Go to the heart of America's Legislative and Judicial branches of government on a small-group tour of Capitol Hill that explores the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress. This tour goes inside each destination for a guided tour, and highlights include reserved-entry at the U.S. Capitol with a guide to help bring Capitol Hill's fascinating politics and history to life.

Small-group walking tour of Capitol Hill
See where American laws are debated and made
Visit the largest library in the world
Group size limited to 15 to ensure personal service

What's Included

3-Hour Guided Walking Tour of Capitol Hill in Washington DC
Small-Group (less than 20 guests) for a more personalized experience
Admission inside the U.S. Capitol Building
Admission to the Library of Congress
Reserved entry to the Capitol for a guided tour of the Legislative branch of the U.S. Government
View part of Thomas Jefferson’s original collection of over 6,000 books
Professional Guide

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

10 First St SE
10 First St SE, Washington, DC 20543, USA
Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, in front of the Neptune Fountain

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

U.S. Capitol

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Library of Congress

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Supreme Court (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Please review voucher information after booking as it provides a detailed list of items banned from the Capitol and many other federal buildings. Possession of these items will result in non-admission to the building.
Tour runs approximately 3 hours
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Please plan to arrive 15-20 minutes before tour start time. Tour begins exactly at stated time, entry to buildings are on timed reservations, and group must enter security together, therefore we are unable to accommodate for late arrivals.
Closest Metro stop: Capitol South (Orange/Blue/Silver Lines) - Exit station using main exit, walk approximately two blocks north on First Street SE.
The US Capitol and its surrounding complex are in a secure federal operation area and nearby parking is highly restricted. The nearest public parking is located at Union Station approximately .5 mile from meeting location. Alternative modes of transportation are highly encouraged.
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveller Photos

Traveller Tips

Excellent small group tour for a perfect amount of time.

Reviews

4.5

351 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 351 reviews

Worth the price of admission

Bob_C, May 2023

Liam was a wealth of knowledge and guided the group skillfully. I would certainly recommend the tour and him as a tour guide.

Fabulous

John_C, May 2023

Laura was fantastic! Her energetic and enthusiastic style of imparting knowledge was engaging and entertaining. A natural teacher. We were humbled while touring the Capitol, appreciating the reverence it holds. The Library of Congress was as majestic and beautiful as any buildings in Europe. Breathtaking in form and function.

Interesting experience

Peter_H, May 2023

Nice to see the USA history, nice paintings and statues However I would have liked one of the guides to center more on art and describe what paintings are and statues whom they represent rather than giving their own opinion about them as I did not payed to listen to someone’s biased opinion about history and historic events. I would have given 5 stars for an art and history description. Otherwise Capitol and it’s content is a magnificent collection and USA should be proud of it.

The tour was very well...

Eric_K, May 2023

The tour was very well guided by Paul, whose knowledge and wit were a real pleasure. My wife and I had a great time.

Tour was done nicely. ...

Minesh_S, May 2023

Tour was done nicely. Very well organized and informative. The guide was knowledgeable about historical facts and even made the extra effort to get us house gallery passes. Overall it was worth it.

Interesting, Informative and Enjoyable Tour.

Ian_T, May 2023

Excellent tour of the Capitol building and Congress Library. Our tour guide, Paul, was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. He really made things come alive.

The best guide ever

Carol_B, May 2023

The capitol ceiling and statues. Our guide had so much knowledge to share. Excellent. The Library of Congress was amazing. All the facts and beauty of the area.

Perfect Capitol & Library of Congress your for 1st time visitors!

Sophie_A, May 2023

Capitol Rotunda, Jefferson Book Collection, excellent historical facts from Laura our tour guide. Opportunity to view State Statues upfront. You’ll enjoy the ability to ask questions.

great tour

Phil_S, May 2023

Laura was an excellent guide sharing her knowledge of the Capitol and Library of Congress, showing us around and pointing out key things. Was a good way to see both buildings with limited time.

A Must See.....God Bless America

Kathie_J, May 2023

All was memorable the guide Ian was excellent and knowledgeable. Enjoyed Andrew was q great addition. Felt will cared for also. Thank you

It was the best...

CARMEN_T, May 2023

It was the best experience in the tour the person was clearly explained everything thank you so much

Actually a "highlights" tour

BARBARAE_I, May 2023

I booked this tour at the last minute due to the description- looked forward to the small group tour as advertised (15-20 people max). The "walk by" for the Supreme Court was informative but very brief and I would like to have at least seen the interior of the building. When entering the Capitol (after facts/information supplied by our Viator guide), we were transferred into a very large group with a relatively superficial/quick tour of 3 rooms. Nothing in depth which I had expected and no indication in the description that this would happen. The Library of Congress was beautiful/a huge surprise, and our Viator guide was very knowledgeable, but again we were rushed through a brief (40 minute) experience. Our view of the "reading room" was limited to 2 minutes! Though advertised as a 3 hour tour, the total "tour time" was under 2 hours. I enjoyed the experience overall, but would ask many more questions before booking anything again. Would recommend more advance planning and contacting Congressional representatives to investigate more comprehensive Capitol tour options.

Capitol and congress

Melanie_G, May 2023

Great. Couple of hours whizzed by quickly and so interesting. Library of congress and getting library card.

Disappointing experience

Carol_J, May 2023

I paid the higher price for a small group tour. Our tour had 27 people!!! What’s small about that? Then when we went into the capitol building where more were added to our tour group there. I asked for free brochures of the capitol building & our guide said she’d get them for us by the end of the movie that was presented. None. We discarded our own expensive snacks because our guides said they wouldn’t pass security, but snacks were allowed through. The two guides gave different instructions to the group. The most annoying part was that our guides seemed to want to talk most about their own experiences and knowledge of state statues. Did not feel the cost was worth the experience.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for your feedback however this is inaccurate. Our groups are limited in size to 15 or fewer guests. Your guide had 10 people in their group for your tour. While more people may reserve for a tour time, we break these up to 15 per guide. However, we do not have control over how many guests the US Capitol puts together on the Docent lead portion of the tour in the secure areas of the Capitol. Per US Capitol Police policy food, drinks, liquids, and aerosols are not permitted inside the US Capitol unless it is for a medical purpose. This is US Capitol Police policy and not up to us. This is stated on your ticket as the first thing under “Before your go”. This is also listed on the US Capitol website.

Great tour guide!

Susan_W, May 2023

Our guide Paul Sullivan was knowledgeable, witty, personable, and smart - he made this tour a success for our family.

Well worth the price to have someone who knows the ins and outs and the stories behind the histories.

Theresa_M, May 2023

Our tour guide Paul was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable and kept everyone engaged and on track.

Very Impressed

Angela_M, May 2023

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the Capital so much. Paul answered every question and was super knowledgeable. Highly recommend to visitors.

Capitolio is very interesting to visit.

Chico, May 2023

Capitolio is very interesting to visit, both guides gave us lots of interesting questions. Certainly I'd do it again.