Get an insider’s look at the design of the District!
Explore Washington’s architectural marvels and best kept secrets, while hearing about the conflicts, controversies, and personalities involved in the development of our Capital City. From Neo-Classical to Brutalist, learn the history behind the brick and mortar on our design-focused Washington tours!
We offer small group walking tours, as well as private and custom tours on foot, by car, bike, boat, and virtually!
We also have gift cards, the perfect present for your adventurous urban explorer! Gift cards can be purchased to join a small group tour or book a private tour. Get your gift card here, or contact us to learn more.

Explore the history behind the brick and mortar on a tour of Washington DC
Explore the National Mall like never before, uncovering the architectural vision, historical drama, and hidden details behind America’s most iconic monuments. From sweeping vistas to intimate stories carved in stone, this tour offers a fresh perspective on the heart of the nation’s capital.
Discover the highlights and hidden corners of Washington’s most exclusive neighborhood—where palatial homes, grand churches, and a world-class university tell stories of status and style. Trace Georgetown’s dramatic transformation from gritty port town to one of the most picturesque and prestigious enclaves in the capital.
Explore the architectural heart of Capitol Hill, where grand designs, political ambition, and urban planning shaped the core of American power. This guided walking tour uncovers the stories, symbolism, and vision behind Union Station, the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and United States Capitol Building.
Explore two of DC’s most contrasting adjacent neighborhoods, from the stately elegance of 16th Street to the vibrant cultural crossroads of Adams Morgan. This walking tour uncovers hidden parks, unusual monuments, historic mansions, and the stories of the people and communities that shaped these dynamic streets.
Explore Southwest DC, where 250 years of architectural evolution—from colonial rowhouses and mid-century modern apartments to sleek new waterfront development—tell the story of “The Island.” This walking tour uncovers the dramatic transformations, design innovations, and the surprising stories of DC’s smallest quadrant.
Venture east of the Anacostia River to explore a neighborhood shaped by dramatic change, vibrant culture, and architectural variety. From quirky landmarks and hidden stories to historic rowhouses and Frederick Douglass’s Cedar Hill, uncover the unexpected side of DC.
Discover the hidden history of Rock Creek Park, a 1,700-acre forest winding through the heart of Washington, DC. From Indigenous homelands to 19th-century mills, Olmsted-designed “parkitecture”, and forgotten ruins, this tour uncovers the surprising stories that shaped America’s first urban National Park.
Discover the U Street Corridor, once the vibrant heart of Washington’s Black community, where music, culture, and architecture thrived amid segregation. This walking tour uncovers legendary venues, historic rowhouses, fascinating character, and community stories of DC’s “Black Broadway.”
Explore Arlington National Cemetery as never before—where sweeping vistas, meticulously planned landscapes, and symbolic monuments tell the story of America’s military history. From Arlington House to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, discover how architecture and design shape this sacred space and honor generations of heroes.
From the gardens and Gothic spires of the National Cathedral to the turreted Victorians and modernist gems of Cleveland Park, this tour reveals a neighborhood rich in history and design. Discover how streetcars, summer estates, and a carefully crafted identity shaped one of Washington’s most picturesque enclaves.
Duration: 50 minutes
Get a whole new perspective on the design of the District with a live narrated cruise along the Potomac River.
Duration: Customizable
Book your private design tour to explore DC in depth. Choose any of our Washington walking tours to be conducted as a private tour, with just you, your family or group, and your guide!
See What Our Guests Have to Say!

The tour of Dupont Circle/Embassy Row was amazing! Christine has such a wealth of knowledge of architecture and the history. She's super sweet and had us laughing while teaching the group. It was my second of the Design Tours and can't wait for the next one!
– Kimberly Gordon | Google ReviewsHad a wonderful time and learned a lot. My family took the walking tour (led by Christine) from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. She made the tour enjoyable for everyone, including my 6-year-old daughter. I highly recommend this for families that want to visit the “must sees” and want a better understanding of how Washington D.C. was initially developed and how it has evolved over time.
– Bryan Vernetti | Google ReviewsGreat tour! It's was a great day to get introduced to Union Station and Capitol Hill building architecture and history. Tour started in time and ended on time. Sam is a great guide with passion, energy, and information.
– Vicki James | Google ReviewsTerrific tours from our guide Carolyn - we did both a tour of the main monuments and a tour of Arlington Cemetery. Carolyn tweaked the tours to suit our interests and stamina, held the kids (and adults) in rapt attention, answered all our questions and shared lots of details and history we would not otherwise have known. Strongly recommended.
– Sophie Birshan | Google ReviewsWe booked Monuments and Memorials, Georgetown and Capitol Hill tour during independence day weekend. All 3 of them were so amazing! Our guide, Sam, was knowledgeable and full of energy. If you want to know history, understand architectural details and hear stories, then I highly recommend DC Design Tours. Our experience exploring Washington DC via these guided public walking tours was very enriching.
– Mrunal Vaze | Google ReviewsIncredible tour of Georgetown with both insightful information about the design and architecture, but also a rich history of the community. Sam, our guide, was informative and made the tour fun. His passion for history and architecture came shining through.
– David Wallis | Google ReviewsThis tour was everything I was hoping for and more (found on IG)! I lived in Georgetown decades ago, but didn’t have a chance to experience it like this. Passing by and admiring architecture is one thing, but learning about it is another. And you don’t know what you don’t know! Every trip to DC, I look forward to enjoying a different one…
– Peter Zolpher | Google ReviewsWe had a wonderful experience with DC Design Tours. Our team of real estate agents went on this tour to learn a little history and architecture about DC. We truly learned so much and had so much fun. The bus was gorgeous and our guide was so knowledgeable and personable. Highly recommend!!
– Mel Korobkin | Google ReviewsMy family did the DC Museum tour with Sam this Sunday. He was great. Meeting us in front to Smithsonian castle and walking and talking us thru the architecture and history of all the museums on the mall. Very knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions. Thanks Sam.
– Peter Zolper | Google ReviewsFantastic tour! Sam made the cherry blossom tour of the DC tidal basin so much more then a walk amongst the cherry blossoms. He really made the monuments and whole area come to life too! I will be recommending all of the DC Design tours to visitors and neighbors here! And Sam gave me plenty of time to snap pictures to my hearts content, a real bonus on a guided tour! Thanks for the wonderful experiencence!
– Laurie Leach | Google ReviewsBeautiful walking tour of the cherry blossoms. Unfortunately we weren’t able to the splendor due to the bad weather a few days prior to the the tour. Our guide was very informative!
– Aphrodite F. | Google ReviewsI've been on two DC design tours in the last month and I am so impressed! I am a local and I love architecture and I have learned so much history about my community. These tours are fantastic! You should absolutely go! Don't question it.
– Julia Farber | Google ReviewsThe Georgetown and National Mall tours were so good. Sam was our guide on both tours and he was great. I learned so much and highly recommend.
– A. Mendoza | Google ReviewsOur tour guide Sam was incredible. I told him he should do Podcast. Was able to navigate between tour questions and general questions beautifully and seamlessly. Love the restaurant recommendations. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone.
– Aaron Hass | Google ReviewsWe live nearby in Maryland and have been to Georgetown numerous times. Sam made it’s history and beauty to come alive with his very informative and entertaining presentation. 2.5 hours flew by. Highly recommend.
– Svetlana Andreyev | Google ReviewsWe did the private tour of DuPont Circle and Embassy Row with Carolyn. It was amazing. She’s very knowledgeable and did an excellent mix of history and architecture. I wish I could do a tour with her everyday of my trip. I will be using DC Design Tours anytime I’m back in DC.
– Carmen Echols | Google ReviewsCarolyn was a wonderful guide for our family group of seven. We would definitely use her on our next trip to DC. And I’ve already recommended her to several friends. Thanks for perfect experience.
– Anne G. | Google ReviewsOur tour of Georgetown's architecture was absolutely amazing! Carolyn's knowledge of the history of Georgetown is deep and her added stories about little known snippets of American history added a wonderful touch of humor. I would highly recommend taking one of the custom tours for a few hours that you will never forget!
– Susan F. | Google ReviewsThe tour was amazing. Carolyn was nice and knowledgeable. She was sincere about the good and bad of DC, very descriptive and had great suggestions. Took time to hear our story and made personalized suggestions on other tours we should take with them. We definitely will be back to take more tours with Carolyn.
– Josh T. | Google ReviewsWe had a wonderful experience with DC Design Tours. Our team of real estate agents went on this tour to learn a little history and architecture about DC. We truly learned so much and had so much fun. The bus was gorgeous and our guide was so knowledgeable and personable. Highly recommend!!
– Mel K. | Google ReviewsFour of us went on a National Cathedral-Cleveland Park Cherry Blossom tour with Carolyn. It was very informative and fun. Carolyn is so prepared and knowledgeable, you can tell she has a background in architecture and has studied the neighborhood history. We are looking forward to booking another tour soon.
– Ben & Patti S. | Google Reviews