Here, Guided Tours means USA Guided Tours: bus, walking and private tours in Washington DC and New York City. It suits you if you want to see many sights in a short time and have a guide explain the background.
What you can book
There are public bus tours by day and night, bus and boat tours, and private tours for your group. In Washington the line-up includes the night tour DC at Dusk, the six-hour Discover DC with Nick and the eight-hour VIP tour with access to the National Archives and the Capitol buildings. In New York there is the six-hour Discover NY tour plus private day and night tours.
What a booking really costs
The prices on the home page are a good guide, but not the whole amount:
- Ticket prices: the home page lists for example $64 for the DC night tour, $89 for Discover DC, $149 for the VIP tour and $99 for Discover NY. Several tours show two prices. The tour page shows which applies to whom, since children up to 12 pay a reduced price.
- Private tours: in New York they start at $695 for the group.
- Tips: they are not included in the ticket. The usual amount is 15 percent, or $8 to $10 per person, for guide and driver.
- Admissions: museums and attractions are only included when the tour says so.
- Booking insurance: optional at $5.99 per person.
Children under 3 ride free if they sit on a lap. A separate seat costs the child ticket.
Cancellation and payment
Public tours can be cancelled for free up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. With the booking insurance you can cancel up to one hour before, minus the cost of the insurance. Private tours in Washington can be cancelled free up to 7 days ahead, in New York up to 48 hours. Your ticket is the confirmation email, nothing is mailed. If you lose it, your last name works as the reservation number. Changes are possible while seats remain, but not always for packages that include a hotel.
How to save
The website has a specials page. A voucher code, if there is one, is listed on our provider page. Many tours sell out in high season, so booking late rarely saves anything. If you prefer to stay flexible, the $5.99 insurance is the safer route.
Tips for the day
- Be at the meeting point 15 to 20 minutes before departure. Ten minutes before, open seats are marked as no-shows.
- In Washington you meet at the Navy Memorial Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue, in New York on 7th Avenue between 50th and 51st Street. The VIP tour starts at the Library of Congress.
- Leave large luggage at your hotel. Foldable strollers and wheelchairs are fine.
- There are blackout dates when some tours do not run, for example holidays and marathons. Check your date.
- None of the tours go inside the White House.
Which tour fits you
The six-hour tours combine bus and boat and cover the big sights. They suit your first day in a city, when you want an overview. The night tour in Washington is shorter and calmer, and the monuments are lit up. The private tour in New York only pays off for a bigger group, because the price covers the whole group. Divide the price by the number of people before you compare it with the public tours.
On the public tours you do not have to leave the bus at every stop. You can stay seated if walking is too much. Each stop is usually planned for 10 to 20 minutes, enough for photos and a break.
Booking with cashback
The cashback runs through daily cashback. Open the daily cashback shop page for Guided Tours first, go from there to Guided Tours and book as usual. The credit follows after your confirmed trip. You can see the current rate on our Guided Tours page at TripPrice.