Small-Group Arlington Cemetery & Changing of the Guard Tour

More than 400,000 veterans rest across 639 acres of hallowed Virginia ground — and every one of them has a story worth knowing. On this intimate guided walking tour, you'll witness the legendary Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, stand at JFK's Eternal Flame, and uncover the remarkable Civil War origins of the estate that became America's most sacred cemetery. Small groups, expert guides, and stories you won't find on a bus tour.

On a quiet hillside below Arlington House, a small flame has burned every single day since November 25, 1963 — lit by Jacqueline Kennedy at the end of her husband's funeral, hours after she had watched him buried. The JFK gravesite is one of the most visited and most quietly powerful places in Washington. Surrounded by Cape Cod granite and engraved with words from his inaugural address, it holds not just the 35th President, but Jackie, and two of their infant children who never lived to see their father's presidency. A few steps away lie Robert and Ted Kennedy. Standing here, with the Lincoln Memorial directly across the Potomac and the Washington Monument on the horizon, you understand why Kennedy himself once looked out at this hillside and said it was "so magnificent I could stay here forever." He does.

The cemetery's most iconic site, and arguably the most powerful spot in all of Washington. Since 1921, an unidentified soldier from World War I has rested here, later joined by unknowns from WWII and Korea. A sentinel from the Army's elite 3rd Infantry Regiment guards the tomb 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — in every weather condition, without exception. The Changing of the Guard ceremony is a precise, solemn ritual that stops every visitor in their tracks.

The Greek Revival mansion at the top of the hill tells the story of how Arlington became a cemetery at all. Built by George Washington's step-grandson, it was seized by Union forces at the outbreak of the Civil War — and General Meigs deliberately placed graves as close to the house as possible, including in Mrs. Lee's rose garden, to ensure the Lee family could never return. It is one of the most calculated acts of the entire war.

One of the most visited graves in Arlington, and one of the most understated. Murphy was the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II — earning every valor award the Army offered, plus decorations from France and Belgium — and went on to become a Hollywood actor. He specifically requested that his headstone not be decorated with gold leaf, as is customary for Medal of Honor recipients. He wanted to rest like an ordinary soldier. He does.

On January 28, 1986, 73 seconds after liftoff, the Challenger disintegrated. All seven crew members were killed — including Christa McAuliffe, a schoolteacher who was to be the first civilian in space. Classrooms across America watched it live. The commingled cremated remains of the crew are interred beneath a single memorial in Section 46, inscribed with the poem "High Flight" — the same poem President Reagan quoted when he addressed the nation that evening.