Washington Sightseeing Pass

With the Sightseeing Pass you will have access to discounts of up to 60% in more than fifteen attractions in the U.S. capital.

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

8 min read

Washington Sightseeing Pass

Washington DC | © Thomas Lin

If you want to organize your trip to the U.S. capital in advance but have not yet decided which attractions you want to visit, the Washington Sightseeing Pass can offer you the solution.

Depending on the option you choose, this tourist card will put at your disposal more than fifteen different attractions with discounts of up to 60% for you to decide what to see and do in Washington DC during your stay.

The most comfortable option

Washington DC Flex Pass

Secure access to the best tours of the city with the best discounts

With this tourist card you will be able to visit museums, monuments and emblematic buildings and travel in the most efficient way on the Hop-on, Hop-off Express bus while saving money.

With prices starting at 52 euros, the Washington Sightseeing Pass is a tourist card that will give you access to the main points of the city and will also allow you to save money and time, because you will avoid long lines when getting tickets to visit the U.S. capital, one of the most important cities in the world.

The Sightseeing Pass will help you to better organize your trip, especially in a city like Washington DC that offers many attractions. The card will also save you a lot of money with discounts in stores and restaurants.

You can choose between a one-, two- or four-attraction pass and all include 24-hour access to a bus with free stops. Note that the pass is activated the first time you use it, and from that moment you have sixty days to use the rest of the options and discounts offered by the tourist card.

  • Recommended if... You will only be in Washington DC for a few days or if you want to organize your tour of the city before you arrive.

How much does the Washington Sightseeing Pass cost?

Sightseeing Pass| ©MolaViajar
Sightseeing Pass| ©MolaViajar

You can choose from several options starting at 52 euros. With this first rate you have 24 hours access to one of Washington' s sightseeing buses and a pass to one of the more than fifteen attractions available.

For 61 euros you will have access to the bus and two attractions and for 85 euros you can opt for four tours, plus the 24-hour transfer on the Express Hop-on, Hop-off.

Purchasing the pass with access to four attractions you would be paying the flat rate for the tours and saving up to 60%. Plus, you'll get discounts at stores and restaurants. Which option best suits your needs?

Book the Washington DC Flex Pass

How does the Flex Pass work?

Sightseeing bus through the streets of Washington| ©Elvert Barnes
Sightseeing bus through the streets of Washington| ©Elvert Barnes

The pass can be purchased in advance of your visit to Washington DC and is activated the moment you use it for the first time. From then on you will have sixty days to access the rest of the attractions and discounts on the list.

You can also make advance reservations for the Washington attractions and museums included in the pass, so not only will you save time by not waiting in long lines to buy your ticket, but you will be able to arrive just at the time of your reservation.

Some attractions have their own schedules and the pass ensures you 24 hours of access to the bus, which you can use from Monday to Sunday from six in the morning until nine at night.

If you manage to organize your transfers you can save a lot of money to move between tour sites by using this service included in the pass.

Book the Washington DC Flex Pass

What attractions are included in the Washington Sightseeing Pass?

National Mall| ©Sebastian Bassi
National Mall| ©Sebastian Bassi

There are several options available to you with this sightseeing pass. Here are the available options you have to choose from with your Washington Sightseeing Pass.

Potomac River Cruise Tour

One of the ways to discover Washington DC is from the river and this tour will give you a different perspective of the city.

Seeing Washington's best sights from the water will give you unforgettable panoramic views. This tour starts at the waterfront which is also a very busy part of the city, with shopping malls and the best food restaurants in Washington.

  • Price... Outside the tourist card this tour starts at 27 euros.
  • Duration... The tour lasts approximately one hour and do not forget to validate your ticket at the ticket office.
  • Schedule... From Monday to Friday the tours start at six in the morning and on weekends the cruises depart until eleven in the evening.

National Mall and Capitol Hill Bike Tour

The National Mall is the main tour of the U.S. capital. This excursion also includes a tour of the Capitol Hill area with an expert local guide who will provide you with all the necessary information about the areas to be visited.

The tour also includes the monuments and war memorials of Washington DC This is the best tour to get to know the heart of the city.

  • Price... Outside the tourist card this tour starts at 40 euros including guide.
  • Duration... The tour lasts approximately three hours.
  • Hours.... Every day from 10:00 am.

Entrance to the International Spy Museum

International Spy Museum| ©John Goucher
International Spy Museum| ©John Goucher

Washington DC during the Cold War was the place for the emergence of all kinds of conspiracy theories about espionage. The proximity of the Pentagon and the White House and their secrets attracted the attention of spies.

In this tour you can get into the life of a double agent, decipher codes, change your name and many more activities. It is considered one of the best museums in the city.

  • Price... Outside the tourist card this excursion is sold from 25 euros for adults and 15 euros for children.
  • Duration... The tour of the museum lasts about two hours and must be validated at the ticket office.
  • Hours... In spring and summer the museum is open from nine in the morning until seven in the evening. In autumn and winter the museum is open from ten in the morning until six in the afternoon.

Mount Vernon and George Washington House Cruise Excursion

This tour is to Mount Vernon and George Washington's home, but also includes a pleasant and relaxing tour on the Spirit Cruise.

The Sightseeing Pass entitles you to use this service which also includes a three-hour tour of the mansion and its surroundings.

  • Price... Outside of the Sightseeing Pass, this excursion starts at 44 euros including guide. The cruise offers a buffet service at extra cost.
  • Duration... The tour lasts between three and four hours.
  • Schedule... It depends on the date of the year so it is advisable to consult the official website before opting for this option.

Other attractions included in the Washington Sightseeing Pass

  • Bicycle tour of Monuments and Memorials
  • Bicycle rental for a full day self-guided tour
  • Bus tour to Mount Vernon and George Washington's home
  • Hop on-hop offscenic bus tour of the city
  • Interactive scavenger hunt tour of Washington DC

Book the Washington DC Flex Pass

When should I buy the Washington Sightseeing Pass?

Sunset at the Capitol| ©Anthony Quintano
Sunset at the Capitol| ©Anthony Quintano

The sooner you purchase your sightseeing pass the sooner you can start planning your trip, and you can do so up to a year before activation.

Remember that once you choose which of the options best suits your tour, you will be able to book in advance the attractions you prefer and save time not only by avoiding ticket lines but also by arriving at the appointed time.

This card is very convenient for those who have a short stay in the city and need to squeeze in time. This tourist pass can be very useful for you not to miss anything in Washington in a three-day trip

The Washington Sightseeing Pass is the best option for your trip if your intention is to visit only some of the main sites of the city, so the sooner you make sure the availability of the chosen attractions, the better your experience will be. This tourist pass assures you entrance to the most visited attractions in the U.S. capital.

Book the Washington DC Flex Pass

Tips on how to get the most out of the Washington Sightseeing Pass?

Pentagon Memorial| ©Geoff Livingston
Pentagon Memorial| ©Geoff Livingston

If you are one of those who prefer to make the most of the time available in the city and visit as many places as possible, I recommend you to organize your itinerary, and if you buy the four attractions pass try to use it in places close to each other.

With the tourist pass you will be able to save on excursions that you would have decided to book anyway and also save time to do other activities in Washington, which offers thousands of alternatives.

Here you will also find information about the tours that you can do in Washington to get to know the city in depth and that will give you ideas about the different suggested tours.

I also recommend that before buying the Washington Sightseeing Pass you decide which are the places of your interest and based on that choose the option that best matches your travel plan, since the number of days you spend in the city will influence the number of excursions you can visit.

Finally, if you are interested in seeing the monuments and buildings on the National Mall, you can opt for one of the best guided bike tours and then take advantage of the bus to see the more out-of-the-way places in Washington DC.

Book the Washington DC Flex Pass

Other city sightseeing passes

Washington Auto Show| ©Medill DC
Washington Auto Show| ©Medill DC

You can also purchase the Sightseeing Day Pass, which has the same list of attractions available but with a different format of operation.

With this card you will not be buying a pass for a specific number of tours (one, two or four) but you will be buying a pass for one, two or three days and during that time you can access all the attractions you want.

The Sightseeing Day Pass can be purchased up to one year before activation and the chosen term will start to run from the first time you use it, so, for example, if a three-day pass is used for a first purchase on Monday it will expire at midnight on Wednesday.

This pass is also oriented to allow visitors to skip the queues needed to get tickets and get discounts on their tours.

The Sightseeing Day Pass allows you to book tours and some of the attractions offered, such as the Potomac River sightseeing cruise or the International Spy Museum, require the Sightseeing Card holder to stop by the box office to validate tickets.

Prices for day passes start at 58 euros for cards valid for one day, 97 euros for two-day passes and 130 euros for three-day passes.