Several Civil War-themed walking tours highlight the city's important sites relating to the era. "Civil War to Civil Rights: Downtown Heritage Trail" encompasses 34 sites in downtown Washington. Sites on the trail include a building that served as a hospital for Union soldiers as well as Lincoln's second inaugural ball. An audio guide accompanies the tour with narration by National Public Radio's Korva Coleman. Poster-size illustrations at each stop also list relevant information.
Washington Walks offers a tour called "Civil War Washington: Soldiers and Citizens." Tour participants visit sites such as Fort Stevens, where President Lincoln gave a speech, Lincoln's cottage retreat and the African American Civil War Memorial. These tours only run from April to October each year.
Old Town Trolley Tours takes passengers on several tours dealing with different subjects. This type of tour combines walking tours with the ease of transportation of bus tours. There is no time limit for the tour as guests can get on and off the trolley at any stop. Trolleys are constantly running to continue tours. Trolley conductors provide information and stories at each site. The company divides tours into sections: National Mall, National Cathedral, Georgetown and Arlington National Cemetery. One popular tour is the Monuments by Moonlight. The two-and-a-half-hour tour encompasses sites like the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.
If you decide that walking or trolley tours do not fit your needs, a bus tour might be the answer. Bus tours have experienced guides with knowledge of the area. Some companies offer the option of combining bus and walking tours. Bus tours can also be personalized for group experiences.
Site Seeing Tours provides several historical tours of the Washington area. For example, the Highlights Tour of Capital Places runs approximately eight hours, with a stop for lunch at Capital Hill. This is a good tour for those on their first trip to the city. Sites on the tour include the White House, the National Archives, and Ford's Theater. Other tours focus on the Smithsonian Museums and the Supreme Court.
