What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Thank you Dre

  802russw,May 27, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Dre was great! Helpful and knowledgeable.

• Big bus tour Washington DC

  Richard L,May 26, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  3.00

  It was very boring. Hated the earbuds. Points of interest along the way were not pointed out. Would not do this again.

• Warning False Advertising on Benefits

  jims120,May 25, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  1.00

  We took this tour over the 3 other bus/trolley options because they offered, as in the title, the Arlington Cemetery Audio tour. We get to the Arlington Cemetery, we are dropped off at the hop on hop off location. We were not instructed on how to get the “audio tour”. Checking inside the guest services and showing the electronic tickets on the app, they knew nothing. The Arlington Cemetery offered their own audio tram tour at additional cost. Another feature this tour company advertised is “Free Oval Office Commemorative Photo: Present your ticket at White House Gifts (701 15th ST NW) to receive a free Oval Office digital photo. One photo per ticket.” We walk 6 blocks from the bus drop point to the gift shop only to be told that we had to have the printed (cash register type ticket) because there is a tear off coupon to get free photo. The lady in the photo shop apologized and said everyone with the electronic app ticket is very disappointed when walking that far for nothing. She said her boss has reported the issue to tour company many times without resolution. I asked the tour associate that is selling tickets at the bus stop if he could reprint my electronic ticket so I had the missing coupons. He said no but to call the tour office. I called the support and information number that is on the ticket 3 times but all you get is answering machine saying to call back unless employee calling in sick to leave message. The chat feature on the app is a global support center and could not help. This is all false advertising so watch out if expecting anything other that a hop on hop off ride that is less expensive at their competitors.

• Worst Experience

  Navigator27156048205,May 24, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  1.00

  We travel full time across the United States and when we stop at a large city we enjoy doing the hop on hop off bus tours because it elevates the stress of finding places. Our experience with the Washington DC Big Bus tours was horrible, from finding a stop to catch the bus to sitting for over a half hour waiting for the bus to move. There was no communication from the drive or bus crew explaining the delay or that we would need to use ear plugs to hear the commentary. When we went and asked for earplugs, the audio was very poor and didn’t flow with what was being seen or addressed. It was never announced clearly when we were approaching a hop on or hop off bus stop. The driver never slowed down. We had to scramble to get off the top section and yell HEY we wanted off here. The driver was put out that WE missed the stop HE NEVER STOPPED and IT WAS NOT ANNOUNCED! An older couple wanted to get off at Arlington but again the bus did not stop nor was it announced. So they just rode the bus. This by far has been our worst experience with the hop on hop off companies. Should have listened to the reviews.

  

  

  

• Rainy Day Tour

  Edith S,May 24, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Great way to see DC without all the walking especially on a rainy day. The tour lacked some historical facts like information about Benjamin Banneker

• Eds Review

  edwardbt2024,May 24, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Tony was great, his knowledge of history was astounding, however the understanding of American History by some of those attending was lacking, thus they felt lost. Simplicity & explanation of history in its simplest terms would improve comprehensive understanding.

• I have to say the fellas...

  Margaret P,May 23, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  I have to say the fellas at the start of the bus were informative & helpful. The bus was a great way for us to see & experience the city.

• Hop your way on and off to a fun and stressless day!

  JohnPicc25,May 23, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Joyce and I just got back from a week in DC. Probably the hottest week in DC this year! By coincidence, we stayed at a hotel that was a 5 minute walk to the White House stop on the Blue line. We purchased a 3 day pass which got us to the majority of sites that we wanted to see. There was a little planning but if you are smart, you can bounce from the red the line to the blue line or visa a versa and it'll get you to most of the places that you want to see. The buses are comfortable whether you are upstairs or down and, the best part, is that there are staff members at every stop to help you with your tickets and your journey. A very accommodating group. The wait time between stops was always reasonable. A great way to save money rather than using Uber because the only way to get around DC is by walking or driving (don't try driving because parking is a nightmare). They also have a great app and, if you're techno friendly (which we are not) it can be an extremely useful tool getting around the city. Very highly recommended!!! J&J

• Good way to get around..... wear your patience pants

  Candace A,May 20, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  3.00

  Overall, Big Bus Tours was a good way to get around Washington DC, especially for seeing a lot of sites without worrying about transportation. The staff and drivers were all very friendly and helpful. That said, the logistics were pretty rough during our trip. Traffic was horrendous, there were lots of road closures and rerouting, and the buses ran quite late. Our original pickup time was supposed to be 9:56 AM, but we didn’t actually get on a bus until around 10:20. Things got more frustrating when we were told to switch bus colors at the next stop and move to another bus. About halfway through the ride, that bus developed a very strong ammonia smell. The driver initially told people to just sit upstairs, but the smell became overwhelming and people were getting sick. Eventually, everyone had to evacuate the bus at Arlington National Cemetery because the odor was so intense. Despite all of that, it’s still a convenient way to get around DC if you’re patient and flexible with delays and unexpected changes.

• There were some issues...

  Tobi S,May 17, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  3.00

  There were some issues that seemed out of their control, road closures, traffic. I would think they would know about the closures and adjust. They did decide to go back to starting point and allow us to change routes. We were also in one bus that had a nauseating ammonia smell coming from the vents. We had to get off. I informed the driver.

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