What to wear and bring on a Washington DC monument tour

Shoes that can handle steps

Every tour on this site puts you on your feet at some point, the ones with wheels included. The Lincoln Memorial alone means dozens of steps up from the Reflecting Pool plaza. See DC Today's night van, from ~$99, takes you to the top of them and also inside the Jefferson Memorial. USA Guided Tours, from ~$58, warns of stairs at its stops, and Empire Tours' sunset walk, from ~$39, covers about 2 miles (3.2 km) on paved and gravel paths.

Wear sneakers or other walking shoes you have already broken in over a few miles. On a bike or a Segway, closed shoes matter even more. Unlimited Biking does not allow sandals or flip-flops, and Capital Segway riders stand for the full 2.5 hours, which reviewers say they feel in their feet more than anywhere else.

Layers for open carts and evening wind

DC weather swings a long way across the year, from January highs around 44 °F (7 °C) to July highs near 89 °F (32 °C). Spring and fall evenings can feel much cooler than the afternoon before them, and anything open to the air makes them colder again. Intrepid's eCruiser, from ~$59, uses open-air carts with no heating, so in the cold months bring a warm coat and gloves.

USA Guided Tours sells a convertible upgrade on Viator that runs open-top in summer and switches to a glass top from October to March. Its standard coach is climate-controlled, like See DC Today's vans, so on those two you mostly need a layer for the stops. A Segway or a bike makes its own wind, and a light jacket earns its place even on a mild night. The best time to see the monuments goes through the months one by one.

Rain and summer heat

The tours run rain or shine. See DC Today hands out umbrellas, and Empire Tours walks in light rain. Capital Segway is the exception, since a weather cancellation there gets you a new date or a refund. Pack a compact umbrella or a light rain jacket anyway. On an open cart or a bike a hood works better than an umbrella, and summer thunderstorms tend to build in the afternoon, so a day tour is likelier to meet one than a night tour.

Summer days are hot and humid, and the open stretches between the memorials have little shade. For a daytime tour bring sunscreen and a hat. Bottled water comes with See DC Today and USA Guided Tours. On walks and bike rides you carry your own, and the heat is what Viator reviewers on the walking tours bring up more than anything else. On summer evenings by the Tidal Basin and the Reflecting Pool, a little insect repellent spares your ankles.

What goes in a small bag

Keep the bag small. Old Town Trolley's night tour and Babylon Tours DC's morning walk both rule out large bags and luggage. USA Guided Tours may search bags and lists luggage storage among the things it does not include, and food is not allowed on its coach, though snacks are fine. The Washington Monument screens every visitor at the door, so a small bag gets you through faster, as going up the Washington Monument explains.

Night photos and map apps drain a phone quickly. See DC Today's vans have chargers, but on the other tours you are on your own, so a small power bank is the most useful thing in the bag after your shoes.

Teenagers should carry ID. Capital Segway checks that riders are 16 or older, as DC law requires. Unlimited Biking only puts riders of 16 and up on its e-bikes, with under-18s riding alongside an adult. Bring a few small bills as well. Guides and drivers in the US expect a tip, and what a DC monument tour costs suggests how much.

On the night bike ride

Unlimited Biking's Monuments at Night tour, from ~$65, hands out a reflective vest and a bike light, so you do not need your own. What you do need is confidence on a bike in the dark. The ride covers about 4–5 miles with some traffic along the way, and you climb the steps at both the Lincoln and the Jefferson. It also scores lower on GetYourGuide than the daytime ride. Dress for the temperature after sunset rather than the one at the start, and wear closed shoes you can pedal in.

Walks that end at the Monument

DC by Foot's small-group walk, from ~$75, sold on Viator only, takes at most six people from the Lincoln Memorial past the Vietnam wall and the WWII Memorial to the Washington Monument, then up it with the free NPS ticket included. It covers about 1.5 miles, and reviewers advise carrying water in the heat. Since the walk ends with security screening, leave the big backpack at the hotel. The catch is in the ticket. You pay for the guided walk, while the ticket itself is the free one, and if the Monument closes your trip up is lost, as happened to one group during a government shutdown. Free and self-guided options covers booking that ticket yourself.

Empire's sunset walk asks less of your bag. Water and a layer for the dusk are enough, since it finishes at the Monument's base without going inside. Families on any walk should add snacks and a plan for restrooms, which monument tours with kids covers.

A checklist for the day bag

• Shoes. Closed, broken-in walking shoes, and never sandals on a bike or a Segway;
• A layer. Light in summer and warm from late fall to spring, especially on carts and Segways;
• Rain cover. A compact umbrella or a jacket with a hood;
• Water. Your own bottle on walks and bikes, more in summer;
• Sun and bugs. Sunscreen and a hat by day, repellent on summer evenings;
• Power bank. Night photos use a lot of battery;
• ID. For teenagers on Segways or e-bikes;
• Small bills. For the tip at the end;
• A small bag. Large bags and luggage are refused on some tours and slow you down at the Monument.

Before you pack, check where your tour starts on our meeting-points page. If you are still choosing an evening, DC monuments at night compares them.