Harlem Renaissance in DC Walking Tour
- 2 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Summer 2026 Schedule: This tour is held the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month at 5pm. This amazing walking tour will take you on a journey to an era in which U Street NW DC was the center of African American music and intellectualism. The sounds of jazz was everywhere, Langston Hughes and Jean Toomer were being established as the future writers of the day, and an effort to document the history of African Americans was underway. Take a journey through the Harlem Renaissance as it started in DC! Tour stops mid-way at the famous Ben's Chili Bowl, for optional refreshments and a bathroom break.
Inclusions
What's included
- 2 hours of incredible DC History with a knowledgeable guide.
What's not
- Food and Drink purchased at Ben's Chili Bowl or Ben's Next Door
Itinerary
Howard Theater was the first theater in DC to offer a stage for African American performers, established in 1910. It has played a key part in the DC music and arts scene ever since.
The site of the Frank Holliday's Pool Hall where Duke Ellington first started dabbling in ragtime and jazz piano.
The former house of African American Opera Singer Lilian Evanti, who earned acclaim abroad before returning to her native Washington DC to make her mark on black contributions to classical music.
Former Jazz icon, Bohemian Caverns was a must visit during U Street's period as DC's "Black Broadway."
Major theater and show house during the Black Broadway era.
Iconic eatery for three generations that has been the destination of Presidents and tourists alike, this is where the tour takes a refreshments break.
Former site of Club Bali, a favorite performance spot of Billie Holiday.
This home is where the Saturday Nighter's Club would meet to discuss poetry, social justice, and black culture.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.9
- 538
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Ratings come from 39 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- The tour will begin in front of the Howard Theater on T Street NW.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 20 travellers
- Operated by
- Off the Mall Tours
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
How it compares in Washington DC
- Its from-price is 68% below the median of the 767 experiences we list in Washington DC.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 173 of 767.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Washington DC
Washington, DC is the US capital, a planned city on the Potomac, with a National Mall of monuments and museums and cherry trees in spring.
Washington was planned as a capital in the 1790s, with broad avenues radiating from the Capitol. The National Mall stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, past the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool. Memorials to Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr stand around the Tidal Basin, where cherry trees bloom in late March or early April. The White House stands just north of the Mall.
Top-ranked sights in Washington DC: The White House, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial.
Special offers in Washington DC
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
