Best of DC: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour & Sightseeing Sunset Tour
Overview
Available languages
2 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
As the official tour of the National Parks Service, no one gets you closer to the National Mall monuments and the stunning Cherry Blossom Festival.
Discover DC aboard a Big Bus open-top double-decker with unlimited hop-on, hop-off access and digital commentary in multiple languages. See iconic sights like the White House, Capitol Building, and Arlington National Cemetery at your own pace.
Hop off to explore top attractions including the Smithsonian Museums, the Library of Congress, and powerful memorials on the National Mall.
Then, experience the capital in a whole new light with a 2.5-hour panoramic night tour featuring illuminated sites like the Washington Monument, the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the historic Georgetown neighborhood.
Explore the nation’s capital like never before. Find hidden spots, enjoy its historic charm, and see its landmarks all lit up at night.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tours may be taken on separate days
Sunset Tour is 2 hours and departs from Stop #6 - L'Enfant Plaza & International Spy Museum
Unlimited Biking Offer: Rent a bike for one hour and get an additional hour free. Rental includes bike, helmet, basket, lock, roadside assistance and an illustrated map featuring key routes and attractions.
Free Oval Office Photo: Present your ticket at White House Gifts (701 15th ST NW) to receive a free Oval Office digital photo. One photo per ticket.
Exclusive audio guide tours of Arlington Cemetery, Tidal Basin and Georgetown. Guests must be 18 to enter Arlington.
Guests may activate ticket either via the Big Bus app or in person with Big Bus staff
Official Bus Tour Provider of the National Mall: a portion of every ticket helps preserve DC's monuments and memorials—so your Big Bus experience supports America’s history for generations to come
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Washington Monument
View from Big Bus
Lincoln Memorial
View from Big Bus
What‘s Included
24, 48, or 72-hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour validity (up to $83 value)
2hr Sunset Tour (Live Guide during March and April 2026)
Free app for route information and live bus tracking
Exclusive digital tours of Arlington Cemetery, Tidal Basin and Georgetown
Official Tour Provider of the National Mall - a portion of every ticket goes to preservation
Open-top Double Decker Bus
Digital commentary aboard bus in multiple languages
Hotel pick-up/drop-off
Options
24hr Bus/Night Tour/Arlington
48hr Bus/Night Tour/Arlington
48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour
2-hour Sunset Tour
Free Oval Office Photo
1 Hour Free Bike Rental
72hr Bus/Night Tour/Arlington
72-hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour
2-hour Sunset Tour
Free Oval Office Photo
1 Hour Free Bike Rental
Reviews
73 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Awesome!
jessicaoI7379IA,Apr 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Vernon and Worku were awesome! Great tour! Informative and funny! Amazing views, lots of bang for your buck! Big Bus! Big Bus!
The website had the wrong...
Joe E,Apr 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00The website had the wrong address for us to be picked up for the Sunset tour. We waited for 45 minutes, called the tour co., was put on hold for over 20 minutes with never an answer. They now say they will not refund us for the tour.
Bus Tour
Z2381RTcharlesh,Apr 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00All of the associates I interacted with were friendly and professional, especially Brandon B.
Dc bus tour
douge689,Apr 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We got the three day pass. We really took advantage of the transportation. The big bus staff were all very friendly especially Brandon B
A Waste of Money and TIme.
rebeccasD4728XK,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Horrible, first I was told in description and on confirmation ticket to meet at Union Station, well this is not the case, they no longer stop at union station. After calling , the Big Bus Comany was told oh we have to call trip advisor and have them fix that. I have to walk 5 blocks to the Yotel hotel stop. The first bus was packed I could not get on had to wait 22 min for the next one. That one was packed and had to stand for 2 stops till others got off. WHen I finally did get a seat , they kept picking up more people so it was standing room only upstairs and down. I was upstairs, the bus was not open air was was so warm, I sended up getting off after 3 more stops and getting subway. Pay the extra money and do the trolley, much better service.
Frustrating if You Have Plans
okbouza,Apr 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00The app did not update bus locations frequently enough. In fact, most buses were labeled "information unavailable." We missed our bus several times. There are not enough buses to accommodate the customer frequency and time expectations. Even on a Monday, after Spring Break, the buses were full. The traffic was so bad that suggested stop intervals of 30-45 minutes were more like 1.5 hours or more. We could not count on the bus to get us where we needed to go by our reservation times. You were always late-very late. More buses would have alleviated the problem. I felt like my money would have been better used with an Uber. I had to tell people waiting to use the service that I did not recommend it because they were also complaining that it was taking too long for a bus to arrive. While the audio was nice, it was boring and could have said so much more, especially about the cherry blossom festival and upcoming 250 year events. There is another bus tour, called Old Town Trolley Tours. They were all over the place. For every Big Bus I saw, there were 5 trolley tours doing the same thing. Take them instead.
I used to ride big bus...
STEPHEN H,Apr 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00I used to ride big bus tours as the first thing in every big city because they were amazing. They have now completely replaced human tour guides with a pre-recorded audio that has more music than words, talks more about things that are many blocks away instead of what you are actually looking at, contains outright lies, repeatedly cuts out mid sentence, and 95% of the time fails to mention anything about the interesting buildings and monuments right in front of you. I know it saves money to eliminate the humans, but they made their product almost completely worthless in the process. The worst person tour guide I ever had was still much better than the recording, and the good tour guides are why I spent thousands of dollars on Big bus in the past. Waiting 40 minutes for a big bus transportation option in cities with 5 minute bus and metro waits for 2 dollars made sure it's worthless as transportation. The pre-recorded guide made it virtually worthless as a tour.
Take the Big Bus!
monorailmomkrista,Mar 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed Big Bus Tours in DC so much! The nighttime tour was fabulous. We also loved Tyrika Kale on the daytime blue line! She is terrific! She took great care of us and is a lot of fun. Thanks for the laughs, Tyrika!
Hop on hop off DC tour
GrandTour58192176457,Mar 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00very amazing tour , Lena is very helpful and the place is very beautiful
Rude and unhelpful staff
harmonyf2026,Jan 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00The actual bus tour was OK. The staff were very rude and unhelpful. Would not recommended simply because of the staff. That was big turn off for me.
From US$69.00
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Operated by Big Bus Tours - USA