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What's a day really like on tour?

Check out an action-packed day on a Smithsonian Student Travel tour to Washington, D.C.

7:00 a.m.

Good morning, Washington, D.C.!

Wake up bright and early at your hotel. After breakfast, join your group aboard the motorcoach waiting outside the hotel to take you to Washington, D.C., the world's first planned capital city and the seat of Congress since 1800.

8:30 a.m.

Guided sightseeing of the presidential monuments

Your tour director and your professional local sightseeing guide take you to all the most famous monuments. Begin at the Washington Monument, a 555-foot obelisk dedicated to our nation's first president, visible from most areas of the city. Then it's on to the Tidal Basin, where you will marvel at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, composed of four outdoor galleries to represent each of his terms in office. Also, see the Jefferson Memorial, celebrating the life and deeds of our third president, who drafted the Declaration of Independence.

10:00 a.m.

Arlington National Cemetery

Make a moving pilgrimage to the final resting place of more than 200,000 veterans and their families. At JFK’s gravesite, you'll see the eternal flame that was originally lit by Jacqueline Kennedy at his funeral in 1963. Here you’ll also witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

12:30 p.m.

Lunch

Enjoy free time for lunch on your own. Maybe you'll head to historic Union Station, which is considered one of America's finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture and welcomes 25 million visitors each year. In addition to being a bustling train station, it also features dozens of shops and restaurants.

1:00 p.m.

Introduction to the Smithsonian Institution

Today you'll visit Smithsonian museums. The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum and research complex, endowed by James Smithson and created by an act of Congress in 1846, dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge. The Smithsonian Institution houses more than 137 million objects and comprises 17 museums and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., two museums in New York City and nine research centers. It extends its global outreach through more than 155 Smithsonian affiliate museums. The Smithsonian is an institution dedicated to discovery, exploration and learning.

1:30 p.m.

Visit to the Smithsonian museum of your choice

Learning comes alive in the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, connecting what you are studying in the classroom to the works of art, history and culture that surround you. Check out the 1903 Wright Flyer in the National Air and Space Museum, view some of the more than 19,000 artworks at the recently renovated National Portrait Gallery or marvel at the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond in the National Museum of Natural History. We also produce our very own companion materials for tours, which may include maps, self-guided walking tours and travel journals.

6:30 p.m.

Dinner and walking tour

Back in Alexandria, head to a local restaurant for a buffet dinner. Then take a walking tour down the cobblestone streets of Old Town Alexandria, where George Washington once had a home.

10:00 p.m.

Sleep well!

Get to bed early—tomorrow is another busy day!