Big Bus Washington DC: routes, stops and tickets

Route and stops

Big Bus tickets in Washington DC

• 

  Free cancellation

  Hop-on Hop-off Tour of DC with 18 Stops and Arlington Audio Tour

  1–2 hr3.5(4k)4k reviews·Big Bus Washington DC

  from$45

• 

  Free cancellation

  DC: Water Taxi Unlimited Pass & Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour

  1–2 hr3.7(13)·Big Bus Washington DC

  from$79

Want to see every hop-on hop-off bus in Washington DC, not just this one? Compare hop-on hop-off tours in Washington DC.

What riders say

Across these tickets travellers rate Big Bus Washington DC 3.5 out of 5 from 4,063 reviews.

They will explain all of the landmarks and a brief history of them I found all of these people to be very, very knowledgeable and very nice which really needed you can get on and off of the stops that they go to and every half hour you’ll have another bus take you and continue to to the next point of interest

Overall great experience. Got to see the major sights and learn some history along the way. Just plan accordingly as buses run every 30-40 minutes per stop. Tianee was a great bus driver. She was nice courteous and greeted everyone with a smile.

The initial hop on location was a bit confusing, however, each driver was helpful in directing us to the correct location. ALWAYS a great experience on BigBus Tours!

Best time to ride

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for time outdoors on the Mall; spring also brings cherry blossom crowds. Summers are hot and humid, so early rides are easier, and winters are chilly on an open deck.

Who it suits

Families

Many museum stops on the Red loop are along the Mall, so children can hop off at the Natural History or Air and Space museums.

Couples

The Blue loop links the memorials with Arlington and the White House area for a scenic day.

Seniors

The Mall is large and the sights are spread out, so a bus saves long walks between memorials.

First-time visitors

Two loops separate the museum side of the Mall from the memorials side, which helps in planning a first visit.

Tips before you go

• Washington Monument appears as a stop on both loops, so it works as a switch point.
• Stop counts, names and frequency differ between reseller listings, so confirm in the operator's app.
• Arlington National Cemetery has its own entry process; check its requirements before planning a visit.
• Allow extra time for the White House area, where visits need advance arrangements.

Sights along the way

Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, U.S. Capitol, National Air and Space Museum, International Spy Museum, Jefferson Memorial, Ford's Theatre.

Top-ranked in Washington DC: The White House, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, U.S. Capitol, Korean War Veterans Memorial. All things to do in Washington DC.

Why take the bus in Washington DC

Washington was laid out in the 1790s with wide avenues and big open spaces, so the sights are spread out rather than tucked together. The Mall runs from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and the Tidal Basin memorials sit off to one side. A hop-on hop-off bus links the pieces without making you plan each leg, and an open deck gives you a view of the layout, which helps if this is your first visit.

The bus earns its place in summer, when heat and humidity make long walks tiring, and for anyone who wants to save their legs for the inside of the museums. It also suits a short stay, when you want to see a lot without researching every connection.

Walking is better in a few situations. If you are staying within one cluster, such as the White House, the Washington Monument, the National World War II Memorial and the Mall, those sights are close enough to combine on foot in a half-day. The Capitol and the Supreme Court form another small area that is easy to do on foot. The metro is the better tool for longer hops across the city or for getting to your starting point in the morning. A walking tour is a sensible alternative if you would rather have a guide telling the stories at a handful of stops than a loop that covers a lot of ground. A typical walking tour concentrates on one area for a couple of hours.

In short, the bus fits best as a way to connect the memorials and the museum side of the Mall, with walking and the metro filling the gaps.

How the routes work together

Two loops split the city into two halves. The Red Loop is the museum and Capitol side: it concentrates on the Mall museums, the Capitol area and the southern memorials around the Tidal Basin. It has 11 stops and a loop time of about 90 minutes. The Blue Loop covers the western Mall memorials, Arlington National Cemetery and the White House area, with 7 stops. Its duration is not given, so the ticket page is the place to look.

The Washington Monument is a stop on both loops, which makes it the natural place to switch. You might start with the memorials on the Blue Loop, then change at the Monument to the Red Loop for the museums and the Tidal Basin.

For specific sights, the Red Loop has a stop at the U.S. Capitol, at Garfield Circle, and one for the Jefferson Memorial. A shared FDR Memorial and MLK Memorial stop is about 100 metres from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and about 400 metres from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. The Blue Loop has a stop at the Lincoln Memorial, shared with the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and one at The White House. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is about 350 metres from the Lincoln Memorial stop. The National World War II Memorial has its own Blue Loop stop.

The Supreme Court of the United States is about 350 metres from the Capitol stop. The National Mall is about 200 metres from the Washington Monument stop on either loop.

A sample day on the bus

A good first day splits the city by loop rather than trying to ride both end to end. Start in the morning on the Blue Loop, when the memorials are at their most comfortable. Get off at the Lincoln Memorial stop and spend time there and at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, then walk the 350 metres to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The National World War II Memorial is also a stop on the Blue Loop.

At the Washington Monument, switch to the Red Loop for the afternoon. This is the museum half of the day. The Red Loop calls at the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum, and either one could fill a couple of hours by itself. Pick one rather than rushing both. The Red Loop also has stops at the Capitol area, L'Enfant Plaza, The Wharf and the Jefferson Memorial.

If you have a second day, use the Red Loop for the Capitol and the Tidal Basin: the Jefferson Memorial, then the FDR and MLK memorials. Alternatively, keep a half-day for the White House area and Ford's Theatre on the Blue Loop. A third day can go to Georgetown or a trip out to Mount Vernon or Old Town Alexandria.

Booking advice

Start by deciding how many loops you want. If you only want the memorials, or only the museum side, one loop may be enough. If you want both, make sure the ticket you pick covers what you expect to ride. Ticket pages describe what each option includes, so compare those details rather than assuming.

Then think about how many days you will actually ride. A visitor with one packed day has different needs from someone spreading sights over two or three days with museum time in between. Commentary comes in a range of languages, eight in total across the products, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. Check the ticket page for the language you want.

Before buying, check stop names and frequency on the ticket page, since listings can differ. Also plan separately for Arlington National Cemetery, which has its own entry process, and for the White House, where visits need advance arrangements. The bus gets you to the area, but it does not replace those arrangements.

Sights worth the stop

The Lincoln Memorial is the strongest single stop, and it sits beside the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The U.S. Capitol is the obvious stop on the Red Loop, and the Supreme Court is a short walk beyond it. The Washington Monument is useful both as a sight and as a switch point between loops.

On the Tidal Basin side, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial reward a slow visit, especially in spring when cherry trees bloom, usually in late March or early April. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is nearby. The White House is a viewing stop for most visitors, and the National World War II Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial round out the western Mall.

More on Washington DC sightseeing

• Big Bus Washington DC FAQ

Questions about Big Bus Washington DC