Law and Government Tour, Washington D.C.

Arrive in Washington D.C. today, the constitutional capital city of the United States of America. This city has been the epicenter of politics, law, and justice in the nation since it was established by the country’s first president – George Washington. Your guide will meet you at the airport and help you to get settled in your hotel before embarking on a quick walking tour of Capitol Hill to study history here. You’ll quickly become acquainted with the city’s layout, and you’ll have dinner together on Capitol Hill for your first evening before turning in for a good night’s sleep in preparation for a full day of sightseeing tomorrow.

Your first full day in Washington D.C. will start with several of the city’s most famous museums. Your guide will arrange for a tour of the National Gallery of Art in the morning. You’ll view an impressive collection, including a painting by the famous Leonardo da Vinci. The group will spend the morning at the gallery before enjoying a quick lunch. After lunch, you will be off to visit the National Archives Museum. Here you’ll get the chance to see three of the most important documents in U.S. history – the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  

You’ll spend the late afternoon at the Newseum where a guide will take you on a private tour of the museum’s collections. This museum was established to educate visitors on the First Amendment and the necessity of having a free press in a democratic society. 

D.C. is home to the Smithsonian Institution which is the name for a network of more than a dozen museums and gallery spaces in the city. Today, you’ll visit two of the most popular – the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum. Your group will enjoy a private tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History which has been educating visitors on the natural world since it opened in 1910. 

The group will have a quick lunch before heading to the National Air and Space Museum for a comprehensive look into the history of flight and space travel. Be sure to check out the original Wright Flyer dating back to 1903 when the Wright brothers were figuring out the fundamentals of aviation.  You’ll roam the museum at your pace until the group heads for dinner.

Today you’ll explore the National Mall and the famous monuments and structures that flank each side. At your leisure, you can visit the Washington Monument, the White House, The U.S. Capitol, Library of Congress, Lincoln Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. You can explore the area on foot or rent bicycles and scooters from kiosks throughout the mall.

Today the group will venture to the National Zoo which has been in continuous operation for 130 years. Explore the park and observe its thousands of animals on display including more than 30 that are currently on the endangered species list. Be sure to check out the giant pandas, one of the park’s most popular exhibits.

The group will start the day off with a visit to the National Portrait Gallery, another Smithsonian collection. On display here is a vast array of portraits of famous and historically significant Americans.  You’ll see portraits of almost every U.S. president, and other key figures in history like Colin Powell, Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglas, Martha Washington, and many more.  

You’ll leave the Portrait Gallery and head to the Vietnam War Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery where you’ll spend the afternoon. Meander about the sites at your leisure before returning to the group for a last dinner in D.C.

You’ll leave Washington D.C. today no doubt more knowledgeable about U.S. history, the important events that occurred there, and key figures than you were when you arrived. The city is so replete with historic sites and stories that it’s impossible to fit everything in one trip. Your guide will deliver you to the airport until you return another day.