"Excellent guide and driver good pace to trip Only problem we had was the air conditioning was set too high and was freezing at back of coaching"
Group Day Trips
Washington DC Day Trip from NYC
Midtown to the monuments and back, from $107.
From
$107
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.6 / 5 4,483+ Reviews
- 15 hours Duration
- 4,400+ Guest Reviews
- 3 Departures 6, 7 or 8 AM
- Free Cancellation
Book Your Private Day
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
The Experience
Why This Day Trip Is the Most Booked
More than 4,400 reviews, three morning departures, and 90 minutes on the Mall at the end.
Highlights
- The most-reviewed New York to Washington day trip: 4.6 from more than 4,400 reviews
- Arlington National Cemetery on foot, including the Kennedy graves
- Iwo Jima Memorial photo stop and a drive through Georgetown
- Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool and the Vietnam and Korean War memorials
- 90 minutes of free time on the National Mall for a Smithsonian museum
- Three morning departures: 6:00, 7:00 or 8:00 AM
What's Included
- Departure from and return to Midtown Manhattan
- Round-trip air-conditioned bus or van
- Professional guide in English or Spanish
- A breakfast and rest stop in Delaware
- Several walking stops for photographs
- 90 minutes of free time at the end to visit a museum
How the Group Day Trip Works
A fixed route, a shared vehicle and a guide in English or Spanish.
Meet in Midtown
Be at 7th Avenue and West 51st Street for the 6:00, 7:00 or 8:00 AM departure you chose.
Breakfast in Delaware
A 30-minute stop at the Delaware House Travel Plaza, then on to Washington.
Arlington to the Mall
Arlington National Cemetery, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Georgetown, then the Lincoln Memorial and the war memorials on foot.
Free Time, Then Home
Ninety minutes on the National Mall for a Smithsonian museum, then the drive back to Manhattan.
Photo Gallery
What a Group Day in Washington Covers
The memorials, the Mall and Arlington, on a fixed schedule.
Group Day Trip, Private Car or Train + Guide?
What changes when you pay for a private day in Washington.
| Feature | MOST REVIEWED Group Day Trip | Private Car from NYC | Train + Private DC Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup | 7th Ave & W 51st St, 6, 7 or 8 AM | Your New York accommodation | Your DC arrival, after the train |
| Schedule | Fixed for the whole group | Your pace | Your route, 4 hours |
| Reviews | 4.6 from 4,483 | New listing, no reviews yet | 4.8 from 41 |
| Price | From $107 per person | About $3,050–3,480 per car for 1–6 (mid-Oct) | From $520 per group + train |
| Check Availability | See the Car Tour | See the DC Tour |
More Ways to Go
Other Washington Tours from New York
A private two-city day, a private tour that starts in DC, and the best-reviewed group day trips.
PRIVATE · 2 CITIESFrom NYC: Private Washington & Philadelphia Tour in 1 Day
A private version of the classic two-capitals day: your group alone with a bilingual guide, collected from an address you choose in Manhattan anywhere between Lower Manhattan and 125th Street.
TOP-RATED PRIVATE IN DCWashington DC: Private Tour with Luxury Vehicle
If you reach Washington on your own, by the three-hour train from New York, this is the private tour to book once you arrive. A licensed guide who is also your driver collects you from your hotel in a Cadillac Escalade ESV or a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and the route bends to what your group wants to see.
4.7 FROM 605 REVIEWSWashington DC Day Trip by Bus from New York City
A 14-hour day trip by air-conditioned bus from Midtown Manhattan, with an English or Spanish-speaking guide and admissions included. At 4.7 from more than 600 reviews, it is the best-rated of the well-reviewed shared day trips on this site.
MOST REVIEWEDFrom NYC: Guided Day Trip to Washington DC by Van or Bus
The most-reviewed Washington day trip from New York on this site, with more than 4,400 reviews. It leaves Midtown Manhattan at 6:00, 7:00 or 8:00 AM in an air-conditioned bus or van, depending on how many people booked that day.
DC + PHILADELPHIAFrom NYC: Washington & Philadelphia Full Day Guided Tour
Two capitals in one very long day, for $115 per person. The coach leaves the Times Square area at 5:00 AM with a bilingual English and Spanish guide licensed in both Washington and Philadelphia.
Choosing a Day Trip
Four Group Day Trips, and When to Go Private
What separates the best-reviewed group tours from New York, and the point at which a private day makes more sense.
The group day trips worth booking
Four shared day trips from New York to Washington have a solid review record on GetYourGuide. They all leave Midtown early, spend four to five hours on the road each way, and give you about five hours in the capital. What separates them is the route, the extras and the size of the review sample.
| Tour | From | Leaves | Length | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided day trip by van or bus | $107 | 6, 7 or 8 AM, 7th Ave & W 51st St | 15 hours | 4.6 from 4,483 |
| Day trip by bus | $129 | Midtown | 14 hours | 4.7 from 605 |
| Washington in a day, Manhattan or NJ | $129 | 6:00 AM, Midtown or New Jersey | 15 hours | 4.6 from 160 |
| Washington & Philadelphia | $115 | 5:00 AM, Times Square | 15 hours | 4.6 from 3,854 |
Which one to pick
The van or bus day trip is the one most people book, and the review count shows it. It is the only one here with a choice of three departure times, it walks you through Arlington National Cemetery to the Kennedy graves, and it ends with 90 minutes of free time on the National Mall, enough for one Smithsonian museum.
The day trip by bus has the highest rating of the four in the table. It includes Capitol Hill, the Jefferson Memorial and free time at Union Station, and several guests say their group was small enough to feel almost private. Eating is not allowed on board, so plan meals around the stops.
Pick the Manhattan or New Jersey tour if you are staying across the Hudson; it has a New Jersey pickup and times the drive home for a night view of the Manhattan skyline. Pick the Washington and Philadelphia tour if you want the Liberty Bell too, and do not mind a 5:00 AM start and shorter time in Washington.
What a group day trip cannot do
A group tour runs on a fixed schedule for everyone on the vehicle. You cannot linger at the Lincoln Memorial, skip Arlington or leave early, and pickup is from a street corner in Midtown, not your hotel. Commentary is shared, often in English and Spanish.
For most couples on a budget that is a fair trade: at $107 a head the most-reviewed trip costs a small fraction of a private car. It starts to look different for a family of four or more. The private car from New York was about $3,412 in total for four people on a mid-October weekday we checked, or $853 each, and it collects you from your own door. The private Washington and Philadelphia tour was about $2,040 for four, or $510 each. And if you are happy to take the train, a private guide in Washington starts from $520 for the whole group.
Private vs group works through the cost per head for different group sizes.
Tips for the day
Bring a jacket even in summer; the air conditioning at the back of a coach can run cold. Wear shoes you can walk in for several hours. Carry photo ID for museum security, and leave large bags at your hotel: some operators charge for them. Every tour here has free cancellation up to 24 hours before, so book the date early and decide on the details later.
Guest Reviews
What Day-Trip Guests Say
4.6/5
from 4483 verified GetYourGuide guests
Ratings and review counts are the tour operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift slightly day to day.
"From start to finish it was an excellent experience. Juanita, Jose, were excellent guides and Sol was an excellent driver."
"Very nice tour and very convenient. Thank you to David the tour guide and Super Mario the driver. Definitely I recommend this tour"
"the details of the tour guides. and all the places i went to"
"Definitely worth the money , every minute of trip was such amazing experience.Our guide was David and Mario"
"I would like to recommend the trip. You can taste all the main sites in one day and still have time for a self-guided tour and lunch. I would like to praise David Anders and the special and professional bus driver Nili. I will return again for a trip. thanks to you."
"An excellent tour with very good organization. The guide, Oda, was superbly prepared and told stories so well that you just wanted to keep listening. Highly recommended."
"We really enjoyed our day trip to Washington DC. David was our guide, and was very knowledgeable, and made the trip a fun day. Mario was our driver, and made the trip very comfortable with his driving. I really recommend this day trip for anyone that has limited time available, as you get to see all the main DC sites. It is a fairly rushed day fitting everything in, but you do get 90 minutes of free time in DC to do your own thing. It was very hot in DC and would have been great if the bus had bottled water available for everyone. I have done other day trips similar to this and there's always been bottled water available (especially on hot days)."
Read all 4483 verified reviews
See All ReviewsThe Most-Reviewed Day Trip to Washington
From $107 per person, 4.6 from more than 4,400 reviews, free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Starting from $107 per person.
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Washington DC Day Trip from NYC: Questions Answered
Departures, what you see, how long it takes and when a private day makes more sense.
Most leave Midtown Manhattan. The most-reviewed trip meets at 7th Avenue and West 51st Street at 6:00, 7:00 or 8:00 AM; the Washington and Philadelphia coach leaves the Times Square area at 5:00 AM; one tour also picks up in New Jersey.
Fourteen to fifteen hours, with about four to five hours on the road each way and about five hours in Washington.
Group day trips on this site cost $107 to $129 per person. A private car from your door was about $3,050 in total for one traveller and $3,412 for four on a mid-October weekday we checked.
On the most-reviewed trip, yes: it ends with 90 minutes of free time on the National Mall, enough for one museum.
The day trip by bus, at 4.7 from 605 reviews. The most reviewed is the van or bus day trip, at 4.6 from 4,483.
For families and groups of four or more, and for anyone who wants pickup from their own door. See private vs group for the cost per head.
Still have questions? Email us at info@privatewashingtontoursfromnyc.com
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Every private tour, group day trip and planning guide on this site, in one place.
Ways to Do the Day
Tours We Cover
- NYC to Washington DC Day Trip by Van or Bus
- Private Washington & Philadelphia Tour from NYC
- Private Washington DC Tour from NYC by Car
- Washington & Philadelphia Day Trip from NYC
- Washington DC Day Trip by Bus from New York
- Washington DC Half-Day Private SUV Tour
- Washington DC in a Day from Manhattan or NJ
- Washington DC Private SUV Tour — Up to 6 People
- Washington DC Private Tour with Luxury Vehicle