This sample itinerary is a wonderful combination tour, rich with educational value and with entertainment. Washington DC is always an exciting choice for students. It has an amazing variety of museums and other attractions so that a tour is guaranteed to please every student. Here’s a look at what a combination tour to DC and Williamsburg might look like.
Day One
Arlington National Cemetery
A walking tour in the best-known, national cemetery in the country introduces students to the Arlington Mansion, Memorial Amphitheater, and President Kennedy’s final resting place with the eternal flame. The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also a must before you leave, and there are many other sights here to discover.
Embassy Row
Students will love all the international embassies to discover on this famous DC street.
Monuments and Memorials Tour
The National Mall was specifically designed to house monuments and memorials to beloved presidents, famous Americans, and our military heroes. This tour features as many as possible, including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Vietnam War Veteran’s Memorial.
Ford’s Theater and Petersen House
With these two attractions, students can walk in the footsteps of one our nation’s earliest and greatest tragedies, the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
Day Two
Capitol Hill
This is the most extensive and fascinating of DC’s government tours. Capitol Hill is a magnificent structure, rich with history, art, and American culture.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court tour is self-guided. The main hall includes exhibits and sculptures. Inside the Supreme Court Chamber you can view proceedings or lectures on alternate days.
National Archives
Inside the awe-inspiring rotunda of the National Archives, students can view the most important documents in American history.
Museum of American History
Further artifacts await in this museum, a part of the Smithsonian Institution, featuring icons from American History (e.g., Lincoln’s top hat and the Star Spangled Banner) and from pop culture as well.
Air & Space Museum
The most popular Smithsonian museum is spacious to hold the crowds that visit each day and the larger-than-life exhibits made up of more air and spacecraft than you’ll find in any other museum.
Day Three
Mt. Vernon
This beautiful estate was built and beloved by George and Martha Washington. Students will love it too as they tour the mansion, museum, estate, and perhaps even the underground tunnels featured in National Treasure 2.
National Holocaust Memorial Museum
A beautiful, unforgettable experience for any student, this museum offers a special exhibit for younger visitors, titled Daniel’s Story.
Museum of Natural History
View the wonders of earth from prehistoric times to today – enormous mammals, amazing reptiles, gemstones, butterflies, and more.
Day Four
Colonial Williamsburg
Step back in time and participate in a working, 18th-century community as it builds homes, sells goods, bakes for the family, and conducts all manner of business just as it was done in colonial times.
