It never fails to amaze me exactly how much stuff there is to do in Washington, DC. Even after ten years of living here. And can you believe this will be my very first blog post about my hometown? But it’s not uncommon for people to be so focused on traveling away that they forget to explore their own backyard. And, if there’s anything Covid-19 has taught me in the ways of travel, it’s to take advantage of my local surroundings. So, when Big Bus Tours agreed to collaborate with me on a tour of all the best things to do in DC, I couldn’t have been more excited. A huge thank you to them for sponsoring such a fun day!
Those that know me well know that, not only am I a big fan of Meantime Meanderings and being a tourist in your own town, I’m a big fan of hop-on/hop-off buses when I travel, too! It’s the perfect way to make sure you get all your sights in, and an easy way to get around town when you don’t want to deal with taxi drivers or the local metro system. And, let’s be honest, it was just plain fun bussing around my own city for a day.
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Big Bus Tours is the primary hop-on/hop-off tour company that I use on most of my travels. While their headquarters are based in London, their bus services are located in over twenty cities across four continents… one of them being Washington, DC. Other US cities include New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami. Internationally, they’re all over—from Paris to Istanbul to Dubai to Singapore.
You’ll see the uber exciting open-top double-decker buses rolling around town. And they have really entertaining, really informative guides to accompany your ride. Depending on the city, you’ll either have a live guide, or recorded audio—available in multiple languages—with complimentary headphones. Either way, it’s going to be a good time.
If you’ve never tested their services out, it’s super simple. For one, they have their very own app—which I love—with live updates on your bus’ location. And two, all their stops are marked with easy-to-find signs in their signature burgundy and yellow. The buses circulate on a regular schedule, and you can jump between different routes if you so choose.
The #AdventurePartnerForLife and I like to get a couple-day pass and do different routes on different days. We’ll also jump off at one stop, see the sights between stops, and hop back on at a different stop. Whatever tickles our fancy, really. The possibilities are endless!
Big Bus Tours’ Covid-19 Precautions
The great thing about Big Bus Tours and their open-top double-decker buses is that they’re already pseudo-Covid-friendly since they’re out in the open air. (Just don’t sit downstairs and inside if you can avoid it.) And, while I’m sure the measures vary from city to city, they also required face masks on our DC tour. For city-specific information on Big Bus Tours’ hygiene measures, just click on the “Covid-19 Safety Measures” link at the bottom of each city page.
All The Best Things To Do In DC
Big Bus Tours made certain that you get to see all the best things to do in DC. They currently have two routes—the red line and the black line. The red line is the day tour, while the black line is the night tour. (Evening tours of the monuments are a particularly popular activity. AndDC in spring is epic because it’s cherry blossom time!)
Where & When
Grab the red line at L’Enfant Plaza and the Spy Museum starting at 10 a.m. Thursday through Monday. A complete loop takes about 90 minutes and buses depart every hour on the hour; the last bus departs at 5:00 p.m. The black line departs from the same stop at 7:00 p.m.
Things To Do In DC… And More!
I’ve outlined the Big Bus highlights below, but this list is by no means comprehensive. (Note that you can access the same sights from multiple stops.) For a comprehensive rundown of all Big Bus’ things to do in DC, be sure to check out their tours page online.
I’m also making my own additions to the list because I think there are a couple big sights missing and I don’t want our visitors to miss a thing!
Smithsonian Castle. Photo Credit: Unsplash.com.
Stop #1: L’Enfant Plaza
American Indian Museum
Hirshhorn Museum
Sackler/Freer Gallery
Artechouse
Holocaust Memorial Museum
Smithsonian Castle
Bureau of Engraving
National Air & Space Museum
More Things To Do In DC at Stop #1
International Spy Museum
Museum of the Bible
National Museum of African Art
The Washington Monument from the Tidal Basin. Photo Credit: Unsplash.com
Stop #2: Washington Monument
American History Museum
Holocaust Memorial Museum
Smithsonian Castle
Artechouse
Jefferson Memorial
Washington Monument
Bureau of Engraving
Sackler/Freer Gallery
More Things To Do In DC at Stop #2
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Museum of Natural History
Martin Luther King Memorial. Photo Credit: Unsplash.com.
Stop #3: Roosevelt & MLK Memorials
Albert Einstein Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
World War II Memorial
Jefferson Memorial
Martin Luther King Memorial
More Things To Do In DC at Stop #3
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Tidal Basin
The Lincoln Memorial. Photo Credit: Unsplash.com.
Stop #4: Lincoln Memorial & Korean War Memorial
Albert Einstein Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Martin Luther King Memorial
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
More Things To Do In DC at Stop #4
The Arts of War Sculptures on the Arlington Bridge
I’ve always had an affinity for hop-on/hop-off buses, but I particularly enjoy Big Bus Tours and highly recommend them. While the app is definitely one of my favorite things about their services that other bus companies don’t offer, I also like how thorough their tours are—in terms of both guides and routes. It’s an added bonus that they’re located all over the world.
And, for a limited time, enjoy 10% off Washington, DC tours when you book online! Other cities, like Dubai, offer 20% off with free services for kids. So, what are you waiting for? Get out and tour your own town today!
While physical information centers exist in each Big Bus city, some of them are currently closed due to Covid-19. Contact Big Bus Tours via live chat on their website or through their app.
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