Which private Washington DC tour from NYC is right for you?

Pick by what matters most

You want it door to door

Only the two private car tours collect you in New York and bring you back. The DC-only car tour pairs a driver with a separate licensed guide in Washington, including a guided visit to the National Museum of American History (or Capitol Hill instead). The two-capitals tour keeps one guide with you all day.

You are a group of four or more

Here the private car tours start to make sense on price. On a mid-October weekday we checked, the DC car tour came to $3,050 for one adult, $3,412 for four ($853 each) and $3,479 for six ($580 each). The two-capitals tour was $2,038 for one or two adults and $2,040 for four, about $510 each. In other words, you pay for the vehicle, and the per-head cost falls fast as seats fill. Prices move with the date, so check your own day on the booking box.

For a couple, the train plus the $520 luxury-vehicle tour usually costs far less than either car tour, even after two train tickets. Amtrak fares vary widely by day and time, so price the train before you compare.

You want Philadelphia too

Book the private two-capitals tour for Iwo Jima, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Capitol from outside, then the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the Rocky Steps. It runs about 17 hours and is not wheelchair accessible. The shared version is $115 per person with a 5:00 AM start near Times Square.

You want reviews you can trust

The luxury-vehicle tour is the best-reviewed private tour of Washington on this site: 4.8 from 41 reviews. Your guide collects you at your Washington hotel, drives a Cadillac Escalade ESV or Mercedes Sprinter, and builds the four hours around what you want: Lincoln, the war memorials, MLK, Jefferson, Capitol, Arlington or the Pentagon. It is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Acela’s fastest scheduled run from Penn Station to Union Station is about 2 hours 45 minutes, so you sit on the train for roughly as long as you would in a car, minus the traffic. Our train and private guide page covers timings.

You want the lowest cost

Take the $107 van or bus trip: 4.6 from 4,483 reviews, departures from 7th Avenue and West 51st Street at 6, 7 or 8 AM, Arlington and the Kennedy graves, Iwo Jima, a Georgetown drive and 90 minutes free on the Mall. For $22 more, the $129 bus trip has the top shared rating (4.7) and adds Capitol Hill, the White House and the Jefferson Memorial. Our private vs group guide weighs the two in detail.

Know before you book

• It is a long day: round trips from New York run 14 to 17 hours.
• The drive is roughly 225 miles, about four to five hours each way, and traffic around Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington can add more. See how far Washington is from New York.
• Starts are early: 5:00 AM on the shared two-capitals coach, 6 to 8 AM on most others, about 7:00 AM on the private car tour.
• Every tour here sees the White House from outside. Going inside needs a free public tour request through a Member of Congress, made at least 21 days ahead.
• Smithsonian museums screen every visitor with a metal detector and check bags, so carry less to get in faster.
• See the best time for a Washington day trip and what fits into one day.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best private Washington DC tour from New York?

For a door-to-door day with nobody else on board, the private full-day trip by car is the straightforward pick. For proven quality, take the train and book the DC luxury-vehicle tour, rated 4.8 from 41 reviews.

Is the $1,525 private car tour priced per person?

The listing says per person, but on a mid-October weekday we checked the total was $3,050 for one adult and $3,479 for six. It behaves like a per-car price, so larger groups pay much less each.

Can I see Philadelphia and Washington on one private tour?

Yes. The private two-capitals tour picks you up in Manhattan and covers the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and Capitol from outside, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the Rocky Steps in about 17 hours.

Do any of these tours go inside the White House?

No. All of them view it from outside. Public White House tours are free but must be requested through a Member of Congress at least 21 days in advance.

Is the train faster than the private car?

Acela’s fastest scheduled trip is about 2 hours 45 minutes, while the drive is about four to five hours depending on traffic. The car wins on convenience, the train on time and predictability.

Ready to book? Check live dates for the private car tour on the homepage, or compare every option on the tours page.