!!

G
Gail S
July 4, 2023
Extraordinary Tour!

Our family’s in-depth tour of Arlington with veteran Tom Schultz of DC Military Tours was extraordinary!! Tom is down to earth and mellow and made the tour fun and fascinating for all 3 generations of our family. We greatly appreciated the depth of his knowledge regarding little known aspects of history and the way he illuminated the complexities and ironies of Arlington’s history.

Operator response

Gail, I so enjoy when three generations are equally satisfied with an experience of ours. Thank you for sharing your family with me. Tom

J
jasonmW4493FX
March 26, 2023
Top notch!

Excellent tour! Our family of six went on this guided tour of Arlington National Cemetery. We were picked up at our hotel and had a comfortable trip to Arlington. The tour was perfect. He was able to customize it to our interests and we moved at a great pace. He was very knowledgeable and did a great job communicating with the whole group. I would recommend using this guide for any of your DC area tours!

Operator response

Jason, I had a great time with your family the “Three H’s”. Hannah’s definition of an arboretum still has me in stitches. Let’s connect during your next trip to Washington. Tom.

G
Gina_S
March 18, 2023
Fantastic!

Fantastic highlight of our trip! Our private guide was worth every Penny and provided insight we would have missed on our own.

Operator response

Gina, Thank you for the kind review and allowing me to help you experience Arlington. It’s my favorite venue and I live to share it. Safe travels. Tom

L
LyndaMR58
December 23, 2022
Awesome tour

Our tour was on the 22nd Nov Our guide was Jim Garrett. Absolutely brilliant tour guide. Seemed to know everything about everyone. Highly recommend this tour and I couldn’t imagine a better tour guide He was so respectful and knowledgable

D
Douglas_H
October 6, 2022
Ask for Tom!

Our guide,Tom Schultz, did a custom itinerary for us with the prime focus on the Civil War. We were so pleased! My wife recently had 2 knee replacements and Tom always mindful of her safety as we traveled the varied terrain. Tom was THE best guide we have ever ha29d!!!

Operator response

Doug and Debbie, Thank you for preparing personal research beforehand for our morning at Arlington. It gave me pleasure to guide you to areas of the cemetery that I don't frequently visit. So a treat for me as well. Safe travels on your way back to Hawaii. Tom

G
ginascott101
July 3, 2022
Cemetery Tour changing of the Guard

Paul Sullivan lead our group. Fantastic tour filled with historical facts and fun side stories. Highly recommend for all ages.

4
48colinh
May 29, 2022
Arlington National Cemetery

This was one of five experiences we had with Tom Schultz from DC Military Tours. As other reviewers have said, Tom has an extensive knowledge of the National Cemetery and walked my wife and I around, pointing out the key internments and monuments and giving plenty of background and context. The Guard change ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns was as moving as you would expect and Tom's knowledge of the details of the ceremony was excellent. We also stopped at the Marine Corps memorial at the end of the tour. Tom is much more than a tour guide. He is a historian who also has the knowledge and experience of a 20 year Navy veteran. On a practical level he picks up from your accommodation and drops you back at the end of the tour (that said, on this occasion, he kindly dropped us in Georgetown). Tom's knowledge is extensive as you would expect. That said, his superpower, if you like, is the ability to pitch and flex your experience to exactly what you are interested in. In Arlington he will seek out areas or individual burials for you. For us he took us to some of the less visited areas of the cemetery where the Civil War and First War burials are and where the USCT lie. Tom doesn't necessarily follow a set route or script, he's too good for that, and he will 'call an audible' if he thinks a stop somewhere would be interesting for you as his listens to your questions and comments. Tom's enthusiasm for history is obvious and somewhat infectious, and this makes him a perfect guide. We would highly recommend DCMT to anyone.

Operator response

Colin and Allison, Thank you for your kind review. I was glad that we were able to make some discoveries together in Arlington. I had not had a chance beforehand to visit the few Commonwealth graves from WWII at the Cemetery so I was pleased we could share that experience. The 'roads less traveled' at Arlington always lead to a more thorough and intimate experience. As I may have mentioned, it would take three days to see all of Arlington. On your future return trip, we can see more intimate areas of the Cemetery that we did not cover this time around. Our new friendship is important to me. Please come back soon. - Tom

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