The 8 National Portrait Gallery Tours That Earn Their Price

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

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

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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2.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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3.DC Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum – Exclusive Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $89

Tour Washington’s National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum with a private guide, from presidents and Whitman to Cassatt and O’Keeffe.

“Annemarie gave us a spectacular, informative tour of the portrait gallery and the American art museum . She was personable, full of interesting stories, and we learned so much !”

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4.National Gallery of Art, American Art & Portrait Gallery Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $79Best value

Explore Washington’s National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, and American Art Museum with a small-group guide, water, and practical museum tips.

“Our tour guide was Christina. She was very friendly and knowledgeable. She asked what are favorite paintings were and made sure we saw them. She not only showed us some important pieces but also provided details about the painting and the artist. I am so glad I chose a private tour of the National Gallery of Art in DC. I only hope that in future visits to any art museums I am fortunate enough to have someone like her.”

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5.National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum Tour: 8ppl Max

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $89

Explore Washington’s Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum in a small group, with presidential portraits, Hopper, O’Keeffe, and Whitman’s wartime story.

“Meghan did an amazing tourthat got us through the highlights of the Portrait Gallery and Art Museum with plenty of time to discuss and put the art in context. She provided information about the picture or artist that we would never have known from the descriptive annotations! She is a self described "Art History Geek" and provided great insight into the women artists!”

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6.National Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum Semi-Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $129

Explore presidential portraits and American art on a two-hour, six-person Washington DC tour with a guide, museum entry, water, and free cancellation.

“I recently had a tour with Shane at the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum, and it truly exceeded my expectations. As someone aspiring to become a tour guide myself, I was blown away by Shane’s depth of knowledge and the way he turned history and art into captivating stories. He took me on a journey from the founding of America through the evolution of its culture, all the way to today—and made it interesting throughout the tour. Thanks so much Shane!”

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7.National Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $86

Tour Washington’s National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum for presidential portraits, Civil Rights history, and American masterpieces.

“Leigh was the perfect guide, so knowledgeable, articulate, and interesting. We hit it off immediately and thought it was one of the best tours this well-traveled couple has ever been on. Our highest recommendation for this tour guide.”

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 3 reviews · 5h 30m · from $174

See the National Archives and Portrait Gallery with a small-group guide, from the Magna Carta and Bill of Rights to presidents and American art.

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