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Washington DC: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Arlington Audio Tours

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/24

Duration1h–1h 50m

Audio guideEN · DE +3

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two Bus Routes, 18 Stops, Your Schedule — DC's Monuments on Your Terms

You get two full bus loops covering the National Mall, White House, and Arlington Cemetery with 18 stops you control; three self-guided audio walks through Arlington, the Tidal Basin, and Georgetown; real-time bus tracking on the app; and a Georgetown Shuttle on 48 and 72-hour tickets. The whole thing is designed so you're not renting a car, not hiring a guide for each museum, and not spending your morning figuring out which monument to see first — just board, listen, and hop off when something catches your eye.

1h–1h 50m

Step-by-step itinerary

Board Red Loop bus at Washington Monument
Visit Natural History Museum
See National Japanese American Memorial
Stop at US Capitol at Garfield Circle
Explore Air & Space Museum
Visit L’Enfant Plaza and International Spy Museum
Stop at The Wharf and Potomac Boat Cruise
Get off at Smithsonian Metro
Visit Bureau of Engraving and Holocaust Museum
See Jefferson Memorial
Visit FDR and MLK Memorial
Board Blue Loop bus at Washington Monument
Stop at World War II Memorial
Visit Lincoln Memorial and Korean War Memorial
Explore Arlington Cemetery
Stop at Constitution Gardens
Visit The White House
See Ford's Theater
Stop at The Willard Hotel and US Treasury
Take Georgetown Shuttle from Washington Monument
Visit National Geographic Museum of Exploration
Stop at Hyatt Place
Explore Georgetown at AMC Theater

The Experience

You step off the plane or train and within an hour you're on an open-top double-decker bus rolling past the Washington Monument. The Red Loop hits the National Mall first — Natural History Museum, Air & Space, the Capitol — while the Blue Loop swings toward the White House, Arlington Cemetery, and the memorials along the Potomac. Eighteen stops total, and you pick which ones matter to you. The digital commentary plays through headphones as the bus moves, so you're not stuck listening to someone else's pace or someone else's jokes.

What makes this different from just walking or taking a cab is that you're not figuring out the route yourself or paying for three separate tickets to three separate places. The hop-on hop-off model means you can spend an hour at the Lincoln Memorial, then catch the next bus ten minutes later without planning ahead. The app tracks buses in real time, so you're not guessing when the next one arrives. If you grab a 48 or 72-hour ticket, the Georgetown Shuttle is included — that's the waterfront neighborhood with the shops and restaurants, running every 1 to 1.5 hours from mid-morning to early evening. A portion of every ticket goes straight to preserving the monuments themselves, which is the kind of detail that matters when you're standing in front of something that's been there for a century.

The audio walking tours are self-guided, which means you move at your own speed through Arlington National Cemetery, the Tidal Basin, or Georgetown's historic streets without waiting for a group to assemble. You download the Big Bus app, activate your ticket on your phone, and board at any of the 18 stops — no voucher exchange, no line. Stop #6 at L'Enfant Plaza is the redemption point if you need to swap a printed ticket, but most people just use their phone. One thing to know: Stop #1 at the Washington Monument isn't currently accessible by bus, so if that's your starting point, you'll board at Stop #2 or another nearby stop instead. Guests entering Arlington Cemetery need a valid photo ID if they're 18 or older.

What’s included

Open-top double-decker buses on two full loops with 18 stops.
Big Bus app with live bus tracking and mobile ticketing.
digital commentary with headphones provided aboard the buses.
three self-guided audio walking tours of Arlington National Cemetery, the Tidal Basin, and Georgetown.
Georgetown Shuttle on 48 and 72-hour tickets, running every 1 to 1.5 hours.
choice of 24, 48, or 72-hour ticket validity.
a portion of every ticket supporting preservation of National Mall monuments and memorials.
free Oval Office commemorative digital photo when you present your ticket at White House Gifts.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Big Bus Tours - USA

Is this one for you?Pick this if you're new to DC and want to see the major landmarks without renting a car or buying separate museum tickets — the two loops and 18 stops let you build your own itinerary in a single day, and the app removes the guesswork about when the next bus arrives.