4-Night Trip to Washington DC & Gettysburg by Bus
History and current events converge on this 4-night trip to Washington DC and Gettysburg.
Program Summary
Program Highlights & Inclusions
- Bus transportation throughout your tour
- Professional tour manager with your group throughout the tour
- Four nights Hotel Accommodations in the Washington DC Area
- Visit to the National Air & Space Museum
- Visit to the Smithsonian Museums
- Photo Stop outside the White House
- Visit to the Memorials including the FDR, Jefferson and Martin Luther King Jr Memorials
- Tour at Arlington National Cemetery
- Tour at the Capitol Building
- Visit to the Library of Congress
- Visit to the Supreme Court (lecture if available)
- Visit to the Holocaust Museum (subject to availability)
- Tour of the memorials including the World War II, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial
- Admission to “A New Birth of Freedom” and the Cyclorama at the Gettysburg Visitor Center
- Guided tour of the Battlefields at Gettysburg
- Performance of a Visit with Mr. Lincoln
- Admission to the International Spy Museum
- Visit Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (subject to reservation confirmation)
- Visit to the National Archives
- Ghost tour in Old Town Alexandria (walking)
- Admission to Mt Vernon with Lunch – Home of our George Washington
- Visit to the National Zoo
- Visit to the Supreme Court (lecture if available)
- Visit to the Library of Congress
Daily Itinerary
Upon arrival in Washington DC, you will meet your Tour Manager.
After lunch, you’ll visit the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. The Museum has thousands of objects on display, including the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and a lunar rock you can touch.
You’ll have free time to explore the Smithsonian Museums of your choice such as the National Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History and the American Art Museum.
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States, first occupied by John Adams in 1800. You will have a chance to see the North Front of the White House from Lafayette Park where you can take photos and enjoy the view.
After dinner, you will take a guided tour of the Memorials including visits to the FDR Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
You’ll arrive at your hotel and check in.
After breakfast, you will visit Mt. Vernon, the home of our first president. You will have a chance to see the film at the visitors center and then tour the home and grounds of the estate. A meal pass will be included for lunch at the cafeteria.
You will visit Arlington National Cemetery where you will take a tour and see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Changing of the Guard Ceremony, the Challenger Memorial and the Kennedy Grave Sites.
You’ll visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a place where all Americans can learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience, what it means to their lives, and how it helped shape this nation.
After dinner, you will take a guided tour of the Memorials including visits to the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial.
After breakfast, you’ll arrive at the Gettysburg Visitor Center. The Cyclorama, Film and Museum Experience at the center includes the film narrated by Morgan Freeman, A New Birth of Freedom (sponsored by The History Channel); the massive Cyclorama painting, which literally surrounds visitors with a magnificent visual of the fury of Pickett’s Charge, and the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War, featuring 12 exhibit galleries that contain artifacts and interactive displays.
You’ll take a two hour guided tour of the battlefield. Fought during the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most crucial battles of the Civil War having occurred at a time when the fate of the nation literally hung in the balance.
After lunch, you’ll see a performance of “A Visit With Mr. Lincoln” where an actor and historian will speak to you and your group as Mr. Lincoln. You’ll hear a monologue and then have a chance to ask questions.
You’ll begin your drive back to Washington DC.
You’ll have dinner and then you’ll return to your hotel for the evening.
After breakfast, you’ll visit the International Spy Museum. The Museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. It is the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on an all-but-invisible profession that has shaped history and continues to have a significant impact on world events.
After lunch, you will visit the National Archives and see the rotunda where some of our most important documents are stored. You will see an original copy of the U.S. Constitution and an original copy of the Declaration of Independence as well as many other important documents.
You will visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This is America’s national institution for the documentation, study and interpretation of Holocaust History and it serves as our country’s memorial to the millions murdered during the Holocaust. Reservations will be requested for your visit. If they are not confirmed you may either wait on line for tickets on morning of your visit or you may see the Daniel’s Story exhibit which does not require reservations or tickets.
After dinner, you will take an evening walking ghost tour through Old Town Alexandria. You will hear the legends, folklore and ghost stories of this charming and spooky town!
After breakfast, you will visit the Supreme Court. If time permits and lectures are available, you may see a 25 minute docent lecture in the court room about the judicial branch of our government and the role of the Supreme Court.
You will see one of the most magnificent buildings in Washington as you visit the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill. If you enter, you will have some time to admire the architecture and peek into the main reading room.
You will visit the The United States Capitol, a monument, a working office building, and one of the most recognizable symbols of representative democracy in the world. Your tour will begin with a short introductory film and include stops at the Rotunda and National Statuary Hall.
After lunch, you’ll visit the National Zoo where you’ll have a chance to explore this 163-acre zoological park that is home to more than 400 species of animals.
You’ll board your bus and begin the return trip home.