The 15 Best National Archives Tours in Washington DC

1.VIP Best of DC with US Capitol + National Archives Reserved Entry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,491 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129Our pick

See the Capitol, National Archives, White House, and DC monuments in one guided day with reserved entry and seasonal Potomac cruise.

“This is a long and comprehensive trip due to the nature of what is covered on the tour Our guide was knowledgeable and easy to listen to. Importantly the pace of the tour was set at a steady tempo, no rush or hurry to get through all stops Felt safe and secure, plenty of communication, water on offer and the small party on an open top vehicle was just perfect Thanks guys”

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2.Skip-the-line National Archives Building Exclusive Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 381 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $105Top rated

Review the National Archives guided tour in Washington DC, with practical details on documents, guides, price, access, crowds, and value.

“Great tour! Very informative and easy to arrange. We enjoyed it very much. Would recommend it highly.”

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3.National Archives Skip the Line Guided Tour Semi-Private 6ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 196 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $105

See the Constitution, Declaration, Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, and more on a small-group National Archives tour in Washington DC.

“Great tour and guide. Very informative and well worth it. Skipped all lines and saw the documents up close at the opening with few others. Very knowledgeable guide. Great experience!”

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4.VIP National Archives Skip-The-Line Guided Tour 6 ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $59

See the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights with reserved entry and a small-group guide at Washington DC’s National Archives.

“Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. She brought us around and got us through the line a lot faster then the general public.”

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5.National Archives and US Capitol Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 115 reviews · from $53Best value

Tour the National Archives and US Capitol in a small group, seeing the Declaration, Constitution, Magna Carta, and Capitol crypt.

“We both really liked the guide Ryan who was very knowledgeable and entertaining. It was a well thought out tour and very efficient.”

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6.National Archives Skip-the-Line Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 85 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $59

See the Declaration and Constitution with a small-group guide, reserved entry, useful stories, and time to explore the National Archives.

“It was so nice to skip the line especially on an extremely hot day! Our guide did know so many different fun facts about the archives we examined!”

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7.National Archives + American History Museum Tour 8ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $166

Tour Washington’s National Archives and American History Museum in 5.5 hours, with a guide, small group, skip-the-line entry, and a lunch break.

“We are on a big history quest, and for the important sites we just get so much more out of it with the tour, but the small group it is easier to make sure we cover what is important to us.”

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8.National Archives Skip the Line Tour Semi-Private 6ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 76 reviews · 2 hours · from $111

See America’s founding documents, Rosa Parks’ citation, and the Magna Carta on a two-hour, small-group National Archives tour.

“Donna was a fabulous tour guide. She was very friendly and knowledgeable”

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9.Skip the Line National Archives and US Capitol Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 51 reviews · from $53

Tour the National Archives, Sculpture Garden, National Mall, and US Capitol in a small group with reserved entry and expert guides.

“Driver was late. His driving was very unsafe. Some of his comments didn’t make sense. Kept asking questions of how well he was doing”

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10.National Archives + American History Museum Exclusive Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $166

Review of the 5.5-hour Washington DC tour of the National Archives and American History Museum, with a private guide and lunch break.

“Our tour guide, Annemarie, was kind and detailed. We visited the two museums where I admired the history of the U.S.. I would recommend this to anyone visiting the National Archives Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.”

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11.National Archives & Optional Museum Add-On

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 36 reviews · from $79

See the original Declaration and Constitution, then tour American history highlights with a small group and reserved museum entry in Washington, DC.

“This was a brilliant tour. As a visitor to the US the guide Shane gave us so much history and context to the Archives and the museum. We could never have hoped to appreciate all that we saw without his help.”

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12.National Archives + National Portrait Gallery Tour 6ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $166

See America’s founding documents and iconic portraits on a five-and-a-half-hour small-group tour with expert guides and museum entry.

“Seeing the founding documents of our country in the National Archives and Thomas Jefferson's library in the Library of Congress were highlights of the tour. Both sites are truly magnificent buildings with very different styles of architecture. Annemarie, our guide from Babylon Tours did a wonderful job explaining the sites we were visiting, providing a lot of relevant detail which greatly added to our understanding of what we were seeing and our enjoyment.”

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13.DC National Archives + National Portrait Gallery – Exclusive Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $166

Review of Babylon Tours DC’s private National Archives and Portrait Gallery tour, with original documents, expert guides, timing, value, and practical tips.

“Brenda was a great tour guide that was able to answer all the questions and tell interesting stories.”

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14.America’s 250th VIP Tour: Archives, Portraits & History 6 ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $200

Explore presidential portraits, founding documents, and American history on a three-hour private-style Washington DC tour for six people.

“Incredible tour of The Portrait Gallery and The Museum of American History (substituted for closed National Archives due to government shutdown)”

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15.National Archives & Museum of American History Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $166

See America’s founding documents, the Star-Spangled Banner, Dorothy’s slippers, and more on a small-group Washington museum tour.

“Brenda was an amazing tour guide! She guided us to all of the primary important founding documents for our nation within the National Archives and educated us on the history of each document and the important people, places, and events in our nation’s history! She also guided us through the American History Museum to see all of the pop culture items, First Lady dresses, and American War history. She concluded with showing us the flag and telling us the history that inspired our national anthem. Our group of 8 truly enjoyed spending the morning and afternoon with Brenda and we highly recommend taking this private guided tour with her!!Read more”

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